Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“You will teach me how to fight?”
I stared at her. I had been thinking about that. But the thought of tussling with her was almost too arousing to contemplate. And I definitely would not be able to hide my physical reaction to her nearness if and when we did end up in close contact, training or otherwise.
“Yes. But that will take time. This is a much faster lesson.”
She exhaled sharply and nodded.
“Okay, I will try it. What do I do?”
“First, you need to know how to hold it,” I said, setting it in her hand. She looked terrified. It was actually not a bad place to start. “Relax. It’s unloaded.”
“Why?”
“You don’t need to shoot for the first lesson. Not to mention I think it’s better if we don’t attract attention with gunfire unless we have to.”
“Right. Of course,” she said, studying the gun in her hand. “Do you think they will find us?”
“Who?”
“My family,” she said, lifting her eyes to mine. I could see the fear there. But also the determination.
“If we stay here long enough, they might.”
“What about…”
“The other families? I am not even sure they know you are missing yet. But eventually… they are a much bigger concern.”
“Why?”
“Because your family will only kill me. The other families… I am not sure what they will do with you.”
“Kidnap me, I suppose,” she said, looking down at the gun again. “I wish I could go back in time to where I didn’t know any of this. What I came from… the legacy of blood.”
“You really didn’t know?”
“I knew my family was powerful and I knew I was protected because of it. I didn’t know the extent of that power, or the… extreme violence that was part of it.”
I didn’t say anything. I just waited. I wasn’t sure if she was ready to talk about it yet.
“I think my mother asked him to… shield me from it. But of course that could not go on forever. I am a target, as you said. And you are right. I need to know how to protect myself.”
She stole a glance at me.
“I will be running for the rest of my life, won’t I?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it. You ready for phase one?”
She nodded then looked forward, holding the weapon in front of her towards the trees.
“The first thing to know is, if you don’t intend to shoot someone, don’t aim a gun at them.”
“I won’t.”
“Okay. Let me show you how to aim this thing,” I said, standing close behind her and reaching my arms forward to help brace her. The smell and feel of her overwhelmed me. My chest barely brushed her body, but the slightest touch of her curves was enough to give me a raging erection.
I stepped back just far enough that I wouldn’t alarm her. That would not go over well. The girl did not need to be freaked out by my extreme attraction to her.
In fact, the best thing would be for her to not be aware of the attraction at all.
I had to keep my raging desire for her under wraps.
For now.
I grit my teeth and got on with the lesson.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Anastasia
“Take a look at this for me please. Tell me any errors.”
I put down my fork and looked at the piece of paper Vice had slid across the table towards me. I glanced at it, then raised my eyes to his.
“What is this? My family tree?”
“I want to know the players. We will have to deal with them, eventually.”
“Deal with them?”
“Negotiate,” he amended. “For your freedom.”
“Oh,” I said softly, lowering my eyes to the steaming food in front of me.
I picked up my fork again and speared a bite of the surprisingly excellent steak that Vice had cooked for us. There was a baked potato and rice on the side.
“How long do you think they will chase me?”
“I’m in this for the long game. But I hope we can put an end to it once and for all.”
“We?”
The muscle in his jaw flexed as he stared at me. I waited for him to speak but he only nodded. His words lingered in the air, making me wonder at his meaning and his purpose. We ate in silence for a while, all the information I’d gleaned over the course of the day spinning in my head.
Vice had stated again and again that he was there to protect me. And yet he would not allow me to leave, or make my own decisions. I knew it was madness to trust him, but for now, I found that I did. He had avowed that he would not leave me, without expressly saying why or for how long he would protect me.
Something more was at play here, but I had no idea what it was.
“I don’t understand. I assumed you are being paid for all of this.”