Chasing Demons (Book 2) Rated R

Chapter 33

~Aimee~

"No, don't tuck your thumb in."

"Why not?"

"You'll break a finger that way, Lady Aimee," Darius offered helpfully from the sidelines.

I nodded and threw a punch but Christian sidestepped it with ease, not a single strand of midnight hair ruffled.

"Again," He ordered.

Several embarrassing attempts later, all of which he was able to deflect without so much as blinking, I braced my hands against my knees, breathing heavily.

Who knew throwing punches could be such a workout?

"Look, if I'm losing this badly in a fight, it's pretty obvious I have to use my powers."

"What if your powers aren't working? Like they did not against Rodrigo?"

He took a step that brought him dangerously close to me which caused me to jerk upright. I opened my mouth but then his fingers butterflied across my jaw, two pressing against the side of my throat. He glanced down at the black watch on his wrist, eyes furrowed in concentration.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking your heart rate. I think it got too high this last round."

The clear question mark on my face prompted him to continue. "Exceeding a certain heart rate during...pregnancy can be detrimental to the fetus."

I shoved his hand away from my throat.

"Is that what I am to you now? Just a damn incubator?"

Christian's eyes frosted over, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. He took a step back.

"Of course not."

I scoffed. "You seem really concerned for someone who doesn't, you know, care anymore."

His eyes darted over my shoulder at where Daciana and Darius stood, probably feeling awkward right this minute. It's not like I enjoyed making a spectacle of our relationship but where else could I hash it out with him if he avoided being alone with me like the plague?

"Aimee," he sighed, chastising me.

An overwhelming urge to kick him came over me. He blocked the kick to his head and barely managed to block the knee to his groin.

I reared back, breathing hard.

But only an infuriating scowl appeared on Christian's face.

"That's it?"

A question and a challenge.

I stood again, weight distributed across my feet just as Darius taught me, and lifted my fists into the air, fixing Christian with a scalding look.

"As if I'd ever give up that easily."

His answering half-smile was one of approval. I went after him but his open palms deflected my punches. I lifted my leg and kicked again but this time he expected it.

Behind me, Daciana sucked in a breath just as Christian's hand snaked out so fast, he blurred. With my ankle in his grip, he swung me around and I lost my balance.

I gasped as the ground came rushing toward my face and I would have landed on the mat, except Christian caught me mid-air under my knees and back, bridal style.

Gently, he set me down on the ground, stood, and stepped away.

Dusting my ass off as I stood, I shot Christian a glare.