Chapter 17

Paige POV

"You're happy?" Mary's eyes met mine in the mirror before us, I begged her to cut my hair for me, I wanted it to be cut low in a pixie cut, and dyed jet black, "I believe that Arlington will let me go soon, I think we have to develop a form of trust and understanding of what we both want,"

"And what's that?"

"Me vanishing,"

"And what about Miguel... What does he want,"

Her question about Miguel was sudden and disturbing, I don't know if I should answer or ignore it, but I do that, she will think something is happening between us, but he did kiss me, one that he initiated, and I— I don't know why I stopped him but I did,

"Why would Miguel needs matter to me, Mary, I barely know the man,"

"So you say... But I see different, heard different too,"

"And what does that mean?" I glanced back at her over my shoulders,

"Hear that he took you down to the river, "

"You're watching me?" I got defensive, "Or did Priscilla tell you?"

She said nothing, she just kept trimming my brittle hair ends,

"She just wants you to be careful that's all," she broke the silence,

"Careful like she did with Arlington?" I watched her in the mirror, her face quickly changed from being relaxed to a sour contorted expression,

"Did Miguel tell you that?"

"Miguel doesn't have to tell me anything, I knew that if it wasn't you then it had to be her, you just confirmed," I lied, of course, it was Miguel that told me,

"Priscilla is a foolish girl I know, to fall for a man like Crown requires a lot, you have to be strong, open-minded, and reluctant to speak... It couldn't have been me, I am the opposite of that, but Priscilla... Priscilla is adaptive, something that is needed for survival,"

"Where are her parents?"

"Dead. According to her Arlington's father took her in when she was a couple of months olds, Arlington was already a big boy... A teenager I suppose based on the age difference,"

"I guess the father's dream was to run a nursery," I taunted,

"I don't know what you mean,"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"About Miguel, he grew up here too,"

"Did he? I don't remember hearing that, I don't recall Priscilla telling me about Miguel either,"

"Or maybe Miguel is lying,"

"But why would Miguel lie about something so sensitive Paige, it doesn't make sense,"

"That's what I want to find out,"

Did Miguel lie about him growing up with Arlington, maybe it was his sick way to make me feel sorry for him, and then I would fall for him, and then he could have his way with me, that son of a bitch, I thought.

"Alright then, I am all finish here... do you like it," Mary ran her fingers through my hair, gliding down my neck, landing on my shoulders,

"I love it," I mumbled, and I did... It made me look more badass,

"I will leave now, first day of training is rough, take it from me... I've seen a lot,"

"I will I chuckled lightly," watching as she walked away from me. Twisting the doorknob, Miguel stood at the doorway, with his raised fist, he was probably about to knock the Mary opened the door,

"I hope I didn't disturb you two,"

"Not at all," Mary glanced back at me, smirking, "I was just leaving," she ambled past him,

"What are you doing here?"

"Nice hair cut,"

"Thanks, I wanted to fit in,"

"I came here to give you this," he threw me a bag, inside it was an outfit... A uniform,

"I know it's probably best you train in one of these then you're dress... Don't want my men to be distracted, "

"I will my best," I chuckled,

He smiled, said nothing, and I didn't either,

"See you the morning," he walked away, "Oh and... I— Mary will fetch you, show you where you will be training for the next couple of weeks,"

"Ok," I smiled, with a faint nod,

Closing the door softly behind, I leaped onto the bed, lying flat on my back, tomorrow will be another day.

Hearing the vigorous knocks on my door, I quickly opened my eyes, the room was bright, shit it was morning already, and that means... Oh no, don't tell me I am late for the first day of training,

"Paige, why are you ready Miguel and the others are already marching to the training room," Mary let her self,

"Umm... Give me a second, just let me freshen up a bit," I pleaded "Then hurry, you are going to be late,"

"I will," I dashed to the bathroom,

"Oh and Paige," Mary added, "Good morning," she flashed me a bright smile "Good morning Mary," I chuckled,

Rinsing my face with face, I poured a cork of mouthwash into my mouth, annoyed by the sting it caused at the back of my throat, silly I know, here I am more concerned ended about something as harmless as a mouthwash when I was about to turn my self into a killer, and when things like a simple mouths cant kill you, knives and guns can.

"Paige!" Mary called for me,

"Coming!" I yelled back, slipped into the uniform Miguel gave me last night, I was far from sexy, but that was the whole point, I need to be the focus, everyone needs to be,

Marching out of the bathroom, Mary grabbed my arm, pulling me down the stairs, and towards the opposite hallway to where the Arlington office was,

"Good luck," she mumbled in my ear, before shoving me inside a room,

My grand entrance won the attention of the men, they were all standing in a unison, with Miguel in front of them. Small whispers began to fill the room, some blowing flirtatious whistles, but Miguel... He remained unbothered by this, "Sorry I am late,"

"You can be late whatever you want baby," someone cried out, earning chuckles from the rest of the knuckles heads,

"Quiet," Miguel took a chalk from a small cup I'm the desk, writing something on the board,

"Today is your first day, normally at school, we all get to know each other, but this is no kindergarten, here you will learn how to become better fighters... And killers... So today's first lesson is underestimating your opponent, and since there is thirty-one of you, I will be fighting one of you... The strongest person among you, I want you to choose,"

"How about Biggs here," someone chuckled from within the crowd, patting the back of a towering, muscular boy, he was bigger than the rest of them... The biggest. Shaking my head, I just knew he already lost the fight, because I know Miguel... Too well.

"Ok, Biggs," Miguel mumbled, "Step forward,"

Watching the young man emerge from the crowd, I bit my fingernails, he was bigger than I thought. Throwing him a long stick, Miguel circled him, probably picking out his weaknesses,

"I want you to try and take my weapon... that's the first task today, disarming the enemy, so watch and learn and take notes,"

Running towards Miguel, Biggs shouted, probably a way to distract himself, or he wanted to come off as a tough guy, but of course, Miguel was unbothered by this, he was stood there. Striking Biggs in the stomach repeatedly, until he fell to the ground, snatching the stick from his grip,

"I told to pick the strongest... Not who looks the strongest... And that's what we are about, never underestimate your opponent,"

Covering my mouth, I giggled when they tried to help Biggs to stand, but again I gained the attention I never seemed,

"You think something is funny?" A young man approached me, his hair was white as snow,

"Answer me bitch," he added,

"Ice..." So that's his name, "Ice come on man, she's just a girl,"

"How the fuck you got here, you fucked your way to the top huh?"

He shoved me,

"That's enough," Miguel stepped in between us, "You're up next Ice," he shoved the stick onto his chest, but gently placed it in my hand,

"Kick his ass," he whispered in my ear before I marched behind Ice in the open,

"I am going to break your little arm... Bitch,"

"You're using that word a lot," I twirled the stick around, "You see your mother in the room?"

Leaping towards me, I blocked his attack with the stick, our faces were now inches apart,

"Tougher than you think huh?" I whispered,

Punching me in the stomach, I winced in pain, clutching to my stick, as I stumbled to the floor,

"No, just dumber than you look," he knelt over me, trying to yank the stick from my hand,

Coiling my foot around his neck, I rolled over him, I was now on top of him and I already snatched his stick, I won, I thought, I won. Standing tall with the two sticks, I smiled proudly, starting back at Miguel who had an unreadable expression,

"You dirty little..."

Ice kicked me off my legs, causing me to land next to him, reaching for his neck, I decided I was going to kill him, it wasn't the first I had to kill a man anyway,

"Enough..." Miguel walked towards, starting me in the eyes before turning to the rest,

"Three lessons are learned here today, one... Don't expect the opponent to be fair... This is your life versus his, you're fighting to survive. Two..." He turned staring down at us,

"Never underestimate your opponent...where it's a woman... A child... An old woman, a killer can wear a nice suit, and go to church and Sundays....and three..." He looked me dead in the eye,

"Don't get too cocky," he smirked.

Several weeks passed by and we trained, a few fell short and had to go home, and out of the thirty-one recruits, there were only twelve of us remain, and unfortunately, Ice was apart of that batch. I even made friends, Mary and Priscilla will always be my day ones but I found actually made friends. I hate guns, they frighten me each time I fire one, my heart feels as if it was pounding out of my chest each time, so I love working with knives, there isn't one mannequin in this room I haven't sliced, and I guess that's the reason, Miguel made me start slicing sandbags instead. Oh, Miguel, he hasn't made another move on me since the day at the river, in fact, he treats me no different than the men in this room,

"Congratulations... You're the final twelve... And tomorrow an envelope will be slide under your doors, with your first assignment... Good luck,"

Hurrying out the door, I followed behind the boys, when I felt a hand gripped into my shoulder, I swirled around, gripping whoever it is by the neck,

"It's me... It's me," Miguel threw up his hands,

Sorry I apologized, buts the kind of woman I've become, vigilant to everything and everyone,"

"You've been ignoring me?"

"No, I am your student... And I respect your boundaries,"

"I don't have boundaries Paige,"

"What's this about?"

"Nothing, I was trying to see how my student is doing," he punched my upper arm in a playful way "I thought that was Ice,"

"Not a chance,"

Leaning in, he kissed me on the lips, and when I didn't do anything, he took that as an invitation, to kiss me again, but I did look away for the second one,

"What's wrong... does my breath smell?"

"No, I can't... I can't do this," I walked away from him,

"Yeah, it's Arlington right... As expected, you're just like the rest... Priscilla's other half,"

I knew he was saying those things because he was upset, but you know what they, the drunk, the angry and the child... Never lies. Twisting the doorknob, I realized my door couldn't open,

"What the..." I began to twist it harder,

But still, it wouldn't open,

Hearing the low creaks of a door, I looked over... next to me, standing at his door at his doorway he leaned against it, Arlington.