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“Remember,” I instructed as she faced me, her stance already mirroring the readiness I had drilled into her over the past days, “the quickest way to immobilize is to disrupt balance, then go for the weak spots—eyes, throat, knees.”
“Got it,” she said, her voice a low growl of determination.
“Let’s start with a basic takedown. I come at you like this—“ I lunged forward, telegraphing my movement so she could react, and she did, sidestepping smoothly and reaching out to push my shoulder, aiming to tip me over.
“Good,” I praised, but I didn’t fall. Instead, I pivoted, using her momentum to spin her around, trapping her arm against her body. Our chests brushed, a current zapping through the scant space separating us. “Now get out of it.”
She didn’t miss a beat, elbowing back sharply into my ribs, forcing me to release her. The move was right, fierce, exactly what she needed, but damn if it didn’t also send a thrill straight through me.
“Like that?” she asked, a half-smile playing on her lips, her breath coming in quick bursts that matched my own.
“Exactly like that,” I confirmed, rubbing where she’d hit me, more out of appreciation than pain. “You’re learning fast.”
“Because I have a good teacher,” she retorted, and there was that heat again, the one that wasn’t just from the workout. “Seems like you’re good at this.”
“I’m good at a lot of things, princess,” I replied.
She exhaled through her nose. “That right?”
“Let’s try something else. Go for a knee strike,” I instructed, inviting an attack. She moved in swiftly, aiming for my thigh instead of my knee—it was smart, less predictable. I appreciated it.
“Nice improvisation,” I said.
Even then, I deflected, grabbing her leg and tipping her off balance. She stumbled, but I caught her, my hands gripping her waist. For a split second, we froze, faces inches apart, sharing a breath.
“Thanks,” she whispered, her eyes locked onto mine.
“Back to it,” I said abruptly, stepping away and shaking off the haze of her eyes. We couldn’t afford distractions, not when Sam’s life hung in the balance.
“Right,” she agreed, and I could hear the effort it took for her to refocus. We dove back into the training, throwing punches and blocks, kicks and counters.
“Victor,” she panted after executing a near-perfect arm lock on me, “we’ll save him, won’t we? We have to.”
“Nothing’s going to stop us,” I assured her, pride swelling in my throat at her resilience, at the fierce warrior she’d become undermy watch. “We’re going to tear the Viper’s world apart, brick by bloody brick. You’re going to kill your father, Sof. And we’re all going to watch.”
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she did. “Yeah,” she said. “I hope you’re right.”
“Okay. Physical part of the training done,” I said. “For now. We’re going to keep sparring. Go shower and get dressed, Sof.”
“Taking a break?”
“Sure,” I replied. “Then we’re going to the gun range.”
We took a break for lunch. I knew the day was packed and intense, but this was partly about making Sofia feel like we were doing something, even though we had yet to go down to the Everglades and Teo was still mulling the FBI thing over. I wanted to make Sofia feel like she was in control of…fuck, I didn’t know. Of something.
The range wasn’t too far outside of town. Sofia had looked ready, eager almost. Now that we were in there, it felt like she was hesitating.
The echo of gunfire was a stark contrast to the silence we’d left behind in the training room. Sofia stood rigid beside me, wearing a black top that clung to her breasts, jeans that showed off her figure. Her gaze traced the lines of pistols and rifles that adorned the walls of the secure range I’d brought her to.
“Remember, it’s not about pulling the trigger,” I said, pulling a 9mm from its case. “It’s about knowing when not to.”
She nodded, her fingers tentatively wrapping around the grip of the gun I handed her.
“Stance is crucial,” I continued, moving behind her to adjust her position. “Feet shoulder-width apart. Good. Lean forward slightly into your stance. Perfect.”
“Like this?” Her voice was steady, belying the slight tremble in her hands as she aimed downrange.
“Exactly.” I watched her take in a deep breath, exhaling slowly before squeezing the trigger. The shot rang out, hitting just outside the center of the target.
