Millie's Second Chance (The Town of Pearl 4)

She stood up and took a deep breath, feeling both angry and discouraged. Could she do this? That imaginary shell was beginning to enter her mind. She was safe there. She didn’t feel pain there. She wasn’t inferior there.

They circled one another around the mat and Dalton tried to strike again, but this time she sidestepped and hit him. He was surprised, but he came back again and again, and each time he was rougher and harder, but she evaded his strikes until he tackled her to the mat.

He was huge and immediately he had her pinned to the mat with his body.

She had cried out. The instant fear brought images to her mind she hadn’t thought about in quite some time. Her heart pounded against her chest as she absorbed everything with full force.

He felt so heavy and hard as steel against her more feminine frame. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. She could smell his cologne or deodorant, but she was filled with fear, caught up in the moment and scenario. It reminded her of being attacked and she felt herself losing focus and giving in. The walls were beginning to close up. That shell began to appear thicker and surrounded her in her mind. It was her imaginary escape every time Frank hit her or hurt her. It was her only source of survival and it had nearly killed her that one fateful night.

“Fight him, Millie. Try to get free,” Hank commanded, snapping her out of her thoughts and back to the present reality. He was kneeling to the side of her. He brought her back to the present and let her know that this was training. She tried shoving and moving her legs free, but in all honesty, she was barely trying. She was giving up. She wanted to quit and just get the beating over with. She felt the urge to give up and cry in defeat, but she didn’t want to be weak anymore. She was fighting against herself now, not just against Dalton.

As if Hank saw the emotional struggle in her eyes and her body language, he gave her instructions. “Get your legs free, Millie, and wrap them around his waist against his ribs, high so you can impede his breathing. That’s it, baby, just like that.” She wiggled her hips while gasping for every breath. Dalton was so big and heavy, all muscle and unbeatable.

“Do it, Millie, don’t give up!” Hank yelled, and she maneuvered her legs until she somehow got free and wrapped them around Dalton’s waist.

“Squeeze, Millie!” he yelled and she squeezed, but it didn’t matter. The fear of being restrained by Dalton was overwhelming and she gave up.

“Damn it! I told you this wasn’t for you!” Dalton yelled as he banged his fist down on the mat before he stood up, making her jump and close her eyes at his intensity and anger.

She caught her breath and was struck by his tone and belief that she couldn’t do this.

“I’ve never done anything like this before!” she yelled at him. Her voice cracked and he stared at her with annoyance. He was disappointed in her and she felt guilty, deep inside her heart. God, she should just tell them what had happened and about her own inner struggles right now. She stared at Dalton. He would find her weak and she didn’t want that. She wanted him to respect her and to support her. I’m making myself crazy.

“I don’t know what to do or how to fight against myself. I’ve never done anything like this before,” she repeated in desperation.

“Because you shouldn’t have to!” Dalton yelled back then paced a few steps, running his hand through his crew-cut hair.

Hank looked at her and touched her knee.

“You have to be able to think quickly, Millie. You can’t fight against the thoughts in your mind or the weaknesses from other things in the past. You have to be in the now, Millie. You almost have to have a sense as to what move your attacker will make. When you see Dalton come down low at you, you need to prepare to get out of the way or get into the immediate position to counteract. As he goes to grab you, I want you to immediately wrap your arms around his neck and latch your legs around his waist, closer to his ribs, and squeeze against him. Make him use his strength and energy trying to get you off.”

“That’s going to hurt when I hit the floor. He’s huge,” Millie replied.

“If you’re attacked, it could be by anyone of any size.”

She nodded in understanding.

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“She’s not focused,” Dalton chimed in.

She glared at him as she stood up and unzipped her sweatshirt.

“I am focused,” she replied with attitude then pulled off her sweatshirt and tossed it to the corner. She wore a tight-fitting black tank top tucked into her loose, thin yoga pants. Both men seemed to look her over before she got into a ready stance.

* * * *

Dalton was trying his hardest to act professional and understand what the hell Millie was thinking, but it was difficult. She smelled incredible and was very tough, but he didn’t want her to feel like she needed to fight. He was compelled to protect her, but she seemed distant and independent to the point of frustrating him and his brothers. They had all met last night and talked about her. His brothers were interested, but they knew they needed to tread carefully. His patience and control were being tested especially when rolling around on the mats with her breasts pressed against his body. His dick was so fucking hard he was having trouble concentrating, and now she took off her sweatshirt. Sweet mother of God, she was gorgeous, and for crying out loud she seemed oblivious to it. Most women would have come in here wearing far less and strutting their bodies for attention from him and his brothers, but not Millie. She hid behind loose-fitting clothing and sweatshirts.

“Okay, start again.” Hank interrupted Dalton’s thoughts.

He maneuvered around the room, striking when he thought he could catch Millie off guard, but she surprised him by countering his strikes with hits. She was very angry and her determination to succeed was commendable, but she was far from ready.

He pretended to have the knife again and he struck. She turned and jabbed him in the side. He hid his response and stabbed at her again. This time she nearly tripped but recovered and dodged his move again. He went for the kill and got down low to tackle her.

This time Millie was ready as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips as he took her to the mat. He used his knee to break the fall slightly because she was so much smaller than him.

“Tighten those legs, Millie, and hug him to you so he has to exert the energy to get you off of him,” Hank told her, and she did. She was very strong and nearly choking him as he worked her body with his hands. He could feel her heart racing and he knew his was, too, not from overexertion, but from lust.