Fashioned For Sin

Chapter 36

The shrill, insistent ring of the doorbell pulls me from a deep, blissful sleep. Groaning, I bury my head into the pillow, but it's relentless.

I feel Leonardo stir beside me, his arm draped possessively over my waist, his skin warm against mine. He lets out a gruff sound, but I push myself up, groggy and irritated. "I'll get it, babe," I mumble, grabbing my robe and slipping my feet into a pair of slippers.

As I pad to the door, I can't help rolling my eyes. Only two people would have the audacity to ring my doorbell like that at this hour.

I swing open the door, and there they are-Karissa with a knowing smirk and Daniel with his usual easy grin, a tray of coffee cups in hand.

Karissa barely spares me a "hello" before wrinkling her nose and giving me a mock glare. "Good lord, Blair, it smells like... way too much fun in here. You'd better open a window before this place turns into a sauna." She smirks, nudging past me.

Daniel holds up the tray, all smiles and unbothered. "We come bearing breakfast. Figured it'd be nice to give you guys a nudge, or you'd still be in bed till noon."

Leonardo appears behind me, his arm snaking around my waist as he kisses my temple.still warm and rumpled from sleep. "Morning to you too," he mutters, eyeing them both with a lazy smirk. "You two are out of your damn minds, but thanks."

Leonardo's mouth falls on my ear and whispers, "If it weren't for them, you'd be bent over on the kitchen counter, 20 minute fuck before training would be great, so everyone in that room could see your legs trembling knowing I'm the reason why." Then he leaves me there, all flushed. Again. God I'm kind of disappointed that Karissa and Daniel are here now..

We let them in, and Leonardo grabs the coffee and breakfast from Daniel, setting it on the counter. He's in low-slung pyjama pants and nothing else, showing off the intricate tattoo sleeves that wind up both his arms.

I could never have enough of his great body and tattoos. I'm living the life.

I catch Karissa stealing a quick glance, but she just smirks and winks at me.

I yawn and take a sip of my coffee, leaning against the counter. "What time is it, anyway?" I ask, still half-asleep.

"Five-forty," Karissa says, looking far too awake for this hour. "Ashley's expecting us at six-thirty for training. We figured you could use the wake-up call-though from the look of things, maybe you had a late night?"

I shoot her a playful glare as I nibble on a croissant. "Yeah, well, thanks for the reminder."

After we finish eating and downing our coffees, Leonardo and I head to get dressed. I throw on a pair of black leggings, a cropped black top, and a grey hoodie, pulling my hair into a ponytail. Leonardo joins me, pulling on black athletic pants and a fitted black tank that shows off his tattoos and muscular build, his dark, piercing gaze still sharp despite the early hour.

We all pile into our cars and drive over to The Dominion's headquarters. The building is imposing and austere, surrounded by high security and nearly silent except for our footsteps. Ashley is waiting for us at the entrance, her platinum blonde hair and fierce expression, a stark contrast to the sterile atmosphere. She gestures for us to follow, her tone brisk as she leads us down a maze of hallways to the training centre.

Inside, the training room is cold and industrial, filled with sleek equipment, mats, and every kind of weapon imaginable mounted on the walls. Benedict stands near the centre, watching us with a predatory calm as we approach.

"Right on time," he says, his voice steady, though there's an edge to it that makes it clear he expects nothing less. His gaze sweeps over each of us, lingering on Leonardo before he shifts his focus. "Today will test your endurance, your skill, and your focus. Training here is no walk in the park. It's meant to break you-and put you back together, stronger."

I exchange a look with Leonardo, his usual dark smirk in place, as if he's been waiting for this challenge. There's a tension between us that's equal parts excitement and competition, a sense that we're both out to prove something.

After Benedict assigns us warm-up drills, he circles back and begins pairing us off. When he gets to Daniel and Ashley, he pauses, something flickering in his gaze that looks like interest-or amusement.

"Daniel, Ashley. You'll be partners today," he says, giving them a slight nod.

Daniel looks both intrigued and a little wary, glancing over at Ashley, who gives him a long, unreadable stare. She doesn't smile, just tilts her head, looking him up and down with an assessing gaze that's almost challenging.

"Think you can keep up?" she asks, her tone cool, sharp.

Daniel raises an eyebrow, looking unfazed. "Pretty sure I can manage," he replies, flashing her a cocky grin. "Let's see if you can."

Ashley's lips twitch, her expression somewhere between a smirk and a warning. "Just try not to get in my way."

They move to the mat, circling each other, sizing each other up before Daniel takes the first swing. He's fast, but Ashley sidesteps effortlessly, her stance fluid and precise. She counters with a sharp jab to his ribs, and he winces, adjusting his footing.

"Nice," he grunts, trying again, this time with more focus. But Ashley meets him move for move, slipping through his defences with ease, her strikes controlled and powerful.

Meanwhile, Leonardo and I are paired off. I face him on the mat, and the look in his eyes is as familiar as it is challenging-dark, intense, the look that says he's not going to hold back. There's a tension in the air between us, a pulse of rivalry and attraction that only gets stronger in these moments.

"You ready, sweetheart?" he asks, his voice low and taunting, one corner of his mouth quirking up in a smirk.

I narrow my eyes, refusing to back down. "Try me."

He comes at me fast, throwing a punch I barely dodge, but I recover quickly, countering with a sweep of my leg that he jumps over. He grabs my arm, spinning me around, but I twist out of his hold and land a quick strike to his shoulder. He grins, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth, the way we push each other's limits.

"Getting cocky, are we?" he mutters, his voice a dark, amused growl as he pulls me close, our faces inches apart.

"Just keeping you on your toes," I reply, my breath steady, even though my pulse is racing.

We keep going, trading blows, each of us pushing harder, testing the other's skill and endurance. The rest of the room fades away as we move in sync, each movement sharper, more intense, until I'm not sure if we're fighting or dancing.

After what feels like an eternity, Benedict calls us to a halt, his voice cutting through the tension. "Good," he says, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he surveys us. "But you're not done yet. This was just the beginning."

Leonardo's hand brushes mine as we catch our breath, and he leans in, his voice a low murmur only I can hear. "Not bad," he says, that smirk in full force. "But don't think I'll go easy next time."

I smirk back, brushing past him, feeling his eyes on me as we move to the next part of the training. "Wouldn't dream of it."

After finishing combat training, Ashley told us we have a bigger break to get us ready for the next training.

I'm already exhausted.

Leonardo had a meeting today, so he's joining us later, unfortunately.

"Meet you at the weapon centre. You'll be learning how to manage weapons. You'll all choose one weapon that you'll be fighting with. Apart from the gun which you'll all learn how to use." Ashley says, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear as she leaves the area.

Me and Leonardo walked a bit outside the headquarters to take some fresh air.

"My sister's wedding is this Sunday." He says firmly, sweat glistening on his face.

"How fast the time went by, I swear, but, of course, we're going." I reply, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"A few months ago, I felt like my life was falling apart, and now I could say that I'm just... better, I've healed, and you, I'm so grateful for you. You helped me in my worst times." I say softly, looking into his eyes, I'm realising that if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here right now.