by K. C. Lynn
Sure, no problem.
I hit the bag again, but of course nothing happens.
“Again,” he orders.
I do it a few more times with no success.
“Quicker. Use your hips and put more power into your step.”
Taking a deep breath, I back up then move into it faster, doing as he instructed. This time, I barely feel my fist connect with the bag but it actually moves.
With a gasp, I spin to face Kolan. “Did you see that? It moved!”
He nods, a smirk lifting his lips. “It did. Now do it again.”
This time, I have a little more confidence and put more oomph into it, making the bag swing once more.
I smile over at Kolan, happy about my small feat.
“Good job. Let’s move to the ring now.”
I follow him to the center of the gym where the ring is located. He steps on the rope, making an opening for me. After I climb in, I secure my infinity scarf a little tighter around me. His eyes follow my movement but he doesn’t call notice to it.
“Let’s start with some basic scenarios first. In most cases, attackers strike with the element of surprise. It’s important for you to use the same tactic on them. Your reaction time is everything. So, as hard as it is in that situation, you need to control your fear and act quickly. If I were to jump out in front of you and grab your shoulder”—his large hand covers my bare shoulder—“the first thing you’re going to do is lower yourself. Slightly bend your knees.”
I do as he says.
“See how awkward my grip is on you now?”
I nod.
“It also makes me lower myself to you, which is good because of our height difference. Now there are a few different things you could do here. There are certain parts on the body that you want to aim for, to cause the most pain. The nose is one of them. Since I’m forced to bend down to keep my grip on you, this would be a good opportunity for you to take the heel of your hand and thrust up against my nose. Do it hard enough and you’ll break it.” Grabbing my wrist, he briefly shows me the motion. “Another place, and always the most effective when dealing with a guy, is his groin.”
Without meaning to, I drop my gaze. When I realize what I’ve done, I snap my eyes back up to his face, hoping he didn’t notice, but no such luck.
“You gotta look if you’re going to hit it,” he says with a smirk.
My face flames, as I wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. The reaction only makes him chuckle and the sound does funny things to me again.
“All right, now with this scenario, if you’re going for the groin you’re not going to push him away, you’re going to bring him closer. Grab his shirt or whatever he’s wearing then pull him in and bring your knee up… Go ahead and do it, just don’t make contact. I’m not protected.”
I raise my eyebrows at the idea, deciding to mess with him since he seems to enjoy giving me a hard time. His scowl makes me giggle, something that I haven’t done in a long time.
I begin going through the moves, my fists curling into his shirt to bring him closer. That’s when there’s a shift. My pulse begins to race as I feel his hard body against mine. His dark eyes hold me captive, making me feel things I shouldn’t—dangerous things.
Clearing his throat, he steps back, breaking the heated moment. “Let’s work on something else.”
With an awkward nod, I regain my wits and focus on his instructions as he goes through the different ways for me to break out of someone’s hold. This time, he seems more careful with how close he gets to me.
“Any questions on those?” he asks when he’s done.
I shake my head. “No, but I have a question about something else.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, what if they have me pinned on the ground? How do I get out of that?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“The objective is to not let them gain that control over you.”
“But what if they do? What if they come at you from behind and knock you down?”
My eyes drop to the ground as silence stretches between us, the intensity of his stare seeing more than I want him to.
“There are ways. We can work on that next time.”
I nod. “When do you want me to come back?”
“Tomorrow evening? Same time?”
“That works for me. Are you sure I can’t pay you something?”
“No,” he says, seeming a little annoyed I asked.
I clear my throat. “All right. Well…thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He steps on the ropes again, making an opening for me.
Climbing through, I feel him watch me while I go grab my water bottle and bag. Just as I head for the door, he calls out to me. I turn around to see him jump from the ring and make his way over. My tummy dances at his purposeful strides, head craning back as I keep eye contact with him.
He stops in front of me, leaving a very small space between us. “You got a phone?”
I stare up at him, dumbfounded. It’s as if I’m brain-dead and I’ve been robbed of all coherent thoughts.
His smirk snaps me back into myself.
“Wh—what?”
“A phone. You got a cell phone?”
“Yeah,” I answer slowly.
He puts out his hand. “Can I see it?”
Confused, I reach into my bag and pull it out for him. He takes it, punching in some numbers before handing it back to me. Looking down, I see he entered his contact info.
“That’s my number. If for some reason you can’t make a lesson or…if you ever need anything, you can call me.”
Warmth invades my chest at the kind gesture. “Thank you.”
With a final nod, he walks away, leaving me no other choice but to make my own exit.
On the short walk home, my mind is filled with thoughts of the mysterious, dark warrior, who seems intimidating and hard around the edges yet is kind enough to help out a girl who has no one.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sophie
The moment my life was forever changed
I had been rushing down the hall, headed to my next class, when I heard the slam of lockers and taunting laughter.
“Stop it, leave me alone, asshole.”
Rounding the corner, I saw Johnny Tillman and his crew picking on Daniel Wheeler, the new kid who seemed to get bullied by everyone. His books were scattered on the ground where they’d been knocked from his hands. Johnny had him up against the lockers, lifted off his feet. Daniel wasn’t small by any stretch but Johnny and his football teammates were much bigger.
“I mean it. Put me down!” Daniel ordered, trying to get out of the hold Johnny had on him.
“What are you gonna do, huh? You gonna be a pussy and cry like last time?” Johnny taunted, slapping Daniel in the face while all his buddies laughed.
I despised bullies.
With anger pumping through my body, I marched down the hall toward them. “That’s enough, Johnny. Let him go.”
All eyes swung to me, Johnny’s roamed me from head to toe. He never shied away from showing his blatant appreciation, especially whenever I was cheering for them.
“Hey, Sophie, miss me so soon after practice this morning?”
My eyes narrowed as I crossed my arms. “Let him go, now.”
“Come on, we’re just having a little fun.”
“No, you’re not. You are being mean.” When he didn’t put Daniel down, I tried another tactic. “Should I get Coach Pierce and let him know what’s going on?” That got his attention. “Aren’t you already at two strikes? One more and you’ll be kicked off the team.”
He gave me a cocky smirk but there was no denying the angry tick of his jaw. “No need,” he said, dropping Daniel to the ground. “We’re done with this shit stain anyway.”
His long gait ate up the distance between us, his strides purposeful as he moved toward me. I refused to cower, knowing that’s what he wanted me to do. I stood stra
ight and tall, arms still crossed.
He leaned down, putting his mouth to my ear. “How about that date I’m still waiting for?”
He’s asked me out a few times. I hadn’t confirmed or denied whether I would go out with him, but I won’t be after this.
“Don’t hold your breath. I don’t date assholes.”
He chuckled. “Trust me, I’ll get you to change your mind.”
I ignored him, refusing to play this game with him.
“Let’s go,” he shouted to his posse, who jumped at the order.
Once they left, I released an annoyed breath. “Jerk.” I looked at Daniel who was kneeled on the ground by his books, his eyes glued to me. Walking over, I dropped down beside him. “You okay?”
He nodded, eyes wide.
“Did they hurt you?”
He shook his head.
I stuck out my hand to him. “I’m Sophie Parish.”
He stared at my gesture for a long moment before accepting it. I noticed his skin was cold and clammy. “I know who you are,” he said.
When he offered nothing else, I smiled. “Let me help you with your books.”
I gathered the few that were next to me and stacked them on top of the ones he had in his hands. That’s when I noticed he was still staring at me. His eyes were a startling bright blue color that looked almost unfocused behind his silver rimmed glasses.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked again.
He nodded once more.
Maybe he was always like this?
“Okay, well…I need to get to class. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” I stood and started away when he called out my name. I spun around to face him.
“Th—tha—thank you,” he stammered.
I smiled. “You’re welcome. Have a good rest of your day.”
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose as I felt his eyes on me the entire time I walked away, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Little did I know, that one act of kindness would bring me a dangerous obsession.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kolan
“Strength doesn’t come from your fists, it comes from your mind and it comes from here.” I point to my chest, staring at the fourteen youths in front of me, all of them ranging from nine to thirteen years old.
“Bullshit!”
My eyes move to Benny Santiago, a mouthy little shit with a chip on his shoulder. A ten-year-old who reminds me so much of myself at his age, except I knew when to open my mouth and when not to.
“You say something, Santiago?”
“Yeah, I said bullshit! You gotta hit hard to survive; you’d think the heavyweight champion would know that. But if you want, we can trade places and I can teach this class,” he says with a cocky smirk. His arms cross proudly over his skinny chest from the snickers that explode around him.
I glance at Sarge, who stands next to me, chuckling along with the rest of them. He shrugs. “You gotta admit it was kinda funny.”
I stride across the ring to Benny, his confidence fading. Taking the towel off from around my neck, I wrap it under his arms and lift him off his feet, bringing his face level with mine. His eyes widen as he takes a visible gulp.
“You know what happens to mouthy little kids who don’t know when to keep quiet?”
He shakes his head.
“They get their little asses kicked.”
He gives me a shaky smile, his head tilting to the side as he pats my shoulder. “Hey, come on now. Where’s that sense of humor, huh?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Well, with all that money you have you should buy yourself one.”
Everyone laughs again, Sarge being the loudest of all. “That was a good one, kid.” He wheezes between breaths. “Stupid, but funny.”
Benny continues to smile, as if his humor will get him out of this.
“Let me tell you something. Your body can take blow after blow, you can get knocked down time and time again, but as long as your heart is still beating, you’ve survived. It isn’t until they’ve broken your mind and killed your spirit that you’ve lost. Take it from me, kid, the blow to your chest hurts a hell of a lot more than any fist that will knock you on your ass.”
He stares back at me, his smile long since vanished. I look at all the other kids to see matching expressions on their faces.
“There are different fights and challenges you’ll go through in your life that will knock you down. Only a warrior gets back up and keeps fighting, in and out of the ring.” I bring my attention back to Benny, who I still have dangling in front of me. “You got me?”
He nods.
I place him back onto his feet. “Good. Now go give me fifty push-ups and next time watch your mouth.”
“Aw man!”
As he follows the order, I address the class again. “Let’s talk about what I just said. Something you all need to remember if you want to survive in this sometimes screwed-up world. Your mind and heart are the most powerful tools you possess. Use them wisely. If you can get out of an altercation without using your fists, then that’s what you do. Pick and choose your battles.”
“What if you have no choice?” Jacob Morris asks, the black eye he sports proving he wasn’t given one.
“Then you do what you need to do to survive and you don’t stop until you’re the one that’s walking away. But only if it’s your last option.”
He nods.
“All right. Pair up and let’s start.”
While everyone grabs a partner, I spot Cooper walking out of the office from his talk with Jaxson.
“Hey, Coop, wait up a sec, will ya?” I glance over at Sarge. “Can you take over for a moment?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Thanks.” Jumping down from the ring, I head over to where Cooper waits by the door.
“Slade,” he greets me, extending his hand.
“Hey.” I accept the gesture. “I’ve been meaning to call and ask you about that girl you sent here.”
The one I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
“Girl?” He frowns.
“Yeah. Lia.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “Lia’s been here?”
Now it’s my turn to be confused. “You didn’t send her?”
“I told her about the self-defense class happening this weekend, but I didn’t think she would come before then.”
“She came in here Monday night and asked about getting private lessons. I’ve been working with her after hours.”
“Really?” he says, still in shock.
I nod.
“Honestly, I didn’t think she would come, but I’m glad she did.”
“What’s her story?” I ask, cutting right to the chase.
It’s clear he knows what I’m asking but he feigns ignorance. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. She’s jumpy as hell and seems terrified of everything.”
“Have you asked her?”
“No.”
I’ve been making sure to keep our lessons focused strictly on self-defense. Something about that girl messes with me, and makes me feel shit that I shouldn’t be feeling, especially with her. But I’ve been dying to know what the hell her story is. What has made her so scared? She raises every protective instinct I have and whoever put that fear in her, I want to fucking end them.
Cooper lets out a resigned breath. “Listen. I can’t really tell you what I know; it’s not my place. And to be honest, I only know the little I’ve been able to find out on my own.”
I frown at the response. “What does that mean?”
“It means she’s hiding more than what’s under that scarf of hers.”
“So, you haven’t seen what’s under it either.”
“No. But I’m glad you’re helping her because, take it from me, Slade, she needs it. Kayla knew it from the moment she met her, which is why she sent her to me in the first place. I’m hoping she’ll open up as she gets more comfortable, but
I’m not holding my breath. It’s clear she doesn’t trust easily. I’m praying I can gain it before she bolts.”
My chest constricts; the thought of her leaving without so much as a word to anyone bothers the hell out of me. “Come on, Cooper, give me something. How am I supposed to help her if I don’t know what the hell is going on?”
He shakes his head. “I can’t. I don’t know enough. If you want to help then gain her trust and keep her from running. And while you’re at it, teach her how to kick some serious ass.”
“Yeah, we’re working on that,” I tell him on a heavy breath.
“Good. Kayla has been trying to get closer to her but she always has an excuse to bail. You’re the only one she’s spending time with, so it looks like you’re her only hope right now.”
Great, the most fucked-up guy on the planet is her only hope.
“I’ll do what I can,” I promise, hoping it will be enough.
“Good luck, keep in touch.”
After he walks out the door, I head back over to the group.
“Yo, Slade,” Jaxson yells, sticking his head out of the office. “Phone call.”
“My sister?”
He shakes his head, his tight expression saying it all. It’s not a phone call I want to take.
“Ward?”
“Yeah, ’bout that exhibition fight for charity.”
Charity my ass. It’s because Cortez wants me in the ring. He wants to challenge the undefeated heavyweight and Ward wants the money from it, but it’s not going to happen. Even though I would love to slaughter that cocky motherfucker.
I shake my head at Jaxson.
“Figured, but thought I’d check anyway.”
I continue my way to the group, seeing them all paired up except Benny. He stands by himself, watching me with a smug smile on his face. “I’m partnerless. Looks like it’s you and me, Champ, let’s see what you got,” he challenges, getting into fighting position.
Instead of matching his stance, I grab a fistful of his shirt and lift him off his feet again. He giggles hysterically, both his small hands clinging to my wrist as he squirms to get free.