I BEAT THE CRAP OUT of the punching bag.
My frustration level has reached max capacity. All I keep picturing are Ellie’s sad eyes and abused behind. Over and over, I hear the sounds of the strikes ring out.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
Foreign sensations swim through my veins, like a straight shot of adrenalin. A euphoric high and a debilitating low.
“A little late to be training?” I hear Jett’s voice behind me.
I slam the bag. “Never a bad time to train.”
“What was all the commotion earlier?” He comes to stand where I can see him. The gym is dark except for the small light over the boxing ring and heavy bags.
“Ellie and I had a disagreement.” I jab with my left then uppercut with my right.
“About?” He drags out the word.
“About whether the wilderness is a dangerous place or not.” I kick the bag, and it swings left.
“Excuse me?” Jett raises his eyebrows.
I hit the bag in succession until my biceps hurt. “She tried to run. I punished her.” I slam the bag square in the middle.
“Run? Where?”
“The door was unlocked. She made it all the way to the foyer. She’s freakin’ quick. She had me sprinting.” I catch myself smirking. Jett notices too.
“Bit more of a challenge than you expected, huh?”
“Yeah, you can say that.” I concentrate on hitting the black bag, trying to avoid all eye contact with Jett.
“She gave you a run for your money? That’s why you’re in here punching a defenseless heavy bag at three am?”
I glare at Jett. So much for avoiding eye contact. He’s fishing. I hate it when he fishes. I wish he would just let me punch out my emotions and be done with it. But no. Jett believes in talking. Getting your feelings off your chest and all that kumbaya crap. He thinks he’s my personal fucking shrink and has been analyzing me since the day we met. Skinny prick.
“No, I knew she wouldn’t get far,” I tell him point blankly.
“So what’s the issue?”
“No issue. Can’t a man just work out in the middle of the night?”
“A man? Yes. You? No.”
“Jett!” I holler as I punch. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Do you remember the last time you didn’t want to talk about something? A very innocent fishing boat was blown up.”
I stop mid punch. “I take no responsibility for that. The pin on the grenade popped by itself.”
“Sure it did.” He crosses his arms and looks at me like I’m full of shit. Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.
“Besides, better the fishing boat than us. Right?”
“Yes,” he agrees.
“Damn straight.” I clam up and go back to slamming the bag. Jett just stands there eyeing me.
When I take a moment of reprieve, he strikes.
“So nothing’s bothering you?” the calculating motherfucker questions again.
“Yes, something’s bothering me. You.” I kick the bag, the frustration blistering under my skin. I don’t want to talk!
“I always bother you, it’s what I live for. And I’ll pester you all night until you spill. I don’t want another explosive catastrophe.”
“Jett,” I warn, crackling like a live wire. He needs to lay off.
“Kayne!” he shouts shoving the black bag in my face.
My emotions burst. “I punished her okay! I picked up a goddamn paddle and beat her ass!”
Jett pauses, looking at me funny. “And that’s bad because?”
“Because I liked it!” I hit the punching bag so hard my knuckles crunch. Fuck!
“Oh?” He studies me. I growl at him as I rip off my boxing gloves. “What has you conflicted? You’ve punished women before.”
“I’ve punished a willing submissive before. Ellie is different,” I clarify.
“She’s your slave. You treat her as such. She disobeyed. You delivered the consequences. That’s how it works. You knew this when you took her. Yes, she’s different, but that’s the harsh reality.”
“I don’t want to become the thing I’m fighting against.” I toss the gloves on the ground.
“You won’t,” Jett says simply. I’m glad one of us is convinced. “Warrior mindset, my friend. Ellie got caught in the crossfire and now you have to protect her by any means possible. Don’t overthink it. It will only drive you mad. Just remember, your hand may be firm, but Javier’s is deadly. And if you like it, so be it.” He shrugs. “Our business is stressful. Being with her is a release. Give her some time, she’ll come around.”
“You sure about that?” I respond skeptically as I unravel the tape from my hand.
“I am. I’ve been training girls a long time. Her biggest hang-up is perception. The taboo lifestyle. Break down the barriers of belief and she’ll be eating out of your hand.”
“I’m trying.” I drop my head, concentrating on the rivulets of sweat dripping down my chest.
“Keep it up. She’s strong, but you’re Master.”
“What if she ends up hating me in the end?” I look up at him with just my eyes.
“What if she ends up loving you?” he counters.
“I don’t for one second believe that will happen,” I scoff.
“You never know. People can surprise you. Ellie never saw you coming.”
“That’s because I’m trained to be invisible.”
“Well you’re not transparent anymore. Make her believe what she has to for now. It’s for her own good.”
I groan. “I’m definitely going to hell.”
“I’ll be right there with ya, brother. Wearing a hat and sunscreen.” He slaps me on the shoulder.
“You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“Yup. Someone has to be.” Jett glances at his watch and grimaces. “Speaking of pains in the ass.”
“Javier?”
“Yes,” he seethes. “I don’t like the way he’s treating the girls. Especially Spice. He’s way too rough.”
“Warrior mindset, my friend,” I throw his words back at him.
Jett glares, then slugs me.