Page 91 of Veil of Death and Shadow

“When you start,” his voice was soft against my ear, and I fought to focus on the words, rather than the soft tickle of his breath against my skin, “your pinky should be closest to the ground, index up.” He brushed my first two knuckles, lingering again on the small scar. “This is where the point of impact will be, not your entire hand.”

I nodded, my mouth too dry to find words.

“You want to stay grounded, keep your wrist straight,” he continued. “You’ll do more harm to yourself than to your opponent if you’re too loose or wild with it.”

I swallowed, then nodded. Though I hadn’t run into Ace since the day the asshole tried to drug me, I sure hoped he’d walked away that night the worse of the two of us.

Levi nudged his foot against mine, widening my stance a bit, until my feet were lined up against each of his insteps. With my back pressed against his chest, his arms brushing alongside bothof mine, this demonstration was suddenly far more intimate than I’d imagined it being in my head. “Feet should be under your shoulders, pointing towards your target.”

Currently, my target was a small red balloon floating a few feet in front of me. Too soft for me to injure myself again, but visible and solid enough to give me a small target to aim for.

“You’re right-handed?” he asked

I licked my lips, the cool autumn breeze chilling where my tongue just touched. “Yes.”

“Dominant foot is back, and you’ll swing forward, like this.” He took a few steps back to demonstrate the motion, his perfect form so casual and effortless, I wondered how often, exactly, he found himself needing to use it. “Your power stays in your lower body and travels up, through your arm.”

I watched him move through the motions a few more times, then emulated them myself. With a soft pop, the balloon sprang away, only to immediately boomerang back, popping me in the nose.

Swallowing my pride, I flicked it away. Suppose it was only fair the balloon got a shot in too.

“Good,” he said, his lips twisting into a small grin, “that’s a good start. Don’t be afraid of your opponent, and don’t pull back before your fist reaches them. Instead of imagining hitting them, try and picture yourself hitting through them.”

It was strange, trying to muster power against a small piece of air-filled rubber, but I tried to focus on something I wanted to hurt. Though it had been nearly two months since that night, my brain had very little difficulty conjuring Ace’s smarmy face. Complete with that arrogant-as-fuck grin of his.

I struck again, the balloon jutting harder and farther this time, as the string fought against the small sandbag keeping it from flying away.

“Great.” Levi smiled, nodding his approval. He came closer, lifting my elbow slightly. “Bend your knees a little, it will help stabilize you when you jab. Give you more power.” He gripped my hips, the pressure so light I almost didn’t feel it—like he was trying hard not to invade my personal space or box me in. Still, my body seemed to come alive at his closeness, my skin tingling at the points of contact. “Move your hips and chest as one, twist them towards your target. Your fist will follow the path, but make sure you don’t lean forward too far in the follow through. Otherwise, you’ll go sailing over your opponent and lose any of the headway you had.”

Something else I’d done incorrectly that night. The memory of Levi’s grip, iron and strong around my waist, as he pulled me back from falling on top of that asshat came rushing back to me.

Following his instructions, I hit the balloon again. This time, I felt more stable, more connected.

Over the next hour, he ran me through various positions, teaching me to jab, uppercut, and defend myself from someone throwing fists at me.

Even with the chill in the air, my skin was laced with a layer of sweat. My hair had also largely fallen from the tight ponytail I wore it in, and I could feel my baby hairs curling around my face in a halo.

Even though Levi ran through every exercise with me, he still looked pristine—not even the suggestion of sweat, or like this required any more effort than a casual stroll through the park.

It was infuriating, but I also caught myself stealing glimpses of him whenever he wasn’t looking.

As usual, he was dressed head-to-toe in black. Though today, instead of jeans, he had on a pair of joggers that showed off the hard curves of his ass to such a degree that I had to actively force myself to keep my gaze up.

Then again, maybe not.

Our deal would be up after today, after all, meaning that for all intents and purposes, Levi and I would never see each other again. That made him an ideal candidate for a casual, fun hookup. No strings, just two bodies seeking a bit of comfort and release.

I’d spent an embarrassing amount of time during his demonstrations silently debating the merits of asking if that might be something he’d be into. After a shower, of course. I was downright disgusting right now.

“Now let’s work on getting out of a hold,” he said, the only warning before his strong arms came around my body, tightening in a vise until I was sealed against him, his body locked around mine. “If someone grabs you, it’s important to know how to get free. Proper form with hitting is important, but this kind of maneuver can be the difference between life and death.”

My heart raced at his closeness, but for an entirely different reason now. I blinked a few times, my vision blurring slightly in my peripherals, as dots of light slowly eclipsed the quiet park around us.

I squirmed against him, but his hold only tightened with each movement I made until, eventually, I could hardly move at all. His chest was like a rock against my back, his arms, though lean, were stacked with corded muscle I couldn’t budge.

Panic clutched at my chest, my lungs were tight as I tried to find my breath, to inhale. When I couldn’t, my heartbeat raced even faster in response.

The vibrant scenery around us disappeared, until all I could see were dark, vibrant flashes of the past.

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