Live Free (Lords of Mayhem 3)

He dug out a set of black fingerless gloves. “This will feel weird, but you’ll get used to it. I’m not going to unleash you on the speed bag. We’ll start small. I’m going to hold a handheld punching bag.”

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Slipping her hand into the gloves he held out, she allowed him to pull them onto her hands.

“How are they?” He asked.

“Odd, tight, but good, I think,” she said.

“Clench and unclench your fists a few times.”

She did as he requested.

“Still good?”

“Y-yeah, I think so.”

Rocky nodded. “First lesson. How to not break your hand.” He demonstrated how to make a fist with her thumb safely tucked inside her other fingers. “It’ll feel weird at first but you’ll get used to it. Now, step two. When you throw, I want you to square off, plant your feet like this, a bit staggered, knees loose. You want to make sure you have some give.” He bounced a little, showing her. “Okay, now you.”

She repeated the process.

“Good, Good. When you throw a punch, I want your body to follow. Here…like this.” He demonstrated, leading with his right hand and twisting his body. “Short snaps. Let’s start off with four right hooks, four left. When you get used to that, we’ll mix it up with a few uppercuts.”

It felt awkward but good to use the muscles and have her mind focused on something else.

“Looking good, Firecracker. I think you’re ready for the bag.” He jogged off and returned with a red rectangle, which he held up. “Focus in, picture all your problems, fears and concerns…here.” He tapped the middle of the rectangle. “All right, lay it on me, mama.”

She hit the bag. The feel of the bag beneath her fist felt odd and jarring.

“Don’t be so dammed delicate. Is that how you express your anger?”

His taunt lit a fire and she laid into the bag, burning off the negativity weighing her down. The slap of her fist became a welcome rhythm as she found relief and bliss.

Chapter Five

Rocky wanted to kick himself for bringing Evonne to his sanctuary, but he had to admit it’d done her good. She’d gone home, showered and crashed, exactly what she needed. His sleep, however, had been disturbed. Why did Levi call now? To let them know he was still around? To taunt them because he remained hidden, or to throw them off their game before he made his move? Rocky sighed as the alarm on his table chimed. They had a charity ride to do today, so sleeping in would be out of the question. He forced his weary body out of the bad and stumbled to the shower.

The little firecracker was getting under his skin, burrowing deep and making him forget himself. It felt good and pissed him off at the same time. He’d never trusted a female like this. The horror story of his home life had soured him on women. But Evonne had come in knocked on her ass and he’d never been the type to kick a person when they were down. Not when he knew what it felt like.

Who knew hidden beneath her austere exterior lived a cool fucking chick? He liked hanging out with her. The amazing sex became a bonus that complicated things. Now, a month later, he’d come no closer to getting her out of his system. Instead, she’d become his salty-sweet addiction he had to have as much as possible. She slept in his bed more often than not and today, as he rolled over alone, the space felt empty. Fuck. I’m starting to swim in dangerous waters. He leaned against the bathroom door as the water warmed up. The patter of water against the tub basin relaxed his tense muscles. If he blew her off now, not only would he feel like an ass, a rarity for him, but he’d be stuck living with her. The tension would be through the roof, and he also realized no new female would satisfy him the same.

He hadn’t so much as looked hard at another bitch since they’d tumbled into bed. Shedding his clothing, he tossed the clothes in the hamper. Another new addition that had crept into the house, thanks to Evonne. It should’ve bothered him, but it didn’t. A dull ache crept behind his eyelids. Shit is way too complex. Slipping inside the stall, he stuck his head under the shower spray and let the worry wash down the drain.

Being on his guard was paramount. Levi continued operating on ghost mode; no moves had been made after the phone call. The M.C. were still working on gathering information to bring him and his cronies to heel. Hil was working with Juliette, trying to piece together a list of possibilities, but so far nothing concrete had surfaced. Money could wash away a lot and close mouths, voluntarily or by force. Soaping his body, he set his mind to the ride. Mayhem was raising money for a leukemia foundation. People thought they were the scourge of the earth. But the truth was they did a lot of good for the community. Just one of the things that attracted him to the life. He wanted to help people who needed it without getting fucked over.

The unfortunate truth was, though, a lot of people liked to play games and played you for a sucker to get what they needed. He’d seen his mother play men for suckers as a full-time job. She gave them sad eyes, a sob story and some ass, then they funded her habit and paid her bills. It disgusted the fuck out of him. But he could never erase the feeling of being the kid forgotten, hungry, lonely and scared of being taken away from everything he knew if an adult found out what it was like at home. He forced the thoughts away and turned off the faucet. Doing shit for kids always brought him back to that time.

Mentally shaking off the bad vibes, he stepped from the shower stall and grabbed a towel. Drying off, he wrapped the damp material around his hips and brushed his teeth. He was headed out when a knock came at the door. “Come on, Firecracker. I’m surprised you’re still knocking.”

The door opened slowly and she poked her head in, smiling sheepishly. “I try not to assume. You know what they say…”

Rocky laughed. “We both know I’m an ass.”

“You said that, not me.” She pointed at him.

“How long will it take you to get ready today?” he asked.

“No more than ten. What am I going to do while you make the ride?”