Elara stopped. She let the speed bag settle. She turned slowly, her dark eyes locking onto the
three men. The gym went suddenly, uncomfortably quiet. "Are you boys lost?" she asked,
her voice low and even. "The playground is down the street."
Bull, a heavy-set brawler with a cauliflower ear, laughed a booming, unpleasant sound. "Oh,
she’s got teeth. Tell you what. We’re bored. Spar with us. For fun."
"All three of you?" Elara asked, tilting her head.
"One after the other," Jax sneered. "We'll go easy. Just light taps."
The gym owner, a grizzled man named Mac, started forward. "Hey, knock it off, you three.
Elara, just ignore them."
"It's fine, Mac," Elara said. She unwrapped her hands, slipping on a pair of well-worn 4-