“So Deano’s going to come at me and grab my arms, and Marco’s going to stop glaring at the back of his head, aren’t you, babe?”
Nope. He really wasn’t. Lenore spent the next hour showing us various attacks they tried on her, and how she could break their hold. She went back through them numerous times, and then asked if anyone wanted to try it. Caroline was still hiding by the back wall, and Tori snorted and backed away from the group entirely, so I figured why not and raised my hand. It was my idea after all, and I desperately wanted to see if these things were as easy as they seemed when she demonstrated them.
The big guy Tony winked at me as he stepped up in front of me. We were working on front attacks, and she’d run through everything several times, but as I looked up at the huge, tall, man, all I could think was that he was a similar height to Sean, albeit dark haired instead of blonde, and clearly not a monster.
“You okay?” he mouthed at me, and I nodded, but suddenly I really didn’t think I was. My heart started to race, and sweat broke out across the back of my neck. Suddenly it wasn’t him in front of me at all. It was Sean, just like he kept appearing in my nightmares, and he was glaring at me, about to attack me, and my mind rebelled, giving up on saving myself, on taking this demonstration, as I cowered back from him as he advanced. I dropped down onto the mat, covering my face, and the man coming at me froze.
“Uh, love? I’m not gonna hurt you, I promise.” He crouched down as Lenore dropped to her knees beside me, but my mortification was complete. They all just saw me lose my shit like I was seeing ghosts or something.
“Glory, take a deep breath, babe. This is fine. This happens all the time, I promise. You’re not alone, and you’re definitely not weak.” Lenore seemed to have the playbook memorised, because these were all things I needed to hear.
“I’m… I’m sorry,” I whispered, embarrassment flushing my skin as I felt so many eyes on me, worried eyes, my new family caring about my little meltdown.
The door crashed open with a heavy thud, and I heard a welcome voice, the voice that always gave me strength, and made me feel safe.
“Get the fuck away from her!” Henley was beside me a moment later, on his knees and lifting me into his arms. “I’ve got you, sweetheart, you’re safe.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Iknew it wastoo fucking soon for this shit, but she wanted to try, and I wanted her to get to do the things she wanted to do as soon as she wanted to. That fucker she married had been taking everything from her, and I’d never do that. My job was to give her everything she fucking wanted or needed for the rest of my life.
That said, I was halfway across the room with her in my arms, and concerned old ladies and their trainers watching us, and that’s when Glory spoke again, her voice firm once more.
“No!”
I froze mid-step, frowning down at her in my arms.
“Glory? No what?”
She wriggled in my arms, so I reluctantly lowered her down to stand on her own two feet, and she seemed to transform in front of me. Gone was the cowering and the fear, and instead there was steel in her spine, and fierce determination on her face.
“I want to do it.”
“Do what?” I watched as she marched around me and right up to that guy who’d been trying to attack her. I didn’t have Harley and Rocket here right now to hold me back, which I’d needed the moment we watched him advancing on her from the viewing screens, so I couldn’t just let it happen. Could I? Was I doing the opposite of empowering her if I did that? What the fuck was I supposed to do?
My fists clenched as I forced myself to hold back and give her this moment, my breaths practically burning my throat as I tried to calm them. This was for her to achieve on her own, but I wasn’t going any further away than this.
“Love, are you sure? No shame if you wanna take a break. Lenore wasn’t kidding. This happens a lot.”
Glory jabbed the big guy in the chest with her finger and he snorted, rubbing the area after she stepped back.
“I want to do it right fucking now. Come at me if you think you’re tough enough.”
Was it meant to be so fucking hot? Was I about to embarrass myself in a room full of old ladies? Speaking of, I found my attempt to approach the front of the room suddenly hampered by said old ladies as they amassed around me, with V even looping her arm through mine and holding on tight.
“The fuck?”
“Holding you to ransom, big fella. You want to get free, you’ll have to go through us, or you can just let your woman do her thing,” the other Pres’ old lady said firmly, giving me a sharp enough glare that I let them hold me back. I could have escaped easily… I think… but I chose to let Glory try, while I tried not to touch any of these women whose men would break my fingers for doing it. I hoped Rocket saw that V grabbed me, and not the other way around.
“If you’re ready, love, I’m gonna come at ya. I’m a nice guy, remember. Definitely not going to hurt you, so I don’t need to lose my balls or something.”
Glory tossed her hair back and glared right back at him.
“Stop pussyfooting around and do it already.”
Fuck me, don’t get a boner so close to other old ladies. Don’t do it. Think of non-sexy things. Micro. Rocket. Harley. Yep, that’s working. Stag. Oh, definitely doing it. He’s gone.
I watched helplessly as the big guy lunged at Glory, and this time she didn’t flinch, didn’t cower, she moved into his grasp, taking the fight to him, and a swift knee aimed at his groin, which he only just managed to dodge, was only the first step in her attack. An elbow slammed against his chest and then she punched up under his chin.
