A Perfect Storm
Page 100

The men said nothing, but the women couldn’t hide their disbelief—probably disapproval, too. Not that she gave a flip.
Only…she kind of did.
No, screw that. She shook out her arms and took a stance across from him.
“Now that I know you like knives…” Dare picked up a sturdy twig about as thick around as his index finger. He broke it until it was close to ten inches long. “We’ll pretend this is your favorite blade.” He flipped it over once and then held it out to her.
A stick? Okay, she’d play along. After tossing it from hand to hand, Arizona worked her fingers around it until it felt right. She nodded.
“Try not to poke out my eye, okay?”
Satisfaction filled her smile. “Don’t worry,” she taunted him. “I won’t hurt you.”
Dare didn’t take the bait, but then she already knew he had a cool, controlled temperament.
They stood in the yard. It wasn’t flat but instead sloped down gently toward the lake. No problem; real fights seldom occurred under ideal situations. Dare adjusted for the terrain, so she would, too.
She felt the sun on the top of her head and bare shoulders, but it didn’t blind her.
She felt the rapt stares of the others and dismissed them from her mind.
Drawing a calming breath, she braced her feet. “Ready when you are.”
Probably hoping to startle her, Dare lunged forward in a head-on attack. Reacting automatically, Arizona released the twig with the same deadly accuracy she utilized with her knife. Like an arrow, it struck Dare solidly in the chest—right where his heart would be.
Stunned, he stopped in his tracks.
Smug, vindicated, Arizona whispered, “Gotcha.” Maybe now he’d take her seriously.
Trace barked a laugh. “Not bad, Arizona.” He sat forward. “But if that wasn’t a killing blow—and it rarely is, at least not right away and not against a guy like Dare—then you’re in trouble, because now you’ve lost your weapon.”
Oh, well…yeah, maybe.
Trace nodded at her. “Try again.”
Expression enigmatic, Dare handed her the makeshift knife and resumed his stance. “Ready?”
She set her feet apart and rolled her shoulders to loosen them. “Yup.”
This time, the second he moved, she dashed in, ducked under his arm and used the side of the twig to simulate a slash across his crotch. She rolled out of the way.
She felt pretty good about her speed, until she came up and found Dare right behind her, saying, “I might be bleeding out, but now I’m really pissed, too.” Effortlessly, he contained her in a choke hold. “And then we’d die together.”
He didn’t hurt her, but no way could she get out of his hold, either.
Near her ear, he asked, “What would you do now?”
Still held tight, she said, “Normally I’d stomp an instep, or deliver a head butt. Or even just drop my weight so you had to readjust your grip. But you’ve already taken away those options.”
“True enough.”
“I guess I’d just bide my time and wait for an opening.” She tipped her head around to smile at him. “Everyone slips up eventually.”
“Maybe.” Dare released her. “Unless I snapped your neck without missing a beat.” He smoothed down her mussed hair, then lifted her chin. “And that’s the thing, Arizona. You never know how trained someone might be. Most idiots in bars are without skill. But not always. It’s not something you can take for granted.”
Feeling her blood sing through her veins, Arizona grinned. “Okay, so school me.” She shook out her limbs. “I’m all ears.”
Trace laughed again. “You’re all something—not sure ears are the right description.”
Over the next few minutes, as she and Dare tried several different moves together, she was almost able to put aside her conflict with Spencer.
But not quite.
Where was he now? What was he doing?
Was he so angry that he’d avoid her the rest of their trip?
Like hell. She wouldn’t let him brood. If he wanted to argue, fine, she’d argue. But she wouldn’t—
She grunted when Dare caught her unawares and tripped her to her back. She bounded right back, jerked to the side and kicked him in his sexy butt.
The women started cheering; it was Arizona they wanted to see come out ahead.
They booed Dare when he again took her legs out from under her, even though he brought her down easy to the grass. “You’re distracted,” he scolded. “And that could cost you your life.”
They hooted and hollered when she rapidly squirreled around and locked her arms tight over Dare’s throat. “Not that distracted,” she said as she used her knees in his back for leverage.
Dare laughed. “You are fast.”
“Cry uncle?” she asked outrageously, just to egg on the women.
“I don’t think so.” Dare flipped her over his shoulder and tossed her high into the air, making her squawk loudly in surprise.
Trace roared with hilarity even as Dare caught her again, and the women joined in.
Jackson came to stand over her. “You said something about crying uncle, Arizona?”
Exhilarated and gasping for breath, she shouted, “Never!”
Sargie and Tai wanted in on the game. The big dogs started bounding around them to the point that Grim the cat hissed and ran off, and even Liger turned up his nose and moved a safer distance away.