Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jasmine

“Lia, this is Jasmine,” Liam says to the petite blonde girl. Then he turns to me. “Jasmine, this is my twin sister, Lia McIntyre.”

“Pleased to meet you, Jasmine,” the sister says. She steps forward, looking me directly in the eye, and holds out her hand.

It takes me a hot second to realize she just wants to shake my hand. So I offer mine, and we shake. I’m just not used to people wanting to shake my hand. First Liam’s family the other night, and now his sister. Obviously, his sister has no idea who I am, or I doubt she’d be so quick to touch me.

“Is Jonah with you?” Liam asks her. As soon as he says that, we hear squeals and shrieks coming from the other room. He rolls his eyes. “I guess that’s a yes.”

“Yes, I brought him, the big baby.” Smiling, she rolls her eyes. “He didn’t feel like staying home—he said he was feeling left out.” Then Lia looks my way. “Jonah’s my husband,” she explains. “He tends to attract a lot of attention wherever we go.”

The murmur of voices out in the main room has grown louder. Lia heads for the door. “I’d better make sure no one is mauling him.”

When she’s gone, Liam smiles apologetically at me. “Sorry about that. Jonah Locke—”

“Your sister is married to Jonah Locke? The Jonah Locke? Are you kidding me? How—”

“She’s his bodyguard. That’s how they met. They were married just recently.” Liam motions to the door. “Why don’t you come sit on the bleachers? We’re just about to get started.”

Out of habit, I touch my face, covering a few of the bruises and healing cuts. “Are you sure? Won’t people wonder about my face?”

“Lia assumed your bruises came from sparring—fighting in the ring. The others will, too. It’s okay. You have nothing to be self-conscious about. They’ll assume you’re another bodyguard.”

“Me, a bodyguard?” I laugh. “Right.” But I follow Liam out of his office anyway and into the classroom. There are probably twenty women of all ages streaming into the classroom, from girls my age all the way up to silver-haired seniors. They mill around the bleachers, chatting and laughing.

“All right, ladies,” Liam says as he addresses the class. “Have a seat. Let’s get started.”

The women take their seats.

There’s another guy already seated on the first row of benches—a gorgeous guy with long dark hair twisted up into a bun on top of his head. He’s wearing ripped blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. This has to be Jonah. I’ve never seen his face before, but I’ve heard his songs on the radio a million times. He’s—oh, my god—he’s famous. And now that I get a good look at him, I can see why. He’s not just a great singer. He’s hot as hell.

Liam’s sister waves me over to an empty seat beside the rock star. “Come sit with Jonah,” she says. “You can keep him company and fend off any overexuberant fans.”

My heart drops like a stone. If Lia knew I was a prostitute, she’d never let me sit by her husband. In fact, security would probably escort me from the building.

Jonah scoots over to make more room for me. “Jasmine, right?” he asks, giving me a welcoming smile. He pats the empty bench beside him. “Have a seat. Lia says you’re a friend of her brother. It’s nice to meet you.” Then he offers me his hand, just like Lia did.

I’m in shock as I shake the man’s hand. Then I take the seat beside him. I face forward, not daring to look at him or at anyone else for that matter.

“All right,” Liam says as he playfully taps his sister on the head. “Let’s get started.”

It’s hard to believe they’re related, let alone fraternal twins. Liam is at least six feet tall, maybe taller, and his sister is barely over five feet. His hair and eyes are brown, while she’s a pale blonde with blue eyes. I wouldn’t have guessed they were even related.

Liam addresses the group of new hires seated on the bleachers. “Welcome to McIntyre Security, ladies. I’m Liam McIntyre. No matter your role here at the company, it’s a good idea for you to have some basic self-defense training.” He puts his arm around Lia’s shoulders. “This is my sister, Lia. She’s going to help me out today with a demonstration of some of the basic techniques you’ll learn in class this week.”

“Since you’re new to McIntyre Security, you probably don’t know that Lia is one of our female bodyguards. She’s a real powerhouse and incredibly good at what she does—just ask her husband, Jonah Locke.” Liam nods to Jonah, and the women sitting on the bleachers chuckle.

“Being Jonah’s bodyguard is a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it,” Lia says as she winks at her husband.

More laughter follows.

Jonah laughs, too. “I think she’s the only one willing to put up with me.”

Even more laughter. And I find myself smiling, too. I see the way Lia’s looking at her famous husband—like she wants to eat him up. And he’s looking at her in just the same way.

The two of them step back from the bleachers and square off on one of the black padded floor mats.

“Self-defense is all about being aware of your surroundings,” Liam says. “Always knowing where you are and who’s around you. We’re going to start by demonstrating some basic moves that anyone can perform, no matter your size, age, or fitness level.”

Lia turns her back to her brother.

“Often, an attacker will come at you from behind, like this,” Liam says as he walks up behind his sister and wraps his arm around her neck. “Now, notice I’m much bigger and have far more muscle mass than Lia has, but don’t let a size difference fool you. There are plenty of things Lia can do to throw me off balance, gain the upper hand, and get away. Your goal isn’t to overpower your assailant. Your goal is to get away from your attacker if at all possible. If you can’t do that, then do whatever you can to attract attention to your predicament.” Then Liam tightens his hold on his sister’s neck and pulls her back against his body, throwing her off balance.

“Now, you already know where some of the soft spots are on a man. For example, his package.” The audience chuckles. “Because I’m behind Lia, she can’t kick me there, but there’s another soft spot she can reach, and that’s my instep.”

And with that, Lia pretends to slam the heel of her shoe right onto the top of Liam’s foot.

Liam releases her immediately and steps back. “That’s called a toe stomp. It’s not hard to do, and it’s very effective if you do it right. Make sure you strike with your heel—not with your toes or the ball of your foot. It also works if you’re facing your attacker. And if you’re wearing high heels at the time, all the better, because that’s going to really smart.”

And then the two demonstrate that as well.

“See?” Liam asks. “Easy.”

They step apart, and then Liam says, “Next we’ll show you how to take advantage of your attacker’s pressure points. After we show you a few more techniques, we’ll have you all come down onto the mats and practice with each other.”

The whole time Liam’s speaking, I’m hanging on his every word. He’s so good at this, sounding so confident and yet down-to-earth. He makes it all seem so easy. It’s surreal watching him, realizing that this guy took a chance on me, took me under his wing, and is giving me a chance at a new life. I can’t even begin to measure what I owe him. It’s a debt money could never repay.

After he and Lia demonstrate a few more techniques, Liam invites the women seated on the bleachers to come down to the floor and pair up to practice their moves. I remain seated next to Jonah, sitting quietly, keeping my mouth shut and hoping no one pays me any attention.

Lia jogs over to us. She cups her husband’s face in her hands and leans in to kiss him on his lips.

Jonah laughs as he pulls Lia close. “Hey, tiger. Good job out there.”

Lia makes a face. “Ew, I’m a sweaty mess.”

Jonah smiles. “You know I don’t care.”

Lia grins at him and then winks at me. “TMI, babe. Jasmine doesn’t need to know that, do you?” Lia steps away from her husband. “Come on, Jasmine. Join the fun.” She nods toward the students who are pairing up and waiting for instructions.

“I—oh, no. That’s okay,” I say. “I’ll watch.”

I sit quietly, watching the participants pairing up on the mats. Liam and Lia move about the room watching the students practicing their moves, suggesting changes, making corrections, offering encouragement.

After a while, Liam walks over to me and says, “Would you like to give it a try?” He nods toward the mats. “It’s actually a good idea for you to learn some self-defense moves. Just in case.”

I realize he’s right. I think back to the many times a trick manhandled me, pushed me around, made me do something I didn’t want to do.

“Come on, Jasmine.” He holds his hand out.

I glance around at all the other women, but none of them are paying me any mind.

Liam’s hand hangs patiently in the air as he waits for me to make up my mind. Finally, I figure why not try it? It might come in handy one day.

I stand. “Okay.”

Liam walks over to an open spot on one of the mats and motions for me to join him there. “Turn around,” he directs me, motioning with a twirling finger.

I turn my back to him. That turns out to be a bad idea because now I’m facing a pair of women who are going through the steps Liam and his sister showed us earlier. I look away, avoiding eye contact.

Liam walks up behind me. “I’m going to put my arm around your shoulders,” he says quietly. “Now, pretend to stomp on my instep. Remember to use your heel and not your toes. Got it?”

I nod. “Got it.”

And then his arm slides around me at shoulder level. When he pulls me back against his firm chest, my brain short circuits. I can sense his closeness. I can smell him, a combination of soap, deodorant, and the heat of his body. My muscles tense and my stomach knots. My heart starts pounding. And I don’t know why. I’ve never felt this way before.

“Jasmine?” he asks quietly. His breath ruffles my hair as he leans close to whisper. “Go ahead. Try it.”

I mentally shake myself. “Right. Stomp on your foot.” Or rather I pretend to. I lift my foot and lower it on top of his, heel down first, and then I press gently. “Like this?”

When he doesn’t answer me, I wonder if maybe he didn’t hear me. “Liam? Like this?”

He clears his throat. “Yes, that’s perfect. Let’s try it again, only this time facing each other.”

Liam turns me so that we’re face to face. As he gently takes hold of my wrists, his gaze locks onto mine, and for a moment we stare at each other. I search his eyes, studying the flecks of dark brown and gold in his irises.

He swallows hard, his throat muscles moving. “Now try it again,” he says as he holds my wrists secure in his grasp.

I lower my heel onto the top of his foot and press lightly. I can’t stop myself from grinning. “Tag. You’re it.”

The tension in Liam’s shoulders eases instantly, and he grins at me. He turns me abruptly and wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me against him. “Now what do you do?” he asks, his voice amused and playful.

I stomp backward on his foot, a little harder this time. He laughs. “I think you’ve got that move down. Now try the next one—the pressure points.” We work through the next several moves that Liam and his sister demonstrated for the group. I remember each one and execute them flawlessly.

“I think you’re ready for battle,” Liam says when we finish our practicing.

Most of the pairs of participants have broken up and are returning to their seats on the bleachers. I do the same, taking my seat beside Jonah.

Liam faces the class and clears his throat, catching the attention of his sister, who’s back to goofing around with her husband. “Now Lia and I are going to give a demonstration of Krav Maga, just for fun. This is something we teach the bodyguards here.”

Once the class is settled in their seats, the twins face off on one of the mats. “Krav Maga is a form of martial arts that combines moves and techniques from a number of disciplines, including aikido, judo, karate, boxing, and wrestling. It’s popular for its swift and effective outcomes.”

The two of them face off on the mat, circling each other slowly. Everyone in the audience grows silent as we watch in anticipation of the first move.

“I’ll be the aggressor,” Liam says. “Watch how Lia counters my moves.”

And then the two of them explode into action. Liam rushes Lia and tries to get her in a headlock. She strikes out in rapid succession, her hits quick and efficient, forcing Liam to go on the defense. Liam started as the aggressor, but it’s Lia who takes the lead. Her technique is fast and furious, and I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s a tiny tornado of power and strength, matching Liam hit for hit, kick for kick. I’ve never seen anything like it. And she’s not much over five feet tall. I’m in awe of her.

If I could do what Lia can do, no one could ever again force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. Not tricks, not other hoes, not bullies, not even Tony or his goons. If I could fight like that, I wouldn’t be afraid of anyone.

My throat tightens, and my vision blurs. I blink several times before I realize my eyes are tearing up.

Jonah leans into me. “Jasmine?” His gentle voice is deep and resonant. “Are you okay?” He’s watching me closely.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Then my attention is directed back to Liam and his sister. They’re still going at it, moving in this perfect choreography of move and counter-move. Every time he comes at her, she meets him head-on, dodging his attempts to overpower her and driving him back.

Lia swipes her foot behind Liam’s, and he goes down hard on his ass. “Ha!” she yells, and the women seated in the bleachers laugh with her.

Liam sits up, laughing himself. “Lucky hit.” When his sister offers him her hand, he takes it, and she helps him to his feet. “And that’s how it’s done, folks,” he says.

The audience erupts in applause. I notice that Jonah’s smiling at Lia as he, too, claps. I join in as well, still reeling from what I just witnessed.

Just before the class begins to disperse, Liam thanks them for coming and reminds them of the next class session.

Lia comes over to the bleachers and sits beside her husband.

Jonah puts his arm around her and pulls her close. “Remind me never to piss you off, babe.”

She laughs.

Liam steps in front of me. “Well? What did you think?”

“I know what I want to do,” I say. “I want to learn how to fight. If I can fight like Lia, no one will ever be able to hurt me again.”