in starting the bullshit now.
He tugged on the chain at her neck. “Let’s go.”
~ ~ ~
“You’re insane for doing this, Xander. And if she does
succeed against you, despite your arrogant fucking belief that she won’t, I
will not allow her out of this mansion if she’s still breathing. I don’t care
what deal you made with her, I’m not
a part of it.” Aaron escorted Xander down the mansion corridors to a work out
area in the back section of the building. After taking Hope to the bathroom, he’d
given her water — unadulterated — and some food to settle her
stomach and give her some strength. He didn’t tell Aaron that part.
“You’re sure she’s weak?”
“I’m flattered by your vote of confidence in my ability as a
fighter. Seriously, stop, you’re making me blush.” Xander’s were spoken drolly,
indicative of his annoyance. He’d sparred against Aaron for practically his
entire life, not to mention fought and survived hundreds of attacks inside and outside
of The Estate compound, there was no reason for Aaron to believe he couldn’t
win against Hope.
Aaron stopped and turned to Xander. “From what you and Maddy
say, she’s like me. If that’s the case, then when you get in that room, you’ll
be dealing with a person who feels nothing but a desire to kill. She’ll be a
machine and she’ll take advantage of every weakness you have, probably the
biggest one being that you obviously have a thing for her. Will you be able to
kill her if it means you’ll live?”
“She amuses me — number one — and, number two, it
won’t come to that.” It was the only answer Xander could give. In his mind,
there were no other options but to win.
Aaron scoffed. “If she was simply amusing , you wouldn’t have threatened Jason’s life last night.” He
gave Xander a pointed look. “I’ll be outside the doors. I’d tell you to yell if
you need help, but if it got to that point, you’d be dead before I could open
the door.”
Xander patted him on the back. “A simple ‘good luck’ would
have been a nicer thing to say.”
Aaron’s brow arched over his eye and he pulled the door
open. Walking in, Xander heard it close behind him and he stared at Hope who
stood near the other end of the large space. She was dressed in the sweat pants
and shirt he’d given her when they’d been in his room. They were two sizes too
large for her and he wondered how well she’d be able to move while wearing
them. Crossing the room with dread weighing on his shoulders, excitement also
ignited in other areas of his body. He remembered how she was absolutely
sensual in the way she moved, in the way she fought. He looked forward to experiencing
it again.
~ ~ ~
Hopes eyes tracked Xander as he approached. Dressed in a
snug cotton shirt and military style cargo pants tucked into his boots, he
walked casually across the floor, looking like he was ready to spar more so
than fight for his life.
“Will there be weapons?” She prayed to get her hand on a
blade. After she’d woken up that morning, she realized how much time had passed
since she’d seen Honor. While she waited for hours in the room to be brought to
this gym, she imagined in horror the things being done to her sister. Hope’s
heart shredded inside her chest and her throat thickened at the idea that
things could have gone too far, that Honor couldn’t endure, that she could be
dead.
“Not sure you can beat me without the use of steel? I
thought they would have taught you better than that.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, hatred rubbing against her
thoughts and nerves, but dotted with heat, with an ache for something he’d done
the night before. “It would make things quicker if I could remove your head
with one clean slice instead of having to tear it off.”
He smiled in response and her body shuddered like it
remembered him — his touch, his bite, the feeling of him tearing through
her, filling her. She fought to shake
He tugged on the chain at her neck. “Let’s go.”
~ ~ ~
“You’re insane for doing this, Xander. And if she does
succeed against you, despite your arrogant fucking belief that she won’t, I
will not allow her out of this mansion if she’s still breathing. I don’t care
what deal you made with her, I’m not
a part of it.” Aaron escorted Xander down the mansion corridors to a work out
area in the back section of the building. After taking Hope to the bathroom, he’d
given her water — unadulterated — and some food to settle her
stomach and give her some strength. He didn’t tell Aaron that part.
“You’re sure she’s weak?”
“I’m flattered by your vote of confidence in my ability as a
fighter. Seriously, stop, you’re making me blush.” Xander’s were spoken drolly,
indicative of his annoyance. He’d sparred against Aaron for practically his
entire life, not to mention fought and survived hundreds of attacks inside and outside
of The Estate compound, there was no reason for Aaron to believe he couldn’t
win against Hope.
Aaron stopped and turned to Xander. “From what you and Maddy
say, she’s like me. If that’s the case, then when you get in that room, you’ll
be dealing with a person who feels nothing but a desire to kill. She’ll be a
machine and she’ll take advantage of every weakness you have, probably the
biggest one being that you obviously have a thing for her. Will you be able to
kill her if it means you’ll live?”
“She amuses me — number one — and, number two, it
won’t come to that.” It was the only answer Xander could give. In his mind,
there were no other options but to win.
Aaron scoffed. “If she was simply amusing , you wouldn’t have threatened Jason’s life last night.” He
gave Xander a pointed look. “I’ll be outside the doors. I’d tell you to yell if
you need help, but if it got to that point, you’d be dead before I could open
the door.”
Xander patted him on the back. “A simple ‘good luck’ would
have been a nicer thing to say.”
Aaron’s brow arched over his eye and he pulled the door
open. Walking in, Xander heard it close behind him and he stared at Hope who
stood near the other end of the large space. She was dressed in the sweat pants
and shirt he’d given her when they’d been in his room. They were two sizes too
large for her and he wondered how well she’d be able to move while wearing
them. Crossing the room with dread weighing on his shoulders, excitement also
ignited in other areas of his body. He remembered how she was absolutely
sensual in the way she moved, in the way she fought. He looked forward to experiencing
it again.
~ ~ ~
Hopes eyes tracked Xander as he approached. Dressed in a
snug cotton shirt and military style cargo pants tucked into his boots, he
walked casually across the floor, looking like he was ready to spar more so
than fight for his life.
“Will there be weapons?” She prayed to get her hand on a
blade. After she’d woken up that morning, she realized how much time had passed
since she’d seen Honor. While she waited for hours in the room to be brought to
this gym, she imagined in horror the things being done to her sister. Hope’s
heart shredded inside her chest and her throat thickened at the idea that
things could have gone too far, that Honor couldn’t endure, that she could be
dead.
“Not sure you can beat me without the use of steel? I
thought they would have taught you better than that.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, hatred rubbing against her
thoughts and nerves, but dotted with heat, with an ache for something he’d done
the night before. “It would make things quicker if I could remove your head
with one clean slice instead of having to tear it off.”
He smiled in response and her body shuddered like it
remembered him — his touch, his bite, the feeling of him tearing through
her, filling her. She fought to shake
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