Read Online Spitfire Suckerpunch (House of Pain Book 2) by Lavender Parker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lavender Parker
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again. That's when she saw him, jogging down the metal steps from the office where Gennifer and the big man had come from. Time seemed to slow as he reached the bottom of the stairs and dragged his gaze over to the ring. His eyes skimmed over everybody, including her.
“Thanks a lot, J,” he said, his voice barely audible as he moved toward the ring. It was then that the information seemed to make sense. He was going to be in the ring with them. He was going to be the punching bag. There was some irony in there, but she couldn't seem to find the humor in it as she watched him stop at the side of the ring and pick up the black padding that was sitting there.
“Everybody, this is my lovely brother Tate,” Gennifer said, leaning on the ropes and smiling wide. “He's graciously offered to let you guys beat on him for the next hour.”
“I'm only your brother when you want something,” Tate said, glancing up at her and smiling a quick smile that Shay would have missed if she wasn't watching his every move. She furrowed her brow, wondering how it was possible that Gennifer and Tate were related. They didn't look anything alike. Gennifer was obviously a Latina, and Tate was pale as driven snow. Another man strolled over, rubbing his hands together and laughing like he was enjoying Tate's predicament as well. He was white, too, and blond, but he was more of a pretty boy than Tate would ever be.
“Let me help with that,” the man said to Tate, chuckling to himself. Tate glared at him, but let him help him fasten the Velcro on the single piece of padding that covered Tate's chest and down his thighs. When the padding was on, he looked puffy like a marshmallow, but his arms were still bare, revealing his big biceps to anybody who cared to look. Next to Shay, the deaf girl with the braids giggled lightly as Tate hopped up into the ring, the pads making him move more awkwardly. Tate's friend glanced up at her from outside the ring and moved his hands, seemingly signing something. The girl smiled wider and signed something back. Their quick, silent conversation didn't escape Gennifer's attention and she clapped her hands to get the man's attention.
“Now Austin, unless you want to get in this ring too, I suggest you get back to your workout and stop distracting my girls,” Gennifer said, narrowing her eyes at him. The man, apparently named Austin, chuckled and sauntered off like he owned the place. The girl with braids watched him walk off, but then she turned her gaze and caught Shay staring at her. Shay smiled sheepishly at getting caught and turned her attention back to Tate, who was standing beside Gennifer with an intimidating looking on his face. He rolled his head on his shoulders and sighed, like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Gennifer ignored his obvious discomfort and turned back to the women standing around in the ring.
“Alright, let's get started. I see we have a new face in the group,” she said, staring right at Shay. Shay ran her tongue over her lips as twenty pairs of eyes turned her way. “I'm Gennifer and, as you've probably guessed, I'm going to be teaching you some self-defense tips. Why don't you tell us your name?”
“Uh, okay,” Shay said, glancing back at Tate. He was paying her no mind; instead, he was fiddling around with the white tape that was wrapped around his hands, from his knuckles to his wrists. She narrowed her eyes at him. “My name is Shay and I'm from Harlem,” she said pointedly, then forced herself to look at the other women. They all smiled and nodded, friendly already. She smiled back.
“Well, Shay, anything particular you're trying to get out of learning some self-defense?” Gennifer asked. “Other than the obvious?”
“I don't know,” Shay replied, shrugging. “I think I'm pretty good at taking care of myself, but it would be nice to feel more safe, I guess.”
“Good,” Gennifer said with a nod. “I think everybody here has been in situations where we
“Thanks a lot, J,” he said, his voice barely audible as he moved toward the ring. It was then that the information seemed to make sense. He was going to be in the ring with them. He was going to be the punching bag. There was some irony in there, but she couldn't seem to find the humor in it as she watched him stop at the side of the ring and pick up the black padding that was sitting there.
“Everybody, this is my lovely brother Tate,” Gennifer said, leaning on the ropes and smiling wide. “He's graciously offered to let you guys beat on him for the next hour.”
“I'm only your brother when you want something,” Tate said, glancing up at her and smiling a quick smile that Shay would have missed if she wasn't watching his every move. She furrowed her brow, wondering how it was possible that Gennifer and Tate were related. They didn't look anything alike. Gennifer was obviously a Latina, and Tate was pale as driven snow. Another man strolled over, rubbing his hands together and laughing like he was enjoying Tate's predicament as well. He was white, too, and blond, but he was more of a pretty boy than Tate would ever be.
“Let me help with that,” the man said to Tate, chuckling to himself. Tate glared at him, but let him help him fasten the Velcro on the single piece of padding that covered Tate's chest and down his thighs. When the padding was on, he looked puffy like a marshmallow, but his arms were still bare, revealing his big biceps to anybody who cared to look. Next to Shay, the deaf girl with the braids giggled lightly as Tate hopped up into the ring, the pads making him move more awkwardly. Tate's friend glanced up at her from outside the ring and moved his hands, seemingly signing something. The girl smiled wider and signed something back. Their quick, silent conversation didn't escape Gennifer's attention and she clapped her hands to get the man's attention.
“Now Austin, unless you want to get in this ring too, I suggest you get back to your workout and stop distracting my girls,” Gennifer said, narrowing her eyes at him. The man, apparently named Austin, chuckled and sauntered off like he owned the place. The girl with braids watched him walk off, but then she turned her gaze and caught Shay staring at her. Shay smiled sheepishly at getting caught and turned her attention back to Tate, who was standing beside Gennifer with an intimidating looking on his face. He rolled his head on his shoulders and sighed, like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Gennifer ignored his obvious discomfort and turned back to the women standing around in the ring.
“Alright, let's get started. I see we have a new face in the group,” she said, staring right at Shay. Shay ran her tongue over her lips as twenty pairs of eyes turned her way. “I'm Gennifer and, as you've probably guessed, I'm going to be teaching you some self-defense tips. Why don't you tell us your name?”
“Uh, okay,” Shay said, glancing back at Tate. He was paying her no mind; instead, he was fiddling around with the white tape that was wrapped around his hands, from his knuckles to his wrists. She narrowed her eyes at him. “My name is Shay and I'm from Harlem,” she said pointedly, then forced herself to look at the other women. They all smiled and nodded, friendly already. She smiled back.
“Well, Shay, anything particular you're trying to get out of learning some self-defense?” Gennifer asked. “Other than the obvious?”
“I don't know,” Shay replied, shrugging. “I think I'm pretty good at taking care of myself, but it would be nice to feel more safe, I guess.”
“Good,” Gennifer said with a nod. “I think everybody here has been in situations where we
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