The Enforcer or The Mafia Prince

Chapter 34

"Come on, Jess! You got this! Give me three more. That's it," Gia yelled as Jessica pummeled the sandbag. "Good. Rest and get some water."

Jessica tore off her boxing gloves and fell into a pile beside her water bottle. Three days in felt harder than day one of Training Week. Her entire body ached, but Gia swore Jess was getting stronger.

"Jess," Gia squatted next to her and looked into her eyes. "You're doing so well. I know you're tired. You want to give up right now, but you're killing it. Your form is miles from where you started, and I'm assigning ten more pounds to all your routines next week."

Gia's praise hit a soft spot in Jess's heart. Hearing Gia tell her that she was improving gave her the dopamine rush that Jess needed to continue. She swigged her water and nodded at Gia.

"Okay, let's keep going," Jessica said. She reached out and slapped her hand in Gia's for help off the floor. Her legs might be weak, but Jess was not giving up. It might be because Declan left or despite him leaving, but focusing on a goal made Jess feel better. It was like the stronger her body got, the stronger her mind became.

"Okay, Jess. Now here's your next routine. I want you to jab with your right and then your left. Then right hook, kick with your left leg, drop down and pop back up like a burpee, and then two right uppercuts. Got that?"

Gia let the drill instructor out in full force today. She didn't know why, but Jess was performing at an unprecedented level. It made Gia excited to teach Jess. Their energy was infectious; they fed off one another and kept going. She watched Jess give a one, two punch, then hook. She expected the burpee to be a struggle for Jessica, knowing how tired her body must be.

Jess exceeded her expectations. She dropped down onto her hands and feet and popped back up with ease. Her dark pink top fluttered up, exposing her lean stomach. Not worried about modesty, Jessica kept going and didn't bother pulling her shirt down. Gia wanted to discover how much Jess could give her. She let Jessica repeat the routine over and over until Jess showed signs of struggling.

"Good, Jess. Less finish this cycle. Remember to breathe. Time your breath with your hits. Huff. Huff. That's it. Almost done. Up, give these last two hits your all. That's it. And done! Take a break, but keep walking. If you hard stop now, your body will be screaming at you when Tristan gets here."

Catching her breath, Jessica nodded and trotted to her water but didn't still. She moseyed around the classroom, following Gia's instructions not to stop. The morning clouds hadn't disappeared; sunbeams danced in and out of the room as they passed by. Jess didn't care how weak her muscles felt; something about the strain made her feel strong. She reveled in the sensation.

While Jessica lapped the room, Gia pulled out a couple of floor mats. Tristan waltzed in, looking dapper in his black joggers and t-shirt. He would tuck in his shirt and pin his hair back for safety. But Tristan didn't feel the need to wear his usual sparring gear as he was working with Jessica this morning. Jessica found his swagger obnoxious. She might not be at his level, but she was still trying. Both women stopped what they were doing to check him out.

"Thanks for coming, Tristan," Gia said, starstruck by her boss's son. Well, soon-to-be boss, she realized. Tristan would take over everything one day.

Tristan smiled and replied, "No problem. Anything for Jess."

Tristan turned to set his stuff down, and Gia made a fake gagging face at Jess. She teased her pupil for the blatant flirting. Jess rolled her eyes and laughed. Tristan's arrival made things feel more fun than their intense workout.

"Where do you want me?" Tristan directed his question at Gia once he'd kicked his shoes off and stepped over to the mat.

"Where you're at is fine. I'm sorry to say you'll be a punching bag today, and Jess is in good form. Jess," Gia turned to address Jessica," I want you to kick off your shoes and come here."

"Why no shoes?"

"If we get far enough that you're doing kicks, you could hurt each other."

Jess walked to the mirrored wall and stepped on the back of her sneakers to pull them off. She joined the couple in the middle of the room. Gia addressed Tristan and Jessica.

"Here's what's going to happen. Jessica, this training is to prepare you so that if anyone attacks you, you can fight back. We don't want the first time you hit someone else to be in the moment. The feel of punching flesh will throw you off. I'm going to have you practice punching Tristan. At first, he's not going to block, so you know what it's like."

Jessica fidgeted with her hands. She glanced at Tristan. He and Declan assured her that there was no way she'd hurt Tristan, but what if she did? Jess bit her lip and looked back and forth between Gia and Tristan.

"Are.. are you sure?"

"I know it sounds scary to hit another person, but you have to do this, Jess. We promise you can't hurt Tristan. If you do, we'll patch him right up with a little cream on a bruise. Worst case scenario, he's a little sore. Tristan knows what he's doing and agreed to help you with this."

Tristan took Jessica's hands in his and kissed them. "Jessica, I know you feel uncomfortable with this. I know you're the type to want to help other people and never hurt someone. However, if someone hurts you, you can't help anyone. You have to be able to defend yourself, Princess. You can do this."

"Okay, but I am sorry if I hurt you."

"I know, Sweetheart." Tristan leaned forward and kissed Jess's forehead. Gia blushed and looked away but couldn't avoid their reflection in one of the mirrors.

"Okay, Jess," Gia turned back around. "Tristan is going to stand in front of you. He's significantly taller; you don't have to worry about his face. We're going to start simple. I want you to throw a jab at Tristan."

Tristan stood still. Jess got into position to attack. Her fists were up, blocking her face. She jabbed forward with her right hand and shifted her weight from her lower body up through her arm. She obviously didn't want to hit him, as Tristan didn't flinch or move. The punch to his abdomen did nothing to him.

"Jess, you're holding back. Try again like he's the punching bag you've been using." Gia bit her lip. She knew that this would be one of the biggest hurdles for Jessica. That's why they'd closed off the classroom and were doing this alone. Gia would shift Jess to a regular defense class when she was ready, but she needed to learn the basics first.

"It's okay, Jess. I need you to hit me," Tristan looked at Jessica's sweet face. "The better you hit me, the better I'll sleep at night. Please, give this your all. Don't hold back."

When he put it that way, Jessica understood better. Tristan wouldn't always be there to protect her. There would be occasions when a bodyguard couldn't follow her. Jessica needed to do this for the people around her. In that context, she could frame what she was doing in a positive light.

"Are you ready, Jess?" Gia rubbed her head, glad she kept her hair almost shaved. She was sweaty and didn't like washing her hair many times a week.

"Yes."

"Okay." Gia nodded. "Again."

This time Jessica tried to imagine that she wasn't hitting Tristan. She was hitting the familiar blue punching bag. Again, Jess blocked her face with her fists. She shifted her power from her lower body up and through her punch. Tristan didn't let out a sound, but he did step back with the force of Jess's hit. He was glad he had braced himself; Jessica's strength had surprised him.

"Yes, that's it!" Gia cheered Jessica on. "Let's see it again, left."

Jessica punched Tristan with her left fist. Since it was her non-dominant hand, there was less force. Still, Tristan could feel that Jessica was trying. He was impressed. Jess looked like a breeze could blow her away. He remembered that Jess had kneed Greg so hard that he fell to the ground and cried.

It looked like Jess was stronger than anyone realized. She could take on Gia if she wanted to with more training. Gia had Jessica practice a few more punches until Tristan tapped out. He raised his shirt to reveal his abs, red on both sides.

"Woah, Jess," Gia said in astonishment.

"Did I hurt you?" Jessica looked at Tristan, worried.

"No, Princess. I won't even bruise later. I'm only a little red. That happens with contact. I'm okay," Tristan replied. His breathing was even, and he was moving fine. Jessica hadn't managed to hurt him.

"How'd it feel to hit a person instead of a bag?" Gia posed the question to Jess.

"Um, weird," Jess replied. Tristan and Gia laughed.

"Yeah, I can understand that. The more you do it, the more you'll feel comfortable."

"I have to do it more?" Jessica looked at Gia, her eyes wide.

"Yes, but it'll be different. When you're ready for a class format, you'll spar with other students and instructors. They'll have pads on and stuff. I want you to get comfortable with the idea."

"Oh, okay," Jessica nodded. Tristan walked over to his bag and checked the time.

"Jess, let's go back to the condo. You need to get ready to meet with the legal team," he called over his shoulder. Jessica nodded and collected her things while Gia put away their equipment.

"I'll see you later, Gia," Jessica called as she left the classroom.