The following day, two additional bodyguards arrived at our island. Yep, our island. I could think of the hut as a home now, too. Both changes in thought were self-preservation. Scared didn't come close to touching the terror I felt over any thoughts of leaving. I could easily stay here for the rest of my life. We could build another hut for my father. He would do anything to keep me safe, including giving up his seat on the Senate floor.

And monkeys could fly, red shoes would save my world, and I was a fool.

I shook Ray's and Herman's hands firmly. These guys were not Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. They signed up to stand between me and a bullet. Brack told me Herman, what a name for the thirtyish guy, was good with knives. He would be giving me lessons. His thin body was the exact opposite of Brack's. He was also a foot shorter. Looking into his dark eyes, I had no doubt he was lethal. Ray, on the other hand, looked like a big redheaded teddy bear. He blushed when his hand swamped mine.

I was serious about what I had said to Brack. I didn't want to rely on anyone else to kill my stalker. If push came to shove and Mack didn't find him, I could very well get my chance. Dreams about staying on the island were unrealistic. The longer I stayed, the better chance another innocent person would die. That was the real world.

I hadn't taken my self-defense training with Brack seriously. Fear kept me from putting my all into it. For the first time in years, I had a goal other than winning a championship. And I was good at completing goals. Brack and I jogged to the hangar with Ray and Herman behind us in the Jeep. They would be in our back pocket during the remainder of our stay on the island.

Brack unlocked the hangar and moved the plane out. When he reached for the racquets, I stopped him. "No. No more games." I walked straight to the mats.

He didn't argue. We removed our handguns and placed them in the corner. My Sig allowed me a small sense of peace, but realistically, I couldn't wear it all the time. When I returned to the circuit, I'd be traveling in parts of the world that prohibited guns. I couldn't rely on being armed all the time, so I would train. Just like I did for tenniswith everything I had. No, that was a lie. I was training for my life. For the first time, for as long as I could remember, tennis was no longer in the forefront of my thoughts.

Brack had me work with Herman, who was closer to my height. Even with my athletic body, Herman had more upper body strength. The problemhe wasn't going at me full out.

"Fucking fight me," I finally yelled.

Herman looked to Brack, which only pissed me off more. My kick to his balls turned his attention quickly back to me. Though he blocked it at the last moment, I could see a measure of respect pass across his face. He didn't give me time to enjoy it. I was on my back looking up a few seconds later. That didn't stop me. Once I was down, I grabbed his leg and rolled. At the same time, I scrambled to keep my hold and get up. I bit his hand when Herman tried to grab me.

"Son of a bitch," he yelled shaking his hand as he backed away. I let go of his leg and attacked. All my fear, frustration, and anger spilled over.

"Let up, tiger." Brack lifted me off Herman, who was no longer fighting me. I could barely hear past the roar in my ears. "Not pretty, but you're getting the idea," Brack said as he lowered my feet to the mat. It was then that I realized they hadn't been touching the ground since he pulled me away.

"Arrrrgh." My yell echoed off the walls. Brack gathered me against his chest and gave me a slight squeeze.

I noticed the shock on Ray and Herman's faces. "Deal with it," I bit out. I turned around in Brack's arms. "Sorry. I lost control. I need to try again, babe."

Brack glanced over my head. "You up for it, Herman?"

"Yeah, boss. I'll be ready. She's stronger than she looks."

Brack gave me another squeeze and let me go. This time he gave encouragement to both of us. "She likes to go for the eyes," he told Herman. "Don't be so obvious," he yelled at me. Brack knew my moves. His constant chatter had me thinking on my toes. I found myself looking up from the ground twice before I finally scored and Herman was the one down. "Move in for the kill, you can't let up now," Brack reprimanded.

I pulled the kill shot to Herman's throat at the last second. Approval showed on his face. It felt good. I thought I learned little from Brack, but he'd slowly worked on my muscle memory. Defending myself was becoming second nature. I wasn't ready to go up against my stalker, but I would be.

Ray watched for a while and also walked around outside and scanned the area while the three of us stayed in the hangar. I wasn't sure why Brack suddenly felt our hideout wasn't safe. I put it on my list of items we needed to discuss.

My training turned even more intense when Herman introduced me to his passion. The way he caressed a knife left little doubt that he knew how to take care of his current love interest. My eyes fixed on his hands as his fingertips slid along the dull side of the blade.

"If the bad guy has a knife, expect to get cut," he said in a low chilling voice.

My attention jerked up from the blade to his eyes. "That's very assuring," I said with a small level of bitchiness. The last thing I wanted was a knife cutting me.

He tossed the knife up, spinning it several times before catching the grip in his palm. "Getting cut is nothing as long as you know you'll survive."

Brack said something similar the first day we trained. "How the hell do I know I'll survive?"

"Because, in here," his free hand went to the side of his head and he tapped a finger against his skull. "You decide not to die." He walked back over to the bag he pulled the knife from and carefully sheathed it. He brought out a blue rubber knife. "We'll practice with this."

I think knives terrified me more than guns. I'd never been shot and could barely imagine what it would feel like. Unfortunately, my skills in the kitchen weren't great and I had been cut. Sharp stinging pain and lots of bloodnot something I looked forward to.

Herman took me through different defensive moves while Brack watched. He offered no more encouragement this time, which I actually missed. For some reason, as the lesson continued, Brack appeared moody. Herman ignored Brack completely, corrected my stance by moving me to his specifications, and had me place my check hand, the non-knife wielding hand, in front. He snapped at me whenever I dropped it.

"If you and your opponent both have knives, this is how you'll fight. Don't grab a kitchen knife thinking to take someone down unless you feel confident you can kill him with it quickly. After three seconds, he'll be using it on you. Remember, the knife is only an extension of an empty hand. Chin down always, it protects your throat."

Damn, a sliced throat was not a picture I needed in my head.

Herman taught me blocking, sidestepping, and entering. My head spun with his rapid-fire commands. He didn't let up until Brack called a halt. If the blue knife were real, my blood would cover the floor.

Herman calmly walked over to his bag while I stood breathing heavily in the center of the mat. Sweat plastered my t-shirt to my body.

Brack's surly voice broke into my thought of sinking to the mat and taking a short nap. "You up for jogging back or do you want to catch a ride in the Jeep?" he asked impatiently.

I didn't appreciate his snarly attitude. "No, I need to run."

A slight grin finally appeared. "Help with the mat and we'll head back."

My weary arms shook as we folded the mats and stored them away. We set off at a slower than normal pace with the Jeep trailing behind us again. I was too tired to speak. Brack didn't say a word the entire run.

Ray entered the hut first and looked around while Herman did an outside sweep. Brack stayed next to me until the guys gave the all clear. I walked in first and heard Brack secure the door as I headed to the shower. What I didn't hear was him coming up behind me. He turned me, and in almost the same motion, lifted me up and pressed my back to the wall. His mouth slammed down on mine and I tasted blood. Reflex had my legs wrapping around his waist. It really sucked that all our clothes were on.

The assault on my lips continued until I was breathless. His hips anchored me to the wall as his hands traveled under my soaked shirt and sports bra to find my nipples. The twin pinches were sharp and I gasped into his mouth. It didn't stop him.

This was a side of Brack I hadn't seen before. I was tired, but thoughts of hot, rough sex gave me renewed energy. Match, game, sex- I was so there.