Page 50 of Cocky Secrets

“I don’t need it to be one.” Soph straightens up a little, shoves her hands in her jeans front pockets. “Iwanther to kick ass. Especially since she’s getting older. Do you know how much it inspires me to watch my mother work out there? At her age? To know she was the first female Cipher? The first female Cipher men ran from? To follow in her footsteps...” Soph pulls out one hand in a stop gesture. “I know you’re an artist and you’re more sensitive than I am. Than many of us are. But doesn’t that Harley feel good knowing you’re the one mastering it?”

“Yes,” I admit.

She slides her hand back into the pocket, holding my gaze for a suspenseful beat. “Imagine if you trained with us, and you knew how to take down a guy twice your size by using his own body weight against him? You would never feel helpless again. I believe that if every woman trained in self-defense there would be a lot less crimes against women.”

I chew my lip, thinking about the undeniable logic of that belief. Turning and meeting my own eyes in the mirror, I stare at the woman I’ve become. At the fresh bruise that reminds me how little I’m able to defend myself. “I was a lot younger the first time I tried training.”

“That’s right,” Sofia Sol eggs me on, “And you’re stubborn so you weredeterminedto carve your own way, remember?”

A memory hits me of my teenage years, of my saying with a fervor that I wanted to be a lover not a fighter. “I wouldn’t have minded kicking the shit out of Soot back there.”

“The President of The Spiders,” Soph says, with a look that she tells me she remembers him well from their previous encounter with that club. “You could have done it, too. They don’t train. They just do normal bar-brawl boxing like most bullies. Fists and brute strength with zero technique. Easy to overcome.” She shrugs, adding, “If you know how.”

“It still would have been one against many,” I argue. “Had I known how to fight and they surrounded me like they did.”

“You wouldn’t have been in that position. When was the last time you saw me go anywhere alone?”

Grabbing the toothpaste, I squeeze some onto my toothbrush, run it under water for a second. “Hadn’t thought of that.”

“Now you’re thinking of it.”

I nod, turn off the faucet, “I’m listening,” and start brushing.

“We travel together for a reason. You were on your own because you were sneaking out, but you never have to be alone again. Atlas was the first to say he wants us to train you, but we all jumped on board the second he did. I think you’d be great at this, Sage. And Icouldtell you it’s because I’ve seen, lately, how much fire you have in you, with how you’ve been fighting to be with Bear, but the truth is, I think there’s a fighter in every woman. I think a lot of women are holding rage in their hearts for how women have been treated over centuries. I think if they learned self-defense they’d own some of that hidden power and would walk with their heads held even higher.”

Rinsing out my mouth, I grab a towel and wipe the corners, looking at Soph through the mirror. “I’m in.”

She grins, frees her hands and I turn for a hug. “Sage,” she whispers in my ear, squeezing me tightly, “I think you’re going to be great.” Pulling back, our gazes are locked. “And since you took away his ability to choose if he wants to a Cipher, remember that you can’t tell Bear about our missions.”

A frown pierces my forehead as I watch her walk out the door.

What.

The.

Fuck.

Suddenly I hear a lot of activity coming from downstairs, and my heart skips a beat as I head out, instantly excited to see Bear, doing my best to shove away what Sofia Sol just said. But the irritation is hard to ignore. Why did she say that to me? How many times do I have to be reminded of what I already know? And I didn’t take away his ability! He’d have to be told the secrets in order to decide for himself, and they don’t want him to know the secrets. Are theythatconfident he’d become a Cipher if he knew, that his answer would be a resounding YES?

Dad and Mom are talking to Bear in the foyer when I appear, Atlas and Luke standing back and listening. Watching.

“Nice to meet you, Margaret,” Bear says to my mom, shaking her hand with warmth in his smile.

“And these are Sage’s brothers,” Mom smiles in return, pointing to each as she introduces them, “Luke and Atlas. Luke is our eldest.”

“We fought alongside each other tonight,” Bear nods to them with respect. “I caught your names being called out but with all that was going on, I didn’t know which belonged to who.”

Luke says, “You fought well.”

Bear smirks, “Not as well as you. Asanyof you. That was some movie-stunt-level fighting I saw out there.” He slices his gaze back to Dad. “How’d you all learn to fight like that?”

Dad grunts, “We train.”

“Why?”

Atlas spreads his stance wider, crossing his arms. “Something to do.”

Luke inhales through his nose. “Not much to do out here.”

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