“Ivan took pity on me, but Aleski didn’t. They made me work until my fingers bled and my knees lost a ton of skin. We’re on a limited time, but you showed some fight today. Whatever I don’t teach you, Rebecca can finish.”
“I’m not returning to the ranch,” she told them. “I’m spending time with my father and searching for a job.”
Victoria frowned. “Where do these obstinate women come from? I’m not asking you, darling. Rebecca will finish your training. It’s important you stick with it. Tell me, what did you see on our run today?”
Caroline put her fork down and recalled their jog.
“I saw cars lined up against the street. We seemed like the only ones on the street because it’s before dawn,” she pointed out.
“Wrong. Matthew’s truck sat across the street from this house. Two men, one Caucasian and one Black, walked their dogs. A woman three doors down turned on her kitchen light and made coffee. By the time we ran at your snail’s pace, she finished making breakfast and read on her tablet,” Victoria reported. “Do you want to get kidnapped again, or do you want your safety back?”
“I want my life back,” Caroline said stubbornly.
“No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be the young woman dragged away from your injured parents. You’ll always know Cain bragged he owned you. He took your power away by treating you like an animal. I’m here to offer you a solution for your future. Whether you take the information seriously remains up to you,” Victoria said firmly.
“The team said the Feds watch Cain. No one else will come for me,” she said, knowing it sounded lame.
“Do you think they’re the only predators out there?” Victoria asked, sipping her coffee. “Will you ever walk the street again with complete confidence?”
Caroline considered her words. She stopped at the local grocery store for a bit of normalcy. It felt like someone watched her the entire time. She walked in with a family and always stayed within sight of other groups. By the time she left, sweat covered her neck, chest, and forehead. She sat in her car and used breathing techniques to calm down before driving to her father’s.
“I want to feel free,” she murmured. “How long did it take you before you felt secure?”
“Too many wasted years to count,” Victoria admitted. “Ivan’s love healed me, but I never forgave myself for the decisions Imade in my rush for revenge. It hurt other people, as Jameson’s actions did. None of us is perfect, Caroline. We can only guide you from making the same mistakes as we did.”
“Why me?” she asked. “Do you do this with the other survivors?”
“They receive training. If you stayed at the ranch, you might’ve taken the less vigorous route. As it happens, you’re a glutton for punishment and have me. Let’s begin,” she said, rising.
Ivan cleared the table while Victoria went over basic techniques. They went over them again and again until Caroline recited it perfectly. Ivan entered the room, and the older woman used him as her model as she explained the weaker spots on a man.
“How can I possibly take a man the size of Cain down?” Caroline asked. “Ivan towers over you. There’s no way you brought him down.”
Ivan grinned. “Thank you for the confidence, but my Tori has tricks up her sleeve you won’t learn in your self-defense classes.”
Caroline huffed out a breath and straightened her spine. Victoria made a point. If she wanted her freedom, she must fight for it.
“Teach me what I need to know.”
Victoria smiled and said, “Let’s begin.”
Jameson ignoredthe persistent knocking on the cabin door.
“Come on, brother. I know you’re in there,” Matthew called.
Sighing, he put down his glass of whiskey and let his teammate inside.
“Crap, you smell like shit,” Matthew said, making himself at home on the couch.
“Thanks, bro. You know how to make a man feel better,” he said sarcastically.
“Victoria worked with Caroline all day today. Mac’s watching the house now. Do you plan on avoiding her forever?” Matthew asked. Jameson beckoned toward the bottle, asking Matthew if he wanted a glass.
“No thanks. After I leave here, I have to face Rachel at home. I need all my faculties to deal with her tantrum,” Matthew muttered.
“What did you do this time?” he asked, sitting back in the recliner.
“She put an appointment on my calendar. I expected a new client, but instead, I got a wedding planner,” he said sheepishly.
