“You’re ten times larger than me, you expect me to break a chokehold?” I snap, more so out of embarrassment for my continued failure.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Zade says patiently, a tiny smirk lifting his lips. I’m going to punch him.
“I’ve tried several times,” I point out. “And failed.”
“Because you’re not listening. You’re hardly even moving.”
I scoff and argue, “I am too.”
He cocks a brow, unimpressed. “Every time I choke you, you just get flustered and try to knee me in the dick. You’re not doing the movements I’ve taught you to do.”
Blood rises to my cheeks, and I just know that I look like a bright red cherry.
“That’s a lie,” I shoot back. He just smirks and grabs my throat in a tight grip, pushing me back against the wall behind me. My eyes round, and if I had any sense, I’d do the movements he’s been walking me through for the past hour.
But all I can do is stare.
“Break the hold, Addie,” he says quietly, his deep voice sending delicious shivers down my spine.
I go to c
lear my throat but then remember it’s being crushed by Zade’s rather large hand.
You can do this Addie. You’re only hot because you forgot to open the window.
Lifting my arm, I twist forward and bring it over his extended arm, and jerk down with all my strength. His arm stays tight and his body twists with mine, counteracting my escape.
“You can’t do that!” I shout, my fist bounding off his steel muscles when I go to land a punch on his chest.
He releases me.
“Do you really think an attacker is going to do what you want them to do? If you’re attempting escape, they’re going to do everything in their power to make sure you don’t succeed.”
I huff, out of breath and ready to go back to kneeing him in the balls, or attempting to, at least. Maybe I’ll just drop kick them instead. Even if my toe merely grazes the hairs on his balls, I’ll feel more accomplished than I do now.
“You’re too slow. I can see your intent from a mile away. You need to be quicker, catch me off guard from the swiftness and strength of your attack.”
He goes through the movements with me several more times, keeping his hands loose as he guides my arms.
We’ve been doing this all week. Now that Mark has set his eyes on me, Zade is paranoid that I will go missing in the dead of night.
I’ve seen his eyes crease with worry when he explains the possible threat looming over my head. A threat far more serious than Max and his cronies.
Zade’s men have been lingering outside my place, and I get the feeling they’ve been there since the moment I walked out of Mark’s house. I hadn’t noticed them until a few days ago, and my lack of awareness did knock some sense into me.
The frustration of my situation mounts as I fail once more at breaking free of Zade’s chokehold. I wouldn’t need to know any of this shit if Zade would’ve just left me alone. Let me live my life in peace and blissful ignorance of the terrors of the world surrounding me.
I was happy. Bored, but happy.
And now my very own stalker is teaching me self-defense moves. Not against himself, but his enemies. The irony is not lost on me, unlike my success in not getting choked to death.
“This is all your fault, you know,” I hiss, a bead of sweat dripping into my eye. The burn is minuscule compared to the fire raging in my chest.
Zade stills, and his eyes study me closely. “Is it?” he counters.
“You pretend like you care about me, or whatever you convince yourself that you feel for me, but I’ve been in danger because of you. You do know that, right? Max would’ve never came aft—”
He steps into me, and my mouth involuntarily snaps shut. His presence is powerful and invokes my will to bend to him. Whether I want it to or not.