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“I don’t—” Kain starts, but I cut him off.
“Go. Again.”
Kain lifts me off the ground, his hold tightening around me once more. A singular moment of panic flashes through me, but I remain in the present. I grab the arm across my chest, using it to anchor myself in place. Then I kick back, aiming for his knees.
My left foot completely misses the mark. My right heel connects with his knee, but it doesn’t do what I’d hoped. An image of Virgil gripping his nose my last night at the compound flits through my mind, sparking inspiration. I kick at the knee again and quickly throw my head back. The pain that shoots through the back of my head is nothing compared to the roar of pain I hear come from Kain after he drops me.
“Shit.” Kain pinches the bridge of his nose, stemming the flow of blood.
“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
Kain laughs at my question, and I worry for a second I did more than give him a nosebleed. Did I scramble his brain?
“I’m fine, that was good. You do that just a little harder. Break their nose and then run like hell.”
“Got it. Wanna go again?” I ask with a smile, and Edward laughs from his seat on the bench beside the ring.
“Fuck no, you’ll really break my nose next time. We’ll do more holds tomorrow after my nose has a little time to heal from your abuse. Now, I think you’re ready to learn how to hit someone properly,” he finally says, breaking the silence. “Make a fist.”
I follow his directions and ball my hands into tight fists, holding them out for his inspection.
“First, slide your thumb down so it covers the middle knuckles of your pointer and middle fingers. Second, pull these two,” he slides his finger under my ring finger and pinky, “fingers up so your knuckles are straight across the top.” He draws his finger along my covered knuckles. “Good. Keep your hand up so your wrist is straight and aim to hit with your first two knuckles. This will keep your wrist from buckling under the weight of the hit and you from hurting yourself.”
Kain drops my hand and takes a step back.
I shake out my hands and look down as I ball them back into fists. “Okay, thumbs down, hands up, wrists straight, hit with the first two knuckles. Got it.” I bounce a little where I stand, a sudden spark of excitement coursing through me.
He smiles at me and holds his hands up, palms out. “Good, now hit me.”
“Didn’t she already do that?” Edward asks with a laugh, and I chuckle, looking at Kain’s swollen nose.
Kain doesn’t reply to Edward’s taunt but claps his hands together and holds them out again, ready for my hit.
I throw a punch, hitting the palm of his hand with all the strength I can muster.
“Good, this time I want you to twist your hips, so your upper body is facing me when you connect. Put your whole body into the movement.”
I bite my lip and get into the stance. Bringing my hands up, I narrow my eyes on the center of his palm. I pull my fist back, twist my upper body to face him head-on and connect with his hand.
“Better,” he says. “Now, let’s throw in some leg sweeps. I want you to aim for the outside of my knee using the inside of your foot. Don’t forget to use your hips with this as well. All your power comes from your core muscles,” he presses on his abdomen with his fingers, “right here. So, twist your hips, and knock me on my ass.”
“This I gotta see,” Edward chimes in. He’s sitting forward, elbows on his knees, and his chin resting on his open hands. His eagerness makes me chuckle.
“Old man, I’ll throw you out of here, now shut it.”
“Boy, don’t make me come in there and remind you to respect your elders.”
A full belly laugh escapes me at the imagery Edward’s statement conjures in my mind. Kain’s scowl causes that laugh to roll through me again.
“Is that how it’s going to be? Fine, I’m upping this training, no more kid gloves. Try and catch me … if you can,” he says and bounces to the side, his hands still raised.
* * *
“Come on, I had you,”I pant, bracing myself with my hands on my knees, inhaling gasps of sweet, precious oxygen. I’ve been chasing Kain for what feels like hours around this ring—trying to land a punch or kick—as he taunts me with open hand smacks to my arms, head, and ass. The few hits I was able to land seemed to bounce off as if I merely tickled him.
Kain walks circles around me, stretching his arms over his head, behind his back, and across his now very naked, very distracting chest. “The problem is, Eden, you’re weak. The poor diet you’ve been subjected to for years has wreaked havoc on your body. You have little to no muscle mass.”
I stand straighter, narrowing my eyes on him and cross my arms over my chest, trying to hide behind them. “Well, geez, don’t sugarcoat it or anything. Let me know what you really think of me.”
