Page 75 of Fiercely Protective

Bri

Rogue had been gone much longer this morning than I expected. Breakfast and lunch had been delivered to the penthouse. I had eaten very little, my stomach still in knots with the anxiety I was feeling about what was to come. Rogue’s penthouse was very luxurious, but when you were alone, the extreme quiet gave your mind time to think up the worst scenarios imaginable. I had always had an active imagination so not having anything to occupy my mind was never a good thing.

When the elevator doors opened, I was surprised but happy to see Father Michael walking toward me. He didn’t look like a priest now. He was dressed for the gym in navy workout pants and a gray tank top. He had a smile on his face that made him appear carefree, content, and quite handsome.

“Father Michael, I wasn’t expecting you this morning.”

He came farther into the room and held out a bag to me. “Rogue called me early this morning and said you were interested in learning some self-defense moves.”

I tried to hide my excitement as I reached for the bag he was holding. “I was afraid he would forget. Yes, he said you could help me.”

He tilted his head a bit. “I will try. It’s a good thing for you to know. I wasn’t sure if you had any workout gear, so I stopped by a Lulu store on my way here. I guessed at the sizes,but I figured you would need more than the designer dresses and clothing Rogue has bought for you. I’ll wait here while you change and then we can go to the gym on the top floor.”

My face couldn’t hide the excitement I was feeling. I had not expected to start training so soon. Last night Rogue still seemed a little put off at the thought of me having to protect myself, so I was surprised to know he had already contacted Michael about it. “Thank you. I won’t take long to change.”

I rushed into the bedroom so happy to be able to slip into the leggings and crop top that were in the bag. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and hurried back to find Michael sitting on the sofa waiting patiently while drinking a glass of what I presumed was bourbon.

He took another sip. “Rogue always has the best liquor in his bar. Even as a teenager, he never settled for subpar liquor.”

I smiled thinking that Micael was the most unusual priest I had ever met. “Thanks for thinking about the workout clothes. The leggings fit perfectly and feel great.”

“You are welcome. Well, I know Rogue is planning on going to the club tonight so we should get started.”

I eagerly followed Michael into the elevator excited for my first lesson, but that excitement quickly turned to apprehension when I realized how seriously Michael was taking the assignment. He had no plans of taking it easy on me. After a two-hour session teaching me a few basic ways to get out of submission holds, he decided I needed to learn how to hit a man properly. He showed me how to correctly make a fist to protect my thumb and let me hit the bag a few times.

My knuckles were a little bruised already when Michael suggested I try what I had learned on him.

“When a man threatens you, the first thing a woman thinks of is to kick him in the balls. It’s extremely effective but also expected. Most trained men will know how to counter and if they can manage to flip you onto your back, you are screwed. So, the best thing is to take them by surprise, punch the throat, shove the heel of your hand into their nose, anything to take them off guard before you bring them to their knees with a swift knee or kick to the ballocks.”

He demonstrated the techniques a few times, then nodded at me to try them. He straightened his shoulders and stepped closer. I took a deep breath, balled up my fist the way he had shown me earlier, and took a swing. He caught my fist in midair, spun me around, and wrapped his arm around my throat.

“You hesitated. It gives your opponent time to anticipate your moves. You have to think quick, be quick, get angry, and put all your weight into that punch.”

He walked away to grab a bottle of water from his gym bag and tossed it to me. “You aren’t confident enough but that will come with time. Are you tired or do you want to continue?”

The water felt refreshing, but I wasn’t about to admit defeat now. “Let’s keep trying.”

He grinned as he walked back over to me. “Don’t be discouraged. This is just your first day of training. It takes time to be proficient.”

He lunged for me, and I sidestepped, but when I tried to hit him, he swept my legs out from under me, and I landedhard on the mat. I covered my eyes with my arm and took a few breaths. “Maybe I should just learn how to shoot.”

“You should, but I don’t know how Rogue will feel about that. You might get mad and shoot him one day.”

He smiled to let me know he was teasing me and reached out his hand to help me back to my feet.

“Ok, let’s try again.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Focus all your anger on me. Imagine I am the man who hurt you. Think back to what he did to you and how it felt. Are you going to allow it again? Are you going to be a victim or a fighter?”

When he stepped closer, I didn’t hesitate. I reached up and punched him right in the nose. His hand came up to cover his face and I immediately felt remorse. I stepped closer. “I’m so sorry, I…”

His arms shot out before I could finish my sentence and I found myself on my back once again with him looming over me.

“Don’t ever feel remorse. And if you can disable or distract your attacker, even if it is only for a little while, run. Run and don’t stop running until you can get to safety.”

“Ok, but at least I connected this time.”

He took his fingers and wiggled his nose. “Not bad for the first time. Next time I will be more prepared.”

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