Chapter 12 - Maria
It’s been a week since we got back to the mansion after a few nights in the safe house. A week of the same walls. The same views. The same things over and over again. The guys doubled security around the estate, and no matter where I look, I see guards. I’ve got nothing to do and nowhere to go.
I’ve explored the mansion so many times I could tell you every mark and scuff in this entire place. I’ve browsed the library and read books, and I’m tired of sitting doing nothing.
I need an outlet, but no matter what I do, they aren’t letting me out of their sight.
Bored out of my mind, I roam the upper floors, slowly heading toward the gym in my workout gear. It’s pure desperation. But going to the gym is a logical attempt at letting off some steam. It’s a way to release all of this pent-up frustration.
Not only am I going crazy from boredom, but I’m also locked in a house with four devilishly gorgeous men! How am I supposed to deal with all of this?
Not that I like the gym. I hate it. I hate running on those stupid treadmill things, and I hate lifting weights.
I never know what I’m supposed to do with any of the machines or how to move my body without causing a potentially serious injury.
It’s all a bit embarrassing, and I’ve never had someone to teach me, so I just avoid it.
But now, stuck in the mansion, I figure I’ll take my time and try to work things out by myself.
I apparently have all the time in the world.
Still, even though I’m dressed up and ready to get into it, mentally I’m dragging my feet, stopping at the library again, looking out of the upstairs hallway window, dawdling and procrastinating.
But when I’ve used up all my delay tactics, the only thing left to do is to go there.
The gym is at the end of a long hallway. Double glass doors stand open, and as I walk toward them, I see Artur and Benedikt in the middle of a big black floor mat doing some type of combat training.
A moment’s hesitation passes through me. I didn’t count on anyone else being here. But then again, I have every right to be here. In fact, I am forced to be here.
I should walk in there like I own the place.
I stride boldly into the gym, holding my chin high and not caring if I’m interrupting them.
Sitting on the bench near the window, I watch them fight. I’ll do my workout when they’re done. For now, at least I have entertainment.
They don’t hold back when hitting or punching each other. Benedikt is surprisingly fast for his bulky, solid size. I thought he’d be more force than finesse, but the man has style.
Between the two of them, it’s impossible to say who is the better fighter.
And between the two of them, it’s impossible to say who is more of a tease to watch. Neither of them opted to wear a shirt. Thanks for that. Their bodies are glistening with sweat as muscles ripple and causing me to bite my lip. Sitting here quietly, I let my gaze drift over both of them.
Dammit, Maria! You’ve been stuck inside too long. Perving Artur? Are you insane!
I huff loudly, annoyed at my own thoughts. Yes, I had a crush on him. But it was so long ago, I like to pretend it never actually happened.
I try to focus only on Benedikt, but it’s nearly impossible. They are both gorgeous.
I used to be so shy around Artur, back in the day when I was young and naive.
Obviously, it was because he was my older brother’s sexy best friend.
And he was kind and friendly and funny and sweet.
But it turns out he was none of those things, and I am terrible at reading people.
I can’t beat myself up about it, though.
He fooled Misha, too. Misha thought they were close.
It affected him really badly when Artur stabbed him in the back.
So badly that he wouldn’t even talk to me about it.
Then one day Artur skipped town and disappeared, and I didn’t see him again until the day he snuck into my room and took me.
Ugh. He’s such an asshole.
There’s a loud thud-smack sound when Ben’s fist connects with Artur’s jaw.
He stumbles backward, horrified, clutching his chin. “Fuck, that hurt,” he mutters.
“Well, why did you look away? You didn’t even try and dodge it,” Ben chuckles. His deep, playful laughter makes me grin. Artur notices my amusement, and he immediately becomes more annoyed.
“I can’t focus with her in the gym,” Artur grumbles. “She’s distracting.”
“Excuses, man. Just accept that I’m the better fighter and we can get on with it,” he grins.
“What the hell? Not a chance,” Artur snaps.
“Then let’s carry on and stop getting distracted,” he teases.
“I want to learn,” I say, distracting both of them from their little spat. They look at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Who are you going to fight?” Artur snaps. “I’m not teaching you. It’s a waste of time.”
“Is it?” I stand up and walk over to them, crossing my arms across my chest and jutting my hip out as I glare at him.
I refuse to let him walk all over me. “I think that if I’d known how to defend myself when those men tried to kidnap me, I could’ve at least delayed the whole thing by putting up some kind of fight,” I snap.
“She has a point,” Benedikt says, unwrapping the guard tape from his fists and wrists and flexing his fingers out.
“No, she doesn’t,” Artur groans, but I can see he realizes that I, in fact, do have a very good point. He sighs and rolls his eyes.
“Go on, give the girl a lesson,” Ben winks at me.
I scrunch my nose. “Can’t you teach me?”
“Sorry, baby bird, I have a call coming in this evening that I have to take. Artur isn’t as bad a fighter as you just witnessed. He’ll be a good teacher,” he muses.
“Fuck you, big bear,” Artur huffs sarcastically.
“Big Bear,” I muse, “I like that.” I grin at Benedikt, who looks like he might blush.
“Artur, give our wife a lesson in self-defense and stop messing around. She’s right. It’ll be good for her to know how to defend herself,” Benedikt demands.
He walks toward the bench to grab his water, wiping his face with a towel. As he passes me, he touches his finger beneath my chin and says, “Cute outfit.”
I glance down at my pink and black gym tights and matching sports top, and my cheeks glow pink.
No one compliments me, so I never know how to handle it and end up just grinning and blushing like a schoolgirl.
Especially when the compliment comes from one of the four sexiest men I’ve ever met in my life.
I bite my lip and watch him walk away.
“Hurry up,” Artur growls. “Let’s get this over with.”
I’m still grinning when I step onto the mat to stand in front of Artur.
He pulls a sour expression of pure distaste as he studies me. “Have you ever done any kind of fighting at all?” he asks coldly.
“Nothing,” I answer, ignoring his attitude. I’m excited to learn. And I’m desperate for anything to do to pass the time, so this is pretty much the perfect opportunity for me, and I won’t let his bad mood ruin it like he ruins everything.
“Great, well, try and keep up. I’m not going to repeat myself,” he snaps.
I pull the corner of my lip up and roll my eyes, making a blah blah blah sound in my head.
Benedikt is watching from the bench.
“Thought you had a call,” Artur growls at him.
“I’ve got some time to watch for a bit. Go on, let’s see what you’ve got,” he says.
Artur tosses me a pair of gloves without any warning, and one hits me in the face.
“Hey,” I scold him. “Didn’t anyone teach you any manners?”
“Maybe if you were more interested in the lesson you so badly want than watching him, you’d have caught the damn things,” he scolds back.
He stands right in front of me, towering over me and scowling down at me. “Lift your hands, hold them in front of your face,” he demands, grabbing my wrists and tugging them up.
“Ow,” I complain, pulling my hands back. “Stop being such a bully. You can teach me, you don’t have to be mean about it,” I huff.
“If you’re too weak to learn, then get off my mat,” he snarls.
“I’m not weak, I’m just new at this. Where the hell is your patience or any kind of empathy for any other person on this planet?” This is quickly changing from a fun idea to a mistake.
“Empathy? Rich, coming from someone like you,” he mutters to himself.
He grabs my wrists again and pulls them up into position, and I bite my tongue, trying to focus on the lesson. I want to learn. I want to know how to fight. I just have to ignore his immature bullshit.
He moves to stand behind me, and his chest presses against my back. I hate how good it feels. He wraps his arms around my waist and pushes my elbows higher, then holds my wrists to show me the move.
“You want to roll your wrist as you punch forward. Left, left, and then right.”
Moving in sequence with him is distracting in a different way. His massive body has taken control of mine, and my mind is slipping in directions I definitely don’t want it to go.
“Left, left…what the hell was that? Focus!” he snarls.
“I am focused, dammit. I made one mistake. It’s how people learn!”
He steps away from me, and I let out an angry huff. Pushing the air from my lungs, I close my eyes and pull myself together.
Artur moves in front of me with flat pads strapped to his hands for me to punch against.
“Left, left, right,” he reminds me.
As I punch, he pushes the pad forward and taps my glove.
I don’t even notice that Benedikt has left us alone.
For thirty minutes, I work through the moves, practicing over and over, reciting over and over in my head, left, left, right. Right, left, up. Left, left, right.
“Faster,” he demands.
I move faster and fumble the sequence we’re working on.
“Dammit, Maria,” he scolds me again. “I can’t teach you if you aren’t willing to learn.”
This man is impossible.
I scowl at him, the hatred in me growing as I stare daggers into him. He’s not giving me a chance at all. The anger surges over, and I can’t control it anymore.
I tug off one of the gloves by locking it under my other arm and pulling my hand free of it. I throw it at him with all my strength. It thuds against his chest and drops to the floor. He looks at it with disinterest.
“You know what, Artur. Fuck you and your fucking lessons. You are the most selfish person I’ve ever met. Go to hell!” I shout, throwing the other glove too.
“You go to hell, you spoiled little brat. You think the entire world revolves around you and what you want, but it doesn’t!” he shouts.
“You’re such an asshole! It’s like you want people to hate you! You make it easy, because you don’t treat anyone with respect!”
“Respect? Go talk to your brother about respect!” he snarls, his face taut and his eyes dark.
I stare at him in disbelief.
Artur sneers and spins away from me, storming out of the gym in pure rage.
Fighting tears with my entire body shaking from adrenaline and anger, I walk to the bench where my towel and water bottle are waiting for me.
I pick up the water bottle and take a sip, but my hand is shaking too much.
The tears spill down my cheeks, and I feel like a fool for caring what he thinks.
I push the towel over my face and scream into it. Then I wipe my face, stand up straight, realign my thoughts, and walk out of the gym. Right outside the door, I walk straight into Ben.
“Bear,” I stammer, biting my lip and hoping he can’t tell that I was crying.
“How did it…what’s wrong?” he blurts out. He doesn’t seem to miss a thing.
“It was horrible. Artur is an asshole,” I huff.
“I’m sorry, baby bird. I’ll teach you, okay? We can start tomorrow?”
I nod. “Thank you, Bear. I appreciate that.”
“Bear,” he mumbles under his breath through a wide grin. “I like it, too.”