Page 22 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men
“You still don’t want any of us to stay with you until we catch him?” Tanner questions in a more serious voice.
Lena shakes her head, not pausing to reconsider. “No, please. There must be something else we can do.”
“You’ll learn how to fight, then,” Brody commands brusquely, his jaw locked. “I’ll teach you combat and self-defense, Tanner will teach you how to handle guns, and Aiden will tell you about what resources you’ll have in case the worst happens. This discussion is final, so don’t bother arguing.”
The utter control in his voice makes me and Tanner straighten our shoulders as we nod in agreement. Lena nips at her lower lip, her wide eyes glancing at the three of us in turn.
“I …yeah, I don’t have a problem with that,” she agrees before slumping back into the sofa.
“Your training starts today. Eat what Tanner has made for breakfast, and then, we’ll get started.”
“But Sophie—”
“Don’t worry about her, Lena. We’ve got her, you know that,” Tanner replies.
Lena is weak, to say the least. Out in our yard, Brody teaches her the basics of protecting herself, the angles of attack that she should know, and how to use her vigilance to her advantage. She’s determined, and it shows in how her brows are pressed down and the little grunts that leave her mouth as she tries to escape Brody’s grip. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose is red as her curvy body twists this way and that under his brute strength.
“Go harder,” Brody orders, holding back the sharpness of his tone for her sake. “Use your elbow and your upper body. Twist, gather power. Come on.”
Lena tries, and tries, but she is no match for Brody’s insane strength and trained grip. Right when she goes limp, Brody’s grip on her loosens, thinking she’s done.
Right at that moment, she brings up her elbow and tries to strike him in the neck. The quickness with which she does it is admirable, even if he ends up blocking it immediately. Brody eyes her with satisfaction. Lena learns quickly.
There’s sweat beading her hairline, and her chest is heaving as we take a break.
“I’m gonna devise a rough sketch of the woods behind our place and the linking paths. Tanner will take you next,” Brody tells Lena. Compared to her, he has barely broken a sweat as he hands Lena a bottle of water.
She gulps it down, listening intently as he goes over what they learned during the session.
“And remember: never lock your thumb in when you make a fist,” Brody cautions her gruffly, his fingers pulling out her thumb as she makes the same mistake. “This shit can break your thumb if you strike.”
“Right, right,” she says, going as red as a tomato.
“You feel like eating anything?” Tanner asks as he strolls out of the house.
“I’m gonna whip up some salad,” Brody mumbles as he walks back inside.
“In the fridge. I’ve made something for Sophie as well, so make sure she eats her lunch, too,” Tanner replies. “You must be tired, Lena.”
Brody nods to show that he heard before shutting the door behind him.
“No, I’m good. Ate too much during breakfast,” she replies, gulping down more water as she eyes the gun in Tanner’s hand with part interest and part wariness. “Gosh, I feel so weak. I need to get back to working out.”
“That you do,” I tease her, and she pokes out her tongue at me. “No, but seriously, you need to build your stamina and strengthen your core. Your legs are pretty strong, as is usually the case with women,” I comment, fighting the perverted thoughts of her prowess in bed, especially when she rides me.
“Come here,” Tanner tells her. As she comes to stand in front of him, he hands her the gun, keeping his palms curved around hers. “Explore how it feels when you hold it until you feel like it’s an extension of you.”
She grabs the gun with wide eyes, like a child touching a new and fascinating toy.
“With a gun as small and weightless as this one, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to use. The first rule is, never point the gun at something you don’t intend to shoot. Where is the muzzle pointed at right now?”
“Toward that tree,” she replies while pointing at the old oak tree in our yard.
“Right. Second rule is, never touch the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot.”
Tanner gives her a quick overview of the rules. Then, he teaches her the correct stance and how to aim at the intended target. There are a few plastic bottles he has set up right at the edge of our garden, far enough away that she won’t hit one of us by accident but not far enough away that she’ll have trouble hitting them. He puts on his ear protection and then offers earplugs to Lena. One of his hands is on her shoulder as the other straightens her arm. He teaches her how to load the gun, doing it himself as he explains the particulars.
He stands behind her as he tells her to straighten her shoulders and take in a deep breath, helping her focus. His face is directly behind her neck, his hands on her waist to hold her still as she fires off her first shot. Her body jerks with the kick of the gun, eyes blinking profusely as she misses the shot by a wide margin.
