“To fear and to respect.I believe it because I see the way her opponents watch her after the first few hits.You’ll have to watch one of her fights.”
I lift to my toes to kiss him, happy that he’s not brushing off my need to learn this.Pope placed himself as my protector so long ago that I always thought it’d be hard to give that up.But he’s been doing his best to show me that the man he was seven years ago has changed.
Some.
He’s still the person I fell in love with at fourteen.I’d probably be sad if all of him changed.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Whatever you need to make yourself feel safe, Birdie.I won’t take that choice from you again.”
“Good job,” Verena praises, jumping to her feet.“You caught on so fast that you’re a natural.Pope should put your ass in the cage.”
“We’ve been going hard for the last two days,” I say with a laugh, grabbing the towel she tosses to me and wipes my face.
“You told me your story.I could practically smell the fear seeping from your pores when I came to you.You have strength inside.A fire you keep hidden.It was waiting to burst free.I’m teaching you this so that you have confidence.So that you don’t have to believe you can’t fight back.No one deserves to have their identity diminished.Be fucking loud, baby girl, because men fear powerful women.”
Verena readjusts her black and neon pink hair up on top of her head and gets back into position in front of me.“Let’s go again.We’re switching it up now.I’ve been the one pretending to attack you, but I want to watch your form.”Her eyes lift over my shoulder, and she gives a satisfied nod.“I need to check your flight, fight, or freeze response when the attack is unexpected.”
My hands tremble, and she doesn’t miss it.
“Shake them out,” she orders.
Verena calls out moves she wants to see and I follow them.My shoulders are tense at first, expecting an attack, but when one doesn’t come, my muscles loosen.My movements flow together as I repeat the moves she’s taught me.
I watch her for any indication that an attack is coming, but she gives nothing away.Pope was right about her being a fucking beast.
“Palm-Heel strike,” she calls.
With my hands up, I rotate my left hip and shoulder.My left palm explodes straight out with my fingertips up and elbow down.I keep my right arm up to protect my face as I recoil my left arm and return my shoulder and hip to the ready stance.
She has me do left and right combinations until my body flows seamlessly.
It’s when I’m getting back into the ready stance that it happens.A thick set of unfamiliar arms wraps around me in a bear hug, and my brain freezes.
Fucking freezes.
I can’t think.My feet turn to cement as I struggle to suck air into my lungs.
“Trust your instincts, Birdie,” Verena calls out.“You know what to do.Men fear powerful women.”
Verena walks closer, keeping her eyes on me.“He’s going for your daughter.He’s going to take her away from her and you’ll never see her again.Break.The.Chains.”
The contract doesn’t go into effect until the girl reaches her eighth birthday.That gives you a little over a year to come up with the five million required for her purchase.
A link of the chains that hold me snaps at the echo of Frankie’s words.
It will be easy enough to turn him into a monster to match me.
I bend forward from the waist as another chain breaks.
The first time Frankie hit me.
The first time he raped me.
The first time he threatened to kill my kids if I didn’t give him what he wanted.
Each memory snaps a link to the chains holding me prisoner.
