CHAPTER49
LUCIA
Iknock on the huge brown door of Toni Moretti’s private gym and wait for an answer. Jax is parking the car a few yards away because I wanted to do this first part on my own. I had suggested that I come here alone, but Jax is refusing to let me out of his sight—I suppose I can’t blame him after yesterday. He accompanied me to the doctor’s office this morning to have my tracker taken out, too. I meant what I said to my father yesterday, I do see the benefit of having one, but it’s a choice I want to make for myself.
It was almost time for my implant to be changed anyway, but I decided not to have one put back in. I find the damn thing messes with my periods too much, so I’m going to give the pill a go and see how that suits me.
The door opens and Benji stands before me, his arms folded across his chest as he fills the doorway. “Miss Montoya.”
“Hey, Benji. Is Toni in?”
“She sure is,” he grins as he steps aside and lets me into the room. Jax jogs up behind me, and he and Benji greet each other fondly. I look at Jax and smile. He knows I want to do this alone.
“You got time to make me a coffee?” he asks Benji as he indicates his head to the small kitchenette at the back of the gym.
“Sure,” Benji replies and the two of them leave me standing alone. Toni is working on one of the bags and I stand and wait for her to finish her set.
“Hello, princess,” she grins at me.
“Hey, Toni,” I smile.
“I missed you last week.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I had to go out of town.”
“It’s cool.” She flashes a smile, showing her perfect white teeth. “Your dad told me. What can I do for you today?”
I swallow hard. “I just wanted to apologize for being a bit of an ass the first time we met.”
“Oh, honey,” she laughs. “Don’t give it a second thought. I’m an ass about eighty percent of the time.”
I arch an eyebrow at her. “Well, yeah. I kinda got that,” I say and she starts to laugh. “I know you’re busy, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m totally up for learning everything you can teach me. Any time at all you can spare me, I’ll be here and I promise to give it one hundred percent.”
“Something happen?” She frowns at me, her eyes full of concern and I feel a rush of guilt for what a jackass I was to her the first time I met her.
“You could say that,” I say with a shrug.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. But I hated feeling helpless, you know? And I don’t want to have to rely on the guys around me to fight my battles for me.”
“I completely get that,” she says with a knowing smile. “So, you got your gym stuff in there?” she nods to the backpack on my shoulder.
“Yeah. Just in case.”
“I could do with a sparring partner”—she flashes her eyebrows at me—“but I’ll knock you on your ass, princess.”
“Not if I knock you on yours first, bitch.” I grin and she winks at me.
“I hope you’re not flirting with my girl, Moretti,” Jax says as he walks up behind us.
“Wouldn’t be the first woman I’ve stolen from under your nose, Decker.” She flutters her eyelashes at him.
“Ouch.” He puts his hand on his chest over his heart. “But you didn’t exactly steal them because they were never mine.” He puts an arm around me possessively and I should hate it, but I don’t. Not even a little.
“But this one?” Toni arches an eyebrow at him.
“Yep. This is one is all mine,” he growls before kissing my forehead and wet heat surges between my thighs.