Page 9 of The Stolen Dagger
“Okay, class!” The hot instructor,Leah’s brother, clapped his hands and gathered the attention of the twelve other people in the room. “I think that’s enough for today. Keep working on those moves we learned, and hopefully we can put them to good use next time.”
Everyone started shuffling around the room, gathering their things to leave, but I was stuck beside Leah after she dropped the revelation that the hot instructor was herbrotheranda cop.
“And for those of you who didn’t catch it before,” theinstructor’s mesmerizing gaze landed on me, and I swear I had to repress a full-body shiver at his attention, “my name’s Drew. I hope to see you next time.”
The next couple of minutes were a blur as my gaze stayed locked on Drew’s.
I was vaguely aware of Leah asking me something. I think I told her about me taking classes at the local college, but I couldn’t remember as I grabbed my bag from the floor and left before I could make a bigger embarrassment of myself.
DREW
I didn’t knowwho my little sister was talking to, but it looked like the stranger was about ready to bolt from the room at any second.
I had seen her sneak into the class a few minutes late, and I would usually introduce myself to a newcomer, especially one as attractive as her, with her round cheeks, cute, slender nose, and plump, pink lips. But as soon as her big, deep brown eyes met mine, I stopped myself.
Anyone observant enough could tell this woman had gone through something traumatic. The haunted look in her eyes wasn’t too common in our little town, but I’d seen enough of them to know to be cautious.
I didn’t want to scare her, especially since showing up to a self-defense class was the first big step for those wanting to take back the control that had been stolen from them.
In the last three years of teaching this course, I had learned a few things about women like her:
One, always let them approach first, never the other way around.
Two, never overcrowd them.
And three, give them enough time to become comfortable in their new surroundings.
But the most important rule was to never treat them as broken women.
They were almost always the opposite. And with the few glances I stole when she wasn’t looking, I could see her strength by the determined look on her face as she worked through each defense move.
It was clear this woman was still working through whatever happened to her, and I’d be damned if I didn’t want to help her overcome whatever that was.
As much as I knew to give her space, I also couldn’t help but notice how her eyes followed me around the room for the entire lesson. And then how they locked on mine and widened when I gave her my name.
For the first time in a long time, I was intrigued.
So as soon as the beautiful woman scurried from the training room, I went to Leah.
“Who were you talking to?” I asked, watching the door to the gym where the woman had just exited. “I haven’t seen her before. Is she new to town?”
“Yup,” Leah said, popping the p. “That’s my new friend, Kat. She’s not very open with new people, but she just got to town and is taking a few courses at Hawthorn Community College. I’m hoping to run into her on campus tomorrow. Maybe we could even get lunch.”
I wasn’t surprised Leah had made friends with the mystery woman. Most people gravitated toward my little sister like sunlight. I had always found it annoying, but in this instance, I was more than grateful for her infectious presence.
“Kat,” I whispered, as if getting used to the name. It was a nice name, but it didn’t suit her. I wondered if it was short for something else, or maybe just a nickname.
Whatever the case, I suddenly wanted to know everything about her.
DREW
Two weeks passed,and Kat hadn’t returned for another self-defense class.
To say I was disappointed was an understatement. Since hearing about her from Leah, I hoped to at least introduce myself to my sister’s new friend. Maybe even learn a bit more about the first woman who interested me in years.
I landed a series of controlled jabs to the worn punching bag that hung in the corner of the training room. I swiped away drops of sweat as they trailed down my face to my bare chest.
It was late into the evening and right about the time when the next self-defense class would start, but I was alone.
