Freeborn

Chapter One

Coda, 2095

“You hit like a girl!”

Lucy jumped back from her friendly opponent and smiled. “I am a girl,” she replied with a smirk. “But you, however, well that’s questionable.” Snickering, she stood again in her fighting stance.

“Now you’re dead meat!”

Cole charged Lucy, their forearms slammed against one another. He puffed, pushing harder until she released from her defensive stance. Turning swiftly, she burst into laughter as Cole flew into the wall.

“I fight like a girl?” she said with confidence, both hands placed on her hips. “Huh, that’s weird. The only girl I’m seeing at the moment is you, Colette.”

Shaking his head, he smiled wickedly at her. “Colette? Wow, aren’t you a clever little beast.”

Lucy nodded, wiping the bead of sweat from her forehead. “I’m waiting for you to say mercy. We can end this with a truce, you know.” She bit down on her bottom lip, knowing good and well it drove Cole mad with desire. But they wouldn’t ever go past a friendship. If they did, someone would be left heart broken.

Cole moved forward, a tiger stalking its prey. Lucy stopped smiling, mindful that his friendly banter had shifted to something more. She took two steps back when he took two steps forward. Shirtless, Lucy became well aware of the muscles that contoured his chest and stomach. Sweat glistened over each muscle, rolling, dripping, and it made her suddenly uncomfortable. Heat crept over her pale cheeks. Even with what muscle he still had, lack of food had started to show by the exposure of his ribs.

“Why so serious all of a sudden?” she said, ending her question with a forced laugh. “You’ve always been a sore loser.”

Lucy’s steps ended when she backed into the wall, trapped as Cole placed both of his hands on each side of her head. He stood close. The tips of their noses nearly brushed one another. Her body trembled from the heat radiating from his handsome face. Cerulean eyes with hints of gray stared first at her eyes, and then made their way to her lips. She subconsciously wetted them with her tongue, unsure of Cole’s motives.

The door to their hidden training facility creaked open. Cole pushed away from her quickly, walking over to where his shirt laid crumpled on the training mat. Lucy rubbed away the goose bumps that had made themselves at home all along her arms. Exhaling, she pushed from the wall and casually sat on the mat to stretch.

“Cole?” a girl’s voiced echoed from the doorway.

Gemma, she thought, trying to suppress any negative feelings toward the girl who was sweet to a fault, the girlfriend who loved and adored Cole.

The slim girl with long blonde hair stepped inside the training room, a bag slung over her right shoulder. “Hey, sorry I’m so late, Cole. You wouldn’t believe what I went through to get here. I mean, the streets are being watched closely today with the Lawless in town. I almost ran into one! He even touched my arm! Can you believe it? I swear my life flashed before my eyes.”

She rambled. Lucy tried to hide her smug look. The girl was nice, yeah, but she could never seem to stop talking.

Gemma looked down at Lucy with a million dollar smile. “Oh, I didn’t know you were training today, too.” Her smile dropped. Lucy wanted to laugh at how fake Gemma acted around her. Lucy knew she wanted to be okay with Cole being best friends with another girl, but deep down, she knew better. The mean Gemma wanted to claw her eyes out.

“I was just about to leave, actually,” Lucy said. “He’s all yours now.”

She bounced up and down on the heel of her gym shoes. “Oh okay, good. I mean, no offense to you, I was only hoping for one on one with him today.” Gemma winked like her and Lucy had shared some friendly girl-bonding moment.