Page 13 of Brutal Reign
Whatever the reason, I’m back to mentally cursing Madd for not finding a way to get me into the dorms. It was bad enough in the barracks with just Seb there, but Ace, too?I’m so screwed.
I don’t even realize I’m still staring in Ace’s direction until his eyes suddenly meet mine, my breath catching the moment our gazes collide. He at least acknowledges my existence, lifting his chin, but then I have to turn away to hide my blush. The simplest gesture from him still makes my heart flutter.Damnit.
“Alright, like I was saying, we’re gonna get started with hand-to-hand combat today,” Madd continues, the last of the whispers in the crowd dying out. “I want you to pair up, then form a circle around us here in the center of the field. Pick which one of you will rotate, and every time Tris blows the whistle, that person will be moving to the right for their next matchup. Got it?”
We all nod in understanding.
“Alright, pair up.”
Hayden spins toward me, grabbing for my hand. “Partners?”
“Duh,” I reply with a smile.
The two of us break away to find a spot on the field amongst the other pairs of recruits circling the squad leaders, and we’ve barely gotten into position across from one another before the whistle blows.
“Does that mean we start?” Hayden asks, cocking her head.
I lunge toward her in answer, aiming a punch at her gut that clips her side as she spins out of the way, throwing an elbow back into my ribs. Hayden and I have sparred together so many times before that it’s almost like a dance. We both know exactly when to bob and weave to deflect each other’s hits, and we also know how to showcase one another’s best skills. This first match isn’t about winning, it’s about putting on a performance for the squad leaders.
Too soon, the whistle blows, and Hayden offers me a fist-bump before moving to the right to meet her next opponent, a girl from my pack rotating over to take me on.
I’ve sparred against Bella before, too, so it’s another opportunity to show off my skills rather than actually defend myself. My adrenaline is still pumping, though, a rush of excitement burning through me as we battle it out. This adrenaline spike is what I live for; it’s one of the main reasons I want to be a squad warrior.
By my fifth match-up, I’m really starting to hit my stride, but then my next opponent takes his place in front of me and all that wild energy seems to leave my body on a single exhale.
There’s always been this dark, haunted quality about Ace Conway that only seems to multiply my attraction to him. Maybe it’s that look in his eyes that betrays the existence of wicked thoughts swirling beneath the surface, or the array of ink decorating his skin in stunning gothic depictions of skulls and roses. He’s always been an incredible artist, and he’s definitely got the whole brooding artist vibe down pat. Whatever it is, I wish it didn’t affect me like it does.
He used to wear his dark hair longer, but now it’s buzzed short, accentuating the angles of his face. My gaze snags on the fresh ink adorning the side of his throat, eyes tracing the lines of the new tattoo inked there: a playing card spade symbol.
“Ace of Spades, huh?” I remark, reaching up to tighten my ponytail. “Clever.”
The corner of his mouth ticks up as he sinks down into a defensive crouch. The pairs on either side of us have already started sparring, so I guess we’d better get down to it.
I launch toward him, aiming a fist at that chiseled jawline I’m so fond of. Ace sees my move coming from a mile away. He easily ducks the blow, dancing away before pivoting back toward me. He lifts his fists, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and I lunge for him again.
He dodges my advance smoothly, and the next one, and the one after that. He doesn’t try to take any hits of his own, and it becomes painfully obvious that he’s doing everything he can to avoid touching me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl angrily as he swerves yet another hit, passing on the opportunity to get in one of his own.
“Gotta be quicker than that, Riv,” he mocks, effortlessly gliding away from me.
The whistle sounds, and Ace slips me an infuriating smirk before turning to move on to his next match-up, leaving me glaring at the back of his head.
“Hope you don’t expect me to go that easy on you,” Seb scoffs as he rotates in to take Ace’s place, pinning me with his intense, dark-eyed stare.
Once again, I’m knocked horrifically off balance at the sight of him alone. Where Ace is shadows, Seb is fire, and one look can set me ablaze. His lips pull into a wolfish grin as he gets into position, beckoning my advance with a flick of his head.
I waste no time in launching toward him with a frustrated snarl, and unlike Ace, he doesn’t dodge me. I’m on him in less than a second to deliver an uppercut straight to his jaw, my fist smacking against his flesh and his teeth clacking together.A heartbeat later, his own fist slams into my ribs, sending me sprawling sideways. I swing back around, but he’s already on me again, the two of us matching each other blow for blow in the struggle to get the upper hand.
While Ace’s sole purpose seemed to be avoiding touching me, Seb’s approach is the opposite. His hands are all over me, flinging me around and toying with me like prey. It’s goddamn infuriating. There are certain rules I usually respect while sparring, but every single one of them goes out the window in the face of my rage.
I aim a punch for his face, but he snatches my wrist out of the air before I can make contact. Then he brings my arm down and twists it sharply behind my back, spinning me around and stepping in behind me. “Ready to give up?” he growls into my ear, the heat of his body at my back burning through me like wildfire.
“Never,” I grit out, slamming my head backwards. I hear a satisfying crack when it collides with his nose, seizing his moment of surprise to yank my wrist free of his grip. Pivoting around to face him again, I find blood streaming from his nostrils, a feral look in his gold-flecked eyes.
Before I can even blink, Seb tackles me to the ground. I throw my weight to the side and the momentum sends us rolling, both of us grunting and cursing as we take cheap shots at one another and grapple for the upper hand.
“Hey!” Madd yells as I finally manage to throw my weight on top of Seb.