Page 61 of The Firebrand
Rein chuckled. “I’m confident I can keep that from happening.”
She turned, exhaling while shooting her foot out high and to the side, aiming for Rein’s chest. In what was likely a reflexive action, he caught her ankle, flipping her to the ground.
Thud.
She popped up. “Not fair. You were ready.” Braelyn bounced lightly on her feet several times.
“Don’t think so hard. Just go with it.”
“I went with it. That’s when you put me on my butt.”
Rein’s trademark smirk tugged at his lips. At least he wasn’t flashing fangs. “Try a different move. Take me down.”
Braelyn crossed to the far edge of the mat and charged. Locking her fingers behind his waist, she dug in with her toes, shoving forward. When he remained an immoveable brick wall, she surrendered, cuddling her head into his chest. “Hmm. You smell nice. Kinda sweaty. Masculine.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“But isn’t this better than working out?”
“You can let go now, Brae.” After he gave her a fast squeeze, he pried off her arms, putting air between them. “Come at me again.” Rein motioned her forward with curled fingers.
When she ran at him once more, he seized her shoulders, throwing her down.
Thud.
Instead of scrambling up, Braelyn sat where she landed, glaring at her torturer. With an angry snort, she rolled onto her knees and rose, one leg at a time, hand to floor. “I quit.”
Sabine, who had stopped lifting to watch, yelled out, “Rein, she can’t take you down. It’d be like movin’ an eight-wheeler in park with the brake on. Hell, even if you were unprepared, she couldn’t do it. Maybe Kole or Brak could. Give her defensive moves along with a bucket-load of weapons.”
They had drawn a small crowd. Tyr joined Sabine and Galena at the edge of the mat.
“You’re a shitty trainer,freron,” the warlock shouted. “Either that, or you have other ideas.” He chuckled, looking at the other Firebrands for consensus nods. “A different coach might work.”
Rein’s gaze followed Braelyn’s fingers where they threaded through her hair, slid down her sides, and rested on her hips. He shifted toward Tyr. “Yeah, but it won’t be you. Sabine. Get your ass over here. I’m on my way to confab with Kole. You two work on defense. Add weapons.” Rein pointed a digit at the nymph. “Not one male motherfucker is to lay a hand on her. Got me?”
“Gotcha.” With an arm draped over Braelyn’s shoulder, Sabine leaned against her. “Just us girls.” Then she whispered to Braelyn, “That’s interesting, doncha think?”
“I heard that,” Rein muttered, slamming through the door.
ChapterThirteen
“Ishe in?” asked Rein.
At her desk, Bounty swiped a file across her nail, not glancing up when the Firebrand entered. “Walk your sweet ass up to the door and peek inside.”
The blonde, big-breasted, narrow-hipped, leggy vampire was Kole’s secretary. Or executive assistant, as she often reminded him. She talked trash that would make a truck-driving berserker blush.
“Glad you think my ass is sweet.”
Kole paced in his office, breaking off when Rein sauntered in. “Let’s see that thing.”
Rein tossed it to his commander.
Kole picked up the phone while he snagged the portal jumper mid-flight. “Logan,” he said into the receiver, “here’s a number.” He read off the identification code. “Check the Ministry of Compliance files to see if it belongs to the incubus Jaxon.” He listened. “Yes, dammit, I’m giving you permission.”
The commander disconnected from the call. “Fucking techie. Hacks all the time, but when I ask him to do it, he has the balls to act offended.”
“Why is Logan checking?” The Ministry of Compliance handled internal and external travel, including the devices. Rein lazed in the oversized chair in front of Kole’s desk, legs stretched out, booted ankles crossed.
