Page 54 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

I crossed my arms. “So I had this idea.” A shudder moved through me before I could hold it back, images flashing through my mind like a projector on the fritz. “When Scott . . . you know, came after me, I let him get the better of me . . . I dropped my guard.”

Every muscle on his finely honed body tightened.

“I hated that, Zeke. I kept thinking . . . I should be able to fight this asshole off.” I shook my head. “I’ve done advanced self-defense and close quarter combat classes, but I don’t know, I guess I froze, or I never really believed Scott would do that and hesitated.” I forced my eyes to meet his. “I fucked up.” I glanced down the hall beyond him, feeling the same need to be stronger, better, smarter, to not be this . . . this victim anymore. I’d had a scare. I’d gotten the shit beaten out of me, but I hadn’t changed my mind about what I wanted to do. I just had to make sure I was prepared in every way I could to do the job. I turned back to him. “Will you work with me maybe teach me some attack moves, how to fight dirty, to kick some ass?”

His head tilted to the side, like a large, curious jungle cat. “Not sure Neco would like that,” he finally said.

His voice was low and a little rough, but also held a softness. Affection, understanding, came through loud and clear. “It can’t be him, Zeke. You know what he’s like. He won’t be down with me learning to fight, really fight. Self-defense, sure. More than that, he’ll assume I’m going to go vigilante on the mean streets of New York.”

“Are you?”

“No,” I partially lied. No, I wasn’t going to go vigilante, but I would use it for more than self-defense. “Of course not. I’m an agent for Harry now. I need to know this stuff.”

He stayed motionless, staring at me for several seconds, then finally said, “I’ll show you a few moves now. More than that? You talk to Nec first. He’s cool with it, I’m at the agency gym every morning.”

“Yes!” I did a little one-two punch in the air then flexed my biceps to try and lighten the moment. He shook his head, and I think I saw his lips twitch, but I couldn’t be sure.

“We do this, I’m not going easy. I teach you right or not at all.”

I nodded, excitement and relief unfurling in my belly. That was exactly why Zeke was perfect to train me. “Good.”

He walked in, took off his jacket, walked to the middle of the floor, and motioned me forward. I swallowed past my dry throat, past the awful feeling in my gut, those flashes of memory, Scott’s expression as he hit me over and over again, of that feeling of helplessness. I swiped it from my mind, leaving it behind, and met Zeke in the middle of the room.

We did exactly what he said, went through the basics, things I already knew, but the way Zeke showed me, explaining what each move did, how it worked, why it was effective, really sunk in. Zeke had a way about him. He never made you feel self-conscious or stupid—not that any of the other guys did, or would, but there was just something about Zeke. Maybe he made me feel a little like I did when I was around Neco, but obviously without the blistering sexual attraction. The way Zeke quietly observed made me nervous but safe, at the same time.

We finished up when Zeke had to take a call.

I left him to it, after I not so subtly eavesdropped to see if it was Neco. When I established it wasn’t, and we said our goodbyes, I headed to the bathroom to grab a shower. I stripped off and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like myself again. I felt stronger, my confidence receiving a boost after my session with Zeke. I couldn’t wait to do another one.

I also knew I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. I wasn’t going to just wait for Neco to fix this for me. I was a capable, strong woman. I didn’t need a man to fix anything for me. It’d taken me a long time to get to this point. I’d relied on Neco so much through my life . . . I’d needed him, and I’d always need him in a lot of different ways, but I didn’t want our dynamic to be hero and damsel anymore. We needed to go into this relationship as equals.

Neco didn’t want me leaving the apartment on my own, but I needed to do this. I was strong, I was smart, and knew what I was doing.

I was an agent, and tonight I had work to do.

* * *

Jimmy’s apartment building was not the best. Scott’s best friend was an actor, or so he said. He’d never actually been in anything, not even community theater, from what he’d once told me, which was why he lived in a dump like this. Since he also had a bad habit he couldn’t quit, I was surprised he could even afford this place, let alone pay for drugs. I took the stairs to his third-floor apartment, since the elevator was out of order. Neco said Zeke had checked the place out, but Scott knew what most of the guys at the agency looked like. He could have been hiding or maybe he’d been somewhere else when Zeke came looking. There was something he wanted to tell me, protect me from. I wanted to know what that was.

I hadn’t come unprepared. I had my gun, as well as my Taser and some pepper spray. But the same thought I’d had after my encounter with him on the street was running through my mind. I truly didn’t believe he wanted to physically hurt me. He was a sick, perverted, confused individual, and I would love nothing more than to castrate him with a rusty spoon, but there was more to this whole thing.

Let’s go, quickly. It’s not safe.

He’d seemed genuinely concerned, panicked when he approached me outside that cafe.

I needed to know what he meant by that? Why didn’t he think I was safe?

And if he tried to hurt me again? I was more than ready. This time there would be no hesitation.

I knocked on Jimmy’s door, then reached back, resting my hand on the gun I’d shoved down the back of my jeans.

Scott apparently wanted me, badly, for whatever reason. Which meant if he was here, the door would open.

Nothing. Not even a scrape or bump came from inside the apartment. I tried again. Still nothing. I contemplated sitting there in the hall and waiting, but changed my mind when I heard yelling from the apartment across from me.

What now? I needed to figure out my next move.

And I wasn’t leaving without getting inside Jimmy’s place. Scott could be in there now, hiding, assuming Zeke had come back or one of the other guys from the agency.