Page 7 of Lucas
“It is.” He glanced over my shoulder, and I couldn’t begin to imagine what he was thinking—or not telling me. “I thought maybe you’d be my partner.”
I stared at him and tugged at my right ear. I couldn’t have possibly heard that correctly. “I don’t understand.”
He grinned, and a lock of blond hair fell over his forehead. “Now, I always thought you were smarter than that.”
I gave him a soft punch. “I’m smarter than you know.”
“Yes, you are. So, are you up to being my bodyguard?”
I shook my head, wishing it was that easy. “Devon wouldn’t allow it.”
“He’s fine with it. But he wants you in extended training sessions until we leave in two days.”
I studied him, waiting for the punchline. This had to be a joke. But I couldn’t read past that stoic vamp look that was better than any poker face. “Why would he think I was the right person for this?”
“Because Sergi and Simone said you were ready.”
Now the tears came, and he pulled me to him. I had no words—other than Sergi and Simone must have been smoking something. He kissed me and wiped the tears away with a thumb.
I went rigid, and his eye quirked. “What?”
“I kind of worked out a trade with Anna.” I explained the deal I made with her as a way to make friends.
“That’s perfect. We can work her into one of your training sessions. If she’s going to delve into the history books, ask her to give you the detailed background of House Renaud and House Aramburu.”
“Why those two?”
He shook his head. “I’ve already said enough. Fresh ears. I want you to learn from the books, which is the way Anna teaches. We can compare notes on our way to Boston.”
“Boston?”
“I hope you like lobster and clam chowder.”
Chapter Four
The one thingI'd liked about Oasis over the coastal manor house was that it was single-story. No stairs to climb.
When the training sessions started, I found out I’d been misguided.
The Oasis manor had an immense basement that included the panic room Anna had mentioned, a kitchenette, multiple entertainment and gaming rooms, more bedrooms for the regular staff—humans and vampires—and the training room that took up a quarter of the floor space.
That, of course, meant I still had to battle stairs after each two-hour session. With the training I’d undergone the last several weeks, the two hours shouldn’t affect me as much as it did, but Sergi had increased the skill level and intensity. Fortunately, stairs led directly from the gym to the solarium where the pool and hot tub were located.
After my first extended training with Sergi, I soaked in the hot tub for fifteen minutes before dragging my limp body to my room. In keeping with the agreement I made with Anna, I collapsed for an hour’s nap before meeting her back in the basement. For me, it was more of a cool-down as I taught her the defensive skills I’d been taught. She remembered some of themoves from her previous training, and I took the punishment when she made a strike or flipped me over, which built her confidence and gave me bruises.
It was worth it at the end of the hour when she stuck out her fist for our first fist bump with a smile on her face.
Afterward, we went off to our rooms for a shower before meeting in the library for my history lesson. Anna had searched for the best conference room, but Simone suggested the library since it was rarely used that late in the afternoon and books wouldn’t have to be shuffled back and forth.
“I’ve been racking my brain on the best approach since we only have a couple of days together.” Anna gave me a peeved look as if the compressed timetable had been my doing.
“Sorry. I had no idea Devon would let me go with Lucas.”
“No matter. A couple of days of training is better than none at all, I suppose.”
It hadn’t surprised me that she might enjoy the training sessions, and I considered her concern. “Why does your training have to end just because I’ll be traveling for a couple of weeks?”
She stared at me like I had bats flying out of my ears. “You’re the trainer.”
