Savage Cinderella

Chapter 22-Fighting Spirit

Chapter 22
Fighting Spirit

The next morning, dressed in sweats, a tee shirt and her comfy worn boots, Brinn faced off with Cody in the basement gym of the Hathaway’s home. The spacious room was equipped with a weight bench, dumbbells, and several pieces of aerobic machinery. The floors were padded and there were full-length windows that let the morning sun flood the room with warm light.

Although her father had increased security on the property, Brinn was uncomfortable with the idea of a strange man lurking about as her personal bodyguard. Cody offered his services instead. Since he was currently “free,” he didn’t mind staying with Brinn while her parents were at work. He insisted on spending some time training her in combat techniques. The idea of learning to defend herself gave her a new focus. Justin seemed less than enthusiastic about the arrangement, but agreed with her parents that she was in capable hands.

“Just hit me.” Cody squared his shoulders and readied his stance, pointing with one finger to the center of his body just below his ribs. “Aim right here, for the solar plexus.”

Brinn cringed. “You’re not serious. I can’t hit you. I’ll hurt you.”

He looked doubtful and then smiled, “I’m all healed up, see?” He patted his ribs firmly. “You won’t hurt me. Pretend I’m a big dummy.” His smile was bright, amusement lighting his green eyes. “I need to see if you have a fighting spirit. C’mon, do it. Just hit me.” When she continued to hesitate, he let out a frustrated breath. “I understand that you’re used to being on the defensive, but you can’t stand around waiting to be attacked. If you’re feeling threatened, you have to act.” When her shoulders sagged, his tone softened. “I saw you that night in the bar. I know you have it in you to defend yourself.”

Brinn couldn’t imagine striking anyone with her hands. The thought brought a wave of fear curling through her insides. “Can’t we just work on knife skills? I can hit a tree from twenty paces dead on.” She pulled the knife from its sheath at her hip, flipping it end to end in her hand. The six-inch blade found a natural balance in her palm, as if it were an extension of her fingers. The familiarity gave her confidence. She wouldn’t be caught without it again.

With a movement so fast Brinn had no time to register anything but the sharp tingle in her wrist, Cody had knocked the weapon from her hand. He’d barely made contact, but an instantaneous numbness made her lose her grip. The knife flew up into the air and landed a few feet away. Brinn flinched at how easily he’d disarmed her and went to pick up the knife. Before she could fully squat to retrieve her weapon, however, a large black-booted foot pinned it to the floor. In camouflage pants and a forest green tee shirt, he vaguely resembled a tree, his legs as thick as trunks. Brinn glared up at the towering Marine, whose expression was that of smug satisfaction.

“What are you doing?” She asked, knowing full well what he was up to and not liking it one bit.
“You have become too dependent on your little friend.” He said, glancing down at the razor-sharp survival knife.

Brinn stood and watched as Cody lifted the blade with the tip of his boot and kicked it up into the air, catching it by the worn hilt before she could snatch it from the air. He set it onto the table and faced Brinn with a stern expression. “You will learn to fight hand-to-hand if it kills me.”

Brinn felt the large room close in. Her eyes roved wildly around, taking in every detail at once. Her knife sat on the gaming table that occupied one corner of the room. The weapon lay beyond her reach, useless.

The focused look on Cody’s hard-edged features sent Brinn’s pulse racing with apprehension. She felt trapped. “I-I don’t want to do this. I’ve changed my mind.” She darted for the door. Her escape from the room was thwarted by the looming presence that blocked the doorway ahead of her.