Page 42 of The Forbidden Billionaire
Unfortunately, Luke announces that lesson one will be about Situation Awareness, which doesn’t sound interesting at all. We stand beside the mats, so he’s clearly not intending to get intimate.
“What’s the first rule of self-defense?” he asks.
“Kick him in the balls?”
“No… being aware of your surroundings. Predators look for distracted victims.”
“Are we talking about stalkers or lions?”
“Are you going to concentrate?”
“Yes, sir.”
He puts his hands on his hips and studies the floor for a moment. I try not to smirk.
Eventually, he looks back up at me. “I want you to remember the mnemonic SAFE. S: Scan your surroundings. A: Avoid distractions. F: Follow your instincts. And E…”
“’Edbutt him?”
He glares at me. “Do you want to do this or not?”
I fight not to laugh. He lifts his eyebrows, though, not looking in the least bit amused. Eventually, I clear my throat. “I do. Sorry. I apologize.”
“E,” he repeats. “Exit if something feels wrong. Repeat it to me, please.”
I repeat the mnemonic back.
“Good girl,” he says. His eyes meet mine for just a second, and they hold a touch of amusement. Shit. The bastard’s giving as good as he gets. “You need to be alert,” he elaborates. “Don’t wear headphones while walking alone. Keep your phone accessible. If you think someone’s following you, trust your instincts. Go into a shop, and call for help.”
“I’ll feel like an idiot if I’m wrong, though.”
“Better that than being kidnapped.”
My eyebrows rise. “Kidnapped?” I laugh.
But his face remains serious. “It’s a real possibility, and you don’t want to put your father in that position. Imagine what would happen if someone took you and sent Edward photos of you bound and gagged, and demanding five million dollars to release you? What do you think he’d do?”
That sobers me. I know he’d send the money immediately.
Realization settles over me like cool morning mist. I’ve been making fun of Luke and Marcus, scoffing at their talk of protection, wrapped up in my own life, where most people are nice and kind. I haven’t given a thought to the fact that in the real world, people exist who wouldn’t think twice about doing something against the law if it meant getting their hands on a significant amount of money. Jesus, I’m so naïve.
My fear must show on my face, because Luke says, “Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to you while I’m around. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just want you to realize that being able to protect yourself is always a good thing.”
I nod and swallow hard. “I’m sorry.”
His expression softens. “So, what’s SAFE?”
“Scan the surroundings. Avoid distractions. Follow my instincts. Exit if I’m worried.”
“Good. And if that doesn’t work, then kick him in the balls.”
That makes me laugh and breaks the tension. “Okay.”
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s try some basic moves.” He moves toward the mat.
I follow him, and we stand three feet apart, facing each other.
“Men are always going to be bigger and stronger than you,” he says. “You’ll never win in an out-and-out fight. So you’ve got to be smart. First, I’m going to show you how to get away if a man grabs your wrist.”
