Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I clench my jaw. If my best friend gets hurt because of this bullshit—
Stay safe.
I glance at the time. I have an hour before I’m supposed to be teaching another self-defense class at the Romanov family headquarters.
I might as well go early and do some investigative work. Ask some questions.
Woman.
He’s in touch with another woman?
My God, I will fucking castrate him with a steak knife.
I make coffee and pour it into a cup. When I open the door, I’m not surprised to find three guards standing like a barrier in my path.
“You can’t pass, Mrs. Romanova.”
Of course they’ll tell me this.
I make a sound of disgust. “First, my God, I’m no Mrs. Romanova. There are plenty of those to go around. I’m Isabella, thank you, though you can call me Miss.” I look down my nose, gathering up all the authority I can and funneling it into one withering look. “Have you seen my husband?”
“Not since last night, ma’am,” a tall, beefy guy with a shaved head says. “He said to keep you safe.”
Keep me safe, or keep me here? After what Renata said, I don’t know what the truth is.
I text him again, but it goes unanswered.
I told the girls I would give them their second class today, so whether he’s here or not is irrelevant. I’m going to keep my promise.
“Move,” I snap at the guard.
“No, ma’am.”
“My God, there’s a difference between miss and ma’am. I am hardly an old lady.” He gives me a once-over. “If my husband saw the way you just looked at me, you’d lose those fucking eyes.”
He whips his head away from me as quickly as he can. I’m not bluffing, though. Lev would kill him.
Would he?
Or has this all been part of an act?
Lev doesn’t act, though. That’s not part of his character. His bold honesty is one of the things I love best about him.
Love.
If he’s cheating on me, I’m going to kill him.
“Move,” I snap to the guard. “You do not want to block me right now.”
“If you go, I’ll have to tell Mr. Romanov.”
“Go! Do it. Maybe he’ll actually show his fucking face, then.”
I shove past the guard. He reaches for me, but I stop him by swiveling my camera on and capturing him on video. “Go ahead. Touch me again. Let’s see what my husband says when he sees this video I’ll send him.”
The guard tosses his hands in the air.
I stalk past him toward the small, silver Lexus Lev gave me when we came home after our honeymoon and head straight for the Romanovs.
I glance at my phone.
No response.
If he’s still alive, I might kill him.
When I arrive, my mother-in-law, Ekaterina, stands on the front step, waving to me adorably. Something catches in my throat, and I have to look away. I don’t want anyone to see me cry. I’ve never had anyone be so glad to see me before.
I quickly get myself together and exit.
“Morning!” she says. “I have pastry and coffee for everyone, but most of the girls are ready to dive right in. Did you want to grab something to eat?”
“Mom.” Polina steps outside wearing her workout leggings and a tank. “Look at the woman. Does she look like the type that eats pastry for breakfast?”
Her mother laughs out loud. “Definitely not.” She winks at me. “You and Lev are absolutely a match made in heaven. Do you two make protein shakes together?”
I can’t help but snort at that. “You have no idea.”
Match made in heaven? I stifle a sigh. We could be.
“Alright, girls,” I tell them all as we’re lined up outside. “Last time, we went over how to disengage a wrist grab. We also discussed how to gain leverage by hitting the most vulnerable points. Most men are larger and stronger than most women, so relying on brute force or fighting in most cases won’t be helpful. Let’s continue to go over techniques that might be.”
I move to the center of the room, my eyes scanning over the eager faces of the women gathered in front of me. Polina, slender and willowy and eager to learn. Aria, glasses perched on her nose, alert and ready. Harper, with her thick brown hair tied up in a ponytail, a gun in a holster by her side. Even Viktor’s Lydia has joined us.
“Today, we’ll learn how to escape a bear hug from behind. This is a common technique in a hostage situation, so it’s important to know how to react effectively.”
I motion for Polina to step forward, demonstrating how to position her hands. “If someone grabs you from behind in a bear hug, the first thing you want to do is drop your center of gravity. Bend your knees slightly and shift your hips down. This makes it harder for the attacker to lift you.”
She watches as I continue. “Next, create space. Use your elbows to strike backward into the attacker’s ribs or stomach so they loosen their grip. You can also stomp on a foot or use your heel to strike a shin.”