Chapter 6
Bella Training
Tasha
Sweat is dripping down my face and into my eyes as I breathe hard enough to question if I’ll make it. I can’t help longing for the days when Val would record our training sessions and Onyx would critique from a distance.
This woman is out to kill us all with these trainings. I don’t plan on being a Marine, so what’s this woman trying to prepare us for? I want to redshirt, please.
“Come on, Tasha. This course isn’t going to run itself. Be the leader you are. Show the girls how it’s done.”
I turn to Onyx and glare. I’ve been busting my ass out here. She has to be kidding me. I roll my eyes and head back to the obstacle course she wants me to run.
Val and Roni nod at me as we all get into place to take this monster on one more time. I look at the times on the board and huff. Onyx isn’t going to let up until I beat my best time.
We all suffer until I beat my best. I can’t fail my girls. If I want this torture to stop, I have to stop it for myself and my team.
“Fine. Let’s do this,” I breathe.
“Come on, you’ve got this. When you finish, Sim will be waiting for you guys to spar. Don’t let me down, ladies,” Onyx calls.
“Is she fucking kidding?” I groan.
“I wish,” Roni says as the signal goes off for us to start.
I take off. First up is the agility tire drill; from there, I make it through the first set of hurdles. Then I move to the tire tosses and tire flips. My arms are burning by the time I make it to the burpees and suicides, but I push through.
“Come on, Tasha, go. You got this,” Onyx calls out as I get through the next round of hurdles.
I want to curse her out as I run through the sandbox. At least we’re not doing the cold-plunge laps today. I pick up the ball and toss it at the target as I count. One, two, three … eight, nine, ten.
I push off in a dead run and drop to slide under the bar before I lift up to my feet and run to the nets, where I drop and crawl. I growl as the end comes into view. However, I don’t dare to look at the clock.
“Time. That’s my girls. Head to the mats.”
This lunatic. I haven’t even caught my breath. The mats? Shit, I need a nap. Instead, I stroll over to the mat where Sim is waiting.
If I want to beat her, I have to remind myself to be fluid in my movements. It’s not that I don’t understand Onyx’s reasoning for being so hard on us. Guns are one thing, but we’ve found ourselves in situations where our hands had to save our lives.
The girls in Cali have Noah, but a lot of us here are either street fighters or have no hand-to-hand skills at all.
Other than Val, Sim, Dean, Vega, Ciara, Deja, Blair, and Lovie, the rest of us rely on firearms way too heavy.
While Pam, Paige and I will whip your ass the old fashion way, we have learned that’s not enough.
“I will take it easy on you,” Sim says.
“Nah, you do what you have to. No one is going to take it easy on me in the real world; why should you in here?”
“Because I could kill you with one strike.”
I laugh. “Okay, Sim. Talk your shit.”
She goes to say something else, but I move in like Onyx showed me and use the distraction to strike the first blow. Sim looks surprised and angry. I grin at her and wait for her to attack.
However, she knows I need her in motion to take advantage, so she only backs away from me, luring me into her. I think fast, not everyone is going to fight my fight. Today I need to figure out how to beat Sim at hers.
“What will you do now? You are already tired and I’m not giving you what you want. How do you beat me?” Sim taunts.
I rock my jaw. The others have paused to watch this match. I’m not about to lose in front of everyone. This is why Onyx has made us train in multiple disciplines.
All I need is an opportunity. Sim’s arms might be longer, and she might be taller, but the right opportunity will open the advantage in my favor.
“Come on, Tasha. You’ve got this,” Pam calls.
“Maybe you should fight Pam. You two would be more equally matched,” Sim taunts.
I grin. I’m happy she’s comfortable and feeling herself. I won’t feel so bad after I kick her ass.
Sim continues to taunt me as we circle each other. “No guns, no knives. What will you do, Bella? I have come for you and your children. I will take your husband from you too.
“I’m the assassin you won’t be able to stop. I will rip you apart. After me, there will be no happily ever after. What will you do?” she hisses.
I charge at her and drop into a slide at the last minute. She goes to kick me, but I grab her leg and drop her to the ground with me. Sim is quick and almost gets me into ahold.
I spin out of it and get on top of her. I have her pinned beneath me where I can strike her in the face. She covers her face with her arms to shield herself from my attack.
“Tasha, enough. Both of you get up and go again,” Onyx calls.
I stand and offer Sim my hand to help her up. She stands and looks back at me sheepishly. I step closer to her.
“Don’t ever throw a match with me again. If you beat me, you beat me,” I say low.
“I only wanted to motivate you with my words. I also don’t want to make you look bad in front of everyone. We have drawn a crowd. I meant no harm.”
“I know. You said all the right things, but I can only get better if you’re at your best. Come on, let’s see what else you’ve got.”
For the next two hours, I fight my way through all my girls.
All of us showing our strengths and weaknesses as Onyx corrects us and teaches us to get better.
We are all unique in the way we learn and fight, some of us best each other, while others are bested but come back stronger the next time around.
“I’m proud of you,” Val says when the session is over.
“Oh yeah, for what?”
“We all come to train and get better, but you don’t have the same luxury the rest of us do. If you fail, your subordinates watch it happen and think they can take you or your rank. You have found a way to adapt when you struggle and minimize how much we see when you do.
“That’s a talent. Sim wasn’t an easy opponent to face. Onyx knew what she was doing pairing the two of you,” she explains.
“But tell me when I’m ever scared. Heart can’t be taught. So if anyone thinks they can walk in my shoes, they better have just as much heart as I do.”
“Okay, I hear you, sis. That’s that shit I want to hear. I’m not taking no punks into battle with me.”
I laugh and shake my head at Val. “Come on, my son is at your house. Let me get him out of Uri’s hair.”
Sammy
“Where is your vest?” Uncle Uri asks as I’m extra fidgety today.
I don’t have my vest, I hate the fabric of the shirt I have on, and the visions are all over the place today. It feels like I’m coming out of my skin. I’m trying, but this is hard.
“Miss Philps locked them away and hasn’t been back to work since,” I reply.
“Why would she do that?”
“She’s afraid I will hurt myself or one of the other children. She doesn’t like my knives and doesn’t think I should have them. She’s just too scared to say something about it to Mom or Dad.”
“She should mind her own bloody business.” Uncle Uri sighs.
He sits thinking for a moment. Then he stands and takes off his suit jacket and removes his gun holster. He nods for me to take my suit jacket off as well.
“Turn around and hold your arms out,” he commands.
I do as he says, and he slips the holster onto my shoulders. Instantly, I begin to feel a little more settled. Uri places a hand on top of my head.
“You know the rules, right?”
I nod. “Yes. Treat every gun as if it’s loaded. Never aim at anyone or anything I’m not willing to destroy. Never put my finger on the trigger until I’m ready to pull it. Always be absolutely sure of my target and anything behind it.”
“That’s a good lad. Okay, mate. How does that feel?”
“Better.”
“Are we going to the range?” Inzo asks as he and Nori enter their father’s office.
“No, Sammy needs some relief. He doesn’t have his vest. And didn’t I tell you not to mention our trips to the range in this house?” Uncle Uri says.
“Oh, right. Sorry, Dad. Can we go out for ice cream? Lanya and NJ just arrived. Uncle Nico is here; he said he would take us if it’s okay with you.
“Does he have Orso and the twins with him?”
“No, just Lanya and NJ. He said Auntie Reese has the boys at home with her today. Lanya is here to play with Vita and Eva,” Nori says.
“Vita isn’t a baby; she’s not going to want to play with them,” Inzo says.
“Come, we will all join Nico for ice cream and some soccer; how does that sound?”
Inzo frowns and points at me. “Like that? Really, Poppa?”
Uncle Uri sighs.
“I would like to play. Is Sim here? Do you think she can help me?”
“Stay here. I will go see.”
Uncle Uri leaves and I stand waiting for him to return.
“Do you know how to use those?” Nori asks.
“Yes, Uncle Misha showed me one summer.”
“Cool, Poppa has been teaching us,” he says.
“Hush, we’re not supposed to tell. If I can’t go anymore because of your big mouth, I’m going to beat you up,” Inzo growls.
“You can’t beat me.”
“Yes, I can.”
I tune them both out as I begin to have a vision. This one is the clearest I’ve had all day. I’m in another house. Not the one from the first vision or the second.
I know this is a new one, as the windows are all different. This one feels more like an apartment than a house. A high-rise. I look around and I’m alone at first.
Then there is a sweet scent that fills the air. I spin and there she is. The faceless woman I held in my arms before.
She’s not alone. There is another woman standing next to her. However, the other woman isn’t faceless but glitching.
She’s not a blur but a glitch. I tilt my head, wondering if she’s undecided or if I will be. Right now, none of it is making any sense because my head is buzzing.
“Enough, you fight, you don’t get ice cream or to play. You will sit and watch the rest of us have fun until you know how to behave.”
“Sammy, Sim is coming to help you. She has an extra vest. You are tall for your age; it should fit.”
“Thank you, Uncle Uri,” I say and smile.
I enjoy it when Uncle Nico teaches us to play soccer. I hope I’m able to focus and play today. I will try hard to.