was discovered. As an inmate worker, he buried himself
in a kitchen trash can until he realized they used a compactor, so he gave
himself up.”
Damn woman was distracting him—batting those long, dark
eyelashes. Who had eyes that color anyway? They reminded him of a jar of fine
whiskey. He shook his head, trying to rein in his concentration. He gripped the
edge of the lectern. “Just watch him. My officers all have lots of experience .
You all know what to look for.”
He checked his notes since her question had knocked him off
course. “Anyone interested in a position in the medical department, please
email Corporal Duffy in HR.” Moving the lectern aside, he cleared an area large
enough to safely demonstrate one of the takedown techniques he’d learned in a
recent defensive tactics course. Then he set a padded vinyl mat on the floor.
“As you all know, I like to pass along what I learn in the
classes the jail pays me to take. Tonight I’m going to show you a leg sweep.”
He stepped closer to the first row of chairs. “This is a great move to take an
inmate down quickly. You’re going to grab his left or right pant leg—whichever is
easier to access—and yank his leg out to the side. At the same time, you pull
his opposite shoulder backward, disrupting his base.”
He rubbed his hands together, looking over the group for a
good candidate to help him demonstrate the technique. “Who wants to knock me to
the floor tonight?”
As usual, not a single hand went up. “Come on, people.”
In the last row, a single hand went up. “I’ll do it,” Belle
offered.
He held back a grin. The woman’s adorable butt had been
firmly plastered in a cushy office chair her entire career. He doubted she even
attended the mandatory yearly physical training sessions the rest of the staff
had to endure. She wanted to play with the big boys? Look like a fool? Sure.
He’d facilitate that for her.
Motioning for her to come up front, he ignored the rumbling
in the crowd. He watched her sidestep between chairs. Her hips shifted this way
and that. He couldn’t help being riveted by that round ass and those perky
breasts. Hell, he wasn’t the only guy in the room staring at the spectacle.
She finally made it up front and stood a couple of feet from
him on the mat. The close proximity gave him a whiff of her strawberry scent.
No one smelled that good here. That was wrong in a jail. Just plain wrong.
“Okay. What do I do?” Her stiff stance conveyed about as
much warmth as an ice cube, but then she wasn’t here on a date.
“Stand behind me, facing me. Tuck in close to protect
yourself from an elbow.”
She moved into position.
“Always do this takedown from behind. Remember to—” His left
leg went out from under him and he immediately fell backward, landing on the
mat flat on his ass.
The pain of the fall was nothing compared to the hoots,
hollers and raucous laughter from his crew. Son of a bitch . But
he guessed he’d probably be cutting up with them if he saw a five-foot-nothing
woman take down a six-foot-one man who had at least seventy pounds on her.
“That was easy. Great technique.” Isabel—wearing a snug
grin—offered him a hand up.
He got to his feet without her assistance.
She strode back to her seat as the laughter died down.
Disloyal bastards .
“Any questions?” He folded the mat and hung it on a hook on
the wall. No one said anything. Glancing around for his three corporals, he
said, “Anything to add?”
Again, nothing.
“Okay. Everyone get out there and have a safe shift.” He
moved the podium back into place then waited for the officers to leave the
room.
Belle lingered around her seat, picked up a cup someone had
forgotten on the floor. But he got the distinct impression she’d purposely
stayed behind to get him alone. What the hell did she want with him?
Belle bent to search under the chairs for any trash the
officers had left. She didn’t see much.
Is this what I’ve
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