Hiding From Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 2) by Olivia Jaymes Page A

did this in a real fight she’d have a broken jaw or a black eye.
    “Keep your hands up to protect your face, babe. Don’t let me get a chance at it. Now try that kick again.”
    Faking a left hook, she kicked her right foot out in a kind of circle and connected with the heavy pad on the back of West’s knee waiting for him to go down. He didn’t budge.
    “Do it again and harder this time,” he urged with a grin. “Pretend I’m Alan.”
    Dancing round the ring on her tiptoes, she gathered all her strength and kicked as hard as she could, her instep landing with a thud against the padding. She grunted at the contact but raised her arms in victory adding in a rebel yell when West’s knee almost hit the floor. He’d recovered quickly but if he hadn’t been wearing those pads she could have really hurt him.
    A rush of adrenaline ran through her and she punched at his solar plexus a few times before he – much to her frustration – tapped her on the chin again. She dropped her feet flat on the floor and stood still, groaning out loud in irritation. Covered in sticky sweat, Gigi had never been much of an athlete. She didn’t like being dirty and she didn’t like being uncomfortable. It wasn’t a great combination for a woman who might need to defend herself against a violent asshole.
    “What’s wrong? You’re doing great. That kick was epic. You almost had me down.”
    Bending over and resting her gloves on her knees, she gulped air into her starved lungs. “Almost doesn’t count.”
    “It sure as hell does. Anytime you make it harder for your opponent to keep hurting you it’s a win. Coming out of a physical altercation completely unscathed is not likely. You’re trying to keep your injuries to a minimum while maximizing his so you can run away. All you’re looking for is an opportunity to get away. That’s it. You can’t take him on toe to toe. You’ll need to fight dirty and fast. He won’t expect it.”
    “Let’s hope I never have to use this.”
    “It’s always good to know how to defend yourself. A couple of times a year I teach a course for women over at the Y.” He pulled off his headgear and began to strip off the knee pads. “But I haven’t taught you the most important move yet. Are you ready?”
    Ready for two ibuprofen and a tall glass of iced tea. Fat chance.
    West appeared to be serious about this. She stood up straight and nodded. “I’m ready.”
    “When an attacker comes for you, scream and scream loudly. Either yell 9-1-1 or ‘fire.’ Do not yell ‘help.’ You want people to come toward you not run away.”
    Was she supposed to shout now?
    “Go ahead. Don’t hold back. Give it to me as loud as you can.”
    He’d asked for it. Gigi threw back her head and let out an eardrum busting, bloodcurdling scream. West jumped back a few steps before clapping his hands together in satisfaction. “That’s exactly what I was talking about. You’ve got a hell of a set of lungs. I never dreamed you could do that. You always seem so quiet.”
    “Try being heard over a bunch of foster kids at the dinner table or when playing outside. If I wanted anyone to listen I had to make sure I was louder than everyone else. Practice makes perfect.”
    “It was like that at the Anderson dinner table too. Which reminds me, Mom invited us to lunch up at the house. After we eat, we’ll go out to one of the empty pastures and practice shooting. Do you know anything about guns?”
    “I may not be able to beat a man into the ground but I can shoot pretty well. I own a handgun and I know what to do with it. After I left Alan it was my number one priority.”
    West’s brows shot up but he looked anything but convinced. “After lunch you can show me. Maybe I can give you a few tips.”
    Gigi wasn’t so confident she didn’t think she could improve. Learning from a real cop and a former soldier could only sharpen her skills. “Thanks, that sounds good.” She pulled her damp t-shirt away from