The Mafia Assassin

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning, Alison woke up with a dull ache in her muscles, a constant reminder of her “training” with Nicholas. Every joint protested as she struggled out of bed, her body stiff and sore from the countless times he had thrown her to the floor. She groaned, rubbing her shoulder, silently cursing him under her breath.

But she knew one thing for sure: giving up was not an option. Giving up wasn't in her vocabulary.

Dragging herself into the kitchen, she found Nicholas already there, casually leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand. His dark eyes locked on her for a brief second before returning to the phone in his hand.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked dryly, not even attempting to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

Alison watched him, reaching for a glass of water just to hold herself from throwing something at him. "Like a baby," she muttered under her breath.

Nicholas's lips tightened slightly, almost as if he were fighting a smile. But it disappear as quickly as it had appeared.

"Okay," he said, straightening up. "We'll leave in ten minutes."

Almost choking on the water she was drinking. "Ten minutes? Are you serious?" I can barely move!” She yelped.

He gave her a cold look. "This way you'll learn faster."

Alison muttered to herself, but she knew arguing with him was pointless and he was right. After grabbing a quick breakfast - if you count a piece of dry toast - she found herself in the space behind the house.

Nicholas was already there, standing as if he had been waiting for hours, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ready?" he asked in an indifferent tone. "No," she muttered quietly.

Without another word, he jumped on her.

Alison barely had time to react. She stumbled backward, trying to avoid his quick movements. He didn't give her time to breathe. His attacks were merciless, fast, sharp and precise.

But this time he was waiting.

When he grabbed her wrist, she turned her body, escaping his grip just in time. A shiver of surprise crossed his face before he masked it with her usual cold expression.

"Not bad," he said coldly. Those words shouldn’t have felt like a victory, but somehow, they did for Alison.

Nicholas lunged again, and this time she managed to dodge two of his blows before she fell to her knees—again. She hit the ground with a thud; out of breath.

“Keep your balance,” he ordered, looming over her like a dark shadow.

Alison looked at him, her chest heaving. "It's easy to tell when you're not the one eating dirt every five seconds."

"Get up," he said again, his voice softer this time.

She sat down, her body screaming in protest.

They continued for what seemed like hours, the sun rising higher in the sky, casting long shadows around them. Sweat beaded on her face, her arms shook with fatigue. But she didn't stop. She refused.

Finally, Nicholas raised his hand, signaling for her to stop.

Alison fell to her knees, breathless. "Are we done...?" she gasped.

"For now," he replied, breathing steadily.

Of course, he wasn't tired.

As she sat down, trying to catch her breath, Nicolas came closer and leaned close to her. His gaze was intense, but not in the usual cold and distant way. There was something different, something she couldn't define.

"You're not as useless as I thought," he said softly. Alison blinked her eyes totally speechless, unsure whether to be offended or amused.

He didn’t smile, but there was a slight glint of amusement in his eyes.

Before he could respond, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Nicholas stood up and answered briefly, “Yes?”

Alison watched his expression change as she observed him. His jaw clenched and that familiar coldness returned to his face.

"I see," he said abruptly before ending the call.

Without looking, he murmured, "Training is over for today. We have company."

Alison's heart skipped a beat. "Company? What kind of company?”

He didn’t answer, already walking toward the house.

Alison stood up quickly, fear replacing her depleted adrenaline. The peace she’d found in that brief moment of victory was gone, replaced by the pure fact that hat her life was about to get even more complicated.