Page 34 of Fighting for Brielle
Quiet permeated the police academy on Sunday afternoon. Brielle and Justice changed their clothes in separate locker rooms and headed toward the training ring. A few trainees hit punching bags and jumped rope. Ducking beneath the ropes, the couple squared off in the center of the ring.
“Show me what you’ve got, Sergeant,” Justice challenged her.
Brielle executed a series of kicks and punches, but Justice parried every single one. She couldn’t even get close enough to him to land a blow. He refused to strike her, though, remaining on the defensive.
Frustrated, she called a time out. In between heavy breaths, she complained, “You’re holding back, Chief. Don’t. I can take it.” Lifting her LAPD T-shirt, she showed him a bruise on her torso, which she knew he’d already seen. “The guys I’m training with don’t mess around. Some of them want to see me fail.”
Justice’s eyes darkened a little before he nodded. “All right, Tiger Eyes. No more messing around. Let’s do this.”
She attacked him. He parried, and struck her when he had the advantage, which was during the entire time they worked out. Brielle found herself thrown to the mat on her back more often than not.
Each time, Justice leaned over her, offered his hand, and ordered, “Get up, Tiger Eyes. Let’s go.”
Brielle fought with vigor and took everything Justice threw at her. Once, when she didn’t think she could handle any more pain, her muscles crying for mercy and she wanted to quit, Justice said with his quiet authority, “SWAT doesn’t quit.”
That’s all it took for her to take his hand, jump to her feet, and go another round with him. She knew the limits of her own body, though, and when she absolutely had nothing left to give, she told Justice she was done. He didn’t argue with her.
As they climbed from the training ring, Brielle caught sight of Finnigan smirking at her.
“Pathetic. I guess that smack down we gave you last week wasn’t enough to convince you that you don’t have what it takes to be a SWAT officer. After what I just saw today, you’re through. Out of time. Why don’t you quit and save Commander Mattox the hassle of dropping you?”
Too embarrassed to respond, Brielle felt Justice stiffen next to her. She wanted to move past Finnigan, but Justice stopped her when he grabbed her hand.
“It’s a mistake to underestimate Sergeant McAdams. She has more grit and determination than most men I know. That’s what you saw here today.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Retired Lieutenant Commander Justice McQuaid, Navy SEAL. Currently, Police Chief of Laguna Beach.”
Finnigan chortled. “A shitty job! You make quite a pair. Well, McAdams, when you’re dropped from the SWAT program, you can always get a job with your boyfriend. Laguna Beach is better suited to your skill set.”
Justice squeezed her hand and clenched his teeth. “When mygirlfriendkicks your ass, I’ll be there. And I’ll laughmy assoff as you’re staring up at her from the flat of your back.” Without another word, he dragged Brielle toward the locker rooms with him. She felt heat seeping from every pore of his body.
Brielle never cried. The last time she recalled breaking down was the day Ben and Trey were shot ten years ago. Since then, she’d been a stoic go-getter. Now, however, hot tears filled her eyes and ran unimpeded down her cheeks, mingling with the warm water of the shower as she envisioned losing her opportunity to join SWAT. It was a hard, crushing reality for a woman who’d never failed at anything in her entire life. And part of her cried from sheer embarrassment over the disrespectful way Finnigan treated her in front of Justice. He’d been so sweet to defend her, actually calling her his girlfriend. How could she possibly face him now?
* * *
Justice’s fury dissipated as he took a shower. He’d wanted to smash his fist into the face of the guy who’d hassled his girlfriend.His girlfriend.Well, that wasn’t quite accurate, but the words rolled off his tongue before he could stop them. And besides, he liked the way it sounded. Not to mention he wanted it to be true. He wondered how Brielle felt about the guy assuming he was her boyfriend. Did she like the way it sounded? Did she want it to be true, too?
When he met Brielle outside the locker rooms, he thought he’d find her spitting mad, like a kitten. He never expected to see her face splotchy and her eyes red-rimmed from crying. Justice’s heart dropped into his stomach. He didn’t know what to do except open his arms. She moved into his embrace and allowed him to comfort her. Thank goodness she didn’t cry. If she had, he’d have been at a complete loss.
“Who was that guy?” he asked, his voice gentle.
“Marcus Finnigan. He wants me gone.”
“Why?”
“I honestly don’t know. He’s either a complete sexist, or he really doesn’t believe I can make it. He sure as hell doesn’t like me.”
“Hmm…” Justice pondered that as his eyes suddenly began to sparkle with a mischievous glint. “Maybe the opposite is true. Maybe he’s crushing on you and hiding his feelings by being mean to you.”
Laughter bubbled inside her and escaped in a rush of breath, and his eyes fastened on her incredibly sexy mouth. He wondered how it would taste beneath his.
“Very funny, Justice.”
He loved the way his name fell from her lips. Hearing her introduce him as her boyfriend would sound even better. So much for his father’s warning. He was already wrecked by this siren’s call.
“Where to now?” he asked, hoping she wasn’t ready to dump him yet.
