Vicious Cycle

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you this unless it was a matter of life and death.”

My words only seemed to agitate him more, and he continued to pace. He’d almost worn a hole in the gravel when he finally stopped. He sighed so hard his body shuddered. Then he turned to me. “You have my word. Now, what is it?”

As best I could, I tried relating to him what had come to me while on our drive. He listened raptly without interrupting to question me. When I was done, he stared at me almost incredulously. “You’re serious.”

“I am.”

“That’s fucking bat-shit crazy.”

“Yeah, well, that’s where I am.”

I expected him to resume his pacing. Instead, he walked back over to me. His blue eyes burned into mine as he stared me down. “I’m in.”

I couldn’t help my gasp of surprise. “You are?”

“Even though I should tell you to go fuck yourself for putting me in this situation, I get it. I really do.”

“Thank you.”

Shaking his head, he slung his leg over the bike. “Save the gratitude until we both come out of this alive.”

I laughed nervously. “It’s a deal.”

I don’t know how Archer managed to alert them, but when we arrived at the compound, Raiders came spilling out of the clubhouse to meet us. Rev and Bishop magically appeared. They escorted me inside. Instead of taking me to Deacon’s room, they ushered me into the boardroom. Rev pulled a chair out for me and motioned for me to have a seat. “Talk to us, Alex,” he urged.

Holding up my hand, I said, “I’m a little shaken up, but for the most part, I’m fine.”

Bishop surveyed my face. “He didn’t try anything physical with you, did he?”

“My virtue is safe,” I replied with a humorless smile.

“It damn well better be. If he dared to lay one finger on you, we’d bring a fucking firestorm down on him,” Bishop growled.

I drew in a deep breath and prepared to broach the subject I was wary of. “I need you to teach me how to use a knife.”

Rev and Bishop exchanged a glance. “Alex, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Rev said.

“Would you prefer I be defenseless the next time I have a run-in with Sigel or one of his thugs?”

“We’ll always protect you,” Rev argued.

Cocking my brows, I said, “Like today?”

“I suppose you have a point.”

“Do you realize that if I had been armed with a knife or a gun, I could have taken Sigel out? Just like that.” I snapped my fingers for emphasis.

Crossing his tattooed arms over his chest, Bishop replied, “Well, that’s nice to think, but you’re not really the knife-toting kind.”

“Basically, I’m a weak, helpless female?” I countered.

He grimaced. “I didn’t say that.”

“No, you alluded to it, and that’s just as bad.”

When I turned my gaze on Rev, he gave me a look of appraisal before nodding his head. “You need to learn how to defend yourself.”

“Seriously?” Bishop questioned, his blue eyes widening.

“Alex is right. We can’t ensure that we’ll always be able to protect her. Even with Deacon gone, she’s obviously still a target for Sigel. That’s all the more reason for her to know how to defend herself.”

Realizing he had lost, Bishop exhaled sharply. “If you say so.”

Rev nodded. “Go to the shop and get her something she can use.”

With one last disapproving look in our direction, Bishop headed out the door. Turning his attention to me, Rev asked, “Where’s the first place you would think to go for if you were going to stab someone?”

Furrowing my brows, I replied, “The heart?”

Rev shook his head. “While ultimately lethal, you gotta get through a hard-as-hell breastbone to get to it. You want something that will immediately incapacitate your enemy.”

Reaching out, he brought his hands to my neck. His fingers worked down the side. “You want to try to sever one of the carotid arteries here on the neck. They pump blood to the brain. Since it controls every organ function, you want to take out the main nervous system. Fifteen to twenty seconds after a hit, your enemy will be beyond help and likely unconscious. Then you’re good to go.”

“Isn’t there a way to kill them instantly?”

“No, but without help, taking out a carotid will ensure they die. Plus, with them incapacitated, it gives you the time you need to get away.”

“Okay.”

Rev released my neck. “Once you’ve got them down, a few stabs or slices to the abdomen are good.” Pressing against my stomach, he said, “Here.” Then he moved his hand up slightly. “Here.” And then he dropped it below my navel. “And here.”

Bishop returned at that point with a shiny pocketknife. With one push of a button, a long blade flipped out. “See how this feels in your hand.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I reached out for the knife. Except for cutting steak or carving a pumpkin, I’d never held such a knife in my hands. I didn’t know when the time came to it if I would actually be able to use it. But I had to be willing to try.

As the steel blade caught the light, a feeling of empowerment came over me. It wasn’t an AK-47 or a grenade, but I knew it would save my life. Most important of all, a jab and a cut could end someone else’s life—someone who was a threat to me and those I loved. Someone like Sigel.

“You think you can use it when shit gets real?” Bishop questioned.

“Yeah, I do,” I answered honestly.

He smiled. “Something tells me that you can. You’re a tough little cookie.”

“Thanks.” I continued eyeing the knife with morbid fascination, imagining the damage it could do on Sigel. “So you guys keep war prizes from your enemies?”

When I dared to glance up, both Rev and Bishop stared at me with almost unreadable expressions. “Do you?” I repeated.

“Why do you want to know?”

Shrugging, I replied, “Just curious.”

“Bullshit! What the fuck did Sigel say to you?” Bishop demanded.

“The less you know about it the better,” I whispered.

Rev reached out to put his hands on my shoulders. “Alex, you need to tell us what Sigel said to you about war prizes.”

Shaking my head, I bit down on my lip, trying to prevent myself from betraying too much information. Rev’s grip tightened on me. “He wants something that was once the Knights’, doesn’t he?”