Sucker Punch (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 27)

“He is.”

“And you’re in St. Louis, Missouri.”

“I am.”

“Hard to train long-distance.”

“I have people I train with at home.”

“How often do you train?” Kaitlin asked.

“At least three times a week in hand-to-hand and blade.”

“Really that often?” Newman asked.

“Yeah. How often do you train?”

“I go to the range two, three times a month.”

“Any martial arts?” I asked.

“I go to the gym three times a week.”

“Weights?” I asked.

“Interval training with weights and cardio.”

“That’s more than you were doing when I first met you, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“You’ve put on muscle.”

“Thanks for noticing.”

“Is that all you do?” Olaf asked.

“Yeah. What do you do?” Newman asked.

“More,” Olaf said.

“Blake only trains three days a week. Why are you giving me attitude and not her?”

“She trains in close-quarters combat three times a week, but that is not all she does.”

Newman looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

“Three days a week for weights, sometimes with cardio between sets, sometimes straight weights,” I said. “I run at least twice a week, three if I have time. I do gun training of some kind at least twice a month, and I try for every week.”

“So you’re in the gym or training every day of the week?” Newman asked.

“I try to take one day off a week.”

“How can you keep that up?”

“How can you be happy with three days a week of cardio and weights? Seriously, Newman, what kind of workout are they using in training now?”

“What were they using when they grandfathered both of you in?” he asked.