Page 59 of Sweet Little Spies

Kala had fallen onto the mat, and every man there took astep back.

All of them except Aidan, who was still trying to protecther. “She’s going to get hurt.”

“Sometimes we need to get hurt to remind us how resilient wecan be,” Tristan said. “I’m putting fifty on my baby. She’s mean, and she knowspressure points.”

She’d forgotten how much Tris loved it when she was anarrogant brat. Aidan loved her sweet side, but Tristan craved the bad girl. Shehadn’t been a bad girl in far too long.

Kala’s legs came up, and she was suddenly on her feet again.“Nice move. It won’t work again, but you’re right to use my preconceivednotions against me. Do it with every fucking man you meet. They willunderestimate you, and then you can take them down.”

Cooper moved back. “You’re insane, Tris. I’ll take your bet.Kala, don’t kill her. Deep down you love her.”

Kala looked his way. “Why the hell else would I be doingthis?”

“Because you love to fight,” Cooper replied.

Kala shrugged. “Truth. But I do love her, and this isabsolutely for her own good. Show me what you got, cos.”

Carys felt a surge of energy go through her, felt Triswatching her and Aidan’s worry.

And then let it all go as Kala threw her next punch and thefight was on.

* * * *

“You could have died.” Aidan put an ice pack on hispreviously sane girlfriend’s wrist. What the hell was she thinking?

“She wasn’t going to die.” Tris sat across from her in thelounge where everyone had retreated for drinks and snacks after watching twowomen try to kill each other. “Carys, you handled yourself well out there, butyou should know…”

“She took it easy on me,” Carys said with a sigh and a winceas she sat back.

“Easy?” Aidan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It hadbeen brutal. They’d gone at it for more than thirty minutes. Carys had gottenflipped and punched and held down with an elbow in her back. “There was nothingeasy about what I just saw.”

And there had been nothing he could do about it becauseevery time he tried to stop it, Tris put a hand on his shoulder and made himsit back down.

She needs this, he’d said.

Needed to get punched? Needed to get put on her belly likeshe was some kind of wrestler?

Carys sighed. “She totally pulled her punches.”

“She did, and I’m glad you saw that.” Zach Reed handed her aglass. Amber liquid with one large ice cube.

Bourbon. She took it with her free hand. “She was nevergoing to truly hurt me. She wants me to understand what happens if I get into areal fight.”

Zach was six foot four and corded with lean muscle. He satdown across from Carys. “And what do you do if you get into a real fight?”

Zach had come into town to help Tris. Because they’d beenworking together for a long time now. Had Zach taken his place?

Fuck. He might be jealous of Zach.

“Get out of it as fast as possible and hide so Kala doesn’thave to worry about me,” Carys said and then knocked back the bourbon.

“Excellent.” Zach gave her an approving nod. “Then you’rehalfway there. You have some good moves. Now the question is how prepared isAidan?”

“I’ll take care of Aidan.” Tristan sat in his chair, his ownbourbon in hand.

“No one needs to take care of me.” Was he now considered thesoftest one? “I know self-defense and all the same pressure points Carys does.I’m not exactly helpless. Also, I thought we were probably going to a safehouse.”

“Told you I can’t send you because you promised Huisman youwould be his pet resident,” Tris replied. “And it was recently pointed out tome that I don’t get to walk away for two and a half years and come back in andstart barking orders. Carys, you want to do this?”

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