orina stands, her shoulders squared, eyes apprehensive. “Relax. You can call me Lily or Viper. Everyone else does.”
His shoulders sag as he lets out a relieved breath. Sorina puts her arms around my waist and presses her head into my chest. I hold her tight, thankful she isn’t still being so distant. She steps back and runs her fingers across the bruise on my cheek, sadness pulling at her eyes.
“Are we ever going to have a normal life?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.” I tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ears. “I hope so.”
“Interpol hasn’t given you a time frame on this WITSEC stuff,” Morris asks.
“What’s your first name, kid?”
“Uh, Samuel,” he stutters, blushing a little.
“Well, Samuel, we’ll be in WITSEC until Dresden and I kill every Taurus member we can and ensure Sorina and Blake’s safety. You’re one hell of a shot, but if we get ambushed that gun may not do you much good.”
He tilts his head to the side and chuckles. “I know. I figure while we’re here, I can learn to use some other weapons.”
On a table to the right, he’s laid out a handful of other things.
At least he’s willing to learn.
“Have Rhett teach you to wield a machete, he’s deadly with those.”
Samuel’s eyes widen in disbelief and Sorina’s mouth drops open.
“You mean . . . you all will teach me?”
I nod. “Talk to Dresden about hand-to-hand combat. You’ll see how he got his codename. Vlad can teach you to use hunting knives. He taught me. And this . . .” I unravel the leather whip. “I’ll teach you to use.”
“Who taught you, Mom?”
Sadness fills my heart, memories of me at seventeen, blindfolded in a training room, nothing to protect myself but a whip. Strong hands grasp my shoulders and massage gently.
“Jax taught your Ma how to use one of those. But, eventually, she became even better than him,” Dresden says in a low voice, knowing that’s one person I don’t want to think about yet.
I sigh as he snakes his arms around my waist, pulling my back against his front. Dresden is a safe haven now. He’s a better friend to me than I deserve, and after a year trudging through shithole after shithole, my affection toward him is unwavering.
Sorina raises her eyebrows and I tilt my head, questioning her with my eyes. She’s wondering about the embrace, which is strange for her to see since she and Blake are the only people I used to tolerate this close.
“Agent Scholl, Viper says I should ask you about training me in hand-to-hand combat,” Samuel says stiffly.
It’s clear this kid wants to do well and wants our approval. He’s nothing like his partner, thank God. If he were, I’d have to slap him to death.
Dresden releases me and steps toward the clearing. “Sure, kid. Show me what you got.”
Samuel squares his shoulders and follows Dresden into the open space. Sorina and I sit on the ground as they start with basic blocking techniques. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and she leans into me, her eyes following Samuel’s every move.
“You like him?”
She tenses. “Yeah, a little.”
“He’s a good bit older than you.”
“Only five years. You and Dad are eight years apart.”
I chuckle. “True. But, I’m over eighteen. You’re not.”
“Mom, I’m not like kids my age.” The defiance and agitation in her voice are palpable.