Dragon Gate by Gary Jonas Page A

didn’t see anyone who looked to be out of shape.
    Perhaps the Upper Echelon was for new people who were flabby and too embarrassed to be seen in the presence of these hardbodies. That could explain the privacy. I didn’t think anyone here would object to an overweight person trying to improve him- or herself, but a few of the women I train would be self-conscious and intimidated by this place.
    Some of the women were genetically predisposed to be heavy, but some put on weight because they didn’t want their husbands to find them attractive. It helped them insulate themselves to the violence and cruelty. I taught them to fight back and to respect themselves. The changes made life worth living. Helping them gave me a positive purpose.
    I wondered if Graham and Rayna felt that way about the people they helped here in The Steam Room or even at the hospice. I understood why Jonathan reacted the way he did to Lucas, but I saw things differently. If something that seemed bad could be used for good, it was fine with me. Change was often worth it.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    JONATHAN SHADE
    Esther kept tabs on Rayna while Brand and I walked the estate. Lucas’s kids hadn’t arrived yet, but we expected them within the hour. The temperature topped out in the low forties, so I wore my leather jacket. Brand wore a long-sleeved shirt, but he didn’t feel the cold.
    I pointed out where the security cameras were and how I wanted him to adjust them to give better coverage of the grounds. Brand nodded and kept saying it would be no problem. He might have to make a run to the hardware store for a particular mount, but he had a few cameras in his truck and plenty of tools. Evidently Kelly had already mentioned most of this to him.
    “Is that all?” he asked as we finished our assessment.
    “Yeah. Why? You think I missed something?”
    He shook his head. “I want to talk to you about something else.”
    “You and Kelly having issues again?”
    “I want to know how you managed to beat me yesterday.”
    “Luck.”
    “Bullshit. You’re faster. And I can see in your eyes, you’re meaner. You’re not the guy I knew a few months ago.”
    “Yes, I am.”
    “Don’t shit a shitter, Shade.”
    “Say that ten times fast.”
    “How did you do it?”
    I sighed. “Don’t worry about it.”
    “I want a rematch.”
    “Fine, we can set something up after we deal with the Marshall Clan.”
    “I was thinking right here, right now.” He took up a fighting stance.
    “We’re working,” I said and turned away. I started back toward the house, but Brand grabbed me.
    I expected it, of course, so when I spun around, I was ready for his attack. I blocked the first and second punches, but the third came a lot closer. I let his left fist flow past then trapped his biceps with my right arm, and before he could react, I cupped his chin with my left palm and threw him to the ground.
    “We don’t have time for this, Brand.”
    He pulled his legs to his chest and did a nice kip-up to his feet.
    “I do hope we’re not interrupting anything,” a man said.
    Brand and I spun to see two men standing on the security wall at the edge of the property. One held a bow with the arrow already nocked and aimed at us. The other held a sword. Both appeared to be in their early to mid twenties.
    “As a matter of fact, you are interrupting,” Brand said.
    The older of the two, the guy with the sword, dropped to the ground and stepped toward us. The archer kept him covered. “My apologies, good sirs. I’m here to see Rayna Noble, the mistress of the house.”
    “You call this a house?” Brand asked gesturing at the mansion. “That’s like calling the Titanic a rowboat.”
    “I don’t understand what you just said, so I’ll repeat that I’m here for Rayna.”
    “What’s your name?” I asked.
    “My name is Richard Marshall.”
    “And I should care about that why?” I asked as I unzipped my jacket halfway. I wanted easy access to the Beretta seated in my