Chapter 4 - THE STANCE DEREK RECOGNIZED
Marcus rolled his shoulders under the sleeveless black shirt that showed off everything he wanted people to notice. Four men from his gym stood behind him, grinning like spectators at a cheap fight night. One of them, Derek Shaw, was quieter than the others. He had the watchfulness of someone who had spent enough time around real skill to recognize the difference between performance and capacity.
I bent down, picked up my jacket, and laid it across the picnic bench.
Marcus grinned. The crowd drew in one sharp breath.
Then I stepped forward without touching the gloves.
“One rule,” I said.
He raised his fists.
“When you want to quit, stay flat on the ground.”
That got a few nervous laughs from people who still thought this was bluff and theater. I didn’t look at them. I gave Lily a small nod instead—the same one I had used in hospital hallways, airfields, and safe rooms to tell frightened people: stay where you are, keep your eyes on me, you are not alone.
Marcus came in careless, not because he lacked strength but because he believed strength was enough. He reached first for my arm, probably planning to twist it hard enough to make me cry out in front of the crowd. I pivoted half a step and let his hand close on air. The movement was tiny. Efficient. Nothing flashy. But Derek’s expression changed instantly.
Marcus circled once, more serious now. He lifted his hands higher. “Cute,” he muttered. “You’ve watched videos.” He lunged again, this time with a hard forward drive meant to overwhelm me with mass.
I slipped to the outside, caught his wrist, redirected the momentum through my hip, and sent him stumbling three full steps past me.
The cookout went silent.
Warren lowered his beer.
Derek stared at my feet, my balance, my guard—compact, disciplined, economical. It was not amateur sparring posture. It was a woman who had spent years surviving bad intentions from men bigger than Marcus.
May you like
“Marcus,” Derek said quietly, “back off.”
Marcus heard him. His pride rejected it.
