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Sienna looked at the ceiling and let out a loud groan. Aiden was a good and patient listener. He must’ve suspected that she wasn’t finished yet because he kept his mouth shut.
“I used to be so sure of myself and my abilities,” Sienna continued after a moment of silence. “I used to believe that I was untouchable, my body a deadly weapon. Do you know that I’ve been trained how to handle both guns as well as blades? I was very good at throwing knives. Only when I did everything my dad wanted me to, he allowed me to fool around with a bow. I used to find it very cool and medieval like. It was so badass. I’m also a sucker for sword play.”
Sienna chuckled to herself, lost in the memory. Despite her different and at times challenging upbringing, she couldn’t deny she had a happy childhood. Her dad paid attention to what she did and hired the best people to train her. It wasn’t his fault that once she got older, she rebelled and preferred to spend her free time drinking and partying instead.
“I’ve been trained in a mixture of martial arts as well, but my body doesn’t react automatically anymore as it used to. I suppose, it must’ve been too long since my last proper training sessions,” she said with a sigh, then smiled as she looked at him. “Remember that time when you came to kidnap me from the Remingtons and all I could do was scream and squirm?”
“You also broke my nose,” Aiden said darkly, narrowing his eyes.
“With a lamp!” Sienna cried, then rolled her eyes. “How pathetic! I was too damn scared to even react properly.”
“It all worked out for the best,” he told her.
“Yes, but what if it didn’t?” she asked, pressing further. “You know the same as I do that I’m not safe and that no matter how hard you all try, you can’t always protect me.”
“This time it will be different,” Aiden argued.
“Yes, it will,” Sienna agreed. “Because this time I won’t be a damsel in distress, but a warrior in a dress.”
Aiden tilted his head and shot her a quizzical look as his brows furrowed. Either he was slow on the uptake, or he would be against it. It didn’t matter, because one way or another, Sienna would convince him to do it.
“I want you to refresh my memory,” she told him, then took a step toward him. “I want you to teach me how to fight.”
His eyes widened and by the way he nibbled on his lower lip, she could tell he was thinking it over. It was a win-win situation. A woman should know how to protect herself. It was something her dad tried to get her to understand, but she was too damn stubborn and too naïve. For some reason, she thought the Ryders to be invincible and that they’d always have tons of money, which would buy her all the protection she needed, and it would spare her from spending her free time in the smelly gym when she’d much rather be drinking and fooling around with guys. She wished she could travel back in time and smack that spoiled little brat a few times until she saw reason. Lucky for her, there was still time. As long as she breathed, it wasn’t too late.
“Come on, Aiden,” she pressed, and even went so far as to put the palm of her hand on his chest. His heart beat against it in a steady rhythm as it lifted with every inhale and deflated with an exhale.
“If we do this, you’re going to have to follow some rules,” Aiden told her, then narrowed his eyes at her as he went ahead to list them, making it clear how serious he was about it. “You have to do whatever I tell you and only when I say so. For example, if I say you’re not ready for something, then you’re not. That one is very important because I know you. Are we clear?”
Sienna nodded.
“I need a verbal confirmation.”
“Yes, we’re clear,” she amended.
“Good,” he said, then continued. “We’ll train every morning at the crack of dawn.”
Sienna’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to object, but he raised his hand in dismissal.
“I don’t want to hear it,” he told her. “Morning is the best time of day to hone your body and sharpen your skills. It’s also a great way to start the day. Consistency is very important in any kind of training, so either take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it,” she said before he could change his mind.
“Okay,” he nodded to himself. “I don’t want to hear any complaining. If I tell you to do something, it’s not because I want to torture you, but because I know you can handle it. We’re going to embrace fatigue because only when you push yourself a little harder is when you’ll improve. As your trainer, it will be my responsibility to know how far to push your body. I’m going to need you to trust me and my judgment.”
“I trust you,” she said without missing a beat. Aiden was the first Carrington heir she came to love and be comfortable around. It was something she’d never forget.
“Once we start, all your old knowledge will spring forward, but I need you to ignore it,” he told her with a wary voice. “I don’t want you to become cocky or impatient and skip through the moves. The key to good technique and to be fast is to go slow. You need to master the moves in slow motion first and only then will it become second nature to you. A reflex if you will.”
“I’ll do anything,” she told him. “I’ll follow your every order, advice, or whatever. I’ll be the best student you ever had.”
“And also, my first and last,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.
That was when it hit her that Aiden had never trained anyone. Brian, her ex-bodyguard and the guy who betrayed them to the Remingtons was also their martial arts trainer. He was in charge of turning the heirs into the deadly weapons they were and taught them how to look after their bodies. Despite his many shortcomings, Sienna couldn’t deny that he did a good job. She didn’t need to see the heirs shirtless to know they were packing a load of muscles, although she was lucky enough to have seen underneath the expensive suits. More than once. It was even better than she could’ve imagined in her wildest dreams.
“Where do we start?” she asked him, eager to put the wheels in motion.
Aiden scratched his chin thoughtfully and looked around the gym. “I think it’s best if we stick to the basics and work our way up from there.”
