Chapter Twenty-Seven
B eads of sweat drip down my face as I face off against one of my enforcers. His mean mug would terrify anyone else but me, I'm used to it. I fake left when Michael attempts to swing on me. My lips dance while I fight back a grin as I wind my arm back and throw a punch, only for him to duck just before impact. I stumble forward a few steps before I find my footing again. An exasperated grunt escapes as I regain my concentration. I turn back to face him and he's laughing maniacally, his face filled with more amusement than I'd expect from a man who is more dangerous than the guy from Hellraiser. What was his name?
“I've missed this, my free time has been spent training Nina. I haven't had a chance to work up a sweat in a while.” The comment passes my lips as I dance around him on the mat. His brow arches mocking me from a few paces away.
The smartass expression on his face triggers something inside me and I lunge forward, my left arm winding back only to swing forward fast to land hard against the side of his face. Michael, a man who has killed so many people the number is unknown, stands straight, not being affected by the impact. His Cheshire grin taunts me as an uncertainty about my boxing capabilities clouds my confidence.
“That punch was weak, you're holding back.” He stifles a laugh before continuing, “Quit being a bitch, just because I’m older than you doesn't mean I can't take a hit.”
If my glare could shoot bullets, this man would be riddled with holes. He's so amused with himself he's bouncing on his toes motioning for me to come at him again. So, in an attempt to take him off his game, I throw a taunt back at him.
“Oh, ok. Daddy.” My mouth turns up into a smirk as I throw another punch to the left side of his face followed closely with a jab to his nose sending him backward. I snort out a laugh as he nearly lands on his ass before he plants his feet back into the ground again. “What the hell was that about anyway?”
Michael wipes a hand down his face and shakes his head. He bends down to grab a bottle of water as his face flushes to a shade of red that would make the Looney Tunes proud. He takes his time sipping the drink. The fucker loves to mess with me. Once he places the drink back on the ground at the edge of the mat he glares at me.
“No fucking clue, man, I've never seen the girl before.” His shoulders lift and drop in a noticeable shrug. “Even when your mother would frequent the place before you returned, Milo was the one who would accompany her.”
I shudder before walking up to Michael and sending a jab into his kidney, his body bends in half as he holds his side coughing as he tries to catch his breath.
“That's for making me think about the two of them after she reads those books.” I gag dramatically which only makes him laugh through the attempt to breathe.
He stands back to his full height towering over me as we go a few more rounds. The man is quick on his feet and I end up stumbling more than I land hits. The last round he fakes right before dropping to the ground and sweeps my legs out from under me. Laughter erupts from my chest as soon as I land on my ass. Michael holds out a hand to help me back to my feet which I happily accept and clap his shoulder in thanks.
“Jesus, old man. Maybe I should have you train Nina.” I brush my hands over my ass to make sure there's no dust or dirt on them from the ground.
My world turns upside down as I'm lifted into the air and my body is slammed back onto the ground with Michael standing over me, a scowl on his face. He holds his hand out to me to help me back up as he explains himself. “That's for calling me an old man. I'll train her, but she'll be able to easily take your ass down a few pegs when I’m done with her.”
I roll my neck, not accepting his help this time, I stand back up on my own. Instinctively, I take a few steps away from him so he can't knock me down again. Our gazes lock for a moment as his seriousness sinks in.
“If she can take me, then I'll be less worried about anyone else getting ahold of her.” I admit, my tone grim. The fact of the matter is, I don't trust that her father won't send anyone else for her and that scares the shit out of me because I can't be by her side twenty-four-seven. Knowing she'll have Michael's training in her back pocket gives me a sense of relief that I hadn't realized I’ve been needing.