Page 53 of Dangerous Rhythm

“What’s bothering you?” Lina almost didn’t want to ask.

He turned his hand around one of hers and held it. He put his guitar away with the other before settling back on the couch.

“This whole thing.” Curtis sighed heavily. “But I only have myself to blame. I keep thinking back, why was I at that club that night? I didn’t even want to be there. I was trying to escape, to get out, when I stumbled onto Rocco Stiletto and Sean Murphy.

“If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be risking my family’s safety. And now all of us are yanked away from our homes withoutknowing when we can return, or if we can ever return. We can’t even find out if they’re okay right now.”

“Your family is safe, Curtis.” Lina squeezed his hand. “In the last communication I had with Marcus before we went dark, he told me they’re safe and sound.

“And this isn’t your fault,” she added. “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But you were also probably meant to be there, because if you weren’t, Rocco wouldn’t have been apprehended.”

“But if he hadn’t, then there wouldn’t be this war between these families,” he argued. “Seems like a bad case of domino effect to me.”

“Believe me, whatever issues are between those families, they existed before you stumbled onto them,” Lina said. “Look, we can talk about what-ifs all day, but it won’t change the fact that this is where we are. We can only work with the cards we’re dealt.”

Curtis rubbed his face roughly with his hand. Obviously, her words didn’t ease his guilt. And guilt was something Lina understood well. Marcus had tried talking to her about it the way she’d tried with Curtis, but the guilt stayed.

“Hey, since we can’t really do anything about this until Raul gets back, I have an idea on how to get that frustration out,” she suggested.

He glanced at her. His eyes twinkled with a more suggestive idea than she had in mind.

“Come on.” Lina stood and pulled him up by the hand.

She led him through the hallway and turned toward the gym. Curtis pulled her to the other side toward the staircase instead.

“No.” Lina laughed. “Trust me.”

“Where are you taking me?” Curtis asked, and when he figured out where they were going he complained, “But I’ve worked out this morning. My knuckles still feel raw.”

“We’re not working out.” She pulled him into the gym. “We’re training.”

“What?” Curtis stared at her blankly.

“Fight training.” Lina climbed into the ring. “Get in here.”

“But I’m not dressed for that.” He was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.

“When some Stiletto thug attacks you, you’re gonna tell them to wait so you can change your outfit?” she goaded him.

Curtis gave her a stink-eye before he climbed into the ring. “This is not how I pictured this going.”

Lina ignored him and waited until he stood before her.

“Okay, I have to tell you I have some training,” he said, cocking a hand on his hip. “I’ve been working out at an MMC dojo in the past year.”

“That’s good. I don’t have to give you the basics, then.” Lina had noted Curtis must’ve had at least defensive training based on the way he’d stopped the guy with the knife in Barcelona.

“I’ll be the attacker. Try to dodge and avoid me hurting you. Don’t attack back for now, okay?” Lina said.

“What’s the fun in that?” he protested.

“We’ll come to that.” And without warning, she came at him straight, thrusting a fake knife she’d sneaked inside her sleeve before she got into the ring. Raul had a full arsenal of training to very-real fighting knives.

Curtis was surprised by the move, and automatically jumped back and to the side and used the bottom of his hand to hit her knife hand and force it away from him. In a real attack, of course, Lina wouldn’t stop there.

“What the fuck?” he yelled. “Is that thing real?”

“Nice reflex.” Lina straightened and smiled. “Again!”

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