“Yes, sir.”Ariana mock saluted, and I couldn’t deny a thrill rushed through me when she called me “sir”.
Maybe we’d add that to our bedroom repertoire.
We went through warm-ups, then reviewed basic strikes, blocks, escapes.She caught on fast.Almost too fast.Victor trained her without meaning to.Surviving him required instincts no normal person should ever have to develop.
Seeing her improve by leaps and bounds every day solidified what I’d told her the first time I saw her scars.What I tried to make her feel every day.
She was a warrior.
“Let’s practice a new hold,” I said after a while.
“Which one?”
“The bear hug.”
“That doesn’t sound all that scary.”
“No, but when you’re in the heat of the moment, one wrong move could be the difference between life and death.You need to know the best way to weaken your opponent in order to escape.”
“Okay.”She took a sip of water.“What’s the bear hug?”
“I’ll approach you from behind,” I began, keeping my voice steady, my gaze studying her for any hint of apprehension.“Then wrap an arm around your upper body and pin your arms to your sides.”
Her expression faltered slightly.I knew exactly what she was thinking about.That night in Maine when I’d performed this exact hold on her, which led to a panic attack.
“We don’t have to do this today,” I said when I noticed her face grow pale.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.When she returned her gaze to mine, it was full of determination.
“If Victor attacks me, he won’t ask what hold I’d prefer.I need to be ready for all of them.”
Fair point.
“When I restrain you, drop your weight, shift your hips, aim for a soft target, and strike.”
“Got it.”
“Ready?”
She nodded.“Ready.”
I moved behind her carefully, giving her time to adjust as I slid my arm across her chest and pinned her arms to her sides.Her breath hitched immediately, her muscles going rigid.
Uncertainty crawled up my spine.If she panicked like this in front of Victor, she could end up dead.The mere idea had my stomach in knots.
Then, just as quickly, her unease seemed to subside, her body shifting.
Before I had time to register it, she dropped her weight, twisted her hips, and drove her elbow back hard.
Pain exploded beneath my ribs.
The next second, she executed the sweep I’d shown her a few days ago, and my back hit the mat.
“Like that?”she asked, standing over me, her chest heaving.
I blinked up at her and grinned.“Exactly like that.”
She extended a hand to help me up.I grabbed it, flashed her a devilish grin, and yanked her down on top of me.She let out a startled laugh, her palms bracing on either side of my shoulders.
