Page 50 of Savage Union

I was glad to teach the boy some skills. I was under no illusions that the Crew all loved their new navigator now. They liked Cass better than they had and didn’t actively wish him harm—well, apart for Jerx and Gurflug—but he was still entirely too pretty. They might be tempted to try something if they caught him alone, without me to protect him.

I wondered why I hadn’t paid more attention to his obvious beauty during his interview. For some reason, it hadn’t struck me. But the more I got to know the boy, the more I noticed his physical attributes, like those long eyelashes and his full mouth which looked so damn kissable…

I pushed the thought aside and shrugged out of my Captain’s coat and my shirt. I didn’t want to get my uniform dirty orcrumpled when we were sparring. I nodded at Cass to do the same.

“Come on—take off your top. That way you won’t get your uniform dirty.”

For some reason, his amber eyes went wide and he clutched at his uniform shirt.

“Oh, I don’t know…”

“Do you want me to teach you or not?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Some of the moves I’m going to show you are tricky and you’re going to end up on the floor. If you don’t take off your uniform shirt it’ll get dirty.”

“Um…okay.”

Very reluctantly, he removed his black uniform shirt with its white collar and cuffs and laid it carefully over one of the chairs across from my desk. But I noticed that he kept on the tight black tank top he’d had on under it.

“You don’t want to take that off too?” I asked him, nodding at it.

Quickly, he shook his head.

“It’s a compression tank—it helps with a rib injury I had a while ago.”

I frowned.

“Are you sure you’re all right to do this?”

“Oh yes—it’s an old injury.” He shrugged. “The tank just helps me to keep from re-injuring myself.”

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. “All right, let’s get started. Turn around so your back is to me.”

Obediently, he did as I said. I came up behind him at once and looped an arm around his throat.

“Oh!” He gave a strangled gasp and reached up to grip my arm, trying to pull it away from his throat with no success at all. “What are you doing?” he choked out.

“I’m going to show you how to break a choke hold,” I told him. I drew his slight body closer to my own until his back was pressed against my chest. “Just relax—I’m not really going to choke you,” I murmured in his ear.

“O…okay.” I could feel his tense body relaxing against mine as he slowly did his best to obey me.

“All right, now listen…” I murmured. I kept my arm around his neck but I didn’t squeeze—though I confess I liked having him so close. I could smell his scent and it was sweet—almost feminine. I tried to ignore it as I spoke in his ear.

“You did the right thing by putting your hands up but you also have to tuck your chin the minute you feel my arm come around your neck. Otherwise I can choke you out in a matter of seconds. Try again.”

I removed my arm and then looped it around his neck again. This time Cass tucked his chin at once as he gripped my arm.

“Good,” I murmured. “That’s a good start but the way to break a choke-hold isnotto pry at your attacker’s arm—that’s just to try and protect the blood vessels in your neck. They’ve got all the leverage at this point and you have to find a way to break their hold and get away…”

I could feel the boy listening intently as I spoke and I tried to ignore the feeling of his body against mine. Why was I so hyperaware of him? I’d taught self-defense to others before but I couldn’t ever remember being so focused on the feeling of my student pressing against me.

“Now what you want to do is step to the side so you get a clear shot at your attacker’s groin,” I told him. “Make a fist and swing it backwards, right between his legs. Are you ready to try it?”

“I…I don’t want to hurt you, though,” he protested breathlessly.

“You won’t—I’m ready for you. Try it,” I ordered. “Step to your right and make a fist with your left hand.”

Cass did as I said, taking a step and making a fist. Then he swung it backwards. I moved as he did and it only hit my thigh.

“There—hopefully a regular attacker won’t be expecting that move like I was,” I told him. “The minute you hit him in the groin, he’ll loosen his grip and you can twist away and run.”

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