Page 94 of Vicious Behaviors
“Let me be real with you. The world doesn’t have the best track record for keeping us safe. Nor has society had our best interests at heart. As women, we don’t get to walk home alone in the dark without thinking about who might jump out at us or follow us home. We don’t get into taxis or Ubers on our own without calculating the risk. And we never meet someone new and trust them implicitly from the get-go. Good intentions are rare, especially for us women. But here’s the thing… fear doesn’t have to rule you. You don’t need to be stronger than a man to get out of a sticky situation. You just need to keep calm and use whatever tools you have to your advantage. I know that is easier said than done, but I would rather you have some sort of knowledge on what to do when things go sideways than know nothing at all. Are you ladies ready to give them hell?”
That gets their attention. Cheers erupt around the room, fists pump the air, and grins stretch across their young faces as the energy shifts from excited to electric. Even Sister Agnes straightens like she’s ready to throw a punch.
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. First, we’re going to start with a warm-up,” I say, clapping once. “Loosen up your joints, get the blood flowing. Arms up, shoulders back. Let’s go.”
I lead them through a basic exercise sequence—neck rolls, arm swings, hip circles, and light stretches to shake the nerves off. After ensuring they have warmed up, the real learning starts.
I ask the girls in the front row to help me place a few mats at the head of the gym. Once they are all laid out, I let my gaze settle on the blonde girl I saw giggling with Annamaria when I first arrived, the same one who held Mother Superior’sattention. She’s quiet now. Alert. Watching me closely, eager to learn.
“You,” I say, pointing to her. “What’s your name?”
She blinks, surprised at being called, but steps forward afterward. With her chin held high, she replies, “Frankie.”
Frankie? Wait… wait… isn’t that the girlfriend of Marcello’s brother? Lucky’s girlfriend. The one who texted Stella to pick her up at Little Russia? The same one I saw with Kirill and Konstantin Petrov that night? As in the girl who was kidnapped by Kirill, if I overheard Marcello correctly.
‘You weren’t there, Mar. You didn’t see how much his family wanted Frankie back in their lives.’
Stella’s words come back to me as I try to put two and two together.
Is she… a Petrov?
Hmm.
Maybe the alliance between the Outfit and theBratvaruns deeper than I thought.
“Nice to meet you, Frankie. Do you think you can help me out with my first demonstration?”
“Of course,” she says, before walking toward me. There’s a quiet confidence in the way she holds herself, like she’s not new to standing out but doesn’t always enjoy it.
She stays by my side, patiently waiting for my orders, as I address the group. “Alright, ladies, now say someone grabs you by the wrist. Maybe it’s a creep trying to drag you somewhere, maybe you actually know this person. Say a boyfriend who wants to intimidate you. First—and I don’t say this lightly—any man who puts his hands on you to frighten you is not a man at all. Give him his walking papers at the first sign of a red flag. Red flags are only hot in romance novels. Not in real life.”
All the girls laugh, but neither Frankie nor Annamaria partakes in the girls’ amusement. I don’t miss how they look at each other as if sharing a secret with their eyes.
“Either way,” I continue on, letting my gaze sweep across the crowd’s faces, landing on a few girls in the back who still look like they can’t do this. “You do not freeze. You do not panic. You fight smart.”
I gently ask Frankie to grab my wrist, holding it up so all the girls can see. “Once you’re calm, you assess. Remember, time is your enemy. Every second counts. You can’t act if you’re panicking. Breathe in and look. Is your assaulter using just one hand to grip you? Two hands? Overhand? Underhand? You need to know what you’re working with.”
A few girls nod, while Frankie bites her lip in deep concentration. Good.
“Next, we target the thumb. Always. It’s the weakest part of any grip. Watch.” I twist Frankie’s wrist and apply just enough pressure to break the hold and get free from her grip in an instant, gaining an actual gasp from the rest of the girls. “You don’t yank,” I say, turning back to the group. “You twist. Use angles. Think about it like turning a doorknob, not tugging on a rope. That movement matters.”
I ask Frankie to grip my wrist again, slower this time, exaggerating the twist. Then I add, “And this part? This is where most people go wrong. They forget to leverage their body.” I shift my stance, letting them see. “It’s not just your arm doing the work. You step, rotate, use your hips and shoulders to put your whole body weight into it.”
Again, Frankie’s grip loosens with ease.
“And once you’re free, get as much distance from your assailant as possible. Hands up, eyes sharp. You’re not out of the woods yet. Either you’ve been properly trained to defend yourself, or you run, screaming the word fire from the top ofyour lungs. Don’t just stand there like a deer in headlights. You’re turn,” I say to Frankie, to show the other girls that they can do it all on their own, too.
Frankie mirrors my previous actions once, twice, and by the third attempt, she doesn’t need my guidance, breaking free from my hold before I even notice.
“Someone’s a natural.”
“Thanks,” she beams, proud of herself.
A few of the girls clap at Frankie, and even Annamaria lets out a little cheer. Sister Agnes also looks impressed, but it’s Sister Margaretta’s reaction that surprises me most. She stands with her arms at her sides, face set in her trademark scowl, but with the tiniest flicker of a smirk tugging at her mouth.
“Now it’s your turn, ladies,” I address the class, gesturing to the mats at the side. “Grab yourselves some mats and pair up. One person grabs, the other breaks free. Switch every three times. Let’s go.”
And just like that, the room fills with movement, laughter, and the sound of excitement as the girls realize their power. I step back for a moment, watching them all. For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel like I’m actually accomplishing something good. Contributing something useful to society.
