Page 48 of Bound by Affliction
Confusion hits me.Training partner?What thehell?
“I’m sorry, butwhat?”
Bristyl stands to my side, smiling like a fool in love; good thing she is or that would look dumb. “Princess knows her way around and can teach you some things to defendyourself.”
I reach up and clasp my neck, that tingle of fear and embarrassment rising up quickly. These people, all of them know what happened to me. I’m not sure why that gets to me, but itdoes.
“Not that anything is going to happen to you, but Princess can help you take care of yourself. If someone should happen to come up behind you, she’ll teach you how to get out of it,” Bristylsays.
The ball uncurls in my shoulders slightly. “Really?”
Princess steps up closer. “Bristyl and Green say you’re good people. That means you’re my people, and you will learn to tear a man’s balls from his groin if he ever lays a hand onyou.”
Green takes that moment to walk up to me and put his arm around my shoulder. “Damn, Princess, my ballshurt.”
“Then have your woman rub them,” she smarts off to him, and a chuckle escapesme.
“Don’t you worry about that, but I think it’s good.” He squeezes me. “What do you think? Want to learn from the most badass woman here inRavage?”
“No hair pulling,” I blurt out before thinking, my hands going to my head as I remember the agony. “I’m sorry… it’s justthat…”
Princess steps up closer. “I’ve been given the low down on what happened to you. We won’t do anything to hurtyou.”
“Most of my cuts have.” Subconsciously, I pull the sleeves of my shirt down and grab the material in my fists, not wanting to show any of my scars. They’re ugly, leaving the memories of that day forever etched on myskin.
“Beautiful, those scars don’t make us who we are. Those marks are nothing but war stamps. Why, because you lived through it. Because you’re standing here in front of me and not six feet under with a man at your side who will do anything to protect you. Because you’re a beautiful woman who was dealt a shit hand but will come out stronger and happier on the other end. Always rememberthat.”
Breathing out, I look up at Green. “I likeher.”
He laughs, “Yeah, she’s likable. Just don’t piss heroff.”
Not that I planned on doing it anytime soon anyway, but I’m totally game with learning from her. Maybe this is part of healing and moving on, learning how to protect myself. Because having a man to lean on is great, but having yourself is evenbetter.
Having everyone around me so suddenly though is a bit overwhelming. Okay, a lot overwhelming. These men and women seem so sure of themselves and what they stand for. I want that. I want to be confident again. Dammit—somehow, someway—I will findit.
