Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

15. Hit Him

Isla approached her sister's house, her hand reaching out to open the door. As she stepped inside, she swiftly closed the door behind her and turned to navigate her way towards the kitchen. There, she anticipated seeing her sister's husband, Levi.

"Hi Levi," Isla greeted with a smile, which he reciprocated warmly. "Is she almost ready?" she inquired. He responded with a nod. The last she had heard, they had managed to resolve a minor disagreement they had, a matter which left her feeling relieved for her sister.

"Izzy, I hope I didn't keep you waiting," Emma chimed in as she approached Levi, planting a light kiss on his cheek. "We'll be back soon," she assured him. Levi returned the gesture, kissing her cheek in return as the two sisters readied themselves to head out.

"So, what were you planning for us to do today?" Emma asked. Isla had yet to reveal her intentions for their day out.

"We, my dear sister, are going to take self-defense classes today," Isla divulged as they climbed into her car and began their journey down the street.

"Self-defense classes? Makes sense, given the situation," Emma commented, a smile playing on her lips. Isla nodded in agreement, her own smile mirroring her sister's. "I'm a little nervous now, though," Emma confessed.

"We'll be fine, Emma. We're going to take a few classes. It'll help put my mind at ease," Isla reassured her as she pulled into the parking lot. "Here we are," she announced.

Isla and Emma stepped out of the car and made their way inside the building. They approached the front desk where a slightly muscular lady greeted them with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Isla Lee. I booked a private self-defense class," Isla informed the lady behind the desk. The lady nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yes, here you are. Your instructor, Luke, is waiting for you in the room to your right," the lady said. Isla nodded in gratitude before glancing at Emma and motioning for her to follow.

"He's quite attractive," Emma whispered to Isla as they entered the room, finding a very appealing and muscular instructor. Isla chuckled softly, shaking her head, and proceeded further into the room.

"Hi, I'm Isla, and this is my sister, Emma," Isla introduced themselves. The man greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hello, I'm Luke. It's nice to meet you both," Luke said, shaking their hands. "So, if I may ask, what made you want to take self-defense classes?" he inquired.

"Well," Emma began but hesitated.

"We recently had an incident that shook us up a bit," Isla explained with a faint smile.

"Okay, understandable. Let's get right into it, then," Luke said with an encouraging smile, leading them to the center of the room.

"We'll begin with a few basic self-defense moves," Luke explained. Isla nodded and glanced at Emma, ready to learn.

"Alright, the first move is the Palm Strike," Luke instructed. "Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent," he demonstrated the stance for them.

"Next, raise your dominant hand with your fingers slightly curled and your palm facing downward," Luke continued. "Thrust your palm forward with force, aiming for the nose, chin, or throat of your attacker," he explained while demonstrating the technique.

"Now, let's see you give it a try," Luke encouraged, gesturing for Isla and Emma to practice the Palm Strike.

Isla and Emma practiced the Palm Strike on the padded mat a few times until Luke expressed his satisfaction.

"That's great! You two are fast learners," Luke complimented. "Now, let's move on to the Groin Kick. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Lift your knee on the same side as your dominant leg," he demonstrated the correct stance.

"Then, extend your leg and forcefully kick your attacker's groin using the top of your foot. It will immediately create distance between you and the attacker," Luke explained while showcasing the technique. He guided Isla and Emma through the movements, also teaching them techniques like the Elbow Strike and Knee Strike.

"I'm very impressed by how quickly both of you are catching on," Luke praised. Isla smiled happily and exchanged a glance with Emma, who mirrored her expression.

"Alright, this will be the last technique for today: the Wrist Escape," Luke announced. "If an attacker grabs your wrist, quickly rotate your forearm to break their grip. Use your other hand to strike the attacker's face, throat, or groin," he instructed. Isla nodded attentively as Emma attempted the maneuver.

"Then, pull your arm away forcefully, freeing yourself from the attacker's hold," Luke concluded, offering further guidance if needed.

"Thank you so much," Isla said, waving goodbye as they walked towards the door. Isla glanced down at her phone as she continued walking, but her attention was abruptly interrupted when Emma grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"What?" Isla asked, looking up at Emma, but Emma's gaze remained fixed ahead. Isla turned her head to see Rio approaching with two imposing men by his side. A lump formed in Isla's throat as they walked closer.

"It doesn't look like you're gettin' my money," Rio sneered at Emma, who lowered her gaze. Isla quickly grabbed Emma's arm and pulled her back.

"What do you want?" Isla asked, her eyes darting back to the parking lot where her car was parked. It was just right there, behind them. They could make a run for it, but not with Rio's attention on them.

"We're going to take a little ride," Rio said, sidestepping with his hand in his pocket and motioning towards his car. There was no way Isla was going to let that happen.

So, without hesitation, Isla acted on instinct. She swiftly moved, bringing her foot forward and delivering a powerful kick to one of the big men right in the groin with the bottom of her foot. As he doubled over in pain, clutching himself, Isla curled her fingers and struck him hard in the nose with the palm of her hand, causing it to immediately start bleeding.

Rio and the other large man looked on in surprise as they witnessed their companion on his knees. Taking advantage of the moment, Isla quickly grabbed Emma's hand, pulling her along as they sprinted towards the car.

"Get in the car! Get in the car!" Isla yelled urgently. They wasted no time as they hopped into the vehicle. Isla didn't wait a second longer. She turned the key in the ignition, shifted into drive, and slammed the pedal down to the floor. With a sharp turn of the wheel, she skillfully maneuvered the car, throwing its rear end sideways as she accelerated and swiftly drove out onto the street.

"Oh god! Oh god!" Emma yelled, frantically brushing the hair out of her face. "I can't believe you did that! You just...you hit him! I can't believe you did that!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Stop panicking, Emma," Isla said, lightly tapping her arm. "Because if you panic, I'm going to panic."

"They're going to kill us!" Emma's voice trembled with fear.

"STOP! Look back there and check if they're following us," Isla commanded. Emma did as instructed, scanning the road behind them.

"I don't... I don't see anyone," Emma replied. "We can't go back to my house. My kids are there! Where are we going to go?" she said, her worry evident.

"Okay! Okay! Call Levi and tell him something happened with Mason, and you don't think I should be alone right now," Isla suggested. "We're going to find a hotel, and we're going to call Axel. Alright? We'll be fine. We're going to be fine," she reassured, trying to convince herself as well.

"You hit him!" Emma exclaimed, still shocked. Isla nodded, her own emotions beginning to surface.

"I hit him. Oh, oh god! I hit him!" Isla's voice quivered with a mix of fear and adrenaline.

Isla fought to control her panic as they pulled into the nearest hotel. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, leaning back into her seat, and closed her eyes, attempting to calm her racing heart and regulate her breathing. The weight of the situation weighed heavily on her mind. They were undoubtedly in trouble, and the gravity of it was sinking in.