The plan was to run, use the mats for my kata’s and then come back here and take a swim with Spot, after which I was certain I’d be in need of some serious food to sustain me.
As we were riding the elevator I asked, “So did Nick assign you to me or are you just the doormen?” I watched them in the reflective surface of the elevator and noticed the tightening of skin around Ricky’s eyes.
Owen was standing to the side with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes focused somewhere just over my head. I had walked to the back of the elevator before turning around so that there was no room between me and the wall. Ricky had stepped in and was standing just in front of me and to my right, facing the door, his body held loose as if he was ready for anything when the doors opened. I couldn’t help smiling.
“To the victor go the spoils,” Ricky replied. He didn’t turn or move, he just spoke in a voice void of any emotion.
I turned a questioning look at Owen, who flicked his eyes at me and added, “Our last assignment had an unfortunate swimming accident yesterday.”
“How… tragic for you. Let’s hope your new assignment isn’t as careless,” I replied with a smile.
Owen nodded as the doors slid open and we stepped into the lobby. Ricky led the way down the hall with Owen bringing up the rear. I was really looking forward to this workout. “I’m planning to jog the trail; will that be a problem for you?” I wondered out loud. Neither of them was dressed for running and I wasn’t sure how serious they were about their body guard duties, especially since they’d lost Troll girl here yesterday.
Ricky turned to look at me and replied, “I think we can keep up.”
Oh goodie… going to be macho about it. I sighed and tried again. “You aren’t exactly dressed for a workout. I wasn’t implying you couldn’t keep up, only asking if it was necessary.”
Behind us Owen spoke up. “If you allow us a few minutes in the locker room, we can change into more appropriate attire. We would prefer to remain with you, the boss was very specific.”
“Okay, no problem. I can just jog in place while I wait.”
Owen frowned and glanced at Ricky, clearly not liking the idea of leaving me alone even for a short time.
“Or I could… come into the locker room with you. I promise to protect your modesty and keep my eyes closed while you change.”
Owen couldn’t help himself though I know he tried not to smile. His eyes crinkled slightly and I know I saw his lips twitch. Unfortunately Ricky wasn’t so easily amused and he gave me a pointed look and told me. “You’ve got a smart mouth.”
I grinned back at him and replied in a flippant tone. “You’re not the first to mention it, though my Mother likes to refer to it as precocious or witty.”
He just grunted.
We ended up compromising and I stood in the locker room doorway with my back to the room. They took turns on point while the other changed, or should I say stripped down, since they both came out wearing only brief shorts and running shoes.
I was tempted to say something, but decided that might not be a great idea, so I bit my tongue and headed off at a slow jog toward the indoor running track. We did a lap, me leading with my two shadows loping along behind me, or in Owen’s case walking fast, seeing as how his legs were nearly twice as long as mine. As we passed the pool I noticed someone had fished out the Troll. Hmmm … what do you do with a dead Troll?
Ricky must have noticed my glance because he remarked in a snotty tone, “I believe Spot dined well last night.”
I flashed him a smile and jogged just a little faster. If he thought that was going to bother me he was in for a nasty surprise.
We were on our sixth or seventh lap when I pulled up and led everyone over to the floor mats where I stretched and had some water. “I’m going to work on my form. You are welcome to join in or just ah…stand about,” I offered, then pulled off my shoes and socks and placed them at the edge of the mat next to my water and towel.
No one else was using the mats so I had the entire expanse to myself. I moved about fifteen feet from the edge rolled my head on my neck and closed my eyes, taking deep even breaths as I mentally walked through my first set of moves.
I started out with the simplest Goju Ryu style of Karate, a combination of soft and hard techniques in the form of kicks and punches, as well as soft circular moves for blocking and controlling opponents. I quickly ran through the Sanchin, Saifa and Seisan katas, and then moved on to Seipai and Kururunfa. I transitioned to Shorin-ryu when I realized I had gained a partner. A dark haired female about three inches taller than I, had joined me on the mat and was following my steps. I settled more firmly into my routine and by the time we’d finished the next form, our group of two had grown to seven and I began calling out forms as we ran through them. Kihon Ichidan, Kihon Nidan, Kihon Sandan, Taikyoku Nidan, Naihancin Nidan, Pinan Nidan.
By the time we finished the last one, sweat was pouring off me and the group on the mat was too numerous to count. I stepped back, turned to the group and bowed. Thanking them for the honor they had given me.
From the fourth row a man, about six foot with strong stomach muscles, a broken nose and dark brown hair that just brushed his ears, stepped forward and bowed. “Judo?” he asked, a small smile playing about his lips and a devilish twinkle in his eye.
“Randori?” I politely inquired, assuming he wanted to free-style spar versus one of the more confining choreographed katas. Obviously he was here to try and kick my butt but I thought it impolite to assume.
When he nodded, I waved my hand in an invitation to take the floor. People cleared a path as we moved to the center of the mat. Owen and Ricky removed their shoes and moved to stand on either side of the circle surrounding us. Owen looked a little worried, but if Ricky was concerned at all, his face and body didn’t show it. In Karate kata, there is no sparring. Forms are done alone and the degree of difficulty increases, becoming ever more complex. In Judo, there is only one kata that isn’t performed by two participants. In Judo katas are not even taught until you’re a brown belt and usually included the use of knives and swords. My sparring partner wasn’t packing so I assumed we’d be staring off with the standard, punching, kicking, choke and joint lock holds.
My body felt loose and strong as I bowed to my opponent. We circled for a moment or two, trying to get the sense of each other. I was at a disadvantage because he’d been behind me earlier and I hadn’t seen his form. I could only assume that he was one of their best here, otherwise he wouldn’t have stepped forward to challenge me. On top of that, I was used to sparring with humans and needed to mentally adjust to full strength, as the man across from me was as supernatural as myself and would undoubtedly be expecting it. My only hope was speed, since he outweighed me by at least eighty pounds of solid muscle and his reach was much greater than mine.
These thoughts were swept from my brain as he came at me, aiming for my throat. I blocked and spun, clipping him with a raised knee to the thigh as I flowed past. He grunted and rocked onto the balls of his feet as he watched me watching him. I’d taken the position of defense to his aggressor. It could be a dangerous stance, but it freed me up to observe his moves while I waited for him to come to me. His next attack arrived feet first. He was fast, but I was faster. I ducked the foot aimed at my chin, crossed my forearms and shoved upwards, flipping him all the way over and to the mats. He lashed out at me with his base foot and I used my shin to deflect the blow, stepping back and allowing him time to regain his feet. He wasn’t smiling anymore and I suspected he was about to get serious. I flexed my knees and stood calmly waiting for his next move. I didn’t have long to wait as he rose and rushed me at the same time, using a series of chopping motions to force me back. I blocked and gave ground, knowing that retreat can be a very powerful strategy. He followed, punching and kicking and trying for a hold but I was too fast for him. I continued to spar with him for a several minutes, getting in whatever defensive blows I could manage while shifting the for
ce of his attacks aside from me.
Back back back I went on the mats. Circling and blocking and trying to stay out of his reach. At one point he faked a punch and grabbed my wrist when I went for the block. The natural reaction is to twist your wrist but I knew his grip was to strong for that, so instead of pulling away, I forced my hand up and into his chin, snapping back his head and gaining the release of my hand. I followed up with an elbow to his neck that sent him to the floor. He growled and his eyes turned just a little mean. Some time in the past few minutes I’d realized that he was good, but I was better. And the look he was giving me indicted I needed to end this soon or one of us was going to be hurt.
The next time he rushed me I didn’t hesitate, instead of moving away from him, I stepped under his reach and pummeled him in the solar plexus, grabbed his wrist and stepped under his arm, bringing his wrist with me behind his back. When he tried to turn toward me, I kicked out his leg and shoved him to the floor while lifting his wrist to the center of his back so that his head hit the mat. “Do you yield?” I asked calmly. Amazingly I wasn’t even breathing hard, though I was sweating profusely. He grunted and I released his wrist and stepped back.
Perhaps it was overconfidence on my part that had me turning my back to him. Or maybe just that I really, really needed a drink of water. Owen made a noise of warning, but it was too late as there was a hard yank on my ponytail just before an arm slipped around my throat. All lessons are valuable when looked at in the right light. Having my windpipe crushed made me remember two critical rules; one, never turn your back on an opponent unless they’re dead, and two, you don’t beat the house bully and walk away clean. Damn and I was so looking forward to that drink of water.
I hesitated for a second, wondering if he was just going to make me cry uncle, and realized that no, unfortunately it wasn’t going to be that easy as the pressure tightened and he leaned in to hiss in my ear. Great, my options were, strangle for a while or resort to chick fighting. Well, he’d pulled my hair first, so guess which one I selected.
Turning my chin into his shoulder relieved some of the pressure. Reaching for his nostrils with one hand and his balls with the other took care of the pressure all together. The nostril hold got me out from under his arm, while the savage squeeze and twist I gave his manly parts dropped him to his knees, taking me with him, as I was unwilling to let go just yet.
I used my forearm to shove him onto his back, followed him down to the mat and applied just enough pressure to prevent him from lifting his head. He seemed to be in some distress and I realized I was still exerting an unkind amount of pressure with my other hand. “Do you yield?” I asked calmly, giving him another slight twist with my wrist to ensure he knew I was talking to him and expected an answer this time.
He moaned and I replied, “What’s that? I don’t believe I heard you clearly.”
“Yes!” he spat back at me.
“Now that’s uncalled for, considering you jumped me from behind,” I told him calmly. “I don’t really like cheaters.”
A pair of scuffed up tennis shoes under faded blue jeans planted themselves on either side of my opponent’s head. “I wouldn’t piss her off,” Jace warned. “You wouldn’t want to end up at the bottom of the pool.”
I let go and stood in a smooth motion, stepping out of reach of the man on the mat. My move clearly stating I didn’t trust or like him.
“Playing with the help?” Jace asked casually.
I shrugged and reached for the water that Owen held out to me. His eyes were busy scanning the crowd but they hesitated on me long enough to give me a wink and an apologetic look before he went back to stoic, complete with planted feet, neutral face with one wrist held in his other hand. I knew Ricky was behind me. I couldn’t help wondering why he hadn’t warned me as Owen had. But then he hadn’t liked me from the moment he’d seen me, so no doubt he’d been rooting for my opponent.
Jace’s glance swung to my dark haired guard and his eyes narrowed menacingly. “Maybe you’d like to go a round with me on the mats?” he growled at Ricky and I turned in time to see the blood leave his face.
Chapter 15
My beaten opponent scuttled out of the way when I reached for Jace. I was too slow to catch him as he took two steps in Ricky’s direction while reaching up to pull his shirt off over his head. Apparently Ricky knew better than to give him time to clear his arm holes because he jumped Jace while his face was buried in cloth. I dropped my water and would have jumped into the fray except Owen’s very large hand landed on my shoulder. Instinct had me reaching for him and the nerves between thumb and first finger. I dug my own fingers in and gave his hand a punishing twist. My movement brought the large man to his knees immediately. I really didn’t have time to deal with him as Jace was still struggling to get out of his shirt while Ricky knocked him to the floor and began pummeling him.
“Wait, please,” Owen grimaced, but looked me directly in the eye and rasped out, “He’ll be fine. I made sure Ricky left his weapons in the locker room. Please just wait, Nick sent me with a message.”
I frowned, and then glanced back at Jace who was nearly clear of his shirt. Ricky had gone for a strangle hold but Jace brought his knee into Ricky’s kidney and I let out the breath I’d been holding. Owen was right; Jace could take care of himself. I moved so I could keep my gaze on the fighters as they rolled about on the mat. Realizing I was still holding Owen, I released the pressure. He sighed gratefully and cradled his hand against his chest. “Ouch,” He told me with a sardonic smile.
“No grabbing,” I told him with a frown. “You mentioned a message?” I prompted as Jace punched Ricky in the nose, causing blood to gush down the smaller man’s face.
“He said,” and he hesitated until I turned my eyes back to him, “it was an inside job and that she had help.” And he glanced meaningfully at Ricky so that my gaze followed his.
I thought it over for a moment. “Thanks, Owen,” I told him, then reached for my water and took a drink as I watched Jace beat their snake in the grass to a bloody pulp. I was a little surprised he didn’t just snap the smaller man’s neck and be done with it. Men!
Jace glanced up at me and bared his teeth.
I rolled my eyes and looked unimpressed. Get on with it already, I thought loudly at him. Either kill him or let him go, just pick one.
“You’re taking all the fun out of it,” he growled at me and planted his fist half heartedly in Ricky’s face.
It was obvious the other man had already passed out. What he was doing now was just showing off.
“This is the thanks I get for defending your honor?” he demanded, pushed himself off the floor and stood looking down at Ricky’s bloody body.
“This so has nothing to do with me,” I told him out loud. I could see the welts and bruises already starting on Ricky. Good thing he was passed out because if he was conscious and could have shifted, it could have been ugly.
Jace nudged him with the toe of his shoe, “Sure it does. If you hadn’t had my hair brush that night, you might have been hurt.”
“Yeah right,” I replied then thought, I’ve been staking vamps for years, it would take more than a few immature bloodsuckers to bring me down.
He looked surprised and lifted an eyebrow at me as if to say, we’d be discussing that later. Right at that moment he had something else he needed to take care of, because he glanced around at the ring of faces searching for one in particular. His gaze lit on the guy I’d been sparring with and I took an involuntary step forward. Don’t do it, I mentally yelled at him.
He bared his teeth again and out of the corner of my eye I watched Owen jerk. It was as if he could sense we were having a conversation but couldn’t follow the dialog.
Jace took another step in the hapless man’s direction and I placed my hand on my hip and thought… you touch him and I’ll be sleeping in my room tonight… all by myself!
He turned and gave me a look full of frustration. I lifted an eyebrow and stare
d right back at him. He growled and ran his hand though his hair, leaving a bloody streak which made him look like some sort of accident victim. I smiled sweetly and finished off my water.
Owen rose to his feet, leaned in and whispered, “I’m afraid to ask what just happened but I think Mark, that ass over there,” he indicated with a wave of his hand, “owes you.”
I smiled up at him and spoke loudly enough for those in the circle to hear. “I don’t like cheaters, I feel it indicates a weakness of character and weak characters can’t be trusted.” I said, while my eyes were trained on Jace, “If it had been life or death it would have been understandable. But this was just inexcusable.” Yeah I thought hard at Jace, Mark might have gotten a reprieve, but if I was him, I wouldn’t be hanging out in any dark alleys anytime soon. And I’d managed to convey my feelings, and perhaps a warning in Mark’s direction, as well as letting everyone else there know just how I felt.
Jace flashed me a surprised look, then his eyes narrowed and his lips stretched in what I could only describe as an evil grin. I laughed back at him, lifting my eyebrows several times in agreement. Hey, the man needed to be taught a lesson, I just didn’t want Jace to do it right that moment as it would have undermined my win.
Jace placed his hand over his waist and actually bowed briefly at me, as if to say, your wish is my command. Then he turned back to Ricky and poked him with his shoe again. He glanced at me and made that teeth grating sound he used to call Snick, who appeared in less time that it takes to breathe deeply. Jace and Snick conversed in that strange language, then Snick went to Ricky and placed his small hand on his head. When he was done he disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived. Jace glanced at two of the men standing near us and said, “Dump him by the park.”
I heard one of the guys ask if he wanted him killed and Jace replied no, just leave him on a bench somewhere. He wouldn’t remember anything when he woke up. Apparently Snick wasn’t just a butler extraordinaire!
Dragon Lust Page 16