As soon as she thought so, however, she saw her father’s ghostly face and heard the chilling little gurgle as all the light in her father’s body went out.It is bad,she reminded herself grimly.It is bad.It killed Daddy, and it killed Hilary, and it?—
“Rowan?You okay?”Justin asked quietly, almost whispering.
“Fine,” Rowan whispered back, and took a deep breath.I can handle this.I can do this.I have to, if I want to get back at the people who killed Daddy.
Then she looked up, and Dr.Jilssen hurriedly looked away, as if he’d been staring at her.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Delgado handedher a bottle of mineral water.“Take a deep breath,” he said.
She gasped out a curse that would have made him smile if his heart hadn’t been pounding.“You’ll learn,” he continued.“You’ve just got to put some weight behind your punches, that’s all.”
Rowan took a long hit off the water bottle and looked up at him.“I’ve never… seen anyone… move that fast.”Her chest heaved.
“I’ve had a little more practice,” he said.“Good thing I caught you.I didn’t expect you to flinch.Sorry about that.”
When he’d told her combat training was necessary for operatives, she’d seemed a little less than enthusiastic.Their third session was going much as he’d expected—Rowan had never even been taught to punch a man properly.
The big underground dojo was full of people, some practicing on heavy bags, Jack Morris taking four of his team through a tae kwon do lesson in one half of the hall, others performingkatasor practicing with partners, one operative from Blake’s old team going through some knife forms in a corner.Delgado scanned the room again and looked down at Rowan, who was struggling to get her breath back.His pulse thundered in his throat, but for an entirely different reason.
Christ, she’s completely helpless.His heart sank.How am I going to do this?
He’d taught plenty of green recruits, but never one that he wanted to protect so badly.“Wait until you’re ready.”Take your time.I’m not letting you go anywhere alone until I’m sure you can handle yourself, but that day might be a long time coming, angel.
She’d settled into a steady schedule of classes and shifts in the infirmary, training sessions with Ms.Kate and Henderson, and now workouts with Del.Jilssen was chomping at the bit to do some more tests, but Del had vetoed that.
She hadn’t reacted well to the first episode of being swabbed and measured, and the electrodes had turned her an interesting shade of white.He’d cut the session short over Jilssen’s protests and gotten her out of there.No amount of scientific advancement was worth setting back all the careful progress.
Rowan took another pull off the water bottle.Sweat gleamed on pale skin, her hair was yanked carelessly back in a ponytail, and the Spandex shorts and tank top clung to her.She seemed absolutely unconscious of the admiring looks she received from most of the men—and some of the women, too.
He noted who watched her and for how long, and noted as well those who looked hurriedly away when they saw him watching.
Rowan handed him the bottle.He took a pull, too, and then set it down.“Let’s try something else.Make a fist andmeanit.Right hook, right here.”He held up his hand.
She balled up her fist and gave him a halfhearted punch, barely tapping his palm.
“You can do better.Hitme, Rowan!”
He startled her, his clipped yell slicing through the noise.She had drawn back her hand, and promptly jumped, punching him with hysterical strength.Then she stopped, as if horrified at herself.“Oh, God.I’m sor?—”
“Do it again,” he barked, and she stared at him as if he’d grown another head.“Comeon, little girl,hitme!”
“Don’t yell at me,” Rowan started, but he grinned and moved in on her.She didn’t like her personal space invaded and backed up involuntarily.He pressed forward, a spooky darting rush guaranteed to frighten.
Rowan let out a half-yelp and punched at his hand.Another solid strike.Delgado stopped.“Good,” he said, his tone softening.“Like that.See?Punch me like you mean it.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Pretend I’m a Sig, Rowan.You won’t hurt me.”Besides, if you did, I wouldn’t mind.He flashed her a smile calculated to unsettle her—the smile that his eyes didn’t echo.He moved into her personal space again, backing her up toward the wall.“Come on, Rowan, hit me again.We’ve got to get you over this.”
She wound up and hit him again, flinching right afterwards.
“Don’tflinch, Rowan.Hit me.”
“I can’t?—”
“It’ll take time, but you’ve got to learn.You want to let Sigma get away with it?Huh?Doyou?”
