Page 21 of Shattered Souls
“You’re sure you’re okay with me taking some time off?” I ask awkwardly. Logan had informed her that I wouldn’t be in for my shifts, but I never actually discussed it with her—mostly because I have no idea what’s going to happen. “If you need to replace me with someone else, I understand.”
“What are you even saying right now? Of course, it’s fine!” She waves a dismissive hand. “I got your shifts covered, and I’ve taken you off the schedule for the foreseeable future. Take as long as you need, and I'll slot you back in when you’re ready to return.” Reaching out, she squeezes my hand. “Your focus is where it needs to be. Don’t worry about Lux. We’ll be here when you’ve got Aurora back.”
I squeeze her fingers in return. “Thank you.”
“Alright, ladies. I think we’re ready to start,” Xander calls out from the ring. His gaze scans the room, and glancing around, Irealize all the mats are now occupied, everyone having teamed up.
Spotting Kelsey on the far side of the room, I wave at her. She waves back before Xander’s commanding voice cuts through the murmurs, demanding our attention as I look back to where he, Rome, and Royce are standing.
“Welcome, everyone, to today’s self-defense class. Today, we’ll learn some basic moves that will enable you to break free of an attacker’s hold so you can escape and call for help.” With a clap of his hands, Xander leads us through a series of dynamic warm-up exercises designed to get the blood pumping and our muscles primed for action.
Lunges, jumping jacks, and high knees fill the air with the sound of exertion until we’re all sufficiently warmed up, and Xander emits a piercing whistle to regain our attention.
“One common self-defense move for escaping an attacker’s hold is the wrist grab escape,” Xander explains, gesturing for Royce to step forward.
Royce grabs Xander’s wrist aggressively but does not move to do anything else as Xander turns his head to face us. “In any self-defense situation, remaining as calm as possible is crucial. Panicking will only cloud your judgment and make it harder to execute the technique effectively.”
Lifting his arm that Royce holds, he continues, “If an attacker grabs your wrist, focus on the grip. Determine whether the attacker’s thumb is positioned on top of or under your wrist. This will influence the direction of your escape.
“Use your free hand to create space between your wrist and the attacker’s grip,” he explains. “You can do this by pushing against the attacker’s thumb or leveraging your hand against their fingers.” He demonstrates exactly that. “With the space created, rotate your arm in the direction that weakens their hold on you. So, if the attacker’s thumb is on top, rotate your armdownward. If their thumb is below, rotate your arm upward.” He demonstrates both moves for our benefit.
“Then, once you’ve rotated your arm, pull your wrist away with a swift and decisive motion. Use your entire body to generate force if necessary.” He pulls his arm from Royce’s grip and faces us fully. “As soon as you break free, move away from the danger zone immediately. Utilize any nearby objects or obstacles to create additional barriers between you and your attacker. Once you’re safely out of their reach, seek help from bystanders or authorities.” His eyes run over each of us, a hint of a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “Now, it’s your turn.”
“Do you want to be the attacker or attackee first?” Tara asks, grinning like she’s having a blast.
“You’re way too excited about this,” I point out with a half-smile. “Attackee. I’m a little worried you might get carried away and kick my ass.”
Laughing, she makes grabby hands for my wrist, which I hand over before systematically working through Xander’s moves.
“Good,” she praises when I break free. “Go again, but faster this time.”
She has me repeat the action several times until I can complete the entire move without having to stop and think. From the corner of my eye, I spot Xander, Rome, and Royce walking around the room. Occasionally, one of them will stop to critique someone.
Once everyone has had a chance to practice the move, they return to the ring and work through another one. As the morning goes on, the moves become more engaging, and several hours later, I find myself facing off against Tara, my hands balled into fists in front of my face as I wait for her to throw a punch.
Her eyes gleam with excitement, and admittedly, I’m having more fun than I thought I would. Tara’s fist swings toward my face, and I immediately block with a well-timed parry. Tara follows it with a powerful kick that I again block before throwing a counterattack.
Sweat dots my forehead and drips down my back, but a grin ignites my face as we work through the moves Xander showed us. Royce was right. There’s something liberating about fighting back. About knowing I’m not solely surviving. My battle may not be physical, but this physical exertion feelsgood.
“Well done, Riley,” Xander praises, crossing his arms as he stands at the edge of our mat and watches us.
“Hey, what about me, asshole?” Tara teases.
“Your footwork is off,” her brother retorts with a wry smirk.
“Like fuck it is. Why don’t you come over here, and I’ll prove it to you,” Tara throws back at him, all while continuing to block and counter my moves.
“Tara,” Xander sighs. “You do remember this is a self-defense class, don’t you? It wouldn’t be a good look if I kicked your ass in front of all your employees.”
Snorting, she flashes a glower his way. “You mean, it wouldn’t look good for you to get beat up by a girl. Worried it’ll hurt your chance with the ladies?” She smirks viciously.
Damn, I love their sibling spats.
Shaking his head, Xander walks toward the front of the group, whistling to call us to attention.
Hands on my hips, I suck in deep breaths as I glance around the room, noticing everyone else is sweaty and breathless too. However, there’s a sense of accomplishment on everyone’s face.
“I think that’s plenty for today. You’ve all done great,” Xander praises. “Remember, in any situation, remain calm, assess, escape and evade, and seek help.”
