Page 85 of Chasing Shelter

“As I’ll ever be.”

There was something about her showing up without me asking.Just because she knew I was trying something out of my wheelhouse. Her silent support meant more than she’d ever know.

Arden pulled open the door. The moment she did, music and foreign sounds filled the air. The music had a distinct rock edge—not the super hard stuff Arden preferred, but the kind meant to prepare you for battle. It was paired with a percussion all its own. And as I stepped inside, I could see what created the beat.

About a dozen or so people were scattered throughout the massive space. A few warmed up on treadmills or jumped rope. Many were at punching bags, their fists making music as they connected with the surfaces. And a couple were in what looked like practice rings. The crowd was primarily male, but I saw one woman sparring and another hitting a bag.

But I was struck by far more than just the patrons. The space itself was stunning. It had an industrial feel that I wouldn’t have thought would mesh with the Sparrow Falls vibe, but it somehow did. The majority of the surfaces were black and gray, but the far wall that ran the length of the gym was a riot of color.

No, it was far more than color. It was art that came alive, the sort of mural that could reach out and touch you. It looked like a mesh of graffiti and fine art, the wordHavenspelled out in massive letters at the center.

“Did you paint that?” I asked, pointing to the mural and then turning to Arden in admiration.

She instantly shook her head. “This is all Kye’s magic.”

“Seriously?” I asked, my shock evident in the single word. I hadn’t seen any of Kye’s tattoo work, but the mountain of a man clearly had amazing skills. “Maybe I need to rethink my aversion to needles.”

Arden chuckled. “I know, right? He’s pretty incredible.”

“I am, aren’t I?” a deep voice said. Kye moved in with a grin, giving Arden a quick hug. “Miss seeing you around here.”

She grinned up at him. “You know I’ll be back in action as soon as I can.”

Kye turned to me, his gaze assessing. I expected a joke or a tease, but there was none of that. “How are you feeling about being here?”

I glanced at Arden for a moment before turning back to Kye. “Good. Your place is beautiful. You’ve got a serious eye.”

“That’s a major compliment coming from a fancy New York interior designer,” Arden said.

Kye’s lips twitched. “Happy to know I made the grade. Killer, you want to show Ellie the women’s locker room? Then we’ll get started.”

“You got it,” Arden said, leading me down a hallway while Brutus hung with Kye. She pointed things out along the way. “Men’s locker room. Kye’s office. Gear storage room.” She opened the door to a smallish room. “Not many women work out here, but we’ve got these lockers and two showers if you need them.”

I nodded, slipping my bag into an empty locker and pulling off my hoodie. I’d thought about going badass black for my outfit, but I couldn’t resist the pink workout set with rainbow piping. If I was learning to be strong, I would do it asme, not pretending to be someone I wasn’t.

Shutting the locker door, I turned around. “Ready.”

“Let’s do this,” Arden said with a grin.

We made our way back into the gym, only to be stopped by a guy wearing low-slung shorts, sneakers, and nothing else. His tanned skin had a slight sheen of sweat, and his blue eyes sparkled as he gave me a head-to-toe scan. “I like the kicks,” he greeted.

I peeked down at my white tennis shoes with rainbows on the side. My lips tipped up. “Thank you.”

“You must be new around here. I’m?—”

“The gym’s resident playboy,” Arden informed me.

The man turned to her with a look of exaggerated hurt on his face. “Arden, you know it’d only take one crook of your finger to make me a reformed man.”

“Mateo, I love you, but I’m not about to expose my soon-to-be sister to your bullshit,” Arden shot back.

“Listen to her warning,” a younger guy who looked to be in his early twenties called as he pulled on some mitts.

Mateo sent the guy a scowl. “Why you gotta do me dirty like that, Evan?”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “How about I admire the game but politely decline?”

Mateo shook his head. “Sisters. Damn. That’s too much hotness for my brain to hold at once.”

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