I laughed nervously. “It’s a deal.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: ALEXANDRA
Idon’t know how Archer managed to alert them, but when we arrived at the compound, Raiders came spilling out of the clubhouse to meet us. Rev and Bishop magically appeared by my side. They escorted me inside. Instead of taking me to Deacon’s room, they ushered me inside the boardroom. Rev pulled a chair out for me and motioned for me to have a seat. “Talk to us, Alex,” he urged.
Holding up my hand, I said, “I’m a little shaken up, but for the most part, I’m fine.”
Bishop surveyed my face. “He didn’t try anything physical with you, did he?”
“My virtue is safe,” I replied, with a humorless smile.
“It damn well better be. If he dared to lay one finger on you, we’d bring a fucking firestorm down on him,” Bishop growled.
I drew in a deep breath and prepared to broach the subject I was wary of. “I need you to teach me how to use a knife.”
Rev and Bishop exchanged a glance. “Alex, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Rev said.
“Would you prefer I be defenseless the next time I have a run-in with Sigel or one of his thugs?”
“We’ll always protect you,” Rev argued.
Cocking my brows, I said, “Like today?”
“I suppose you have a point.”
“Do you realize that if I had been armed with a knife or gun, I could have taken Sigel out? Just like that.” I snapped my fingers for emphasis.
Crossing his tattooed arms over his chest, Bishop replied, “Well, that’s nice to think, but you’re not really the knife toting kind.”
“Basically, I’m a weak, helpless female?” I countered.
He grimaced. “I didn’t say that.”
“No, you alluded to it, and that’s just as bad.”
When I turned my gaze on Rev, he gave me a look of appraisal before nodding his head. “You need to learn how to defend yourself.”
“Seriously?” Bishop questioned, his blue eyes widening.
“Alex is right. We can’t always ensure that we’ll be able to protect her. Even with Deacon gone, she’s obviously still a target for Sigel. That’s all the more reason for her to know how to defend herself.”
Realizing he had lost, Bishop exhaled sharply. “If you say so.”
Rev nodded. “Go to the shop and get her something she can use.”
With one last disapproving look in our direction, Bishop headed out the door. Turning his attention to me, Rev asked, “Where’s the first place you would think to go for if you were going to stab someone?”
Furrowing my brows, I replied, “The heart?”
Rev shook his head. “While ultimately lethal, you gotta get through a hard as hell breastbone to get to it. You want something that will immediately incapacitate your enemy.”
Reaching out, he brought his hands to my neck. His fingers worked down the side. “You want to try to sever one of the carotid arteries here on the neck. They pump blood to the brain. Since it controls every organ function, you want to take out the main nervous system. Fifteen to twenty seconds after a hit, your enemy will be beyond help and likely unconscious. Then you’re good to go.”
“Isn’t there a way to kill them instantly?”
“No, but without help, taking out a carotid will ensure they die. Plus, with them incapacitated, it gives you the time you need to get away.”
“Okay.”
