“Alright,” he finally says, his tone low and threatening, making fear trail through my blood like lead. He walks around me, his stare not leaving me for even a second. I sense him coming to a pause directly behind me, and the fear of having him at my back is nearly crippling. “Lesson number one,” he says, snapping toward me, his arm curling around my neck as he pulls me into a chokehold, his other hand coming down over my mouth, keeping me from being able to scream. “Never turn your back on your enemy. When I walk around you, you walk with me. Always give yourself the advantage.”
Then just like that, he releases me, giving a slight shove to push me away from him, knowing that I need my space. I gasp for air but not because he was blocking me from getting any. I spin around, turning to face him the moment my panic is under control. I look Roman dead in the eye. “Do it again,” I tell him, swallowing hard over the lump in my throat. “That’s how Lucas Miller grabbed me in the club and how your father’s henchman grabbed me before the car exploded. Teach me how to get out of it.”
Roman watches me, hesitation flashing in his eyes. “Are you sure?” he questions as Levi slowly begins creeping in toward us.
I nod. “I’m sure.”
An agonizing moment passes before he finally agrees and indicates to the space in front of him. “Come here,” he says, his voice low as he strains to keep it from coming across threatening, something he clearly doesn’t have much skill with.
My knees shake as I slowly put myself back in front of Roman, and this time, he moves into me slowly. He curls his arm around my throat and tightens just enough for me to feel it there as his hand presses over my mouth, leaving me enough space to scream if need be.
I feel his breath against my skin at my ear as his body presses in flush with mine. “Okay,” he says. “If someone has you like this, they’re more than likely going to attempt to drag you back.”
I nod, the haunting memory circling my mind like a ferris wheel at a dodgy town fair. “What do I do?” I ask, my voice timid and nervous, muffled by his hand.
He moves his pinky finger over my mouth. “Grab it,” he says. “I’m going to hold you tighter and when I do, you’re going to yank my finger back as far as you can while slamming your elbow back into my stomach. You’re going to wind your attacker, and in most cases, they’ll be forced to release you. When that happens, you run forward and scream for help.”
I nod, going over my steps in my head.
Pinky. Elbow. Run.
That’s not too hard.
“Are you ready?” he questions.
I nod and he doesn’t hesitate, yanking his arm around me tighter. Panic sears through me but I stick to my list of instructions. Gripping onto his pinky, I yank it back, and as his hand comes free from my mouth, I slam my elbow into his stomach, knowing Roman can take the hit, despite being shot through the waist only a week ago.
He releases me and doubles over with a slight cringe. He was prepared, though had I caught him off guard, I’m sure I could have winded him.
With Roman off me, I race forward and stumble right into Levi’s arms. He catches me and fixes me to my feet, gripping onto my shoulders and holding my stare until he knows that I’m alright. “You good?” he questions.
“Yeah,” I say, letting out a hard breath. “Questions like that are only going to ensure that you’re left with blue balls. How did that go by the way? Did you take a cold shower or were you forced to spend the next twenty minutes going ham on your cock because nothing felt quite as good as me?”
Levi shoves me back at Roman. “Go again. She’s fine.”
Roman scoffs and catches me, gripping my arm and putting me back into position. “Alright, this time, there’s no warning. One second you’re dancing with your friends at the club, the next second, you’re being dragged away, okay? I want you to react on instinct, and this time, pinky and elbow at the same time.”
Roman backs up a few steps, taking his place behind me so that I can’t see him coming. He waits a few moments, letting it drag out to make it more spontaneous, then all too quickly, he’s there, snapping his arm around my throat like a fucking psychopath. He immediately drags me backward, just like he would if he were on the hunt.
Forgetting all about the pinky, I slam my elbow back into his stomach, much harder than I had before, and as he eases up on my throat, my fist flies straight down, cracking him right between the legs.