Golden Crown Series 02: The Twin Dragons (7 page)

Chapter Nine

It’s Not Like You Killed

Someone

I tapped my fingernails on the edge of the seat as I sat there a bit petrified. I then heard my driver and looked up to see him staring at me in the mirror from the front seat.

“Mrs. Bittermend, wou
ld you like to get out?” he asked and I looked out of my window and then took a slow breath as I opened my own door. The driver jumped out and tried to reach me, but I stood up and stared at the building as he closed the door behind me. He then walked to the trunk and it popped open as he pressed the button on the keys. He reached in and grabbed my bag and then closed it as I looked back at him. I then sighed and looked at my clothing. I stood there in yoga pants and a tight black tank top, with my hair pulled back in a ponytail. It was certainly not my best look, but what was I supposed to wear? I pulled out Mani’s card and flipped it over to see the address on it with the name of this self-defense class listed.

“Fight to live,” i
t said and I placed it back into my pocket and looked up at the building. We heard tires screeching and some yelling in the distance and the driver was quickly at my side.

“Th
is is not the best part of town,” he said to me as we started to walk to the large doors. He opened it up and I smelled the sweat and blinked at first. I am not used to smelling anything but fresh flowers and candles burning, so this was new and almost smelled animalistic in nature. I walked up the counter where a girl sat reading a book. I cleared my throat and she looked up at me and blew a bubble. I leaned up and stared at her.

“I am here for Mani’s class,
” I said and she laughed and set her book down as she stood up and looked me over.

“Boy he attracts em’ doesn’t he?” she said and the driver stared her down.

“There is no need…”

I held my hand up and smiled at him.

“I just want to learn to defend myself, I was attacked.”

“Uh huh,” s
he said as she stepped around the counter and her large pregnant belly reached me before she did. I backed up a bit and she laughed.

“I am not contagious, I am just preggers.”

“I can see that.”

She rubbed her belly and looked me over.

“You got kids?” she asked me and I hesitated and then nodded yes.

“I have twin boys, they are graduating this year.”

She reached out and lifted my shirt and I jerked it down, as she looked confused.

“No way you popped two kids out, you have no stretch marks at all…how the hell did you pull that off?” she asked me and I looked taken back for a moment until I heard his voice and turned to see Mani walking up looking happy to see me.

“Hi!” he said in a cheerful tone and I glanced at her as she continued to look me over while chewing her gum.

“You know she popped out twins Mani?” she asked him and he stopped and looked me over.

“Yes,” he said and she laughed.

“Well, listen…you need to tell me what the hell you did t
o maintain your body, this is number five for me and I am fucking wrecked,” she said as she lifted her shirt. Her stomach looked like a battleground of crossing lines and craters. I hissed and Mani took my hand and pulled me along as I looked down and saw our hands together. He felt strong and safe, two things I had never had in my life. I looked back at her as she watched me and shook her head. I tried to smile but I had nothing to share with her. The only secret I had is the fact that I had never carried a child, let alone twins.

We stopped at two large glass doors and I looked in at all of the people, mainly women, who were being flipped over back
s and slammed to the plush mats. I hesitated and Mani looked at me and smiled.

“I won’t lie and tell you that I was shocked when you said you wanted to come
, but I am so glad that you did.”

“That looks in
sane,” I said as I looked past him and he laughed.

“Give it a few classes and you will be knocking the shit out of me.”

I laughed and looked up at him.

“I doubt that.”

“Beth…I am going to show you things that will make you a beast.”

“I bet,
” I said quietly as he watched me.

“What?” he said and I bit my lip and then took the bag from my driver.

“Yes…I mean let’s do this, I am ready.”

He opened the doors up and the smell of sweat was even stronger. I covered my mouth for a moment and he glanced back at me.

“You will get used to it,” he said and I nodded to him and walked in as everything continued on around us.

Mani placed the protective headpiece on me and then held a mouth guard out to me and I stared at it.

“Open your mouth up,” he said and I did slowly as he slipped in it and watched my lips. I closed my mouth and then slammed my hands together, as they were both encased in cushy boxing gloves. I figured I would move around and throw some punches and then be done here for the day. I mean my real reason for coming was not to really learn to fight, it was to see him and I hoped he was truly happy to see me. It had been two weeks since the disastrous dinner and I waited to call him, I had to. I felt strange enough when I did but his tone was upbeat and it honestly sounded like he was thrilled to hear from me so when the whole self-defense training thing came up on the phone I simply agreed to it before I understood what I had committed too. It was a 5-week program, 3 times a week but that was an excuse to see him three more times a week than I was now. So I said yes.

I stepped forward and M
ani stood there. For a minute I thought he would be my partner but he waved a hand and a large woman came up to us with the same gear I had on and she mumbled something. I leaned up and mumbled a “what?” to her and then Mani stepped back and stared at me.

I started to jog in place and she watched me like I was insane and then I did a couple of dance moves like I had se
en on my exercising videos. She lowered her hands and I continued on like I was going to stun her with my ability to look like a pro. I felt a bit cocky and shook my head yes and leaned up on her and then back. I did it a couple more times and she finally hit me square in the jaw and I spun in place and then hit the mat. She jumped on my back as I cried out and she placed one arm around my throat and one on my leg. She bent me up like a pretzel and I started to tap my padded glove on the mat. She stood up and looked at Mani as he shook his head. I rolled over onto my back and felt a bit nauseous but this was no time to be a pussy so I stood up, swaying a bit and then went back to my jazzercise routine. She hit me again and this time I stumbled back and my driver caught me and stood me back up.

“How am I doing?” I asked him and he laughed.

“You seem to have her on the run,” he said and I nodded as I stepped towards her and took a swing finally. She ducked me and hit me in the side and I nearly spit my mouth guard out. Then she picked me up and spun me over her head as I saw everyone spin around me. She slammed me to the ground and I swear I almost peed myself. She landed on me and all you could see was my feet adorned with expensive new tennis shoes and my gloves. Mani ran up and tapped her and she crawled off of me as I stared at the ceiling feeling like I had been hit by a train. He leaned down over me and held his hand up.

“How many fingers?” he asked me and I smiled and said “pink.” He then helped
me up as my head felt heavy. He led me to the benches as my driver ran over.

“Cold water and a bag of ice,
” Mani said as he nodded and the driver left us. I leaned forward and spit my mouth guard out and saw a bit of blood on it.

“Am I bleeding?” I asked him as I looked up at him and he hissed as he saw my lip was busted open.

“Mmm,” he said as the driver returned with the water and ice. Mani took it and then pulled me to him easily with one hand. I made a small noise as it turned me on a bit as to how strong he was. He held the ice up and then touched my lip with it and I cried out like a baby.

“You got your ass beat,” h
e said to me and I nodded as I started to cry and he shook his head and leaned down to make me look at him.

“Everyone gets their ass beat the first day Beth, it is the way it is supposed to be.”

“Really?” I said as I sniffed and he held his smile in.

“You have never fought with anyone huh?”

“Not a fight, I mean I have hit Ryan before.”

“Did he notice?” Mani asked me and I jerked the ice bag from him and held it to my mouth on my own.

“Yes he did,” I said as I hissed and held it in place. “I can be strong,” I said under my breath as the memory of hitting my father came back to me. After having that girl beat me so badly I am wondering how the hell I was able to do it at all. I guess we are never aware of what we can do unless we are in a panic.

“You had children, I know you can be str
ong,” he said to me and I looked at him. Nothing could be further from the truth on that one.

“Twins,
” I said and he looked at my driver.

“You might want to take her home, she has probably had enough…”

I shook my head ‘no’ and stared at my driver.

“Go get lu
nch, I will be here for a while,” I said to him and he didn’t move. “I am serious, I am not leaving yet,” I added and Mani crossed his arms on his chest.

“You have nothing to prove
, Beth.”

I stood up and he reached out as I swayed a bit. I caught my balance and pointed at the woman who had knocked the shit out of me.

“Come on,” I said to her as I walked out and Mani stared at me in disbelief.

“You
really should take her home now,” he said to my driver and he looked at Mani and smiled.

“You may b
e surprised, Bethany is a bitch,” he said and Mani watched him walk towards the doors and leave to get lunch for himself, just like I told him to do.

I started to pop back and forth as the woman approached me again and she looked past me to Mani as he held his hands up as if to say, I have no more say about it. She looked back to me and slammed her hands together as I felt a bit of anger rise in me. I mean I have never truly had to defend myself on a physical level but I knew what a battle could and should be. I am a Bittermend and I doubt there are many in this city with as ruthless of genes as I have. I leaned up and smiled at her as a bit of blood trickled on my chin. I started to transfer the pain I was feeling to how I used to enjoy it when I was fucking and everything became easier for me.

“I don’t know who taught you to fight, but they suck ass,” I said to her and she growled at me, which was a bit odd.

“Me Daddy taught me and my brother.”

“Are you sure you are the girl?” I asked her and she rushed me and slammed me to the ground as I hit it so hard it knocked the wind out of me. I suddenly pulled my knee up and caught her between her legs straight in the puss and I felt her body tense up as I expected it too. She rolled off of me holding her pussy as I sat up and smiled just thinking of how much I had probably hurt her. She rolled a bit and I stood up and turned to Mani who didn’t look too impressed, but his eyes widened as she rose behind me. I then looked down as her hand grabbed my crotch from behind and I screamed as she took her other hand, grabbed the back of my neck and lifted me above her head. Mani ran down and looked at her while shaking his head.

“
Murder carries a long sentence,” he said to her and she sighed as she lowered me to the ground. I stood there and then she got one last hit in on me and laid me out on the mat as everything went starry and the world turned to black.

****

“Beth…Beth…”

I heard the voice but everything seemed as if it was in a clouded haze and suddenly I was back in the car with Ryan on that rainy night when we had to dispose of my Father’s body. I sat there tracing the heart on the window and it turned from rain to blood streaks as I turned to Ryan and saw his face in red.

He leaned in and kissed me slowly as his lips parted mine and his tongue played with me as it often did. One thing I loved about Ryan was his ability to kiss like it was the last time, every time. It was something I am sure every woman he had seduced was haunted by. I then pulled back and it was no longer Ryan, it was now Mani who stared at me and the blood started to seep from a small bullet hole in his forehead, just as it had from Miko. I reached up and tried to stop it from bleeding but I then realized he was smiling as if he was happy.

“It’s not like you ki
lled someone,” he said to me and I then placed the gun at my own head and shot it. I opened my eyes up and saw Mani leaning over me.

“You did not kill her,” h
e said to the woman who had knocked me senseless and I moaned as I tried to sit up.

“Just lay st
ill,” he said and I grinned at him as I reached up and touched his face.

“I would never kill you,
” I said to him and my eyes fluttered as he called out to me once more.