Chapter Thirty-Nine - Elise
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Elise
“Are you sure about this?”
Ryder doesn’t hesitate. “Positive. You’re picking up on the techniques really fast. There’s no reason why we can’t start sparring today.”
I nod, sliding my fingers into the gloves and stepping into the ring behind him. I don’t feel nearly as confident as he says I should, but I’ll trust his judgment anyway.
My eyes flicker to the clock hanging on the far wall. There’s another hour left in this training session and two hours before I’m expected in the kitchen, where I spend most of my time these days.
When we moved back to the base a week ago, Joshua had me join Jay as the base’s head chef. I was caught off guard by the news and even more surprised to find it was Joshua’s idea.
He told me it’s a win-win since it frees up Jay to do other jobs around the base and puts me in a position of power. I don’t fully understand his reasoning, but I enjoy the job.
So, after my training sessions with Ryder, I work in the kitchen until late evening and spend the night with Joshua.
Ryder and I get in our fighting stances, and when he doesn’t move an inch, I come at him with a kick to the knee.
That is a mistake.
Ryder catches my foot effortlessly, twisting it just enough for me to lose my balance and fall on my ass.
“What the hell?” I brush my legs off and get back on my feet.
“Did you think I would make it easy for you?”
I narrow my eyes at him and get back in my fighting stance.
This time, I opt for a punch instead of a kick. As I feared, he knocks my arm out of the way, but I follow it up with a quick jab to his stomach. As he arches over, I swing my elbow back, hoping to catch him in the face, but my legs give out when his arm hits the back of my knees.
“Damn it! You’re so much bigger than me!”
“Most people you’re up against will be, but you can use it to your advantage.”
“How?”
“You’ll see.” I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. Instead, he makes the first move this time.
The hook punch misses me by an inch when I duck out of the way, but when Ryder’s weight carries the motion through, I have the perfect opportunity to knee him in the gut.
Bringing my elbow up, I come down on his back with all the force I can muster.
The motion elicits a throbbing up my arm, but I ignore it.
Ryder grunts, but he’s still on his feet.
I sidestep the swing of his arm, taking a stance behind him.
I’m about to knock his legs out from under him when his hand snakes back and grabs hold of my wrist. On a dangerous whim, I let him swing me around toward his front and use that momentum to drive my fist into the side of his face.
His grip on me loosens, and I kick him square in the gut, driving him to the ground.
Sweat pours down my face, but my smile is wide.
Ryder stands, reaching to touch the quickly forming bruise on his face with an expression that looks a lot like pride. “See how it’s an advantage now?”
“I can use my opponent’s weight against them.”
“Exactly,” he praises. “Ready to go again?”
By the time we’re done, I’m covered in bruises that I’m sure Joshua won’t be pleased about, but it’s worth it. Though Ryder kicked my ass far more times than I did his, I’m feeling optimistic about how far I’ve come in my training.
When I exit the gym, Finn and Luke—my security detail—are nowhere to be found. My heart kicks into high gear, but I’m put at ease when I check the message on my phone.
Joshua: Needed Finn and Luke for a job. Have Ryder walk you back to the room. Love you.
At first, I was worried that bodyguards would make me feel like a prisoner again, but that isn’t the case at all. If anything, I’m treated like royalty by every man here.
“Ready to go?” Ryder asks when he exits the gym, and I’m sure he got a message from Joshua, too.
We go over notes from our session as we walk and make plans for tomorrow’s session. When we get to my room, we go our separate ways, and I waste no time hopping in a hot shower.
To complement my badass mood, I pick out black jeans, a low V-neck, boots, and a black leather jacket. It’s not the most practical outfit for cooking, but a shipment of supplies just came in, so that should occupy most of my time anyway.
I complete my look with winged eyeliner and a slick ponytail, wanting to look as confident as I feel.
By the time I step into the hall, Ryder is just ending a call on his phone.
“You clean up nice,” he tells me.
“I could say the same to you.”
Ryder has traded his shorts and shirt for slacks and a navy button-up, looking more like a CEO than a criminal.
“Mr. Moreno needs Finn and Luke indefinitely. He’s bringing in a new security team for you, but they won’t be ready until tomorrow. In the meantime, you’re stuck with me.”
“Just like old times,” I muse.
When we get to the kitchen, everyone is at their stations, poised and ready for my directions.
Ryder stands back, allowing me to grab the men’s focus as I explain the schedule and who will be assisting me in organizing today’s shipment.
Everyone gets to work, and the hours fly by. I’ve just stepped back into the kitchen from using the bathroom when I notice a few of my men aren’t at their stations. It wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t for the fact that dinner starts in half an hour, and we need everything done by then.
I’m on my way to the break room to look for them when I hear voices in the storage room.
“I was handling things just fine before they came back. Life here is so much easier when Mr. Moreno isn’t around.”
I know the voice’s owner right away—Elijah Frey.
Elijah stepped into Jay’s role as head chef when we went to Joshua’s house. He’s always been frosty toward me but never rude or aggressive, so I’ve learned to ignore him.
“I couldn’t give a damn either way,” the other voice answers, and the scratchy tenor belongs to Caleb.
Caleb is a recruit in the last phase of his training. He has a few more weeks of job-switching before he’ll be assigned an official position, and it’s no secret that cooking is not his strength, so it’s unlikely he’ll be put here long-term.
“Just wait,” Elijah tells him. “It doesn’t matter where you’re placed. You’ll see it eventually. He’s an asshole.”
I’m teleported back to nearly a month ago when hearing vile words made me sick to my stomach.
A lot has changed since then.
I cross my arms over my chest and lean back on one leg in the middle of the hallway, unfazed when Elijah and Caleb leave the storage room and come face-to-face with me.
The color drains from Caleb’s already pale face, and I almost feel bad for the kid.
Elijah, on the other hand—a buff man standing over six feet tall—meets my stare head-on. There was a time when the scruffy-faced soldier would’ve intimidated me, but after sharing a bed with his much more intimidating boss, I barely notice his bravado.
Though neither of us says a word, our stances catch the attention of the men in the kitchen directly behind me, and the whole room goes quiet.
I smile sweetly. “Were you saying something, Elijah?”
He doesn’t answer aside from a glare that’s laughable next to the ones I’ve received from my fiancé.
“I asked you a question. I expect an answer,” I say.
Though I have my back to the room, the change in atmosphere is not lost on me. The air is thick with anticipation, and everyone is holding their breath as they watch the standoff.
“I didn’t say anything.”
My mouth turns up in a smile, and I take two slow steps toward him, letting my head lull to the side.
“Well, that’s good because if you did have something to say, I would expect you to have the balls to speak up, or does Joshua know that he has cowards on his payroll?”
Snickers and gasps fill the room as Elijah’s face turns a deep shade of red.
It takes him a moment to answer, and when he does, it’s through tightly gritted teeth. “It won’t happen again, ma’am.”
I smile and place my left hand on his chest. “I should hope not because if it does, my fiancé isn’t the one you’ll have to worry about. Got it?”
Elijah nods tightly, and I decide I’ve embarrassed him enough. With the approving nod of my head, he and all the other soldiers scurry back to their work.
“That was interesting.”
My cheeks flush when I turn to face a thoroughly amused Ryder. I completely forgot that he was my security today and witnessed the whole exchange with Elijah.
“Too much?”
“What do you think?” It’s not sarcastic but a genuine question.
“I think that asking nicely doesn’t earn respect around here.”
His lip tugs up. “I think you’re going to fit in just fine.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Joshua: My office.
What are the odds…
I turn skeptical eyes to my friend. “What did you do?”
The lack of confusion on Ryder’s face gives him away before his answer does. “I might’ve told him to check the security footage in here.”
“I thought there weren’t cameras in here.”
“Did you think he’d let you work in here without them?”
That’s exactly what I thought.
“He was going to hear about it sooner or later. Better through the feed than rumors.”
“You better hope this doesn’t start a fight because if it does, I’ll keep him up all night, and you can deal with his grumpy ass tomorrow,” I threaten with complete legitimacy.
His eyes narrow only slightly, but I take satisfaction in the fact that I got a reaction at all.
Minutes later, I’m knocking on the oak door to Joshua’s office, trying to ignore the butterflies swarming in my stomach.
“Come in.”
Joshua doesn’t look up as I enter the room, opting to finish whatever he’s reading instead. I take the moment to assess his demeanor and get a reading on his mood. He’s leaning back in his chair, finger tapping against the desk, and lips silently mouthing the words he reads.
He shows no physical signs of anger, so why would he call me to his office?
I take slow steps to the center of the room. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” he answers, still not looking up. “Can’t a man just want to see his fiancée?”
I breathe a laugh that too closely resembles a sigh of relief. “You don’t normally summon me mid-day.”
His eyes finally flicker up to mine, and his brow lifts. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, and smile to emphasize my point.
“Oh good, because if something was wrong, I would expect you to have the balls to speak up.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks, and he stands, rounding the desk.
“So, you saw…”
“I saw,” he confirms, placing possessive hands on my waist.
“Then you know how disrespectful he was being. I can’t just stand by and do nothing when he talks about you like that.”
His eyelids fall to half-mast. “Elise, I am fully capable of fighting my own battles.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“And I couldn’t care less what Elijah or any of my men think of me. So long as they’re loyal and obedient, they can have whatever opinions they want.”
I feel my cheeks heating when Joshua lowers his lips to my ear. “But it was very sexy.”
My eyes snap to his. “You’re not mad?”
“I’m not mad, but from now on, let me be the one who pisses people off, deal?”
“Deal.”
I lift onto my tip toes to kiss him, then turn to go, but Joshua doesn’t release his hold on my hips.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Back to work,” I answer. “Disappearing after telling off a soldier probably looks like I’m getting in trouble for it. I should get back before people start talking.”
“Let them talk,” he says. “I’m going to spend some quality time with my fiancee.”
Without warning, Joshua sweeps me into his arms. I laugh, and my cheeks are burning bright red before he even sets me down on his desk.
His fingers have just begun to tug up the hem of my shirt when there’s a loud knock at the door.
I sag in disappointment—prompting a light laugh from Joshua.
“To be continued,” he promises, helping me stand and kissing my forehead.
He opens the door, swinging it just enough to hide the visitor from my still-flushed face.
I catch only a few mumbled words before Joshua turns to me with a smile. “Elise, come here.”
I meet him at the door, and he snakes an arm around my waist.
Joshua gestures to the two men standing in the hall. “Meet Nate and Quincy. They’ll be your new security team.”
I open my mouth to greet them, but no words come out.
Because the dark-haired man that Joshua has introduced as Nate is, unmistakably, the man who left me the note from my father.