"Holy cow! This is beautiful" as we walk through the front entranceway that is just breathtaking. It is a huge beige house with three floors and stretches out both ways that seem like it goes on forever.

"This is your new home now, so let me show you around" he offers me his arm to help lead me into the very polished black and white entrance that has the grand staircase that splits off into two as it climbs up to the second and third floor.

He leads me up the stairs to the second level and down a long hall. "Here is your room. Please settle in for a few, and I will be back shortly, plus put on your workout clothes," nodding to the huge room that I just walked into that is twice the size of the tiny apartment we just left. The room is done in beautiful lavender color on the walls, and the bedspread is the same color with white mixed in. I place my suitcase on the couch, get workout clothes out, and then put them on, not knowing how long I have until he comes back. The bed is a huge king-size white sleigh, and all of the furniture in the room is also white with lavender accents in it.

After I get ready, there is a knock at my door, and Jayden pokes his head in the door. "You ready?" as he looks over my black workout leggings and gray sports top that is worn out because I have not bought myself a new one in months. "Good. Let's go" as he opens the door wide and then leads me down a flight of stairs near the back of this massive house and into a huge workout room with a boxing ring in it. He points over to the area with mats that are just off to the corner of the house. "Get warmed up, and then we are going to test your skills. Your brother is also on his way."

Sighing, I walk over to the area then warm-up for about thirty minutes when Connor walks in. He starts to warm up also beside me, giving me the 'so sorry' eyes.

"Cassie, let's see how good you really are" he watches me while I climb into the ring, and one of Jayden's men climb in with me. He is about five foot eight and has solid muscle as I scan his body from top to bottom. "Mitch, don't hurt her too badly. She's good; I want to see how good she is against you." He circles me, then takes a quick swing towards my face, but I catch his hand and flip him over by a quick twist as he lands flat on his back.

Jayden chuckles as he looks at his man flat on his back now. "Come on, Mitch, you're gonna let her beat you?"

He jumps back up and tries to throw a roundhouse, but my body spins out of the way, grabbing onto his leg and twisting it hard to the left. He flips over on his stomach and lands with a thud. I take his leg, pushing it up towards his back, but he takes his free leg lashing out at my legs, sweeping them out from under me. Jumping back up, he puts everything that his muscles can in trying to take me down. I dodge, block, and he hits the mat every time he attacks me.

Jayden's eyes are wide as he watches us. "God Damn woman. You are better than they say. This was my best man, and he totally failed to take you down; he never touched you."

I have turned my back to him, looking over at Jayden. Suddenly, he has grabbed me in a hold that should be impossible to get out of. I do a small twist, drop to the ground, roll out of the way, and have him in a headlock before he knows it.

Clapping, Jayden hops up onto the mat and slaps it. "Very good. That's what I'm talking about. How good is your brother compared to you?"

Conner laughs hard. "I can't beat her due to she is one of the best I have ever gone up against. She has tons of moves she made up that always gives her the advantage."

JT cracks his knuckles. "Can I try? I want to see how she does with me." He climbs into the ring shirtless while smirking at me as he walks up and whispers in my ear, "I'm going to enjoy this. Let's see how good you are against me. If you lose, you owe me a date."

Smiling as I turn around to look at him, "Ok, let's go." We circle each other, and he tries to grab me, but it is easy to dodge all his attacks. In the last attempt, he goes one way, and then when I try to move to counter, he moves behind me, grabbing around my waist pinning my arms above my head. He has me in a hold where there is no way out of, so I sigh and drop my hands.

"I have to say; you are the best I've ever seen. You almost had me until you dropped your defense's" his breath is hot in my ear.

"Yes, I was fatigued. I haven't slept good in a long time and made one mistake, so you won."

As he leans in to whisper in my ear, his grip loosens just a little bit, "I'm looking forward to our date. It's going to be fun."

I drop down out of his hold, sweep his legs out from under him. He falls on his back with a thud, then putting my knee to his chest as I pin his hands down on the mat. I smirk at him and lean down to his ear.

"Sorry, babe. Never drop your defenses. I may be exhausted, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve," making sure my knee is buried into his chest, showing him that I won.

Jayden comes over towards the ring, clapping and smiling. "Very good. You are the best I've ever seen; even your brother won't go up against you."

I climb out of the ring and smile at him as I grab a towel along with my water bottle. "So when do I get a crack at you? I want to see how I compare to The King."

"Not today, love." as his hand pushes a lock of hair out of my eyes, "You're tired. When you go against me, I want you at your best."

I sit there and watch Conner take his turn in the ring as he beats a lot of the men, but there are a few he doesn't beat. Thinking we are finished, I get up to head to my room for a shower.

JT steps in my path. "Where are you going? You finished?"

"Yeah, I have done all the training I need for the day right now. Going to get a shower and hopefully supper?" as my stomach growls loudly.

"Of course. Food will be ready in about thirty minutes" Jayden looks over his shoulder at me.

"Thank you. See you shortly, guys" I go back to my room and get a nice, long hot shower for the first time in many months. The water at the old apartment building would not hold hot water for a long time, so we always had to share it. I then walk out of my room, and JT is leaning against the wall waiting for me.

"I wanted to walk you down to dinner. This house is huge, and we don't want you to get lost," giving me that smirk that could make a woman's knees weak.

"Thank you. I would be happy to walk with you." We start to walk down the long halls, then multiple stairs, when we finally get to the main floor turning to walk down another hall. We stop in front of some doors before he opens them.

"Do I still get that date I won? I want to take you out for a fun night, please" his eyes look so hopeful that I will say yes.

"Yes, you won. I told you that," glancing sideways at him.

He stops me for a second my wrapping his hand around my wrist gently. "Did you let me win, or did I really win against you?" I smile at him and then go to walk through the doors. "That's what I thought; you could've gotten out of that chokehold. Did you want to go out with me?"

"Yes. I will give you a chance. You seem like a good guy," still with a smile on my face as we walk inside.

JT escorts me to a chair beside Conner, and he sits on the other side.

"How's it going, sis? You are starting to find your way around this place?" as he waves his hand around in a circle then out towards the doors we just came through.

"With the help of JT, yes. This place has four floors of rooms, so it's gonna take me a while to learn everything. The basement is not that bad to find, but the rest I am still trying to memorize."

Our food is placed in front of us, and it smells delicious. About twenty-five people are sitting around the table. We have red wine, steaks, baked potatoes—salads, and tons of desserts to choose from.

"Don't get drunk, sis. It would be best if you had your sanity around here" as he takes my fifth wine glass from my hands.

JT hands it back to me. "Don't worry. Drink all you want. I'll help you back to your room."

Jayden smiles from the head of the table at us. "I am glad you two are settling in so good. Get some good food, drinks, and rest tonight. We start the real training in the morning."

We sit there for hours laughing, drinking, and enjoying learning about everyone there. Most people do big jobs for Jayden, but a few are his own personal bodyguards. By the time we say goodnight, I am pretty tipsy.

JT wraps his arm around my waist carefully. "Come on, let's get you to your room."

"Let me help you; she can't even stand up straight. You take one arm, and I will take the other. It's a bit of a walk there" Jayden has come over to help me up.

They both grab an arm and help me down the halls. I can walk pretty good but stumble sometimes; they steady me until they get me to my room.

Looking at them through the slits in my eyes due to I am now pretty drunk. "Shank tu. I am glad to have two pretty guys helping me home. Y'all are so sweet to me."

JT burst out laughing hard. "Yep, she's drunk. Let's get her inside."

Jayden nods as he opens the huge door to my room. "Sounds good. Let's get her shoes off and lay her down on the bed. If she gets up during the night, she can change herself."

They get me inside my room and on my bed. Jayden turns around and looks through my suitcase for some clothes to lay on the bed for me.

"Is this all she has?" his face is shocked. "She barely has any clothes at all. She has like four outfits and two sets of pajamas."

Trying to talk before I pass out, "I taft (have) to pack light so when we run, we can lack (suppose to be pack) and get out as past (fast) as we can."

JT points at me with a huge smile. "She's funny when she's drunk; she can't even talk straight. I bet we could ask her anything, and she would answer."

"Probably. Let's see. How old are you?" Jayden sits down on the bed.

"Twenty-four almost twenty-five in a few days," laying with my head on the very soft mattress.

"You have a birthday soon?" JT looks at me from his side of the bed.

"Yep, in four days," waving my hand like I am trying to count.

"Why are you running with your brother? You didn't do anything against us" Jayden's soft voice comes through my foggy brain.

My face falls. "He's all I have left. I don't have anyone left alive; he is my only family."

"Why?" Jayden pushes the hair out of my face.

"Your people killed my parents six years ago by accident. They mistakenly thought they were someone else."

JT looks over at him. "Oh, Shit! Boss?"

"I'm sorry. Who did that?" he is looking down at me with pity in his eyes.

"They were about fifteen of them. A sniper took them out while your guys cornered them in an alleyway."

"I'm sorry, love. I'll see who that was," looking up at JT.

Waving my hand out the window, "Their leader was Quinn. He thought my parents were Allen and his wife. After they killed them, they knew they made a mistake. But the damage was done."

JT's voice goes to ice within a second "Quinn? Really. I always thought he was a bad leader of a sniper team."

"Where did you learn your skills?" Jayden has taken hold of my hand, and it feels so warm against my somewhat cold one.

"Most are self-taught, but I had many friends who worked with me on several occasions. I learn fast."

I start to drift off to sleep slowly, but JT asks, "Are you taken by a man anywhere?"

Jayden glares at him but doesn't interfere as I quickly answer, "Nope, never been with a man. Never had time to..........." I pass out for the night.