Chapter 26
KADENCE
ANNIKA
Are you alive?
ME
Yes.
ANNIKA
Do I need to kill her? I will. I might be Reaper dinner, but I’ll do it.
Ilaughed out loud, imagining Annika fighting one of the Reapers. She was already small compared to her men.
ME
Can I pay to see it? I promise I’m okay. We talked. I’m learning to forgive her. It’s for me, not for her.
ANNIKA
I love you. If this is what you want, I can accept it.
ME
It is. We are working on what happened. We’re about to go somewhere together so if I die, you know what happened. I know what I need and what I want.
ANNIKA
Well, don’t forget about me while you’re living with the ice queen.
ME
Never. We’re besties for the restie.
I locked my phone and waited in the gym for Blaize.
She wanted us to do something special tomorrow afternoon, but today we would spar and train.
I did it with Drew, and when I needed it most, I didn’t protect myself.
It wouldn’t change anything. I would still use the training I was receiving just in case something else happened to me.
Blaize was concerned for my safety and someone attacked me, so why not train?
I stepped onto the mat, curling my fingers.
The room was silent except for the sound of my feet scraping across the floor.
Blaize was standing there, waiting for me in tight, black leggings and a sports bra.
I was seeing more of her now. It was all I wanted before everything happened, but I never thought we’d have to experience this to finally get here.
The tension was there, but it was not nearly as palpable.
“You ready?” she asked, her voice low.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Sparring with Blaize was going to be a whole different ballgame. While Drew was a force, Blaize was calm and controlled, which told me she’d be a bigger challenge. I don’t want her to go easy on me out of concern she might hurt me.
“Don’t go easy on me,” I told her, and her brows furrowed. “I mean it. This is to see how I can manage outside. I can’t have you babying me because you’re scared of hurting me.”
I moved first, a sharp jab to her midsection, testing the waters.
She shifted to the side just in time as a small smile tugged the edge of her lips.
I didn’t give her a chance to get comfortable or detect my next move.
My feet shifted, and I feigned right before sending a solid kick towards her ribs.
I made contact, but she grabbed my leg, spinning me and sending me to the ground with a hard thud. Note to self: no kicks.
I jumped back up, pivoting on my toes. Blaize stepped forward, slow but deliberate, like she was giving me a chance to react.
She was testing me. I raised my arms in defense, ready for her to attack.
It came in quick jabs to my side, and I barely had time to block.
The contact rattled me and I stumbled back, keeping myself balanced.
“You have a good defense,” she said, her tone blunt. “But you’re too slow. Your body needs to move before your mind tells it to.”
My heart was thudding even harder now. A new partner made this different. I learned Drew and how to handle him during our sessions, but he learned from Blaize, which meant she knew what I was going to do. I needed to find an opening, a blind spot. Because if not, I’d end up on my ass.
I focused on my stance, grounding myself with my eyes locked on her movement.
Her eyes flickered to my right side, and before I could process, I was moving.
My foot slid into position and I maneuvered to the left, drawing her in.
She took the bait. Her arm swung in for a punch, aiming for my ribs.
She was fluid and confident. She was always in control.
That was where the opening was.
I sidestepped just enough to avoid the punch, and with a quick pivot, I grabbed her arm, twisting it with precise pressure.
She smirked, but she was quick to react, trying to recover by using her other hand to push me away.
The movement was fast, but I didn't panic.
I ducked low, slipping underneath her attempted push with my arms still wrapped around her wrist. My body was close to hers, and I felt her weight shift as I used her momentum against her.
Before she had a chance to recover, I dropped my shoulder and dived into her, using my legs to power myself and I pushed her back.
I’d done this move with Drew even though he was twice as big as Blaize.
Her body toppled over mine, and I twisted, bringing her to the ground.
In a fluid movement, I had her pinned on the mat.
Her chest rose and fell quickly as she blinked up at me, before a satisfied grin stretched her lips.
“You look good on top.”
I laughed, leaning back and straddling her hips. “That’s not the point of this. You know how to punch.”
Her hands rested on my hips. “I’ve been fighting since I was a kid. It’s a second language now. I’m going to help you so when something happens again, you can be prepared.”
“And if I panic instead?”
“You’re human. It’s natural to be scared in a situation, but use the fear to save yourself,” she explained. “I want to take you somewhere tomorrow,” Blaize continued. “Somewhere I can show you more vulnerability.”
“Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
I scrunched my brows. “I don’t like surprises.”
“It’s not bad, I promise. What do you say we shower before your shift tonight? That is if you still want to work here?”
“Of course I do. Does it matter that I will be sleeping with the boss?”
Blaize smirked. “Let me ask the boss.” She paused for a moment. “The boss said it’s perfectly fine, especially if she can have private dances and eat you out on her desk.”
Fuck me sideways. “Yeah, that can definitely happen.”