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Brewer hustled to the ring, workout gear in place. Snagging a roll of tape from the side, he ducked under and started wrapping his wrists. “I tried getting Doc here the other day. You should’ve seen Isa freak out.” He chuckled. “Woman thought he was gonna die. It’s a workout, not a death sentence.”
Rubble pounded his gloves together. “I’ve seen one too many men go down and not get up, so I understand her angst.”
“You and your fancy words.” Brewer pulled on his gloves. “Let’s get at it. I have a full day’s worth of bitchy customers to punch out.”
For the next twenty minutes, the two grappled amid swings. Brewer managed to get a good jab in to Rubble’s side, but Rubble ended up pinning him between his legs until he tapped out.
Grabbing Brewer’s hand, Rubble helped him up, patting him on the back. “Good few rounds there.”
Brewer spit out his mouthguard and nodded. “I’ll get you one of these days. You can’t remain undefeated in Macha forever.” He grinned. “Somebody will lay you out and I hope to hell I’m there to see it.”
Rolling his eyes, Rubble tossed him a bottle of water and chugged his own. “Yeah, right.”
“Maybe Jupiter can get you to submit.”
“I don’t submit, brother. If someone beats me, it’s because they’re a far superior fighter.” He pointed at Brewer. “And no woman but Macha gets my submission.”
Brewer wiped his face with a towel then chucked it at him. “If you say so.”
They moved toward the standalone punching bags. Rubble took the larger one to practice his kicks while Brewer opted for the smaller one at eye level. The rhythmic sound of gloves against the bags calmed Rubble. For the first time since Jupiter arrived, he focused entirely on his workout routine, not once wondering why she chose to come to Macha now instead of another time.
After ten minutes, Brewer slowed his punches. “Have you heard anything about Shovelhead?”
Rubble’s fist tightened and he kicked high before turning slightly. “We lost him in Dublin. I caught wind that he may’ve returned to the States, but nothing’s verified.”
Brewer plopped to the floor and started doing pushups. “Damn, I’d like to see him behind bars or better.”
“Like to see who behind bars?”
Both men glanced up to see Kevlar closing the side door, his hat covered in snow.
“Shovelhead.”
Kevlar exchanged a glance with Rubble. “Ah. I’m still catching up on everything that went down. I never thought Shovelhead would betray Macha.” He moved to the weight machine and started pulling reps. “I was kinda in my own Kita-induced coma the last few months.”
Brewer snorted. “Pussy will do that to a man.”
Kevlar paused his rep and flipped him the bird. “Just wait. You’ll get your just desserts, don’t worry.”
“Nah, I’m not big on relationships.” Brewer stood and started in on jump squats. “Somebody always gets hurt.”
Rubble watched the two men he saw as brothers. Both had their reasons for avoiding relationships.And somehow Kev got over his.He moved to a smaller punching bag, working on his arm strength.Could I?Years of abuse by his foster moms left a bad taste in his mouth for the opposite gender. Since being in Macha, he’d learned to respect women even if he’d never let himself love one. Queenie was the sole exception. She was his mom. And a few other women wormed their way into his heart, but only in a sisterly fashion. Letting himself be vulnerable to a woman was more dangerous than any war he’d fought in.
“Hey, you see the bakery yet?” Rubble asked, hoping to shift his mind from Jupiter.
Brewer grinned. “Yup. My parents would love it if they were still around.”
Kevlar cleared his throat, clearly forgetting the bakery Macha had years ago before Brewer and Dolly’s parents died. “Kita showed me the other day. I guess her friend Yasmina is going to run it alongside Jupiter and a handful of nymphs. Should be a good money maker for the club.”
Pausing his punches, Rubble’s mind was suddenly thrust back into a Jupiter fog. Keeping an eye on the mystery woman wouldn’t be difficult. The urge to pass the job off on some prospect tempted him, but he couldn’t. Jupiter needed someone to protect her. He sensed it the moment he heard her voice. He had mixed feelings about the shy woman. He was drawn to protect her, yet still felt the need to protect the club from her. Rubble couldn’t put his finger on his hesitation. One thing he knew for certain, he wanted to talk to Jupiter and see just exactly what Macha was in for while she stayed under their roof.
CHAPTER8
JUPITER
“This is stunning.”
Jupiter ran her fingers along the counter as she scanned the small lobby area where customers would wait for tasty treats. She could almost smell the chocolate croissants and cherry crisp bites. The shop was located next to an insurance broker with a dry cleaner two doors down, and she couldn’t help but notice the Macha emblem on the door of the cute boutique within shouting distance.
