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I hadn’t been away from the gym for more than twenty-four hours since that time I turned green from eating those questionable fish tacos at the taco truck by the gym. But even when I was out cold with food poisoning then, Vito still managed to drag me to the gym as soon as I could manage to hold my head up and do some simulations by himself along with a lecture. The man was determined to train me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out that Vito had made some kind of deal with some dead Italian mobster to raise me as if he was preparing me to star in the nextKill Billmovie.
He trained me, taught me to read and anticipate his next move, taught me to respond with my body and react. He taught me how to defend myself.
He taught me how to survive.
I tried to slow my pounding heart and focused on reading my enemy. Looking at the four men, it was clear which of them was in charge. Tall, dark hair, handsome aside from his crooked nose, he stood just apart from the others with his chin tipped a smidge higher, his hand hanging loosely at his side.
He wasn’t going to attack. He would let his burly lackeys do his dirty work, at least so long as his lackeys held the upper hand.
I turned to the other three. They all leered at me like I was a hapless deer, and they were starving hunters. And like a hunter with a deer caught in his sights, they were confident they had me. In their arrogant eyes, I was as good as dead, or whatever it was they intended to do to me.
I could use that, at least for now. I kept my features arranged in a terrified mask, mimicking my inner Jamie Lee Curtis and maybe summoning a little Bella Swan too—not difficult to do given the way fear was coursing through my body, making my lungs work overtime and my palms turn sweaty. I deliberately skittered back a little further as the three strode closer while the fourth, the ringleader, hovered back.
A little closer. I wanted to attack. I wanted to run. The urge to do something useful made my legs tremble.
You’ll lose your focus, I chastised myself.
They continued to corral me, corner me, as my steps led us back toward the corner of the room. Their beady eyes gleamed with something that made my stomach twist. I continued to pace backward, precisely leading us to the corner of the room where none of them would be able to get behind me. The solid wall could be useful as part of my offensive.
Just as my shoulders made contact with the cool, unyielding wall behind me, two sets of hands reached for me. They were reaching low like they were going to grab me by the forearms, so I shot my arms out higher and grabbed the nearest one by his shoulders. Startled, he barely resisted as I yanked him toward me with all my might, just askew so that his forehead slammed into the wall next to my head.
I barely heard the telltale thud when one meaty hand wrapped around my forearm.
I yanked my arm downward and shot my knee into his groin at the same time. His grip around my arm loosened as he stumbled back, groaning, trying to hold himself upward.
Yes!Two down, two to go.
There was no way I would be able to incapacitate all four of them. All I could hope for was to inflict enough injuries in quick succession to buy myself a few seconds. Just enough time for a clear shot at the door so I could hightail my butt through it before they could follow.
The third guy was faster than the other two.
I barely had my foot back down on the ground when his hand shot out.
I ducked to avoid the blow, but I misjudged his intention. He grabbed hold of a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back.
His free hand went for my throat.
I picked up my foot and slammed it down, heel first, into his foot. His hands loosened its grip on my hair and my throat as he roared and fell.
I slipped sideways, not willing to relinquish the wall that served as my offensive. But he had recovered quickly, standing upright again.
I cocked back and struck him with an uppercut to the jaw.
Pain shot up my hand, all the way to my shoulder, as he stumbled back for a second time.
If I could hold out for just a little longer…
I caught sight of the ringleader. He stood in place, a small grin tugging his mouth upward, like he was amused.
I paused.
For a second.
A fraction of a breath.
My breath hitched as I felt a meaty hand wrap around my throat, the man’s rough skin scraping against the jut of the bone. He tugged me forward as another man snagged my arms from behind my back.
I lost.
