Page 25 of The Explorer
“Yeah, or Solo. What if this civilian tells the Commander what you said about his sister?” another of the soldiers pointed out.
The pain in my arm was substantial and I bit my lips together, refusing to give him the satisfaction of my scream.
“Let him go.” Aubri’s panting was close, but Walker was like a crocodile with its jaws locked around its prey.
“Your friend attacked me. I’m just teaching him a lesson,” Walker said through gritted teeth.
“Let. Him. Go!” Aubri’s tone was fiercely protective and authoritarian. It made the men snicker and turn to see what Walker would do about being given orders by a woman.
“Or what? Are you two weaklings gonna run back to Mason and Solo and cry about how mean the Huntsmen were?”
“You’re hurting my friend. I’m asking you for the last time to let him go.”
Aubri’s threat amused the men, but I could see she was over her infatuation with this motherfucker. If he didn’t release me, she would attack him.
I couldn’t allow my friend to get into a fight because it would mean a ban from ever coming to these types of training camps again.
“Aubri, just finish your round. It’ll be fine,” I pressed out despite the excruciatingly painful hold he had me in.
She kept in her spot with her feet firmly planted and her hands on her hips.
“Careful, Walker, the lady is about to throw a fit and tell you to behave,” one of the Huntsmen joked.
Walker eased his hold on me and looked at Aubri. There was pure disdain in his eyes. “That’s why women will never be allowed in this unit, they don’t get our culture and they get upset over something as innocent as this.” With a smirk, Walker pushed my wrist further back and the sharp pain made me mutter a low curse.
I could fight back, but it would cost me a broken wrist and potentially a dislocated elbow. Walker was no doubt a better fighter than me. On top of that he had his buddies by his side, while I had Aubri, who risked getting hurt if a fight broke out.
“Let me go!” I hissed in pain.
“I’m helping you build a tolerance to pain.” Walker gave a condescending laugh and didn’t see Aubri do a fast roundhouse kick to his face, knocking him off balance.
Releasing me, he raised his hands to his nose with a look of complete disbelief. “She fucking broke my nose.” Walker snarled and lowered his hands, which were bloody.
“Run, Aubri! Run to Mason.” I knew her brother could protect her better than I could, but she wouldn’t leave me.
“I told you to let Indiana go twice, you idiot. It’s your own fault for not listening.”
No one was laughing or finding it funny. It was like a group of people staring at the fuse to a bomb waiting for it to go off.
Walker used the back of his hand to wipe away some blood but smeared most of it on his face. His eyes had a wild expression in them and with the blood it made him look like a savage.
“Look, we don’t want any trouble.” I stepped in front of Aubri. “Things got a little out of hand here, but let’s just deal with this as civilized people.”
Walker narrowed his eyes and pointed a bloody finger at us. “You’re fucking gonna pay for this.”
When Walker took a step toward us and reached out to grab Aubri, one of his colleagues stepped in front of her too. “I can’t let you put a hand on her.”
“Why not? She kicked me.”
Aubri, who had never understood when to back down, taunted the giant. “Sorry, sugar, I was just helping you build your pain tolerance.”
Provoked by her attitude, Walker threw himself forward to get her, but she still didn’t run like a normal person. Instead she spread her hands out.
“Does it make you feel powerful to beat up a woman? Come on then, go at it, I’m not afraid of you.”
“Aubri, for fuck’s sake,shut up!” I ordered while trying to hold back the brute.
“What is it,littleWalker? I thought a little violence was innocent fun or is that only when you’re the one being violent and demeaning?”
