Chapter 129
The mat beneath my feet suddenly feels less steady.
But I don’t back down… not this time.
Zane doesn’t move at first, he just stands there near the doorway where Aaron left, broad shoulders filling the frame of the training room entrance. His arms are folded slowly across his chest, the muscles in his forearms tightening as his fingers curl against his bulging biceps.
His eyes stay on me, not even blinking.
The air in the room suddenly feels heavier, the smell of sweat and rubber mats hangs thick around us, mixed with the faint woodsy scent that always seems to cling to Zane like a shadow.
I cross my arms too, mostly so he won’t see the way my hands want to shake so badly.
“You’re staring,” I say finally.
My voice comes out steadier than I feel.
Zane tilts his head slightly.
“I’m thinking p>
“About p>
“Whether Aaron has lost his fucking mind,” he replies flatly.
I let out a short breath.
“He hasn’t p>
“Then maybe you have p>
I stare at him. “Excuse me p>
“You heard me p>
His boots scrape softly against the mat as he steps further into the room slowly, the way a predator moves when it already knows its prey can’t escape. Escape
“You getting into fights with trained men twice your size,” he continues calmly, “throwing yourself at Aaron like that p>
“I wasn’t throwing myself at him,” I cut in.
“You tackled him p>
“I was sparring, we were sparring p>
“And you were losing p>
I grit my teeth.
“That’s the point of training, Zane p>
His jaw tightens.
“Not when you get yourself hurt p>
I laugh under my breath, but there’s no humor in it.
“Hurt?” I repeat. “You mean like being dragged out of a car crash? Or being tied to a bed by your husband and being tortured for minutes p>
The silence that follows is deafening.
“You’re alive,” he says.
“As you can see p>
” and You’re safe p>
“Barely p>
His nostrils flare.
“That situation happened because you ignored my instructions p>
“And your instructions were to keep me locked inside the house like some pet,” I snap.
“That house is the safest place for you p>
“For who?” I fire back. “For me? Or for your peace of mind p>
Zane’s shoulders stiffen and for a moment neither of us speaks. The tension stretches between us like a wire pulled too tight.
Then he starts walking toward me.
Each step steady.
The closer he gets, the more the difference between us becomes obvious again. His height, his size, the quiet strength in every movement.
But I refuse to step back. Not again and not anymore.
He stops a few feet away.
Close enough that I can see the faint bruise along his jawline from something that must’ve happened earlier today. Close enough that I can see the tiredness in his eyes too, buried deep beneath the anger.
“You think learning how to throw a few punches will fix what happened to you?” he asks quietly.
I blink.
“That’s not what this is about p>
“Then explain it p>
“I already did p>
“No,” he says firmly. “You didn’t p>
His voice lowers.
“You said you don’t want to be fragile p>
“Yes p>
“And you think Aaron teaching you a few moves suddenly makes you untouchable p>
“That’s not what I said p>
“Then what did you say p>
I take a breath.
Because the words inside me have been sitting there for days now.
Weeks maybe.
“I said I don’t want to feel helpless again p>
Zane’s expression shifts slightly
“You weren’t helpless,” he says.
My laugh this time is bitter.
“I was drugged p>
His jaw tightens.
“I was assaulted p>
His eyes flicker.
“And then I found out my husband murdered the man who did it p>
The room goes still.
“You didn’t look at me when you told me,” I continue quietly. “You just stood there covered in someone else’s blood and told me not to worry about it p>
A muscle in his cheek twitches.
“You think learning how to fight erases all that?” he asks.
“No p>
“Then why p>
“Because next time,” I say, my voice steady now, “I want to have a choice. I want to be the one who slays my own monsters”
His brows pull together slightly.
“A choice p>
“Yes p>
“I didn’t have one before,” I continue. “My body didn’t belong to me then, I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t fight it, I couldn’t do anything p>
“But if something like that ever happens again I swallow. I want to know I tried p>
Zane doesn’t answer, he just watches me.
Really watches me now, not with anger bt something else.
“You think I’ll let that happen again?” he says quietly.
I hold his gaze.
“I think you’re powerful p>
His eyes narrow slightly at that knowing something is coming
“But you’re not God p>
The silence that follows is thick.
His hand lifts slowly and drags down his face like he’s trying to wipe away something that won’t leave.
“You don’t trust me,” he says eventually.
“That’s not what I said p>
“But it’s what you meant p>
“No,” I reply softly.
He looks at me again.
Then I finish.
“I just don’t want my survival to depend entirely on you p>
That hits him he looks almost like… he’s hurt.
He turns away for a moment, pacing two slow steps across the mat.
When he speaks again his voice is lower
“You’re my wife,” he says simply.
“That doesn’t mean you own me p>
“No,” he agrees quietly.
His eyes return to mine.
“But it means your safety is my responsibility p>
I shake my head.
“That’s not how responsibility works p>
“That’s exactly how it works in my world p>
“And that’s the problem p>
Another silence stretches between us again.
Then finally p>
“You really want this?” he asks.
“Yes p>
“You want Aaron teaching you how to fight p>
“Yes p>
“You want bruises, broken nails and getting knocked on your ass over and over until you actually learn something p>
“Yes p>
“You won’t quit the first time it hurts p>
“No p>
His eyes search my face for a long moment.