Ninja Girl

by Cookie O'Gorman

  By the last lines of the song, I felt like I could breathe again. It felt good to exhale.

  Thanks, Bruce, I thought.

  The roar of the people in the bar was deafening. Koi jumped up onstage and patted me on the back.

  “Masterful,” he said into my ear. “Truly masterful!”

  “Thanks,” I said back, then pointed at him. “I’ll get you for this later.”

  “What?” he laughed, but the sound was strained. I had my scary smile on. “But Snow, I thought we were cool. Listen to these people. You’re a hit.”

  “Later,” I promised, smacking him hard on the shoulder.

  Koi stumbled, but quickly recovered, introducing the next act. He knew I’d get him—but he didn’t know when or where. That was the beauty of it. As I made my way down the stairs, the crowd surged, congratulating me, offering up high-fives. The hot press of bodies got claustrophobic quick. I could see Min smiling, trying to push her way to the front, but the fluff/Root Beer mix in my stomach revolted.

  The heat. The smell. All these people.

  My head felt airy and light. Like a big vat of marshmallow fluff.

  Oh, God.

  I had to get to the bathroom. Fast.

  Switching directions, I bounced off of someone’s back and started to fall. I couldn’t catch myself. There were too many people, crammed too close. I made my body go loose like we did in training. The fall wouldn’t hurt so much if I rolled with it.

  Before I could eat tile, a pair of strong hands grabbed me by the waist from behind.

  “You okay there, ninja girl?”

  My breath hitched. This wasn’t happening.

  “I know you just got your heart broken,” Ash added, still holding me up, my back to his chest, “but there’s no need to go running out.”

  “I wasn’t,” I said, turning around. “And I’m not heartbroken.”

  It was like a bad dream. Here I was dying of sugar poisoning, and there he was looking pretty as a picture. His eyes looked concerned. A trickle of dread went through me. There was a 99.9 percent chance Ash had just seen my weepy power ballad.

  “Have you been here this whole time?”

  “Yep,” he nodded. “It was a Grammy-worthy performance, a little pitchy here and there, but real emotional.” Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. “That Bae guy doesn’t deserve you, you know. I get that you’re in love, but he’s too uptight. He can’t make you laugh.”

  “What the hell,” I said forcefully. “I am not in love with Bae Bae, alright? He’s like my cranky older brother.”

  “Okay, okay,” Ash said, a smile curving his lips. “It’s cool. I just thought with the song…”

  “Apparently, thinking isn’t your strong suit.”

  “Guess not.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Um…why’re you staring at my shirt?”

  “Where’s your hoodie?” I blurted. Apparently, the fluff had also affected my brain. I couldn’t take my eyes off his shirt. The material molded perfectly to his chest. He must do some kind of sport, I thought. I knew guys at The Academy who worked for years and never got that kind of definition. “I can’t talk to you dressed like that. It’s distracting.”

  “Dressed like what?” he said, and I swear he flexed. Flexed!

  The grin on his face was meant to disarm, but I tightened my shields. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, pretty boy.”

  “Immensely,” he said. “Distracting you could become one of my favorite pastimes.”

  “Well, stop it.”

  “Can’t be helped, ninja girl. You’re a hell of a lot more interesting than anyone else I know.”

  I couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or an insult.

  “You know, you’re kind of arrogant,” I said.

  “And you’re kind of beautiful.” Ash smiled and nodded to the bar while I tried to recover. Who said things like that? “Smith’s over there with my hoodie watching our seats.”

  I spotted one of the guys on his detail chatting up some pretty young blonde. He wasn’t even looking this way. Yeah, great security work. Not.

  “Can I get you something?” Ash wiggled his eyebrows. “I hear they have marshmallow fluff on tap.”

  And there went my stomach.

  “‘Scuse me,” I mumbled, rushing for the Emergency Exit. Screw the bathroom. I wasn’t making it. The fluff demanded release NOW.

  “Hey, hold up!”

  Just my luck he decided to follow. Could this night get any worse?

  CHAPTER 6: ASH

  This was turning into one of the best nights of my life.

  My hands were wrist deep in Snow’s long black hair. The strands were tangled around my fingers. I’d dreamed of this.

  True, it hadn’t involved a dark alley or her puking against the wall. But I’d take it. Her vulnerability was strangely endearing. Snow would stop for a few seconds and straighten, only to heave again. The Singing Fish was the only bar on this strip that didn’t serve alcohol. Plus, there was no way she was 21, so she wasn’t drunk. What the hell had she eaten? The whole scene shouldn’t have turned me on.

  But it did.

  I was such a shit. Enjoying the feel of her soft hair as she got sick? Yeah, not exactly romantic. But the pride I felt couldn’t be helped. I was the one holding her hair back. I was the one taking care of her. Drunk or not, I’d never done that for anyone.

  “Thanks,” she muttered, standing. “You can let go now.”

  I don’t want to.

  “You sure?” I asked, trying to prolong the moment. “It’s really not a problem.”

  “Yeah,” she said, and I grudgingly released her. “Sorry about that.”

  I watched the way strands of her hair fell through my fingers. A piece that was wrapped around my index finger was the last to go. As it fell back into place, I met her gaze.

  “Sorry for what?” I asked. “The puking or the singing?”

  She eyed me a second then said, “Both.”

  “Ah, don’t be sorry for the puking. You couldn’t help that. Now, the singing…”

  “Oh, ha ha. Very funny.”

  “I’m just saying maybe do a little Big Bang next time. That or Taylor Swift. I’m thinking you could really rock you some T-Swizzle.”

  She wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist, shook her head. “K-pop and country music? That’s so wrong. I think I just lost respect for you.”

  “Don’t knock it till you try it, ninja girl.”

  “Country,” she said and made a face. “I don’t think so.”

  “Technically, Taylor isn’t just a country artist,” I explained. “She straddles the line between country and pop. Just sayin’.”

  Suddenly Snow laughed. “Oh, I get it. You like her.”

  “What? I do not.” Damn, how’d she know? Taylor had been my first celebrity crush as a kid. Not that I was going to own it.

  “Yeah, you do.” There was a knowing look on her face mixed with something else—disappointment? “She’s pretty, blonde, talented. A real girly girl. Of course, you like her.”

  Girly girl? I thought. Personally, I’d put it all down to hormones and great hair. T-Swizzle had some real nice hair, one of my weaknesses. But that was nothing compared to the girl standing in front of me.

  “She is pretty,” I agreed. “But she’s got nothing on you.”

  Snow scoffed.

  “I liked holding your hair back.”

  “Really,” she said, crossing her arms. That one word was filled with so much disbelief I had to smile.

  “Yeah, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

  Snow rolled her eyes. “Alright, perfect. Next time I eat too much fluff, I know who to call.”

  “You can call before that.” I had to make it clear. Even though I’d been joking a second ago, I was completely serious on this. I took a step closer. “Anytime, anywhere, ninja girl. I’d love to be the one you call if you’re in trouble.”

  As if on cue, two men stumbled into the
alley. Big, tall, obviously plastered. They had on plaid shirts and patchy jeans, carrying half-full beer bottles. My first thought was construction workers out for a drink. Too bad neither of them had known when to say when.

  “Uh-oh,” the bigger one said with a grin. “Rennie, I think we’ve interrupted something.”

  The other one snickered.

  “What’re you two kids doing back here? This ain’t a hotel.”

  Snow moved so she was slightly in front of me.

  “Ah, now honey, you look like you need a real man.”

  “Yeah,” Rennie said. “Why don’t you come with us? We’ll show you a real good time.”

  “Looks like one of them mail-order brides.”

  “Good one, Pete.”

  The drunks laughed, but I’d had enough.

  “Hey, Drunk and Drunker,” I said, stepping in front of Snow. She glared, but whatever. This had gone too far. “Back the hell off. We’re leaving.”

  The big one, Pete, took a swig of his beer. “Fine, son. Y’all go on back in. We’ll take her when you’re through.”

  I’d been making my way to the back door of The Singing Fish, but at that, I stilled.

  “Keep moving, you idiot,” Snow whispered behind me.

  Instead, I turned. “What did you say?”

  “Y’all go have your fun.” The big guy shot a look at Snow, and I grit my teeth. “Just be sure not to wear her out.”

  Snow laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Rennie asked.

  She shifted her focus to him. There was a glint in her eye I hadn’t noticed before. “I was just thinking of all the ways I could knock your boy out cold with that bottle.”

  His face screwed up like he was thinking. It looked like it hurt. “You crazy or something?”

  “Maybe,” she said, smiling like an insane person.

  “Ah, Pete, man, let’s go. This girl’s crazy.”

  “I like me a little crazy,” Pete said and reached a hand out. “Come to daddy, crazy girl. I’ll make you feel real good.”

  Oh, hell no. I flung his hand away before he could touch her. The mix of anger and annoyance that flared in the drunk’s eyes was disturbing, but luckily, it was all directed at me.

  “You wanna play, son?” Pete cracked his bottle against the wall, pointing the sharp remains at my face. With his other hand, he made a come-hither motion. I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or knock him on his ass. “Let’s go.”

  “Man, screw you,” I said.

  He lunged, and before I could react, I found myself being pushed aside. Snow whipped by me and kicked the bottle out of his hand. As his weapon rolled away, Pete’s face went from shocked to furious.

  “Stupid Chinese bitch,” he hissed.

  “I’m Korean, dumbass,” she said, standing there crouched. Totally ready for his next move.

  When he tried to punch her, Snow caught his arm. If I had blinked, I’d have missed the shoulder flip. Five seconds. Five freaking seconds, that was all it took for her to lay him flat on the ground. A tiny person like Snow, flipping 200-something-pounds Pete. Good God. I was so into her it wasn’t even funny.

  “Looks like he’s out,” she said.

  “Yeah,” I smiled. Pete’s eyes were closed like he’d just decided to take a nap on the alley floor. “Drunk and stupid don’t really—”

  Someone screamed. A second later, Rennie threw his beer bottle at Snow’s head. That bottle was all I could see. I didn’t even think.

  The moment it left his hand I moved in front of Snow—and she ducked around me. It was stupid. Rennie was a sloppy drunk, and she was a born fighter. That bottle didn’t even come close to hitting her.

  I, on the other hand, walked straight into it.

  Snow tried to knock the bottle off course with a swift chop of her hand, but the bottom still grazed my jaw. I cursed, gripping my face. Even half-full that shit hurt. When I looked up, Snow was circling Rennie. I had to give it to her. The man looked terrified.

  “Oi, Pete, you alright?” Rennie said. When his friend didn’t answer, he pointed a finger at Snow. “You killed him. You killed my best friend.”

  “She didn’t kill him,” I said. “She knocked him out.”

  As if to prove my words, Pete groaned.

  “You think you’re tough shit,” Rennie said, putting up his fists. He bounced from foot to foot like he was trying to work up some momentum. The moron was about to have his ass handed to him, and he didn’t even know it. “C’mon, bitch. I’ll take you out. I’ll rip you to shreds. I’ll take you damn head off for what you did to poor Pete. I’ll—”

  It all happened in less than three heartbeats. Rennie broke off and charged, hands reaching toward her—and Snow nailed him right in his junk. At Chariot High, they’d called me “the Whip” for the power behind my kicks. But Snow’s spin kick was something else. Even my boys felt it. She lashed out, and it was over. The guy dropped like a stone. His eyes were closed, mouth open. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d passed out from the pain.

  “Fancy moves,” I said.

  “Thanks.” Snow straightened and locked eyes with me. “I liked yours. Nice technique, blocking that bottle with your face. How’d you come up with that anyway?”

  “No technique.” I tried to grin, but with my bruised jaw, it turned into a wince. “I just reacted.”

  “Well, it wasn’t too smart was it?” she said, stepping in front of me.

  “Easy there, ninja girl, I was just trying to stop it from hitting you.”

  She crossed her arms. “It wouldn’t have hit me. I’m too fast.”

  “Yeah, I get that now.”

  “Let me see.”

  I raised an eyebrow and let my hand drop.

  Snow inspected the bruise, gently prodding my jaw. I held still as much as I could. Every now and then, she’d hit a sore spot, and I’d clench my jaw, but nothing more. What did it matter if there was a little pain? She was touching me. Her fingers on my skin. I wasn’t about to complain about that.

  “You’ll be fine,” she said finally. “It’s not too bad.”

  “No,” I said, catching her hand as she went to pull away. “Not bad at all.”

  The blush that fanned her cheeks was like winning some kind of medal.

  I pressed her hand to my cheek and held it there. “Thanks for saving both our asses, ninja girl.”

  Snow’s eyes were wide. “You’re welcome.”

  The door to The Singing Fish flew open.

  Smith barreled outside, gun in hand, his face set in panic mode. He did a quick sweep of the alley. His gaze went over the two drunks lying on the ground, the broken beer bottles. When his eyes found us, Snow jumped back.

  “Ash, where’ve you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Smith said. “And what the hell happened to your face?”

  “Beer bottle,” I said.

  “I sure do hope you got the bastard.”

  “Nope.” I lifted my chin at Snow. “But she did.”

  Smith holstered his gun and gave her the nod. “Nice job.”

  “Yeah,” Snow sniffed. I couldn’t figure out why, but I got the feeling she didn’t care much for my guard. “Speaking of jobs, where were you? Aren’t you supposed to be his security?”

  “Well, I was—”

  “In the bar, chatting up some pretty young thing, while Ash was out here deflecting beer bottles with his face” she finished. “Great work ethic you’ve got there.”

  “Now wait—”

  “Or do you have some kind of superpower? One that allows you to see your client without actually having to be in the same room?”

  Damn. I’m not going to lie. Hearing her tell him off like that was kind of hot.

  As Smith sputtered, Min-Hee came flying through the same door he had a minute earlier. This alley was getting more crowded by the second.

  “Snow,” she said and threw her arms around her friend. “God, I couldn’t find you anywhere. I thought maybe you’d taken Koi
off to get him back for embarrassing you like that. But then I saw him with some girl, and I knew something was wrong. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Snow said and stepped back.

  “Too much fluff?” Min-Hee asked.

  Snow frowned. “Let’s not mention that word for a few years, okay?”

  Min-Hee let out a low whistle, looked around at the drunks just beginning to regain consciousness. “Did you do that?”

  “She sure did,” I said. “Took them both out without breaking a sweat. It was something.”

  Min-Hee looked from me to Snow. “Ohhhh! So, you two were back here by yourselves when these two decided to get frisky. And what, may I ask, was happening before the plaid parade showed up?”

  “Plaid parade?” I laughed. I could see why Snow liked this girl. “That’s great.”

  “Thanks, Ash. Since my girl here won’t answer, you want to elaborate? You two…back here…all alone?”

  Snow frowned. “Min, nothing happened.”

  “It didn’t?” I asked, locking gazes with her. She didn’t look away which was a plus.

  “Uh-huh,” Min-Hee said and linked arms with Snow. “It was good seeing you, Ash. I hope you’ll drop by The Academy again?”

  “Definitely,” I said. “Later, ninja girl.”

  Instead of saying anything to me, Snow turned to Smith. “You,” she said, looking the security guard dead in the eye. “Do your job. Make sure you watch out for him.”

  Smith scowled but gave her another nod. He had screwed up, and he knew it. Poor bastard. My mom would shit a brick when she found out. Snow dipped her chin then walked back inside with Min-Hee. Before the door closed, she turned and threw me a faint smile. I smiled back, even though it killed my jaw.

  One beer bottle to the face for one of Snow’s smiles?

  Three words: Totally worth it.

  CHAPTER 7: SNOW

  Koi and Jin-Ho, another Elite Academy member, were late to sparring class. Lateness was unacceptable. Usually, I’d get on their case. 200 crunches, 15 laps around the gym, and one hell of a bitching out session were standard. But today, I went easy on them. 100 crunches, no laps.