Page 36 of The Reluctant Hero

“I’m not sure,” her eyebrows dip down as she thinks. “He may have a right to be worried. She’s not here to fuck. She’s here to learn how to fight. There might be a reason for it. I want to see why.”

“Did I just hear you say someone is fascinating? And it wasn’t about Shade?” Max doesn’t hesitate to poke his nose in. “Tera is going to freak out.”

“Why?” South asks blankly as he moves to her side. The turnaround from angry thug to smug friend is new to me. I don’t know any of these people and it shows. I thought Max was a grump, not a shit-stirrer.

“Because you’re makingfriends,” Shade smirks but his eyes are narrowed on her.

“Am I?” She sounds like she doesn’t care about this news flash.

“Duh,” Max says with a roll of his eyes and turns to call Asher over to witness whatever is goin’ down.

“Where is she?” Gabe interrupts the craziness like a cold knife in the side.

“I’ll get her number from the front desk and find out, ok?” Asher says with a sneer. His movements are smooth when he joins us, but he’s irritated as fuck with our distractions. “Now get the fuck out of my class.”

“Do itnow,” I step up to him without hesitation.

“Max said she was in Asher’s officebeggingfor private tutoring,” Jake calls with a malicious grin. “Where’s his black eye?”

My hand goes to the front of Asher’s shirt to pull him to his toes before I think about moving. The guy is completely relaxed at the motion while Max bristles up.

“Because she wants to fight well,” South cuts the tension easily as we look over. “You assumed it was for sex. You’re wrong. She thinks you’re all egotistical pigs. Except Shade. She thinks he’s loyal to me alone, and she approves.”

“What?” Cade says with a dropped jaw. I let Asher go with a smirk. Shade looks confused at South’s assurance of his obsession being acceptable to a stranger. It certainly improves my mood. If she wants loyalty, she can look at us.

“She talks to herself when she’s frustrated. She doesn’t get the help she needs to understand the moves because they have all of the attention,” South points casually to the friends currently huddled up whispering together. “She needed help, and you turned it into something it wasn’t, Max. Shame, shame. But I can’t let you hurt them, Ace. Tera will be upset.”

So if I punch Max or Asher, I’ll get my throat slit. Noted.

“I get it,” I jerk my chin with a frown. Manda ain’t comin’ back to this class if I have anythin’ to say about it.

“Good choice,” she commends me absently. “I know where she lives.”

I blink at her stupidly as she drops that bomb. I’ve been huntin’ for days, and she just has the info? I thought they hadn’t talked. I’m not passin’ up the opportunity either way.

“Where?”

“The same complex I lived in. I saw her there several times. And she saw me. I didn’t realize it at first. Not until she came here.”

“That shit hole?” Shade sneers.

“I’ve heard it’s under new management,” she smiles slyly at him. “Something about the old one vanishing?”

Shade gives her a smile that makes me cringe. They’re both fucked up. Comin’ from me, that’s sayin’ a lot.

“I’m goin’.” I grit out.

“If we find her-” Gabe starts thoughtfully.

“Ain’t noifnow, Gabe. I’m findin’ my girl,” I interrupt him with a snarl and march away. I know the complex South was talkin’ about. I’ll find her.

“South says the fourth floor,” Max calls after me helpfully, and I wave a hand to acknowledge him.

It doesn’t matter what floor she’s on. I’ll break down every door to find her if I have to.

11

Tsunami

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