“No, you alluded to it, and that’s just as bad.”
When I turned my gaze on Rev, he gave me a look of appraisal before nodding his head. “You need to learn how to defend yourself.”
“Seriously?” Bishop questioned, his blue eyes widening.
“Alex is right. We can’t ensure that we’ll always be able to protect her. Even with Deacon gone, she’s obviously still a target for Sigel. That’s all the more reason for her to know how to defend herself.”
Realizing he had lost, Bishop exhaled sharply. “If you say so.”
Rev nodded. “Go to the shop and get her something she can use.”
With one last disapproving look in our direction, Bishop headed out the door. Turning his attention to me, Rev asked, “Where’s the first place you would think to go for if you were going to stab someone?”
Furrowing my brows, I replied, “The heart?”
Rev shook his head. “While ultimately lethal, you gotta get through a hard-as-hell breastbone to get to it. You want something that will immediately incapacitate your enemy.”
Reaching out, he brought his hands to my neck. His fingers worked down the side. “You want to try to sever one of the carotid arteries here on the neck. They pump blood to the brain. Since it controls every organ function, you want to take out the main nervous system. Fifteen to twenty seconds after a hit, your enemy will be beyond help and likely unconscious. Then you’re good to go.”
“Isn’t there a way to kill them instantly?”
“No, but without help, taking out a carotid will ensure they die. Plus, with them incapacitated, it gives you the time you need to get away.”
“Okay.”
Rev released my neck. “Once you’ve got them down, a few stabs or slices to the abdomen are good.” Pressing against my stomach, he said, “Here.” Then he moved his hand up slightly. “Here.” And then he dropped it below my navel. “And here.”
Bishop returned at that point with a shiny pocketknife. With one push of a button, a long blade flipped out. “See how this feels in your hand.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I reached out for the knife. Except for cutting steak or carving a pumpkin, I’d never held such a knife in my hands. I didn’t know when the time came to it if I would actually be able to use it. But I had to be willing to try.
As the steel blade caught the light, a feeling of empowerment came over me. It wasn’t an AK-47 or a grenade, but I knew it would save my life. Most important of all, a jab and a cut could end someone else’s life—someone who was a threat to me and those I loved. Someone like Sigel.
“You think you can use it when shit gets real?” Bishop questioned.
“Yeah, I do,” I answered honestly.
He smiled. “Something tells me that you can. You’re a tough little cookie.”
“Thanks.” I continued eyeing the knife with morbid fascination, imagining the damage it could do on Sigel. “So you guys keep war prizes from your enemies?”
When I dared to glance up, both Rev and Bishop stared at me with almost unreadable expressions. “Do you?” I repeated.
“Why do you want to know?”
Shrugging, I replied, “Just curious.”
“Bullshit! What the fuck did Sigel say to you?” Bishop demanded.
“The less you know about it the better,” I whispered.
Rev reached out to put his hands on my shoulders. “Alex, you need to tell us what Sigel said to you about war prizes.”
Shaking my head, I bit down on my lip, trying to prevent myself from betraying too much information. Rev’s grip tightened on me. “He wants something that was once the Knights’, doesn’t he?”
“Please, Rev.”
“Dammit, Alex. I don’t care what he threatened you with. You have to tell us!” Rev shouted.
“He wants his son’s cut—the one Deacon took after he killed him. He’s to call me in a few days, and I have to bring it to him. If I do this, he will leave me and Willow alone. But I can’t involve any of the Raiders, or people will get hurt.”
Rev and Bishop exchanged a glance. “It’s here, isn’t it?” I asked. When they didn’t respond, I said, “Please.”
Taking my hand, Rev pulled me out of my chair. He walked me down to the end of the room. On the left-hand side of the door was a closet. Surprisingly, he didn’t reach for a key to unlock it. Instead, he opened it. When I glanced inside, I gasped. Sitting on the middle shelf was a leather cut emblazoned with Nazi symbols. I reached out to take it, but Rev held me back. “You don’t take it now. When Sigel calls you about the meeting, then you’ll get it.”