Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
I sigh out loud.
Ares, saving a life?
Why does that sound hard to believe after what I witnessed?
“I know what you think about Ares, but he isn’t all evil,” Blaine says.
“I’m just … surprised, I guess,” I say. “But wait, you said something about Ares being responsible for you after that incident.”
“Ares took me under his wing. He showed me how to hustle, and in turn, I was able to protect both him and my parents.” He takes a deep breath. “I’ve cultivated a strong mind and body to make sure of that. And with a generous donation on his side, I was able to start my own business too.”
“I’m impressed.”
“Thank you,” he responds, giving me a smug smile. “Regardless, I can’t really hurt him as you can tell,” he says, glancing my way with those devilishly handsome eyes of his. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t.”
The glimmer in his eyes makes a fire in me burn brighter than ever before.
Maybe, just maybe … I should give this a chance.
“All right,” I say, sitting up too. “If your offer is still on the table, teach me.”
A wicked smile makes his face light up in the dark like a ghost come back to haunt the living. “I thought you’d never ask.”
BLAINE
Days later
“So what do we do?” she asks as she stands in the open grassy area, looking all fine and fancy.
God, it almost makes me pity her.
She’s got a long road ahead of her.
But I will be there every step of the way.
I chuck a wooden stick her way, and it lands in front of her feet.
“Pick it up.”
She does what I say and holds it like it’s filthy, but if you ask me, it’s the finest wood around. The trees here in Priory Forest are old and provide the best sticks one could ask for while training.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” she asks.
“Hold it. Tightly, but not too tight.”
“Like this?” She holds it in front of her.
I nod and tilt my head to look at her stance. We’ll have to work on that.
“Now what?” she asks.
I straighten my back, positioning myself sideways while I pull off my belt buckle and toss it aside so she won’t hurt herself. Then I raise my hand and beckon her. “Come at me.”
“What? With this?” She looks at the stick like it’s a piece of rubber.
“Mm-hmm.”
She laughs. “You want me to hit you with a stick?”
“Did I not make myself clear, darling?”
“Oh no, you did. I’m just wondering what this will teach me,” she murmurs.
“It’ll teach you the basics of fighting with a weapon,” I say, still beckoning her. “Now come. See if you can hit me.”
“If?” Her eyes narrow.
I grin at her. “Give it your best shot.”
The shimmer in her eyes as she bolsters herself is nothing short of magnificent.
She runs at me, clunky at best, swiping her little stick left and right, but none of her hits actually land because I know how to avoid them. Her moves are like how a child with no training would attack.
“Jesus, how are you making this look so easy?” she mutters, breathing raggedly after what seems like the fiftieth try.
“Experience,” I muse.
She makes a snooty face. “Well, you didn’t say I’d start with a stick. I might actually be able to hit you with something real.”
I snatch the stick from her hand and swipe it under her legs. She falls down immediately, and I point it at her face, then say, “Anything is a weapon if you know how to use it. I’m not going to give you a weapon you aren’t ready to use.”
She scowls, and I raise a brow in response, then hold out the stick so she can take it back.
“Yet.” She surprises me with a swift swoop while getting up, and I avoid it by jumping away.
“Clever girl,” I mutter. “Again.”
She keeps on trying to strike me instead of going for the obvious.
“Hit me,” I say.
“I’m trying,” she barks.
“C’mon,” I say, still easily avoiding each of her strikes.
“Stop moving so much!”
“You think your enemies will just stand still and let you hit them?” I retort.
“Enemies?” She pauses. “Who said anything about enemies?”
“You assume Caleb and Ares are the worst people out there. They’re not.”
She tries to strike me again, but I don’t have a black belt for nothing.
“The question isn’t if you can win in one-on-one combat. You can’t,” I say.
“Then why are we doing this?” she yelps between breaths, on the edge already.
“The question is, can you outsmart them?” I tilt my head and smirk when her eyes narrow.
Finally, she’s beginning to understand.
“Hit. Me.”
She swoops in from underneath and repeats my own move right back at me.
SNAP!
The stick breaks in half against my thick calves, and the sound makes me look down.
PUNCH!
Her fist strikes my chin out of nowhere, making me lean away and rub my chin.