“No, I don’t believe you. You love me. You told me so and promised that we would start a new life together,” Sheila replied.
“Ha. I lied. I would do anything to get what I want. I have determination, desire, and hunger. People like you and this sniveling idiot frown upon people like me. I’m the underdog. I don’t need to be rich or have some mansion or fancy car. No, all I need is the love of my woman. I’m going to find Millie. First, I’m going to kill this piece of crap nice and slowly while you watch and then you and I are going to have some fun. You’re goin
g to learn firsthand what it’s like to be a victim, doc. All those people you helped get out of jail only for them to kill again was because of you. I’m going to help you see reality before you die.”
* * * *
Wyatt had given Millie a ride into town on his way into work so she could start her training with Dalton and Hank. Her truck would be ready by nine and she would wait around for it after the workout.
Wyatt informed her that Frank’s therapist was still missing and so was her car.
Detective Flynn discovered evidence indicating that Frank’s therapist was in fact aiding him on a personal level. She had notes indicating that she was falling in love with Frank and he was falling in love with her. She apparently set up a savings account with fifty thousand dollars in it for him, and he drained the account. Millie felt sick to her stomach. But the fact that a therapist was so unethical and that she chose to fall for Frank was more bad luck for Millie. It seemed that odds were against Millie to ever be free from Frank’s threats and abuse. The news made her feel worse, but Wyatt reminded her of how cunning and manipulative Frank had become. Wyatt said that Flynn believed Frank manipulated his therapist and lied to her to get out of prison so he could find Millie. Some notes from his doctor explained counseling sessions where Frank admitted feeling incomplete for not killing Millie or possessing her fully for eternity. Millie couldn’t handle some of the other information Flynn told Wyatt. The bottom line was that Frank could be anywhere at this time.
Millie knocked on the door to the dojo because it was locked. At first she wondered if Hank and Dalton had changed their minds, but then she saw Hank.
He wasn’t wearing his gi but instead baggy martial arts pants and a tight T-shirt that showed off his perfect physique. “Good morning.” He let her in.
“Morning,” she replied then he closed the door and relocked it.
“No one else is coming to this session?” she asked, feeling a bit nervous.
“Just you. We don’t exactly want to advertise what we’re doing here. I don’t think that this is the answer for you. You deserve to be taken care of and protected.”
She was shocked by his words and couldn’t respond as he continued to walk toward the back gym. She wanted to respond but now she had second thoughts. Do this, don’t do this, she was totally confused. She gave herself a mental kick. Wasn’t this the point of getting the training? Didn’t she want a fighting chance if Frank found her? She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and weak again.
She focused on following Hank. The rest of the place was dark and a bit of fear filled her gut. She was going to be alone with a man, a very resourceful man, whom she hardly knew at all.
She was turning into a worrywart. Frank made her weak and made her feel incapable of taking care of herself. She grew stronger after he was behind bars, and the moment she found out that he was free, she felt the need to run for safety within the imaginary shell she created. She felt herself closing into that imaginary world, the one which nearly killed her because she hadn’t followed her gut or asked for help. She swallowed hard as she stared at the dark shirt stretched across Hank’s wide, muscular back. He was way bigger than Frank.
She reminded herself that people knew where she was. Wyatt knew and he had hinted to the fact that she was safe around the Lewis brothers. Something told her that she didn’t know what she was getting into.
Millie entered the room and saw Dalton stretching. He was wearing black karate pants and a tight black T-shirt. She could see tattoos on his upper arms and the same fierce expression he always seemed to have around her. She wasn’t expecting him to be there, too. She should have known since she asked both of them for help. Dalton had seemed adamant about her request. Did he have other motives? Shit.
The man had major sex appeal, just like the rest of his brothers. Why was she suddenly feeling hot and aroused?
“Put your bag in the corner. We’ll do some stretches first,” Hank stated firmly and she immediately did as she was told. She dropped her bag in the corner.
“You’re going to be hot in that sweatshirt,” Hank practically barked at her. He seemed tense.
“I’ll take it off when I’m hot,” she replied, not wanting to admit that she felt a little self-conscious around such physically fit ex-military men.
Dalton rolled his eyes at her and she felt her cheeks blush. Was he able to read minds?
She sat down and began her stretches until Dalton stood up.
“Attention,” he commanded, and she immediately stood at attention with her hands by her sides.
“We’re going to start with some general moves to see how you maneuver in hand-to-hand combat. Then we’ll take it to the mats,” Dalton informed her.
She almost wasn’t prepared for the simultaneous moves from both Hank and Dalton. They came at her, first one then the other, and she maneuvered her way between them. One would send a fist toward her as the other tried to take out her legs. This went on for several long minutes until Hank stepped aside and Dalton began a one-on-one assault.
“I’m your attacker. I have a knife in my left hand. What’s your first move?” he asked her, and she tried to kick at his wrist and he immediately turned her around and pretended to cut her throat.
“You’re dead! Try it again,” he yelled and she felt her heart rate increase.
Before she could fully recover from his move and his hard body that was wedged against her, he attempted a pretend stab to her midsection. She did a counter karate chop down on his forearm and he swept her legs out from underneath her, causing her to fall on her ass.
“Think, Millie! It’s do or die!” Dalton yelled and she started getting angry at him. He was being so hard on her and all she wanted to do was learn to defend herself and fight off Frank if he found her.