Besides, it would also give her a confidence that she’d been lacking when it came to dealing with this threat, something that would take away a great deal of her fear.
Without warning, Ashley abruptly switched up her attack.
She swept her leg at me.
I lost my balance and went down hard, hitting the floor with a jarring thud.
It was my own fault for letting my mind wander. It was exactly what happened when you couldn’t keep your head in the game.
“Oh my God!” she cried, rushing over. “Are you okay? I’m sorry, I—”
I shot out my foot and hooked her knee. She squealed and tumbled down.
Right on top of me.
“Fuck,” I choked out from the impact of her full weight slamming into me.
“You ass!” she yelled, slapping my chest, as she used my shoulders for support to push herself up into a sitting position on top of me.
“Never let down your guard like that,” I chastised her.
“That was a dick move.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And yours wasn’t?”
A sheepish expression played on her face.
“Well done.”
“Really? You’re not actually mad then?”
“In the real world, people fight down and dirty. Being honorable about it is for the movies and people who end up getting their asses handed to them. You have to be determined, swift, and merciless, because that’s exactly what your opponents will be bringing to the table.” I smiled up at her. “It’s clear you’ve got that in you. We just need to tidy it up and hone your raw talent.”
“Raw talent, huh?”
“Yeah, little warrior. I’m very impressed.”
She went rigidly still. “Little warrior?”
Shit. “Uh,” I fumbled, uncharacteristically. “Yeah. You’ve got a fighter’s spirit. A heart full of….” Shut it! Shut the fuck up! I cleared my throat roughly. “Nothing. I must’ve taken a harder hit to the head when you knocked me on my ass than I realized.”
“No,” she said, bracing her hands on my chest and leaning over me. “Don’t cower this time. There’s no running in this gym.”
Throwing my own words back at me? The woman had balls, that was for sure.
The look on her face, the sheer want there, had my cock stirring. Not to mention, her hands on my abs, the fact that she was straddling me like a sexy fucking cowgirl. Jesus Christ.
It overrode my good judgment and something snapped in me.
Before I knew what I was doing, I reached up and fisted my hand in the back of her hair, drawing her down to me.
She moaned with anticipation.
And then my phone rang, the hard-rock ringtone echoing eerily all around us.
“Really?” Ashley giggled.
“It’s 18 And Life by Skid Row. A bit before your time, huh?”
“I know who they are. Are you forgetting that I grew up around a bunch of bikers? Those types of songs are par for the course.”
I eased her off me, pulling us both back to our feet. “Funny you should say that. It’s the ringtone I set for your father.”
Her face turned scarlet. She looked mortified. I wasn’t above feeling a little uncomfortable either. Given how close we’d come to… doing something, the fact that Scott was calling felt like we’d been caught in the act.
I jogged over to a bench in the corner where I’d left my hoodie earlier. I pulled my phone from the pocket and answered, “Scott?”
In my peripheral vision, I saw Ashley pulling her gloves off, then making her way over.
“We got a situation.”
I tensed, my body and mind instantly on high alert. “I’m listening.”
“A few days back, I had my Sergeant-at-Arms, Lou, lead a team of scouts to do some recon on a warehouse we figured the Rogues were using as a makeshift compound. They missed check in. No word for forty-eight hours. Today, the scouts come back, but Lou didn’t. Turns out while they got away in time, Lou got caught. Knox turned him, Lou gave up vital intel about the club under Knox’s torture. He’s defected, Finn. And along with that intel is all the shit about you protecting Ashley. Lou knew where I was headed to, what town you’re in. Means there’s a real good chance Knox knows now too. You gotta move. Right fucking now.”
Jesus Christ. “How did the SAA know my location?”
“We’re at war. I gotta keep my boys in the know. I can’t be taking off with no word on where I’m gonna be at.”
“Fuck.”
“I’m sorry. Know you worked hard to settle in that town.”
I’d busted my ass, first trying to find a place that was far enough off the grid, yet not completely cut off from civilization. I’d built my business up from scratch, garnering a solid rep. And I’d worked hard to keep my head down, to project an image of normalcy and stability to the judgmental, ignorant populace. Blowing out a breath, I gritted out, “Forget it. Guys like me don’t get to settle down like that. Not for long anyway. It is what it is.”
I caught sight of Ashley looking on with concern. I averted my gaze, the emotion there threatening to rock me when it was imperative that I kept a level head. “How long do I have?”
“I called the second after he sent the video, but, like I said, they had my boys captive for days. They coulda given up the intel at any time. The fuckers could be real close already. You gotta move now.”
“All right.”
I was about to hang up and get things moving, when he called out, “Wait. Let me speak to my baby girl.”
“Keep me posted,” I told him.
I held out my cell to Ashley.
Her eyes were wide. The fear in them was palpable, making my gut twist. “What’s going on, Finn?”
“I think your father wants to break it to you himself.”
She hesitated, her hands shaking, with adrenaline, no doubt.
“Ashley,” I pressed. “We need to make this quick.”
I pushed my phone into her
