Dark Desire by Lauren Smith (an ebook reader txt) 📗

gray yoga pants and a loose T-shirt that hung slightly off one shoulder, revealing an exercise bra beneath.

“You want to train? Already?” Dimitri clarified. He and Maxim exchanged a look.

“Yes. But let’s skip the hiding part. I have that covered. I want to learn . . . what did you call it, Maxim? The fighting back during an attack sort of moves.”

Dimitri shot his friend another glance.

“She asked,” Maxim said with a shrug.

“Please, Dimitri. I need this. I know that learning to hide is important, but I need to have some control in my life. If hiding fails, I need to have some idea of how to fight back.” The look of steely determination on her face stunned him. Whatever had happened between her and her parents during their call had set something in motion within her.

“Very well. Let’s go.” He nodded at Maxim and led Elena to the exercise room at the back of the house. There was a large floormat with two bikes and a treadmill in one corner. They moved the bikes farther to one side of the room, leaving a clear space to practice.

Elena stepped into the center of the mat and held her hands up like she was going to box a cartoon kangaroo. She looked adorable, and it was hard for him to focus on what he was supposed to teach her.

“The first lesson involves being attacked from behind.” Dimitri slowly came toward her. When he reached her, he grasped her shoulders and turned her to face away from him. “There is no such thing as a fair fight. You must assume you will be taken at a disadvantage.”

Their bodies pressed together. He tried to tamp down the desire that rippled beneath his skin as he breathed in her scent. He refocused his attention on her, on how important this training was. She wouldn’t only be learning to fight, but she’d be learning to let people touch her again without panicking.

“The first thing you must learn is the energy of the situation you’re in. Self-defense techniques fail when you fight against the energy of the person attacking you. Don’t try to fight against the direction your assailant moves you. For example, if you have someone put a hand over your mouth, determine which arm will be free or even both arms.” Dimitri placed his palm over her mouth and curled his fingers around her left arm. “Now, you see your right arm is free. If I move my hand to your waist, you have both arms free. You want to keep your response to his action quick and simple. You have two weapons at your disposal: pain and throwing him off balance.”

Dimitri grabbed her left arm again, jerking her back against him less gently. She tensed.

“Now, follow my backward energy. Lean back against my body. Let my body stabilize yours. If you are stable, you can use your energy to fight. Now, move with me.” He dragged her a step back. After a second’s hesitation, Elena relaxed against him, continuing to move back with him step for step and bending her knees.

“Good. Now grab my arm beside your face. You can hold on to me there and be even more stable.”

Elena’s hand wrapped around his wrist in a viselike grip.

“Here’s your first point of attack. Raise your other hand, make a fist, but aim your thumb—like you want to hitchhike—and launch it into my face. Aim for my eyes if you can, but hit any part of my face and it will still startle me. If you hit him in the eyes, your assailant will step back and most likely loosen his grip on you. You want the assailant to lose his focus.”

She practiced jabbing at his face in slow motion. Dimitri dropped his hands from her mouth and stepped back, gripping her right arm.

“Now, take your left arm and send it back against my thigh in a hard slap.”

She placed her palm on his thigh, and for a second he had to remind himself they were practicing. “Grip my jeans in your fist. Now you will roll your wrist up as you pull down and forward.”

“What does this do?” she asked as she followed his instructions.

“It pulls me off balance and will send me stumbling down if you’re lucky. Make sure you turn into him if he still has a hand on your mouth. It forces his pressure and energy in a direction he won’t expect.”

Maxim stepped onto the mat, entering their line of sight. “You cannot stop the force of energy coming at you, but you can control its direction. See how much easier it is to pull Dimitri down? He stumbles forward, his knees jerk as you pull his leg.”

“Wow . . .” Elena murmured. “I can’t believe that works.”

“Maxim is right. Always try to move with the energy coming at you. It will make you less tired, and you will be able to fight better,” Dimitri explained. He released Elena, and she turned to face him.

“That doesn’t seem too hard—”

Maxim grabbed her from behind, latching one hand around her mouth. Dimitri saw the flare of panic in her eyes, but it had to be done. She trusted him to touch her, but Maxim would be recognized as a threat. She thrashed, panicking.

“Use his energy, Elena,” Dimitri urged.

She spun into Maxim and launched her hand at his face. He dodged the blow, but it forced him to step back, and she latched onto his leg and pulled down and away from him, forcing him to stumble. She twisted free enough that he had only a grip on her wrist, and without any prompting, she spun back in his direction and kicked. Maxim barely avoided a foot to his groin. He immediately released her, and she stumbled back, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. She kept her distance, panting as she eyed them like a frightened animal.

Dimitri held up a hand before Maxim could advance on her again. Neither of them moved now as they waited