She’s using her speed against Hugo. Good girl.
Winter darts forward, swiping Hugo’s feet from under him. He grabs her leg, yanking her to the floor, but before he can get a good hold of her, her legs wrap around his neck.
The corner of my mouth lifts as I watch Winter strangle Hugo with her thighs. It takes a couple of seconds before Grandmaster Yeoh calls out, “Release him. The fight’s over.”
Winter listens, but as she gets up, Hugo yanks her back down. Before she can catch her bearings, he begins to deliver one blow after the other.
I take a step forward but catch myself.
Winter knees Hugo in the back, and it sends him sprawling over her. As he tries to get the upper hand back, she wildly bucks her body up, and it makes him fall to the side.
I let out the breath I was holding when Winter begins to lay into Hugo, a growl rippling from her.
God, she’s fierce. I underestimated her.
“The fight is over!” Grandmaster Yeoh shouts, having lost his temper with the two.
This time Winter keeps her eyes locked on Hugo as she climbs to her feet.
Hugo begins to chuckle as he spits blood onto the mat. “Not bad, Princess. Not bad at all.”
Breathless from the sparring session, Winter’s gaze snaps to mine, the anger back in her green eyes. The blood on her bottom lip and eyebrow make her look wild. It stirs something in my chest I’ve never felt before.
I nod to show her I watched, then I mutter, “Still not good enough.”
“I’m ready to fight you right now,” she hisses at me.
“That’s enough. Both of you, go run off your anger,” Grandmaster Yeoh orders. “If you fight outside of this studio, I won’t train you any further.”
Letting out a sigh, I strip the wrap from my hands and remove the sparring gear. I leave the studio before Winter and head toward the front doors. As soon as I step outside, I begin to jog.
Seconds later, I hear Winter’s footsteps behind me. She catches up to me, but I choose to ignore her, focusing on my breaths.
When we start our sixth lap around the castle, I pick up speed. Winter increases her pace to match mine, and it makes the corner of my mouth lift.
The woman probably takes everything in life as a dare.
We keep alternating at taking the lead, and when we start our tenth lap, I give it my everything, hoping to leave her behind.
As we turn the corner of the castle and the front steps come into sight, Winter darts past me. I let out a chuckle as the distance between us grows.
Fuck, the girl is fast. At least she has that going for her. Her speed might just save her life one day.
She comes to a stop by the stairs and then rests her hands on her knees, her eyes focusing on me as she gasps for air.
I slow down to a stop in front of Winter, and it has her straightening up. Tilting my head, I lift my hand to her bottom lip, and it has her freezing. Locking eyes with her, I brush the pad of my thumb over the dried blood.
“You might have speed, but you don’t have the endurance. Nice try, though.” As I begin to jog away from her, I call out, “You better get some ice on your bruises.”
Chapter 7
WINTER
“How’s your first day going?” Cillian asks during a call.
“Okay,” I mutter as I take a clean training outfit from the closet. “I had three fights.”
“And?”
I lay the outfit out on my bed and walk to the bathroom. Opening the faucets so my bathwater can run, I continue, “I beat MJ Fang. The fight with Hugo Lamas was stopped, but I was winning. He’s strong but slow.”
Cillian chuckles, then asks, “And the third?”
“Vetrov chocked me out,” I mumble.
I hear a sigh come over the line. “What did you learn from the fight against him?”
“That he’s arrogant and won’t fight me.”
There’s a moment’s silence, then Cillian mutters, “Careful of Vetrov, poppet. I know I taught you to never back down, but the Vetrovs are the best.”
A frown forms on my forehead. “I won’t back down.”
“Because you’re stubborn,” Cillian chastises me. “It’s a weakness you need to work on.”
Letting out a sigh, I mumble, “I know.”
“When do you start with weapons training?”
I glance at the time. “Thirty minutes. I need to get ready, and I want to grab something to eat.”
“Call me later.”
“I will.”
After ending the call, I close the faucets and rush through my bath routine. I can soak my muscles tonight. Once I’m dressed in a clean pair of black pants and a t-shirt, I slip on my boots. Standing up from where I was sitting on the side of the bed, I feel more confident now that I’m wearing my combat uniform. I go back into the bathroom and take a butterfly band-aid from my first aid kit. I stick it over the split above my eyebrow, and then I dab some ointment onto the cut on my lip. Having taken care of my injuries which aren’t too bad, I tie my hair back in a ponytail and leave my room.
The hallway is empty as I make my way to the stairs, and I figure everyone is either busy with training or eating. I walk into the dining room and notice only three tables are occupied. Damien’s sitting at the one in the far corner. I choose one close to the door, which is on the opposite side of the room.
I take a seat with my back facing the wall, so I have a clear view of the other tables. When a waiter stops by my table, I order a gourmet beef sandwich and a salad, along with a berry smoothie and a bottle of water.
I settle back in my chair, and lifting my chin, my eyes find Damien’s. He’s done eating and just stares at me.
He might be better than me when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, but I hope I can give him a run for his money in weaponry.
Cillian taught me to be competitive. But when it comes to Damien, something else drives me to prove to him I can stand my ground.
I’m constantly aware of the attraction I feel toward him. His piercing eyes, chiseled jaw, muscled body… and damn, the way he keeps pushing all my buttons.
An arrogant Russian God.
Only, I have zero intention of bowing to him. Ever.
As if he can read my thoughts, the corner of his mouth lifts in a dangerously sexy smirk. Not that I care. I’m sure Damien’s well aware of the effect he has on women.
I watch as he rises to his feet, and then he slowly begins to stalk in my direction. When he’s close, I lift my chin, my eyes locking with his.
Instead of making a remark about how I’m not good enough, his eyes keep mine prisoner until they snap away from me as he leaves the room. The moment has my heartbeat speeding up and the spit drying in my mouth. Not out of fear but something else… something far more dangerous.
Damien’s the kind of man women kill for.
Shaking my head, I take a deep breath. My food arrives in time to keep me occupied, so I won’t get lost in my thoughts of Damien. Or so I hope.
I think it’s his intensity that has me rattled. I’m forced to notice him whenever we’re in the same room, unlike the other men who can’t even get a second glance from me.
As I’m finishing my meal, I hear hard footsteps, and then Carson walks into the room. His eyes skim over me before he walks to the table Damien was sitting at.