Page 47 of Reluctant Rebel

She quickly shed her clothes and put on some workout gear. She began stretching to warm up her muscles and get the juices flowingawayfrom her vagina. With a final pull on her hamstring, she straightened and grabbed her favourite brass knuckles from a nearby table. There was always a weapon or two close at hand. She slipped them on and made her way downstairs.

Jinx couldn't help but feel a surge of pride for Gage as she walked through the small crowd. It was still early, with the first fight of the night just about to start. Despite all odds, Gage had created a successful business out of something both illegal and dangerous. And he had done it with integrity. Not many would see it that way, she was sure. But it was the truth.

Would Mikhail think so?her mind taunted. She grumbled because the stark contrast betweenherhome and Mikhail’s was not lost on her.

Waving to Eric, where he was talking with the first two fighters of the night, she headed straight for the makeshift bar. Kit, a regular, immediately jumped up and offered the stool to her. “Thanks,” Jinx said, hopping onto the tall seat.

“Of course,” Kit replied, his jagged teeth giving him a lisp before he disappeared into the growing crowd.

“That was nice,” Jinx said to Gage.

Gage eyed her drolly. “Kit doesn’t do nice. What he does have is a good memory. Last time you saw him, you kicked his balls into his throat for taking your seat.”

She grinned. “Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

Gage chuckled. “I didn’t think we’d see you tonight.”

“Yeah, well, I had a change of plans,” she muttered, shifting beneath his gaze. “Put me in next.”

Gage’s brows slammed down. “Pardon?”

Jinx rolled her shoulders, feeling the tense muscles stretch a little. But not enough. “The next match. I want in.”

Gage picked up the run sheet. “It’s a scorpius demon with a daddy complex and a major gambling addiction.”

“Sounds perfect,” Jinx exclaimed jubilantly.

Gage nodded and grinned. “And get this, he calls himself Stinger.”

Jinx blanched. “A scorpius demon called Stinger? He deserves a beating for that alone.”

Gage snickered and, bless his oddly beating heart, didn’t question her further. He simply added her name to the line-up. “Want to talk about it?” he then offered kindly, leaning his hip against the bar.

“Not really,” she replied, her eyes wandering to the fight that had just started.

It was a fairly even match between two werewolves. They circled each other, throwing out insults that weren’t particularly imaginative in her opinion. One of them had a crooked nose and a scar running down his cheek. The other only had one ear and a tattoo of a snake coiled around his biceps. They looked rough as hell but still collided with the force of a truck when they charged at each other. The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed through the warehouse. Sweat and blood flew in every direction, and the air became thick with the smell of pain. The crowd surrounding the makeshift ring cheered and jeered, their voices blending seamlessly into the violence.

“You know, if you want to beat someone up, I’ll stand still. No need for you to ruin that pretty face in the ring,” Gage said evenly.

Jinx looked away from the beating, smiling at her friend. “Thanks. But I want to hit something that will fight back. And you never do.”

“I could pretend?” he offered. When Jinx simply shook her head, Gage continued, “Want me to get Mikhail in the ring? That’s who you really want to pound on, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she answered immediately. Then she groaned, resting her head against the wood. “No. I don’t know,” she admitted tragically.

“Well, just let me know if you change your mind,” Gage said evenly, wiping the bench with a clean rag.

Jinx rested her chin on her forearm, peering up at the akuji. “How do you stay so chill?”

Gage shrugged. “Practice.”

A sudden thought hit her. “Were you always like this? When you were human, I mean?”

“No.”

The one-word response changed Gage’s whole demeanour, and Jinx immediately regretted asking. He was always so easy-going, but now he seemed tense and guarded. His handsome face, previously relaxed and jovial, was now closed off. Jinx sat up straighter, placing a hand on his cold arm. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

He looked down at her hand for a moment before visibly relaxing. When his eyes met hers in the next instant, the usual warmth was there despite the fact that they were nothing but black pools. His smile was small but genuine when he spoke. “Hey. My business will always be yours. We’re family. I guess I forget sometimes, you know? That I had this whole other life in a whole other world.” He stared into space for a moment. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t recognise me in that life.”

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