Chapter 18
How to tell a woman is mad at you: 1. She’s silent. 2. She’s yelling. 3. She said ‘whatever’ 4. She acts the same. 5. She acts different. 6. She murdered you.
-Men’s guide to women
James
I winced as Sam dropped Shiloh back to the ground. For the fourth time.
“You’re not listening. I told you not to drop your shoulder. When you drop it, you lose that extra push that will let you throw your elbow back. Go out, not down.” Sam explained patiently.
I’d tried to tell her that myself, more than once, but she was stubborn. Even worse than my sister, in fact. I’d given up the instructing to Sam’s impeccable patience, and waited for the fireworks to start.
“If you weren’t so god forsaken big, I wouldn’t have to worry about dropping my shoulder. You’d be lying at my feet, crying about the loss of your future children. Instead, my elbow just hits a granite slab you call abs, and hurts me instead of you.” Shiloh stomped her foot for emphasis.
“You think that they’ll go easy on you? Let me tell you a secret. They won’t.” Sam snapped.
Shiloh’s face darkened, and she made a ‘come on’ gesture with her hands. Sam’s eyes narrowed, and the tick in his cheek gave away his annoyance with his baby sister.
I, however, found it hilarious. It was nice to see the big man off his game. It wasn’t all the time that you got to see the almighty captain lose it in front of everyone.
“Again.” Sam snapped.
Shiloh did as instructed, and even managed to initiate the original move, but Sam’s bulk overpowered her once again.
“What’s the damn point of this move again?” Shiloh growled from the ground lying flat on her back.
The door to the room clicked open, and my eyes drew from the blue mats towards the seats in the corner of the room. Everyone was there, watching the show.
“You’re being a baby. You’re lucky I’m such a good man. I’m going easy on you.” Sam said as he offered her his hand.
Taking a sip of my Gatorade, I promptly spewed the contents onto the ground in front of me.
“Shut up. You’ll never be the man your mother is.”
The bellow of laughter that threatened to burst free from me was smothered when Sam threw Shiloh to the mat, yet again. She hit the hard floor with a thump, and she groaned.
Once Sam helped her up, she shuffled over to me and snatched the drink out of my hand. She gulped down the contents of the drink, and then thrust the empty bottle back into my hands before turning and staring at her brother with her hands on her hips.
Sidling up to Shiloh, I gave her a sharp smack on the ass, and then walked towards Sam. “She’s pretty good if she could get over the anger.”
He nodded in agreement, checked his watch, and then grimaced. “I have to go get Cheyenne from work. I’ll see you at your place for dinner.”
With that he left, and Shiloh glared at him the entire way.
“Let’s go, Speedy.” I called to her and gestured with my finger to where I wanted her.
She came slowly, only wincing every other step.
I’d used her hard right before we came here, and I felt sorry that I made her do this now. “If you’re too sore, we can leave.” I offered.
Her eyes narrowed. “Did I say I was too sore?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then show me how to defend myself.” She harrumphed.
Thirty exhausting minutes later, we were still in the same place we were earlier, only I was the one losing my patience. Shiloh was sitting on her ass, glaring at me. We’d long ago lost our audience since Shiloh’s attitude only went from bad to horrid. After the third snicker from the peanut gallery, I’d kicked them out.
“What’s the problem, Shiloh?” I asked, exasperated.
She pursed her lips, but at my pointed look, she finally explained.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You couldn’t hurt me even if you tried.”
“What?” She half yelled.
“You heard me.” I said, laughing at the absurd thought. “That’s why you’ve been only giving me half ass moves?”
“Yeah,” She said, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. “I really could hurt you, you know.”
“You could try.”
“What, you don’t think that a woman could bring you down?” She asked.
“I think that you have a chance to get away, not to completely subdue me. You sure would try, but no matter what, a man is always going to be stronger and faster than any woman.” I said carefully.
“So let me get this straight,” she said. “You don’t think I can take you down. In fact, you don’t think that any woman could take you down.”
“Right.” I agreed.
“What do you want to bet?” She asked.
I could see the wheels turning in her head, thinking carefully.
“Anything. You could bet anything. I know for certain you couldn’t incapacitate me for more than a few seconds.”
I should’ve known. I mean, I knew there were ways that she could take me down. I just didn’t think she knew any yet. I hadn’t gotten that far with her as to teach her those. She wasn’t even learning the most basic form of self-defense. However, in the next instant she proved me wrong.
“Deal.” She said, and then I watched, as if in slow motion, when her hand snapped out, palm rigid, as she brought it down into a hard, sharp strike against the carotid artery on the side of my neck.
I came to, seconds later, to find myself staring at the ceiling. I blinked once. Twice, a third time, and then sat up.
My head was pounding, my back ached, and I turned my head and found Shiloh all the way across the room, a sheepish expression on her face.
“Does that count?” She asked.
“Yes,” I said, embarrassed, but also proud as hell that she was able to do that.
“Where did you learn that move?” I rasped.
“YouTube.” She supplied instantly.
I shook my head and muttered. “YouTube.”
“So what do I have to do?”
I was sorry that I asked.