Sean’s wearing grey sweats and a matching tank top that make his blue eyes even more vivid. I love blue eyes. Like Atlas’s. He’s so lucky he inherited them from his mother, Meg. But his are darker, smoky. Sean’s are bright like sapphires. And right now they’re solely focused on our President. If the audience is making him nervous I can’t tell.
“We don’t expect you to know Martial Arts, because my daughter said you don’t. So that’s off the table. What I want to see is how well you can fight.” Mutual grunts from the audience. Jett holds up his fists and they slowly circle each other. “I want to see how quick your reflexes are, Sean.” Even before he finished the sentence, his fist flew and clocked Sean’s jaw.
Everyone falls silent.
Stumbling back, the newbie shakes his head, refocusing on Jett. He’s not secure about punching the one man who could send him packing. A decision strikes his eyes, and he throws a punch.
Jett bobs under it, grey eyes glinting. “Nice try! Didn’t know if you’d take longer to—” Sean swings again and hits him this time. We all react, especially Jett, eyes flashing with excitement. “Oh, now you’re in trouble.”
They go back and forth, ducking and punching. Jett has the upper hand. But Sean holds his own more than I would’ve expected. It goes on for a while, both men enjoying it. I can see our newbie has the fire in him that we all share. He’s enjoying the sport. Could probably do this for hours. His form is civilian, the stance of a guy in a bar who can throw down. His body is strong and healthy, muscles okay for a normie, but that’ll change if he sticks around. He’ll get ripped, like the rest of us, sculpted by hard work and determination.
Sage catches my eyes from across the way and mouths, he’s hot!
I nod like, you should go for him.
She bites her bottom lip on a grin and resumes her appreciation of the show.
Jett steps back, a show that it’s over. “Not bad. Let’s see if you can handle someone harder than me.” He glances around the Ciphers, rests on Honey Badger, the one nicknamed after the most fearless creature in the wild. “Come in here, Celia.”
Sean reacts, shocked and blinking as he struggles to regain his composure. There’s a titter throughout our club at the bait and switch. People shuffle their weight, exchanging excited glances as I kick off my shoes and walk onto the pads in jean shorts and a brown tank top, hair down to my lower back. Sage accused me of trying to look sexy today. She doesn’t know I did this for Atlas, not Sean.
The newbie and I lock eyes as I square off to him. He mutters, “You mean harder because it’ll be tough for me to hit a girl.”
Jett chuckles, “You’d better try because if you don’t, she’s going to kick your ass in front of everyone, and then where will you be?”
“On a plane back to Arizona.”
“That’s right!” Jett walks off the mat to give us room. As he passes me he winks, giving me permission to use any tool necessary just like if I were on a mission and came up on a man bigger than me.
Poor Sean hates this, and I think it’s hilarious. There’s a war raging inside him as we circle, the struggle dancing across his sapphires. My arms are down, trained body relaxed, secretly ready. It’s confusing him that I don’t have my fists up. He keeps glancing to my hands so I float them up, sapphires darting between them. Dropping to a squat I sweep my leg out against the backs of his knees, take him to the ground with one kick. Everyone starts cheering as he shakes his head and gets back up, this time angry.
He throws his first punch. I lean back and let it fly away before I hook my fist into his ribs and bounce back as he tries to punch me with his left. I take the power of his throw and use it to toss him in that direction. His momentum is what I needed to get him off his legs again. He falls to the ground. More laughter. But this time he’s up, faster, angrier. I’ve got a smile on my face I can’t wipe off. He tries again, lands one punch and reacts like he’s sorry. That’s when I fuck him up.
My father, Tonk Sr., shouts, “That’s my girl!”
Jett jumps in between us. “Time!” As Sean backs up, jaw cut up and blood dripping down his clavicle, Jett asks him, “You see what you did there?”
“I hesitated.”
“That’s right. You hit her, and instead of taking control you backed up and let her attack you. When you’re on a mission and you’re faced with some evil bitch who would take your life as easily as say hi to you, you cannot see her as a woman. She is an opponent, and the mission is all that matters. Got me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir?” Melodi chuckles. Jett shoots her a look. She loses the smile. Mel always gives him a hard time. We know it’s out of love, but Sean is learning about us from everything he sees and experiences. Disrespecting the President is not to be tolerated.
Gotta live inside the rules before you break them.
Jett motions to the house. “Get cleaned up, Sean.”
“I’m good.”
Jett watches him a second. “Alright, Atlas, get in here. This time, I want you to show Sean a few things. Don’t just beat the shit out of him. Teach him.”
“You got it.” Atlas unties his boots and walks onto the pads in faded, ripped, black jeans and matching t-shirt. We fist-bump as I head out and stand beside Sage. She bumps her hip to mine to tell me I did good in there, but my eyes are on them.
The circling begins as Atlas explains some moves he
