Page 35 of Merciless King

He grinned. “Yeah?”

I nodded.

“You free for lunch Wednesday?”

I smiled back and it was genuine. “I am.”

He dipped his chin. “I’ll swing by the store and pick you up.”

“Sounds good.”

He couldn’t stay, and when he left I was still trying to work out how I felt about our lunch date. I wasn’t sure if happy was the word. More determined.

* * *

“That’s perfect, London,” Ruby said, her arm going around my throat. “This is called a rear headlock. Now you need to get out of it.”

Ruby and I had been texting and she’d offered to give me a few self-defense lessons. We were at the agency, but it was after hours so no one was really there. Neco was working in his office, and I’d heard someone leave a little while ago, so we basically had the place to ourselves, which I appreciated. I wasn’t ready to see Van again just yet.

“You need to protect your airway, so start by turning your head toward the side your attacker is choking you. Grab my arm with both hands, fingers on the inside near your chin.”

I did what she said. Ruby was small, but she was extremely strong and there was no way I was getting out of her hold.

She explained how to create a space by tucking my chin down so I could get my fingers between her arm and my chin.

“Now sink down into my hold by bending your knees,” she said and tapped one of my legs. “Step back and lock your foot around my leg, calf to calf. Back curved forward. Now bend your knees and turn toward this foot.” She tapped my leg again. “Your hands should still be on my arm. That’ll get you out. Next, I’ll show you how to throw them to the ground. Let’s run through this a couple more times.”

We did and when I next looked at the time, we’d been at it for an hour.

Neco poked his head around the door. “How’s it going?”

Ruby beamed at me. “She kicked ass.”

Neco grinned. “Don’t doubt it.”

“London’s just got to get changed and we’ll be ready to head home.”

Ruby’s fiancé dipped his chin and left.

“And if all else fails and you can’t get free, head butt the prick. He sure as hell won’t be expecting it.”

I chuckled. “Thanks for this. I really appreciate it.”

“I know what it’s like to have your power taken from you,” Ruby said. “Learning to really defend myself, it helped me get my confidence back. We’ll make this a regular thing if you like?”

I didn’t know her full story, but I knew she’d been through some things that were pretty bad. From what Van had said, I got the feeling Ruby wasn’t the only one of the women I’d met through the agency who’d had a tough time. “I’d really like that.”

“Awesome,” she said. “You’re on. I’ll just wait out at reception. Come out when you’re done.”

Ruby had met me here in her workout clothes and didn’t have to change. She and Neco had also offered to give me a ride home.

She headed out and I hustled to the women’s locker room to change. I heard music start a few minutes later out in the gym. It was loud, heavy, bassy. Maybe Neco had decided to work out first?

I quickly changed, grabbed my bag, swung it over my shoulder, and walked out.

Nope. Not Neco.

Van.