toxin | parker | book two

CHAPTER SEVEN

[HOMECOMING]

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With Mari on the floor, stretching her back and legs, Natasha corrected her. Eventually, she helped her up and they climbed onto a large mat.

"Hit me," Natasha commanded.

"What?"

"Hit me," she commanded sternly.

Mari swung her balled fist toward her stomach, and Natasha grabbed it, turning Mari's strength against her and landing her in the floor of the mat.

"Get back up."

Mari stood back up.

"Hit me again, use your core and keep your feet stable."

She did it. Natasha grabbed her fist and twisted it back, landing Mari on her knees with burning pain in her shoulder and elbow.

"Ow!" she howled.

Natasha let her go.

"Up. Hit me in the face."

"I don't think this is working—"

Natasha hit Mari's abs and she folded. "What the hell?" she wheezed.

"Don't get hit next time."

"I thought the point of me going in was to get hit."

"It is, but you get hit because you chose to, not because he did." Natasha helped her up. "Arms up; block your face with your forearms. Move to avoid core hits, or just take them by tightening your muscles."

"Okay. Hit me," Mari commanded. Natasha moved for the face and Mari took it with her forearms, then punched Natasha in the gut.

"Nice. You're learning."

When they wrapped up, they sat and stretched again. Natasha told her, exactly, what would happen:

"You're going to call Zollas in when the sun rises. Around eight, we'll go. I'll be outside and stop the banker. The group will be stationed to watch for guards," she said, "You'll go into the building as the banker and begin to talk to him. Then, you'll shift into yourself. I'll call the officers then. You and I will have earpieces so I can hear and record the conversation. Do what you need to do to get confessions, and the security cameras you set up before will film."

She nodded.

They stood and walked out to the kitchen. It was early and quiet and dark, still. Natasha began to make a simple breakfast of poached eggs on English Muffins with smoothies. They sat and ate and watched the Sun brim the horizon.

Then, a pair of feet padded, silently, to the kitchen. They went unnoticed due to the silence and invisibility.

Then, the owner of the feet appeared in front of the two women, eating in peace. When they saw Nina appear out of thin air, they jumped, then their stomachs dropped.