“You just told me to relax my shoulders,” the kid replies with a sigh, more so complaining that he can’t get it right rather than that he’s being told what to do.
The kid is as sweaty as I am, and definitely exhausted from the sparring I just put him through. He was all wild punches and messy blocking, but that didn’t stop him from smiling and asking to keep going any time he got knocked down.
Apollo asked me to step in to work with him since I’m lighter than Elio, Armani, and him. Nico is the slimmest, of course, but he’s more of a killer than a fighter. When it comes to fighting, he’ll use weapons for an edge. Yordan is definitely not ready to be handed a knife for battle, so he got me.
Elio gives me a nod as I come to stand by him and I return it. He seems oddly invested in helping Apollo out with Yordan, but I don’t need to know his reasons. Elio has been like a second Remo in the past couple of years. Quiet and mysterious but still consistently home and helping out whenever he’s needed.
“Because you looked like you were stiff from being cryogenically frozen.” Armani clicks his tongue, adjusting the pistol in Yordan’s hands and then manually fixing the way the kid is standing. My brother steps back to stand behind him and continues, “You need to be firm and strong, but able to move without delay. Now hit the target this time.”
I assume gun handling will be Yordan’s last test for the day. I know Apollo wants to see what his baseline is before deciding how best to train his mentee. But I think he’s gone through enough today already.
Bang.
A small hole bursts through the human-shaped target. Yordan hits the spleen area right on and Armani slaps his shoulder in approval.
“Better,” he grunts brightly. “You’re veering left a little, correct it.”
“You got it, boss.”
A couple more shots ring out, each of them resulting in a target hit again.
“He’s not overly skilled with any weapon type,” Elio comments, standing between Apollo and me. “His fighting skills aren’t honed either. But he’s got great reflexes. He’s very fast and easily trainable. He listens well, and I think he could build muscle quickly if he trained well and ate right.”
“He has a lot of fucking energy too,” I add, lifting my water to my lips. Sucking down a few gulps from my water bottle, I breathe out heavily. My heart rate is still up from my time in the ring. “He might have better stamina than me.” He doesn’t, but I enjoy exaggerating.
“Yordan ran a lot at Federico’s,” Apollo responds. Federico being the cunt of a man who abused Rayna while she was his wife. The man Apollo helped Yordan kill at our sister’s wedding, while I danced with Anya. I can’t believe I didn’t hear the gunshot, even though they were in the ocean when it went off. I’m glad that Anya couldn’t hear it either, though. “He told me he wasn’t allowed to train much, but he could run around the property all he wanted. It’s likely why he’s thinner. He has a runner’s body currently.”
“Not the worst physique to have,” Elio comments, nodding. “Reminds me more of Nico and Ivan’s size.”
I flick my gaze to our enforcer brother, hearing his name. Nico hasn’t done anything but observe today, sitting in the corner of the room like a ghost haunting us all. A ghost twirling sharp black knives to entertain itself.
“And Ivan can lay abigmotherfucker out.” I laugh, shaking my head as I remember the fight he started at Empire oversomeone talking shit about my sister. A guy twice his size, at least. “I don’t know how he does it, but he’s strong as hell.”
“Think he’d want to get involved?” Elio asks, turning his attention to me.
My shoulders lift in a shrug. “He would if we asked.Especiallyif Jade asked.” He’d do anything our sister requested. The guy would probably eat dirt if she wanted him to.
Apollo gives me a bland look. “And why would Jade ask?”
“She wants to befriend Rayna,” I tell him with a roll of his eyes. Likeduh. “Her and Ana both. They want to go over to the apartment to meet her, but they don’t want to force their friendship on her either. Jade’s afraid Rayna would only placate her out of fear that she’d be punished if she didn’t.”
Jade and Ana talked my whole ear off about Rayna the day that we got home. The two of them were eager to figure out if the new woman would want to befriend them, or want absolutely nothing to do with them. Though, getting to know Yordan today, I doubt Rayna would treat them the way she acts toward Apollo. She raised her little brother and she clearly did a good job, but my older brother seems to piss her right off. I don’t think it’s her personality, I think it’s him pulling it out of her.
And if anyone understands how easily Apollo can piss people off, it’s me.
Sure, he got her and Yordan an apartment and kept them safe from The Casa Nostra after killing her abusive husband. But she also never asked to be ripped away from her life without a choice. I’m sure it’s frustrating and hard to adjust to, but I doubt Rayna sees Jade as the reason for her circumstance.
Besides, everyone likes Jade. She’s as sweet as candy, and very easy to get along with. I don’t know Rayna very well, but if there’s even a fraction of Yordan’s personality in here, I assume she’ll like Jade and Ana.
“Rayna isn’t exactly notorious for keeping her opinions to herself,” Apollo drawls.Butthurt, I silently snicker.
Elio agrees with him, nodding along. “And despite her and Apollo’s beef, she’s friendly. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind meeting Ana and Jade. Ana’s a little more feral than Jade, but she’s pretty normal when she wants to be. Probably best not to spring anything on Rayna, though. I can give Jade her number, see if they can build a texting rapport first.”
“That makes sense.” I hum, then tilt my head, thinking. “I’m worried she’s not a big fan of having girls for friends, though. Did you guys see the looks she was shooting Melani on the plane?”
“What are you talking about?” Apollo all but barks.
I think back on it, trying to explain. “It was hard to catch, but I was in the back near Jade, the kids, and Melani. Rayna looked at her like Melani killed her puppy or something.”
