She punched me in the arm.
Joey chuckled to himself as I stormed off the mat.
Vero caught me by the shoulders. “We are not forfeiting points!” she hissed as she turned me around. “Bag Estelle Getty and get on with it.”
I took a deep breath as I stepped back onto the mat. I would just have to appeal to Mrs. Haggerty’s sense of reason. “Mrs. Haggerty,” I said calmly, “it’s just an exercise. There’s no need for violence. Please turn around and put your hands behind your—” I bent over double as she kicked me in the shin.
“That’s it,” I said, hopping on one leg. I grabbed her wrist as she threw an uppercut at me. She yelped as I slapped the cuffs around it. There were a few boos and dramatic gasps as I turned her around, took her other wrist, and secured them both behind her back. Vero was the only one applauding.
I glared at Joey as I dusted off my hands. Chin high, I proceeded to walk off the mat. Vero stopped clapping. Her eyes grew wide as she pointed at something behind me. Pain shot through my knee as someone kicked it out. I crashed face-first to the floor, my breath rushingout of me with a grunt as Mrs. Haggerty plunked herself down on my ass and shouted a triumphant “ha!”
The class erupted with cheers. Her grandson whistled.
Joey unfolded his arms and gave her a slow clap. “Nice takedown, Mrs. Haggerty.” He unlocked her cuffs and helped her to her feet. His shoes appeared beside my face. “Rule number one,” he said, addressing the class, “never underestimate your opponent. Rule number two, never let them out of your sight. Let’s get started,” he said, leaving me lying on the floor. “One set of cuffs per team. One team per mat. Lieutenant Hamamoto and I will be coming around to give you pointers and observe.”
The knot of students dispersed, breaking into pairs and fanning out around the room. Vero hauled me to my feet, watching Joey askance as he made his way from mat to mat, offering advice.
“Joey’s behavior toward you doesn’t add up,” she said. “You saved his partner’s life. You haven’t done anything wrong—”
“That he knows of,” I corrected her.
Vero and I fell silent as Lieutenant Hamamoto approached our mat.
“Thanks, Lieutenant,” Joey said in a low voice behind her, “I’ll handle this one.” My spine went ramrod straight as he came toward me with a set of open cuffs. I lifted my chin as we stared each other down.
“Turn around,” he said quietly.
“I thought I was supposed to be the one practicing with the—” I gasped as he took my wrist and spun me around, his shoes moving between mine and kicking them gently but firmly apart.
The cuffs clicked shut. He leaned close to my ear. “I may not have figured out your game yet, but I am keeping an eye on you. Whatever it is you’re into, you’re in over your head.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t. Because you’re a nice person and everybody likes you, right? Well I have a lot of experience with nice people,” he whispered, “and it’s always the nice ones that have something to hide.” The cuffs snapped open and I backed quickly out of his reach. “Better get some practice,” he growled. “I’m betting you’re gonna need it.”
CHAPTER 12
The sun had set while we were in defense class, and the sky had darkened to the color of a bruise. Vero and I dragged ourselves up the stairwell to our dorm room. She keyed open the door and we both collapsed onto our beds.
“Whose idea was this again?” I asked, still short of breath. My yoga pants were drenched in places that should never sweat while you’re fully clothed.
“Your sister’s,” Vero said, throwing an arm over her eyes, “and I’m never taking her advice again.Go to the police academy,they said.There will be hot cops everywhere,they said. Funny how no one bothered to mention the horrible food, the scarcity of hot water, or that we’d get our asses kicked on the first day by a woman half our size. The whole handcuffing experience isn’t nearly as sexy as NCIS makes it out to be.” We both quieted at a soft scratching sound. “If there’s a rodent in this room, I’m out of here,” she grumbled.
The scratching grew louder. Vero’s arm slid away from her face. We both bolted upright when something thumped against the window. We got up and crept toward it, but I couldn’t make out anything past our own reflections in the glass. I rushed to the wall switch and turned off the light. Vero reached for her pillow when something moved outside.
“What are you doing?” I whispered as she raised it behind her head.
“Improvising,” she whispered. “Didn’t you learn anything in classtoday? This pillow is a found weapon. If anyone tries to come in, I’m going to hit him in the face—you know, element of surprise. And then, while he’s stunned, I’m going to suffocate him with it.” We both gasped as a large hand pressed against the glass. “What are you standing there looking at, Finlay? Find a weapon and hide!”
I surveyed my side of our dorm room, frantically rummaging through my suitcase in the dark. My hair dryer was the only thing in it that remotely resembled a weapon. I unwound it from a tangle of clothes and flattened myself against the wall beside Vero. She rolled her eyes at me. Then her brow furrowed as she studied my hair dryer. She thrust her pillow in my hand and snatched my Revlon Volumizer, gripping it like a Smith & Wesson. I gaped at her as she pressed back against the wall and pointed it at the ceiling.
We both started as a shadowy figure filled the window frame. Metal scraped against metal.
“He’s trying to jimmy the lock!” I whispered. “We should call my sister. Or Nick.”
“No time,” Vero said as the lock clicked open. “There are two of us and one of him. And we were in self-defense class all afternoon.”
“He looks like a professional. That skews the odds,” I hissed.
