Page 7 of Code Name: Grit

I moved over him, positioning my knees alongside his ribs, hands on his shoulders.

“How’s this?” I asked, leaning forward. My ponytail slipped over my shoulder.

“Good position,” he said. “But you’re vulnerable to this?—”

In one fluid motion, he bridged his hips and twisted, reversing our positions. Suddenly, I was beneath him, wrists pinned beside my head, his body covering mine.

“Always secure the arms,” he said. “And maintain pressure here.” He shifted, pressing his hips against mine.

When the door banged open, Grit rolled off me immediately. Dante stood in the doorway, his expression darkening.

“Admiral’s looking for you,” he said, gaze fixed on Grit rather than me. “New intelligence about the Belcastros.”

“We’re just finishing up,” I said, finding my voice. “Five minutes.”

When he stalked away, I exhaled slowly. “My brother has interesting timing.”

“Probably for the best,” Grit admitted.

“Same time tomorrow?” I asked, gathering my things.

He hesitated, then nodded once. “Same time tomorrow.”

3

GRIT

Like yesterday, I’d arrived early and was warming up when Lumi showed up for our second training session.

The first time I looked into her blue-green eyes, the woman took my breath away. I still remembered the way her dark-brown hair fell past her shoulders and how, when she smiled, a single dimple appeared in her right cheek.

She moved like someone who’d spent her life ready to run, athletic and always aware. There’d been so many times I caught myself watching her even when I should’ve been focused on a briefing. She was damn distracting, and she knew it.

“Round two,” she said, dropping her towel at the edge of the mat. “Unless you’ve reconsidered?”

“Not a chance,” I replied, gesturing her forward. “Today, we focus on submissions.”

I demonstrated the techniques using a training dummy, explaining how leverage overcomes strength. When we eventually moved into practice, her quick adaptability impressed me. She executed an arm bar surprisingly well, stopping just short of hyperextending my elbow.

“Where did you learn that?” I asked after she completed a move I hadn’t taught her.

“You just assumed I didn’t have training. You were wrong.”

As our session continued, the professional distance I tried to maintain evaporated with each point of contact. When she successfully reversed a takedown and pinned me, her hands pressing my shoulders into the mat, neither of us moved for a heartbeat too long.

“See? I’m better than you thought,” she said, still holding me down.

“You are.” My voice was rough with something beyond exertion.

When the door opened abruptly, this time Dragon entered, her eyes flicking between us.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but Admiral needs you both. Now.”

Lumi rolled off me gracefully, extending a hand to help me up. “Looks like our training keeps getting disturbed,” she said after Dragon left.

“Maybe it’s for the best.”

She smiled. “Is it?”