Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
I feel her nod against me before she pulls back to meet my gaze. “I know she’s your niece and that you care about her. I care about her, too. But Nate’s dug his claws so deep in her, she can’t think straight.”
“Don’t you worry. I’ll have a conversation with her mom about that asshole.” I smooth some of the loose strands away from her face. “Do you want to take the night off? Rest a little?”
Skyler shakes her head no and sighs. “Honestly, teaching a class would be a great distraction from everything else right now. Speaking of, I should probably head to the studio and start setting up.”
She stands on her toes and tilts her head back in a silent request for one last kiss. I pull her body flush against mine and oblige her, already counting down the minutes ‘til I can get her alone and remind her how much I adore every single one of my baby girl’s curves.
We head back out to the main area of the gym.
“—and you need to back the hell up, sir,” Moodie barks from around the corner.
My pulse kicks into overdrive. Level-headed Moodie’s not one to go off on a customer unprompted. I dash to the front desk to get a look at the difficult customer—and my blood boils.
Nate pounds on the desk like an overgrown toddler, his expression twisted with fury.
“I know she’s here, old man,” he yells. “She’s supposed to be teaching a class. Now where the hell is she?”
I know the moment when Nate notices us because his anger seems to multiply by ten-fold. He rounds the desk, barreling past Moodie to get to us.
“This is all your fault, you fat fucking bitch!” Nate screams, the veins in his neck protruding. “You should’ve kept your big mouth shut.”
Barbie gasps, appearing at Skyler’s side looking thoroughly appalled. “What on Earth has gotten into you, Nathan Whitney?”
Nate ignores my sister, continuing to stalk toward us, or more accurately, Skyler. She’s so shocked, she doesn’t even move as he charges toward her.
But I do.
I step in front of Skyler, letting my large frame shield her from this dipshit’s rage.
“Nate,” I say in a low growl, “I suggest you turn around and head out on your own two legs while you still can.”
A flash of fear crosses his face, but he smooths it over quickly with false bravado.
“Really, Skyler?” He snorts, trying to look around me. “It’s not enough to let your pervert-boss fuck you and take pictures of it, now you’re letting him fight your battles, too?”
I see red.
Jolting forward, I grasp the front of Nate’s shirt in an ironclad grip.
“You don’t talk to her like that,” I growl. “Ever. Again.”
Nate gulps. The only thing that saves his face from becoming lunch meat is the gentle brush of fingers across my wrist. Skyler steps out from behind me wearing a mask of calm.
“You’re right, Nate,” Skyler says, her voice almost eerily cool. She exudes the slightest bit of pressure on my wrist, and my hand obeys, releasing Nate’s shirt from my grasp. “I don’t need someone else to fight for me when my opponent is as weak and spineless as you are.”
He splutters, “W-weak? Weak—”
“And spineless, don’t forget that, too.” She takes another step forward, and he moves back, glancing between us. “Only a weak and spineless asshole like you would treat Crystal the way you have. And only a weak and spineless asshole would stalk my yoga blog because he can’t admit he’s got a thing for big girls. And only a weak and spineless piece of shit would blame someone else for his girlfriend dumping him. That’s what this is about, right? She finally dumped your ass—”
“Shut up!” Nate yells, but there’s no real bite to it. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, fat bitch!”
Skyler sighs and flips her ponytail over her shoulder. “Well, I’d rather be a fat bitch than a pussy.”
Nate’s mouth opens like he’s about to say something else, when Skyler surprises everyone by rearing her fist back and pummeling it right into Nate’s nose.
He howls as his head snaps back, and blood immediately starts flowing down his chin.
“What the fuck?! What the fuck?!” Nate screeches like a banshee.
But Skyler just shakes out her hand.
“Now,” Skyler says, sounding as confident as ever, “I think it’s time you left, Nate, and don’t ever come back here. Better yet, don’t contact anyone associated with this gym. Not me, not Crystal, no one.” She shoots him a glare that could burn through brick. “Or else I will let my pervert-boss fight my battles for me, and I think it’s fair to assume he can probably punch a lot harder than me, right?”
Taking my cue, I step up behind Skyler and wrap my arm around her waist.
A look of fear flashes across Nate’s face once again. Well, at least I think it’s fear; it’s kind of hard to tell with all the blood smeared over his mouth.