Page 64 of Bound to a Monster

I’ll just have to practice my footwork and find out.

Chapter 25

Carmie

Idon’t know why I’m disappointed, but a few days pass without any nighttime visits from my masked husband.

It’s great for my sleep. With all this extra daily training I’m doing, I need the rest. My body isn’t used to working this much. I’m sore in places I had no clue could even get sore.

When I text that to the girl group, the replies almost write themselves.

Gia: QUIT BRAGGING.

Sofie: Is this the girl with the gorgeous husband bragging about how sore he makes her??

Frannie: You two have dirty minds.

I wish Lev would make an appearance in my door with that mask on again, but I understand why he hasn’t. He and Alex are in overdrive, and they’re practically working every day. I don’t know the details, but I get the feeling that something big is coming, and Lev is preparing. He’s out the door before I’mawake in the morning and isn’t home until well after I’m getting ready for bed.

Things are cordial between us when we do cross paths. He’s not such an arrogant asshole, and he even makes a few small gestures. Like every morning, he sets up the coffee for me, and he even bought half-decaf so I can drink more of it without worrying. He also does the laundry and makes sure all my fencing kit is set up and ready to go for me each day, even though I don’t ask him to.

My morning sickness is doing better, and I think it’s because I’m exercising again.

Or maybe because my mood’s generally much better than it was before.

When Thursday rolls around, I finally decide to get out of the house. I’ve been cooped up and am getting antsy, and even though I’m still getting my fencing feet under me again, I’m feeling a lot more confident after that night with Lev, enough that I walk into a local gym and sign up for fencing lessons.

There’s a training class happening when I talk to a young guy at the front desk. He lets me poke my head in and watch. It’s a narrow room in the back behind all the weights. The floor is hardwood with strips painted at regular intervals, enough for eight different bouts.

The woman running the class is older. She’s got dark hair streaked with gray and walks around the room correcting form and giving advice as her students go through simple sparring drills. They’re working on their distance and trying to keep their opponent at the right position as each of them moves back and forth.

“Aline!” My guide waves the instructor over. I try to stop him, feeling awkward, but he ignores me. “Got a new student for you.”

The instructor, Aline, turns her intense dark eyes on me and extends a hand. Her smile is guarded but friendly.

“I’m Carmie,” I tell her when we shake.

“Good to meet you. Do you have any prior fencing experience?”

“I was on my fencing team in high school.”

“That’s good. You’ll probably join my intermediate class then.”

“Aline’s the best in the business,” the desk guy says, beaming huge. “She fenced for the Swiss national team and placed tenth in the Olympics.”

“That was a long time ago,” Aline says, scowling. “Stop bragging about me, Billy, and get back to work.”

“Whatever you say.” The young guy waves and walks off.

Aline’s expression softens. “Sorry about that. Billy’s my nephew.”

“You really fenced in the Olympics?” I say, trying not to start gushing, but this woman is suddenly my idol, and I worship the ground she walks on.

She snorts and turns back to her class. “Like I said, it was forever ago. I’ll see you next week, Carmie.” Then she walks off, already barking critique at a nearby student.

I linger for a few more minutes and watch. Aline is sharp and critical but very fair, and it’s obvious her students love her. I feel a strange, excited longing as I force myself to head back through the main gym and give Billy a little wave on my way back out.

“See you soon,” he calls after me. “More fodder for my aunt!”

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