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ChapterTwenty-Four
PEYTON
I knewthat I owed each member of my team their own special brand of apology. I gave myself one day to let their anger settle before taking on Izzy. She’d be good practice for the rest, and I knew just how to approach her.
It was four o’clock, and she wasn’t at the office, so I knew she could only be one other place. Iron Maiden MMA, the gym her dad owned.
I’d gotten geared up in the locker room and found Izzy on the center mats, stretching. She eyed me as I approached. “You’re teaching a self-defense class today, right?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. “Figured you could use an extra pair of hands. There’s a big group in the locker room.” I bounced on the balls of my feet, unable to contain my nerves.
“Fine. You can help,” she said after a few seconds.
“Maybe we can go a few rounds after? It’s been a while since we hit the mat together.” I held my breath and waited for her to answer.
Izzy chuckled. “Yeah. I think I can fit in a few rounds in the ring.” Her vicious smile told me just how much she was looking forward to it.
The girls filed in, and we started the class.
An hour and a half later, I was rethinking all my life choices. Particularly the one that had led me here this afternoon. Air left my lungs in awhoosh, and I forced myself to stay on my feet as I dodged Izzy’s fist. Barely.
We were on our fourth ten-minute round, and I didn’t know if I’d make it the full hour. A drop of sweat fell into my eye, blurring my vision for a second and making me miss the punch aimed for my right kidney.
Dancing back on the balls of my feet, I gave myself a moment to recover, then came at her again, throwing my full weight into every hit. My jab glanced off her face, but my body shot landed. Izzy’s eyes flashed with feral delight.
Her dad cheered her on from her corner, yelling at her to keep at me, that I was weak on my right side.Will he shut up?
Izzy squared her shoulders and snapped her right leg out, sweeping me off my feet. She was on me before I hit the mat, but the bell rang, ending the round and the potential of her killing me in the ring.For now.
“She doesn’t need you to cheer her on,” I yelled. Or I tried to. I was breathing so hard the words came out jumbled.
A deep male chuckle came from my side of the ring, and it took me less than a second to find the source. Devin “Steelfist” Thompson, the current heavyweight champion of the UFC and Izzy’s dad’s pride and joy fighter—next to his daughter. “When she’s on top of you like that, buck her off. Get your legs around her neck and choke her out,” he coached. I turned, ready to take whatever advice he wanted to offer. He wasn’t the defending heavyweight champion of the world for nothing.
“Get the fuck away from her, Jolly Green Giant. She doesn’t want to fuck you,” Izzy called out from the other side of the ring. Shit. I needed her forgiveness, and talking to the man she despised more than anything wasn’t going to win me any points. Looked like I’d just have to let her kill me.
“You get a coach in your corner, buttercup. Why can’t she have one in hers?” I shot him a glare, and he gave me an innocent smile in return. The guy loved riling her up, but I couldn’t let him. Izzy was one of the best fighters on the planet when she was happy. If he pissed her off…
I may as well put my legs behind my head and kiss my ass goodbye.
“Get away from me. I’m already losing.” I shooed him away. Spitting out my mouth guard, I grabbed my water bottle. My hands were so sweaty I couldn’t twist the nozzle. Devin grabbed it from me and shot water right into my mouth. I snatched the bottle back and shook my head. “Go away, dammit. I don’t need you riling her up.”
He laughed like this entire exchange was the highlight of his day. He finally walked away, but not before he cast a glance back at Isla, a small frown marring his face.
The man had it bad for her. Too bad he didn’t stand a chance. Not with his history.
The gong rang, signaling the start of the fifth round, and nine-and-a-half grueling minutes later, I somehow had Izzy on her back, struggling to get her arm out for an armbar. The bell rang, but we ignored it.
Just as she got her arm free, hands reached in and separated us. We stood facing each other, sucking air and grinning. Izzy glanced over and saw who was holding her up, and my grin got wider when she rammed her elbow into Devin’s stomach. He doubled over, and I almost felt sorry for him. I knew how much that hurt, but the asshole had it coming.
Izzy spit her mouth guard at him and turned back to me. “You need more practice. Hanging around that big biker is making you soft. And stupid.”
We both knew that was bullshit, but I let her taunt me. “Same time tomorrow?” Struggling to stay upright, I dropped an arm around her shoulders and gave her some of my weight.
“We’re a team, Pey. Going off with Reaper was like going off by yourself. An unnecessary risk.”
“I know. It was stupid, and it won’t happen again.” I wasn’t above dropping to my knees and begging her. If she let me go, I’d probably be on the floor anyway. Might as well do something useful while I was down there.
Sighing, Izzy pulled me over to the bench. We both collapsed and she put her head on my shoulder. “Love you. You’re the weird sister I never wanted. And I’m never gonna let the others forget that you picked me to apologize to first.”
She really wouldn’t, I thought, even as I tried to figure out my next move.
