Chapter 35
Shooter
“But I already know how to defend myself. It’s called fight like hell.” Amelia groaned as I slipped one of the gloves over her hand.
“And you have been doing a good job. But can’t blame me for wanting you to know exactly what to do in a situation.” I tilted her chin up to me, pressing another soft kiss on her forehead. She instantly melted.
“You’re lucky you’re cute, because my ass would be sitting down eating snacks and calling it a day,” she said as I slipped the other glove over her hand.
“I'd rather be eating something else right now.” I wiggled my eyebrows.
She started to blush, rolling her lips again. “I mean you could take me back to the clubhouse and you know.” She pressed her body against me, grinding against my cock. I let out a low groan.
I gripped her shoulders, pulling her away. “As much as I would love that and have you tied to my bed for the day, this is more important.”
And I longed for the day that I’d take her to a new place, one to call our own. I had something in the works. My little secret.
“I know how to defend myself. I survived this long.” She almost pouted.
“Please, at least for my piece of mind, because if anything happens to you…” I started to say with fire in my voice.
Her gloved hand brushed against my cheek. “Nope, we’re going to think like that. Because if I remember correctly, you wanted a forever, and I’m wanting that. Remember you and me.”
I sighed, forcing a smile back on my face. “How did I get so lucky?”
“You were stubborn and saw what you wanted.” A full smile spread across her beautiful face. “Plus, you don’t have to worry about me not taking care of myself. I survived the last time there was an attack.”
“How did you do that?”
“Um… let’s just say there are some benefits to working in a hospital and surrounded by people that would give me an alibi.” She shrugged off, pulling away to face the weighted bag. “Now, come on, I'd like to be taught, please.”
“Well, since you asked so nicely.” I stepped to the side, holding the bag. “Now, show me your stance and throw a punch.”
She thought about it for a moment, brushing her hair back behind her ear, it started to fall again. She grunted, started to reach back behind her. “Ahh. I swear to all things holy… Sugar, can you do me a favor?”
I raised an eyebrow. Her body relaxed. “Can you tie my hair back? I’m not used to needing it pulled back.”
A slight smirk came as I agreed. Thank god I carried around extra hair ties on my wrist. I gathered enough to pull half of her hair back.
Her hair had grown out a bit, her natural highlights emphasizing her features.
My fingers brushed along the tips of her hair, sending shivers down her spine, her body shuddered at the touch.
I kissed the back of her neck. Her eyes followed slowly as I came back around standing beside the bag.
“Thank you.” Her voice was small.
I nodded and repeated the order. With a deep breath, she adjusted herself with her right foot in front and her left back planted in the back. Her left hand hovered more forward. I tilted my head, “You’re a leftie?”
She dropped her stance. “How are you just now noticing?”
“You want the honest answer or the first thing that comes to my mind?” I asked, chuckling as she shook her head and got back into her stance.
She swung her left hand to the bag and almost toppled over barely tapping the bag. She groaned in disappointment and tried again.
“Want to retract your statement about knowing how to defend yourself?”
“Don’t tease. I’m told I’m a scrapper not an actual fighter.”
“You want me to help you? I know the problem,” I said, stepping away from the bag and stepping behind her.
“First off, you’re way too far from the back.
Stick out your dominant hand, you see what happens when you extend out how you are?
” She nodded. “Okay, so step closer to the bag. I promise it’s not going to knock you over. ”
She shuffled closer to the bag, keeping her left hand out, until she touched the bag. “Okay, then what else?”
“Look at your feet,” I told her as she followed suit.
“Your back foot is too far back as well, so by the time you throw your punch, you might as well be throwing your back out. Also let me fix this.” I bent down, adjusting her back foot placement.
I couldn’t help but tease her along her bare legs.
Goosebumps started to form along the lines of her muscles.
I stood up, standing still close to her.
“How does that feel?”
“A little awkward, but I guess there’s mechanics behind the form.”
“Correct, the way you prep your body, grounding yourself in the correct placement, it’ll become like second nature.
But in this stance, no one would send you backward.
” I placed my hands on her hips. “Keep your hips in this placement to begin with. Think about how your hips guide you, and if you’re still and not fluid, your body will follow. ”
She nodded. I glided along her arms. “Now, your hands were somewhat correct. Your dominant hand is going to be up while the other is protecting your face. I don’t need someone to make a mess of it… that’s my job.”
“Shooter.”
“So tense, peaches. Relax. Now think of something that is going to piss you off that will give you power behind that punch.”
“There’s a lot of them. Give me an example,” she said.
With our bodies pressed against each other I had to prepare myself in case she decided to swing backward. “We have a plan.”
“A plan? Who’s we?”
“A plan to fight for our territory and a way to get you out of that debt.”
“What do the two have in common that you’re not telling me?”
“You might want to prepare yourself for this.” I sighed. “The same people that have been causing the club to look over our shoulder are the same place that your debt is tied to.”
“Meaning we have a common enemy.” She was smart, sometimes a little too smart for her own good.
“Yeah, Amelia.” My voice remained calm. “It’s the mafia.”
She went still, her head picking up staring forward.
“You mean to tell me that my fuck up of an ex got himself tied to the mafia with the gambling debt. Which is another problem in itself. But the same fuckers that have been bleeding me dry are the same people that you have been dealing with for months. I thought these things belonged in romance books.”
“Yep, pretty much.”
She swallowed. “You said a plan for both. How did I get involved though? Unless…” She turned back around. “Someone else has been watching me or something and…” Tears started forming, “They knew I’m tied to you. That if you… fuck I think I’m going to get sick.”
“Whatever is playing in that head of yours, stop.” I took her face in my hands. “Whatever thought is going through your head that you’re responsible for this in some way, you are wrong.”
“Shooter. They wouldn’t have thrown my name into the mix if it wasn’t for you and me.”
“Not your fault. Jesus, unfortunately it’s a dirty trick that we’ve played before, to expose the weakness of the enemy and entice them to comply.”
Her eyes widened. Before she could speak, I kissed her hard and fast, preventing any more lies from spewing from her mouth.
I pulled away, “Jesus. Before you start thinking that you’re the problem, you are fucking not.
You are the reason I wake up with a smile on my face, why my heart feels lighter.
You are not a weakness, you are a motivation to continue in this world we are living in. ”
She sniffed. “You don’t play fair.”
“No, I play to win. Now, before you spiral in your thoughts like a chaotic whirlwind, channel all that into the bag. I want to be concerned that it’s about to come off.
” I spun her around, watching her adjust to the placement I gave her, with a proud smile, I slapped her ass before returning to the bag.
“Now. All those emotions. All those thoughts that you are better off somewhere else. All those negative ideas that you are not good enough. All those memories of the shithead, everything into this bag,” I said, tapping the bag, ready for the storm that was brewing behind her eyes.
She took a deep breath and aimed straight for the bag, the force of her motion leaned into her strength, pushing out the force of the blow. She let out a deep cry, one that seems to have been buried for so long.
“That’s my girl. Punch with your left and jab with the right. You’re keeping them on the edge,” I encouraged her.
She was safe. She was going to know that she was enough for me, she was more than enough. My only hope was that she would never have to feel like this or use it to protect herself. If I had it my way, she would be attached to my hip. I’d never let her go.
“Come on, one more. Give it all you got,” I encouraged.
With one final yell, she about knocked me back a step. She had power in those punches. She was already strong, but I just wanted her physically stronger.
“That’s it. I’m proud of you. I’ll make you a fighter yet.” I reached for her, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Her breathing became steady. She looked up at me, “What’s the plan?”
“One fight.” I said, calmly trying to avoid the outburst she may start.
“Who’s fighting?” She started to pull away, folding her arms across her chest.
“You know you’re so cute when you look fiery and ready to murder someone,” I joked, but she twisted her lips being unamused.
“Me versus one of their fighters, apparently a rookie, someone a part of their family.” I kept it short and sweet.
Her eyes bugged out of her head, her lips went into a tight line, “You want to say that one more time?”
“Their fighter,” I said. She gestured for me to continue, rolling her hands. “And myself.”
Dead silence and then, “Absolutely not.” Her voice was stern, and quite scary for a second.
I approached her cautiously, resting my hands on her upper arms, rubbing them up and down. “I promise. It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
She swatted my hands away. “Not that bad. Shooter. A couple of months ago, you were still in recovery from your last incident, which may I remind you, after learning the real truth, was caused in this gym after someone knocked you on your ass.”
“Keep talking, peaches, you’ll understand why I’ll be fine.” I tried to tease her, but it wasn’t working.
She started to pace back and forth in front me. Her feet shuffled as she started thinking out loud. She was like the wind up toy that would hop around until you wound it again, but with her, she never stopped.
“It’s already done,” I said.
“No, it’s not. You can back out. Give someone else the fight. Or don’t entertain the idea.” she rambled.
“That’s not how it works and I’ve already made up my mind.” I stepped back to the edge of the ring, watching her unravel.
“Change it again. Shooter.” She huffed out, pinching her nose. She went to turn and as she did slammed straight into the weighted punching bag. She let out a wild “fuck” before turning back toward me, rubbing her face. My poor little accident prone woman.
I reached out, grabbing her hand, pulling her between my legs. “Would you stop hurting yourself? Why are you worried about me?”
She started to shake her head. “I don’t like thinking of you hurt.”
“I won’t get hurt. I’m smart enough, and I have someone that is worth fighting for.” I cradled her cheek.
She started to chew on the inside of her cheek, “I thought you haven’t fought since…”
“Since I almost killed my last opponent? Yeah, it’s been a long time.”
“Peaches, you’ve seen me hurt many times by now. I have the perfect healer.”
“Shooter, I mean it.”
“Aww, are you obsessed with me?” I kissed her nose.
She pecked me with her chin. “I’m serious, River.”
That sent chills down my spine. The way she said it was like a siren calling to the sailors. One that would pull your attention and have you begging for anything. I tangled my fingers in her hair, “Say my name again, I liked it.”
“You’re impossible sometimes. You know that.”
“Would you change me?”
“Never.” She puckered her lips, begging for another kiss, which I obliged.
“So, what I’m hearing is after I finish showing you how to protect yourself you’ll let me take you to dinner and then stay with me?”
“Well, I don’t want to go home.”
“One day I’ll give you one.”
“Home is wherever you are, sugar. You and me.”
I’d marry this girl and fuck the paperwork, fuck the divorce. She was already mine, just like I was hers.
“You know… I bet there’s another way you can eat those gummy bears.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Oh, fuck me, she was perfect.