Widening my eyes to match hers, I yell, “Hello?” Thrusting my arms out by my sides, I whisper shout, “Someone is trying to kill me! The knee thing is all fine and dandy, but what if something happens and I need to…” Swallowing hard, I whisper, “What if I need to make sure someone is gone? Like, forever gone, type-a gone.”
Boo’s face turns sad. Which, in turn, makes me sad. She asks glumly, “This really bothering you? Even with us here?”
My heart palpitates and I nod vigorously, knowing she’ll never understand just how much this is affecting me, even if I wanted to share.
Forcing a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes, she concedes with a curt nod, “I’ll teach you everything I can while you’re here.”
Definitely not the answer I was expecting.
My mouth gapes and I whisper, “Seriously?”
Taking the wooden spoon out of my hand, she stirs the pot and avoids my gaze. “Yep. Seriously.” Her face voids of any emotion and she says almost mechanically, “Every girl should know how to protect herself. That includes you.” Clearing her throat, she adds quietly, “Help you anyway I can, Dee.”
My throat thickens. I don’t know what to say. Boo is the first friend I’ve made in years.
Standing close to her, I bump her shoulder with mine. In my peripheral vision, I see a small smile play at her mouth as her shoulder bumps mine back. I smile big. We both chuckle and Boo says, “God, we’re dorks.”
I agree. Totally.
***
Nox
The office door bursts open and an angry looking Boo strides in.
Not good.
Never good.
Turning back to the laptop, I’m immediately wary. “Where’s Lily?”
“Rock’s teaching her to throw a decent punch.” My brows crease as she continues, “I’ve been teaching her self-defense, too.” She nods before she asks accusingly, “What the fuck have you been doing for her?”
Hold up.
What’d she just say?
Opening my mouth to answer, she holds up a hand and I stop in my tracks. Put in my place like a small child, she utters, “Never been disappointed in you, Nox. Never. Till now.”
Fury works its way up my stomach and sits, waiting to strike in my solar plexus. I don’t speak.
Don’t have to explain myself to anyone.
Boo’s face falls as she whispers, “What is up with you?”
Lifting my face to hers, I glare. Hard.
Boo doesn’t flinch.
She’s known me too long. Knows my intimidation tactics.
Lowering my gaze back to the laptop, I murmur, “Don’t gotta explain myself to you.”
Hurt crosses her features and I feel like an asshole. Not enough to apologize.
She hisses through gritted teeth, “Fine.”
Typing away, I say, “Fine.”
Not liking my being a smartass, she growls, “Fine!”
My brows furrow and I shout to her retreating form, “Fine!”
The door slams shut, matching the sound of my slamming the laptop shut.
***
Lily
Panting, sweating, and mentally cursing, I kick even higher than last time. My entire body throbs. Getting him in the shoulder, the dummy barely wobbles. This pisses me off. His blank, stupid looking face mocks me. I want to punch him in his silicone nose.
How the hell can I be getting weaker the more I train?
“You’re trying too hard, Lil. Cool off for a minute, then we’ll start again.” Rock calls out from across the room. “This happens, ya know? When you train too hard, you get exhausted. Happens to the best of us.”
Placing my hands on my hips, I bend forward at the waist. Panting, I reply breathily, “Get out of my head, Rock.”
Walking over to me, he smirks and unwraps the tape on my hands. He’s wearing a pair of basketball shorts. That’s all. Gotta admit, it’s nice having something to look at while you work out. Especially if that someone looks like Rock.
Yummy.
His olive skin gleams with perspiration. I flush as I wonder what his sweat would taste like. I also thank God that Rock isn’t a telepath. My eyes glide down his defined stomach to the indent forming a V then even lower to the low riding elastic on the waist of his shorts and I gulp.
Dear God, I’m a pervert.
Snapping my head up, my gaze meets Rock’s. Eyes crinkled, he says through a soft laugh, “Why, lovely Lily, you’re blushing.”
Crap! Busted.
“Sorry,” I mumble under my breath, my face flaming further.
“Look all you want, babe. Makes me feel like I’m doin’ somethin’ right.” His warm-brown eyes crinkle further and I slap a hand to my forehead. Rock bursts into laughter and I can’t stop the chuckle that bubbles up my throat.