Silence Me (Dare Me Series Book 1)

Part 24

I nod at the girl sitting at the front desk of the gym as I head to the back. Gloves go on, my mind fabricates thoughts that shoot adrenaline through my body, and I take it all out on the bag. Sweat builds like my anger, simmering from the surface and bubbling up.

It's something I'll never be able to fight off no matter how much I hit this fucking bag. It lays dormant inside me, waiting for an opportunity to be set free.

I think about everything that's happened over the last couple of days, and it fuels me like gas on a flame.

I burn up inside, releasing it all on the bag and slowly, the weight sheds, providing me a moment of relief.

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The timer goes off, giving fighters permission to switch workouts, and after thirty minutes of hitting, I toss my gloves and wipe the sweat from my brow. My shirt sticks to me, and sweat from my soaked hair drips down the side of my face. Hanging my towel around my neck, I head to the back to grab my things. My eyes look to the cages and the boys practicing for a match when my shoulder gets checked, throwing me back.

"Watch where you're going, motherfucker."

My head whips back. "Come again?" I say, looking at the man who just went stupid. Something about his eyes look familiar, and I slightly tilt my head in curiosity.

He stops in his tracks and walks closer to me.

"You heard me," he says. "I said, watch where you're going." His chest touches mine, and I eyeball him. "You got something to say, pussy bitch?"

I smile before shoving his ass back. He charges forward, but my fist connects with hard bone when it collides with his cheek. Red takes over my vision, and I fight the stupid fuck until I can't feel my hands. He gives as much as me, though, and when yelling surrounds us and my arms get snatched back, I snap out of it. "Colby, calm the fuck down!" I recognize Ronnie's voice. He owns this place and trains. My eyes search for the guy I was fighting, but I don't see him. "Where'd he go?" I ask, feeling my left eye start to swell. "He's gone. We kicked him out. I turn and look at Ronnie. "Was he a member here?" "Nah, just been coming in on day visits. What the hell happened?" I shake my head and lick my re-busted lip, breathing hard and hanging my hands on my hips. "Stupid fuck ran into me." Ronnie laughs. "Jesus, boy. I'd hate to see if someone really crossed your ass." I look back at him, but my thoughts are on the man. Who was that? "Go to my office and let Jessie clean that." "I'm all right." "Your eye's closing up. Go on in there. She's got an eye iron in the cooler." "Gee, what does the other guy look like?" Jessie, Ronnie's girl, asks when I sit down. She has platinum blonde short hair and fire red fingernails, has tattoos snaking up her arm, and has no idea that I just got into a bar fight yesterday. "I don't know. I didn't get to see." "You've been coming in for years now," she says, putting the eye iron up to my swollen socket. It's freezing to the touch. "Why don't you train with Ronnie?" "My dad was a fighter, but we aren't the same blood, and I lack self-control in that area." "Ah," she says. "Makes sense then." "What was that guy's name?" I ask, taking hold of the handle. "I'm not sure. I can look on the sign-in sheet, though." "Do that for me," I say as the phone rings in her office. She slides her chair back around her desk and answers the phone. It sounds important, so I stand up and mouth, "I'll see ya. Thanks." I hold up the iron before placing it on her desk. She cups the end of the phone. "I'll get back to you with that name." I nod and open the door. The blinds smack against it when I shut it, and I head to the locker room for my things before heading home