Page 37 of Us Defiant Few

Brock reached for the knife in his pocket, but she lifted her chin. “It’s all right, Brock. Let me fight him.”

Brock hesitated, clearly thinking it was a terrible idea. But when neither of them moved, he grumbled under his breath and backed away.

She locked eyes with Takeshi.

He set his feet apart, so still that he appeared frozen in time. But his piercing gaze roved over her, taking in everything from her boots, pausing on the black fabric clinging to her thigh, moving to the gray tank that rode up against her skin, to the bob of her throat as she swallowed.

She wondered what he saw.

An innocent girl out of her league?

Or a criminal ready to meet her doom?

She hoped it was the latter, because she wasn’t holding back.

And with the way Takeshi’s head lowered, neither was he.

“Go!” Brock commanded.

They circled each other, waiting for the other to attack first. She mirrored his foot movements, not taking her eyes off him, remembering everything he had taught her.

Takeshi feinted, and she shuffled back. She did the same to him, and he leaned away, neither of them going for the first blow.

“I was thinking about our conversation earlier,” he said.

Khalani narrowed her gaze, not letting him distract her.

“You say I’ve threatened your life before. But you keep looking at me like you want me.”

Blood rushed to her face as they circled each other.

“Is it pain you’re after?” His voice dipped lower.

Her fingers started to twitch, struggling to block him out.

Takeshi tilted his head, cutting the invisible knife deeper. “Or are you just that desperate?”

She punched him.

Takeshi expected it, easily blocking the hit aimed at his body, but he didn’t anticipate the next one slamming into his jaw.

The crack reverberated throughout the room.

His eyes imperceptibly widened. He didn’t remember that every move she used came from him.

Khalani used that sick twist of irony like a weapon.

Fueled by agony and rage, she launched another attack.

But Takeshi effortlessly dodged the hit this time. Khalani danced on her toes, throwing punch after punch. Takeshi blocked each of her shots without breaking a sweat.

But a faint hint of respect glimmered in his eyes.

It wasn’t enough for her.

She stomped on his ankle, but Takeshi anticipated the next punch. When she missed, he locked an arm around her neck and kicked her feet out from under her, throwing both of them to the ground.

She gnashed her teeth, twisting to escape his grip. But Takeshi placed his full weight on her back, capturing her elbows in a pin.