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I put the window down and called out to her. “Hey, Shelly,” I said. She turned back. “What time does your class start?”
She looked down at her wrist. “In one hour. You want to come and see if you can take me down, PI guy?” She smiled at me.
I’d like nothing more than to take her down. Right down on my cock.
“You’re fired, Shelly,” I sang out.
She shot me the middle finger. “I’ll see you later,” she called back.
I put the window back up and pulled out of the spot. Shelly was a problem. But I didn’t know what to do about it. Not yet, anyway.
Chapter 13
Shelly
I wasn’t fired. Of that much I was certain. Clark might not want to admit it, but he needed me. He needed me and he wanted me, although I was sure he was even less likely to admit the latter. I had no idea what had happened to him in the past with his ex-wife, but I was certain it was pretty big, based on the fact that Lynn refused to tell me about it. It was big and it was intimate, and that made me want to know about it even more.
I let myself into the building and walked into the big gym and then into the locker room where I kept a locker with my clothes. I changed into my workout gear, which was a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra with a t-shirt pulled on over it. Then I laced up my sneakers and went to the gym to stretch and get ready.
But when I entered the gym, I stopped short, because standing on the mat in the front of the gym were five of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. They were all tall with blond hair. They had tattoos on every square inch of visible skin, and I grinned when I realized who they were. As I walked into the room, they all turned to face me, and then one of them stepped to the side, revealing my partner in crime, Reagan Reed. Reagan had come today as a favor to me, mainly because she kicked ass.
“Reagan,” I said as I approached her. I held out my hand for her to shake, but she bypassed it and hugged me instead. “Okay,” I muttered against her shoulder.
She stepped back and stared at me. Then she pointed her chin toward the five men. “I brought my practice dummies,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to show some actual defense techniques today that the class participants can use against an actual assailant.” She jerked her thumb toward the one closest to her. “You remember my husband, Pete, right?” she asked, her brow furrowing as I stared at the man. “And these are his brothers.”
“Of course.” I was a regular watcher of their reality TV show and, for the first time in my life ever, I was feeling a little star-struck. “Pete,” I said. Then I went down the line. I shook hands with Logan, Paul, Matt, and Sam. “So nice of you to join us.”
The one that looked just like Pete—Sam?—rubbed his stomach like he was bored. “Sometimes Reagan likes to knock us around,” he said drolly. “Pete says it turns her on and then she rocks his—”
Reagan reached over and covered his mouth with her hand. “I apologize for my brother-in-law,” she said over a laugh. “He appears to have left his manners at home.”
“Pretty sure he never had any,” Logan said.
“Yes, he did,” Paul replied. “He just forgets to use them.” Then he hooked Sam with a big hand and drew his head into the crook of his elbow, where he proceeded to give him a noogie. Then Paul shoved him away. “Behave yourself,” he warned with a scowl.
Just then, people began to filter into the gym. Some of them were in workout gear, while others were in jeans and t-shirts. Still others were in work clothes. I knew from experience that some people were here because they got a work credit for taking the class, and others because they had suffered a traumatic experience themselves. I walked around and greeted them as Reagan prepped the men in her family with protective gear. Luckily, no one had recognized them yet, and now that they were in protective masks and headgear, they might get out of here without anyone being the wiser, but I doubted it. The Reeds were generous with their time, and with their fans they were normally willing to go the extra mile.
“Do you know who that is?” Reagan asked me, leaning her head close to mine. She nodded toward the newcomer who was hanging out around the perimeter of the room.
“Never seen her before,” I replied. “I’ll go find out.” I approached the woman, who regarded me like I could potentially be dog shit on the bottom of her shoe. I stuck out my hand. “I’m Shelly. Welcome to the class.”
She shook my hand, her grip a little too aggressive for my liking. “Megan,” she said. “I’ve heard interesting things about your program.”
“From?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
“I take Krav Maga down at the gym on the corner. They speak very highly of you there.”
I had taken Krav Maga many years ago. Krav Maga was a mix of boxing, judo, karate, and other martial arts, and it was primarily used to defend oneself. If she was in that class, she might be able to protect herself. There was only one way to find out.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said. Then I went back to stand next to Reagan. The Reed men were curiously absent, and I stood silent as Reagan gave her introductory speech, explained what they could expect from the class, and she encouraged anyone who was intimidated by the class to take a seat on the mat and watch, rather than participate. Half the group immediately sat. Th
e rest stood. A few of them nibbled their nails, and the rest of them stood with shoulders back, feet spread wide apart. They were ready.
Suddenly, a blur of man erupted from behind one of the bleachers. The man ran toward Reagan, and she opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could. The man didn’t stop. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, locking his hands in front of her stomach, her arms caught against her sides.
I’d seen Reagan and her husband do this bit before, so it didn’t startle me, but the other participants of the class were immediately terrified. One woman ran toward the locker room and left completely. But a few of them were still standing with squared shoulders and planted feet. Megan was one of them.
Reagan kicked out, trying to land a blow anywhere she could, but her husband didn’t flinch. Instead, he took her down to the mat and covered her body with his.
