Wrath and Vengeance Series: Books 1 to 3 Bundle

455 pages

Chapter 2

“Evelyn!”

Hearing her coach’s shout over the noise and clatter of the gym, she furled herself until her back pressed against the punching bag. Heavy bag sit-ups weren't new to her exercise routine, but she still couldn’t grow to the disorientation of hanging upside down. More precisely, seeing the flipped version of the gym while blood rushed to her head as the punching bag she was latched onto swung slightly. Her thigh muscles trembled as she forced them to squeeze the bag a little harder. There was still the threat that they'd give out and drop her onto the padded flooring. Still, it was a nice rest for her aching stomach muscles.

Her coach waved an arm over his head to grab her attention. “You’re up,” he called. “Show some hustle!”

Contracting her abs, she hurled herself against gravity to grab the top straps of the punching bag. The chain rattled as she gripped it, released her legs, and dropped to the mat. It was strange to be upright again. Even stranger to walk. She was halfway across the gym before she had worked the wobbly feeling from her legs. She relished the sensations. The pull and throb and twitch of well-worked muscles. It was proof that she was pushing herself.

Like the others who would be sparring today, her kit was set out on a folding table near the boxing ring. Ankle brace, headgear, mouth guard, and gloves. She strapped them all into place with practiced ease. Even so, her coach wasn't above looking put out and annoyed by the time she was set. There was no real anger in it. Coach Wallace kept his praise rare but heartfelt. No shallow appreciation or coddling. Evelyn liked that about him.

Coach Wallace pulled up one of the middle ropes as he stomped down on the other, giving her enough room to sweep inside the ring. The mat gave a little under her feet. A slight, passive resistance that was familiar and welcoming and always enticed her to bounce on her toes. Her opponent for the night was already inside. Evelyn and Judy shared a smile that was all excitement and anticipation. There were a good few women who worked with Coach Wallace, but not many wanted to turn kickboxing into their profession. So, even though Evelyn and Judy were dancing on the edges of different weight classes, they were often put together for training. That was fine by Evelyn. Judy was always fun. She was fast, dedicated, and fierce.

“Tired?” Judy teased.

“I can still take you down.”

“Prove it.”

“You know, we really need to get better at trash talk,” Evelyn said.

Judy chuckled and turned to Coach Wallace. “Yeah. Aren’t you supposed to teach us that or something?”

“You’re both idiots,” Coach Wallace dismissed. All he needed was a wave of his arm to get the women to focus.

They exchanged a smile, tapped their gloves, and waited for the bell. Evelyn loved this part. When adrenaline heightened the anticipation. When her muscles twitched with the barely contained desire to throw itself into the fight. Before the ding had faded, Judy was already taking advantage of her extra height. Her roundhouse kick snapped straight towards Evelyn's head. There was a little time to block the blow, but the impact still hurt. It made Evelyn stagger to the side, but she quickly regained her footing enough to jab at Judy’s exposed inner thigh. That got her to back up a little bit. They danced around the ring, exchanging strike for strike, both reveling in the contest. The pain and motion and the way their bodies came alive. It was addictive.

Crouching to avoid a right hook, Evelyn spun on her toes and slipped behind Judy. The world passed by in a blur, but one figure caught her attention. A man she had never seen before stood by the far wall. Spending most of her time at the gym, she knew everybody by sight at least. But she’d never seen this man before. Stranger still, he was dressed in a crisp button-down shirt and slacks instead of workout gear. What stuck out the most was that he was staring at her. Unwavering. Unblinking. A smile slowly curled his lips, provoking a chill to creep down her spine.

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