Page 137 of Jay Bird

“Ready?” Matt asked.

Willow took a breath. “Yes.”

His arm came around her, and fear slammed into her just as hard as before.

Matt shifted his weight and pulled her backward, and although Willow tried to remember everything Nova had taught her, panic scrambled the instructions inside her head. She fought against his arm instead of changing position, and Matt easily controlled the movement.

“Don’t fight his strength,” Nova called. “Remember what you know.”

Matt changed position, and a moment later Willow found herself going down.

Her back hit the mat, and everything disappeared. For one terrifying heartbeat, she wasn’t inside the gym anymore. She was back in Central Park, with a stranger looming over her and terror choking the scream in her throat. She remembered the needle, the darkness, and waking up somewhere she’d never seen before.

She remembered Chen’s hands, his belt, and his voice telling her that she belonged to him.

Willow couldn’t breathe.

Then Lily’s voice broke through the memories. “Momma.”

Willow’s eyes focused. She wasn’t there anymore, and she wasn’t helpless. She sure as hell wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life waiting for someone else to save her.

“Willow!” Nova shouted. “Make space. You know how.”

Something inside her snapped into place—not panic, but anger.

Willow stopped fighting Matt’s weight and remembered what Nova had drilled into her. She shifted her hips, planted her foot, and turned.

“That’s it!” Nova yelled. “Keep moving.”

Matt adjusted, but Willow moved with him.

She brought her knee up, used the space she had created, and twisted exactly the way they had practiced.

His hold loosened, and Willow didn’t hesitate. She broke free, rolled away, and scrambled to her feet.

Matt came toward her again, slowly enough to keep the drill controlled but fast enough that she had to react.

This time, she reacted. Willow redirected his arm, stepped around him, and used his momentum instead of trying to overpower him. A few seconds later, Matt was on the mat.

Willow stood over him, chest heaving, while silence settled over the mat. For several seconds, neither of them said a word. She stared down at Matt, still trying to catch her breath, and he stared back at her with an expression that slowly shifted from surprise to amusement. Then he grinned. “Well, damn. Remind me never to sneak up on you in a dark parking lot.”

A laugh burst out of her before she could stop it.

Nova threw both hands into the air. “Yes!”

Willow covered her mouth as laughter mixed with tears, and suddenly Nova was hugging her.

“You did it.”

“I did.”

“You absolutely fucking did.”

Willow laughed harder.

Matt climbed to his feet and held up his hand. “That last turn was good. You didn’t try to muscle through it.”

Willow slapped her palm against his. “Thank you.”