Chapter 17
chapter seventeen
defiant little creature indeed
“What the fuck is this place?”
God, she was just charming, wasn’t she?
With my head over my shoulder, I glared right at her. “Watch your language.”
Those chestnut eyes narrowed. “Alright, mard arse. Not had your coffee this morning?”
I spun around and walked backwards, eyes pinned on hers as I lifted my thermos. “Got my tea, thanks.” I knew the grin I sent her way would wind her up, and right on cue, that gleam of annoyance in her eyes shone.
Had to bite back my laugh.
“And for your information, I can’t actually tell you where we are.” I spun back around, stopping just before the steel doors and punching in the code. “If anyone who didn’t like me very much found this place, I’d be fucked.”
The fifty-pound doors glided open, the air conditioning waking me up.
I let her walk in first, the slight echo of her sneakers soft against the thick, rubber floor.
The light was bleeding in through the high windows, cutting clean lines right through the air.
It was silent, apart from the echoes of hits into the punching bags, and Meg’s low instructions to whoever she was training off in the corner.
I watched Cora’s eyes sweep the space, slow and searching, judging every detail, no doubt. Everything from the wall of med balls stacked in perfect order to the ropes hanging from the ceiling, dangling in front of the old Romano logo hammered into the wall with bolts I drilled myself.
I watched her take it all in, not cautiously, just… curiously. Like a kitten discovering it's new home.
She’d been quiet when she opened the door this morning, but all I cared about was that her eyes weren’t as red as they were last night. Every ounce of that sadness was gone, replaced by something quieter. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me happy, knowing she was okay, knowing she’d slept.
She wandered a few steps in on tentative legs, tilting her head at the shadow of the logo where the sun caught it.
“It’s off-grid, unofficial. Location’s compromised,” I added as I stayed a few paces behind her, voice low. “We rotate our training centres every six months, but this one… this one I keep under wraps.”
She turned to face me, her arms folded around her torso. “So when you said training, you meant actual training? Not just mental gymnastics and psych-outs that I could just pretend to listen to?”
My mouth pulled into a tight smile as I dropped my bag to the floor. “You said you wanted to fight. I couldn’t think of a better place to bring you.”
“Hey, a little early for you, ain’t it, Marky? Sun’s barely up.” I shifted to find all six feet of Meghan heading towards us, her trainee hunched over and panting by the punching bag he was just leathering.
I cringed my face and hissed between my teeth, pointing at the poor guy. “Christ, Meg, the goal isn’t to kill them before they even get assigned.”
She blew out a laugh as she rolled up her sleeves, the black fabric bunching around her tanned elbows.
“You wanted resilience. Don’t question my methods.
” She threw out her arms and embraced me before letting go and standing by my side, dark eyes settling on Cora.
“This her?” she asked, gathering up her long brown hair, violet streaks catching in the light, and tying it at the top of her head.
I nodded, my eyes darting to the girl I’d never seen look so nervous before. “Cora Holland, Meg Romano.”
Meg stepped forward, hand outstretched. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Marcus won’t shut up about you whenever he decides to drag his lazy arse in here.”
I scoffed. “I think this one and her… ways… are to blame for my lack of training, thank you very much.”
Cora’s eyes rolled at me before landing on Meg, something about it hesitant, before she slid her hand in hers. “Hiya. I love your hair.”
Meg looked flattered as she stood back beside me. “Right back at you. I’m waiting for the right sign to do the big chop.”
Cora shrugged, sweeping her side bangs behind her ears. “I’m the sign. Do it. It dries in like, thirty seconds.” She let a giggle slip, and it echoed along with Meg’s, and soon enough, the wretches from the poor guy she was training mingled alongside them, too.
Meg stepped out. “Best go see if he’s actually alive.” She landed a hand on Cora’s shoulder as she passed her. “It was really nice meeting you, Cora.”
“You too,” my trainee muttered back with a quick smile.
Meg smiled before her eyes cast to the back of the room, sighing once she saw the state of him. “Adam, I told you, you have to breathe through them… no… no, you will not throw up again. I just finished mopping!”
As both our hazy smiles faded and reality played, my attention flew back to Cora, whose soft gaze had been swapped for one powered by fury. “What’s wrong?”
Her arms folded, and her head tilted as she nudged her hip to the side. “I didn’t realise my ways and I were keeping you from your gym time and your… wife.”
Laughter bellowed out of me as my head sank, before meeting her gaze, my smile wide.
"What?" The corners of her mouth lifted, her smile laced with confusuon as I kept laughing. Soon enough the back of her palm met my ribs. "Why are you laughing?"
I straightened up as I caught my breath. “Okayyy, Meg? Cousin, not wife. And two,” I gripped the hem of my shirt and lifted it just enough to show off my abs. “I think I can afford to miss the gym a few times to help you.”
She rolled her eyes, turning away. “You mean take over my life?”
I gripped her shoulder and gently turned her back. “I mean, help you not get attacked again.”
That paled her.
I sucked in a breath, nodding behind her. “Changing rooms are back there. Meet me out here in five.” I stalked off to check in on Meg, ignoring Cora’s grunt and the sound of the changing room door slamming moments later.
In the time that I’d been roped in to mop up this guy’s vomit, Cora was walking out of the changing rooms. She’d opted for a lilac gym set, shorts that showed off her snowy skin, her hair clipped back as best as the short strands could.
I walked over to her and dragged my top off, leaving only my black shorts and matching vest. I tried with everything I had in me not to catch the way that she was staring. But I did. Her attention was like a wildfire burning every inch of my skin.
I shook the thoughts free.
“So, what’s the plan? Training me with spy gear?
Bit of sword play? Ooh! Do I get one of those cool bow and arrows like Katniss?
” Her sudden giddiness faded as she traced the confusion on my face.
“You know, from The Hunger Games?” I just blinked.
And this was the most I’d seen her react in… well, ever.
“Oookay. When you get home, rent that movie, and the next, and the other two, and when you’re done with the series, knock on my door and thank me, okay?”
Her tone made me smirk, watching her talk with so much passion. I think she did it without realising. Which was just another one of the things I was adding to my list of reasons why this job wasn’t so awful anymore.
“Fine.” I smiled as I bent down to grab the boxing pads out of my bag, then the mitts. “But for now, it’s basic self-defence.” She caught the mitts as I tossed them to her. “Throwing a decent punch will buy you valuable time if you’re attacked and I’m not there.”
She stepped back, eyes on her mitts. “You really think I might be attacked. For real?”
I shrugged, sliding a pad down my hand. “I don’t want to chance it. If you aren’t, then great. But if whoever is stalking you decides to make an appearance, I want you to be prepared.”
Her nod was soft, like she didn’t want it to make sense, but it did in every way.
She strapped on the white mitts, stretching out her shoulders. “Well, what makes you think I can’t already throw a decent punch?”
I tightened the straps, pinching my skin. “There’s a decent punch, and then there’s—”
She cut me off with a jab, landing straight in the middle of the pad. It was decent. Enough power to knock down someone her size. But the threats I was concerned about weren’t her size.
And she didn’t know what to do next.
Because she wasn’t thinking, she left her arm outstretched long enough for me to grab it and tug her against me. She let out a quick yelp, the air leaving her as her back was flush against my chest.
My mouth was practically brushing her ear, which I hoped would drive home the message.
“Like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, there’s throwing a hit like that, and there’s knowing what comes next, angel.
” I tugged her tighter, my arm like a steel cage over her chest. “If I were attacking you, I’d have you exactly where I wanted you.
Defenceless. Powerless. And as good as mine. ”
I practically felt her shiver; whether it was with fear or something else, I couldn’t tell. Usually her eyes gave her away, but as she was looking everywhere but at me, they were a mystery.
“Is that what you want?” I asked, before her arm shoved mine, and she pushed away from me.
“No,” she rushed, her eyes on the mat as she stumbled for balance. “What do I do then? If I… If I want to have the upper hand?” Her eyes were everywhere but mine, and that told me more than searching them exactly how that little manoeuvre made her feel.
Fuck.
I tipped my chin at her. “Did I cross a line?”
Her eyes were on me in a heartbeat. “What?”
My head knocked to the side. “Just now. I’m sorry I didn’t think what that meant—”
“I’m fine.” She assured me, her eyes sharp. “Show me again.”
“What?”
She knocked her head to the side as she played with the gloves. “Well, if all else fails and I’m somehow in that position, how would I get out of it? Wouldn’t it be better for whoever was attacking me to think he had the upper hand?”
I knew this girl was smart.
I nodded, still a little breathless. “Correct.” I knocked my head back. “Get back here.”
Slowly, she walked back up to me and settled her back against my chest.