“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 atthe 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 samepeople that you have been dealing with for months. I thought these things belonged in romance books.”
