The Recruit: Book One Read Online Free PDF

her.  She had held Sara’s
hair back as she had thrown up wretchedly, vowing breathlessly between each
bout of vomiting that she would never drink again. 
    Memory after memory of Sara flooded her mind, and she
punched the bag in front of her harder and harder.  Her breath was coming in
short, shallow gasps and tears mixed freely with the sweat dripping down her
face.  So engrossed was she in her memories and the rhythmic thumping noise of
her gloved hands that when a hard hand fell on to her shoulder she screamed and
turned, punching wildly at the huge shadow behind her.
    Will cursed as one of Hannah’s gloves caught him on the
chin.  She had screamed only once before falling silent.  As he wrapped one
strong arm around her waist, she writhed and squirmed like a wild cat, panting
harshly and pounding his back with her gloved fists. 
    “Hannah, stop!”  He whispered just as her foot connected
solidly with his knee.  He yelped like a wounded puppy, stepped backwards and
tripped over his own feet.  He fell onto his back, dragging Hannah down with
him.
    She head butted him in the chin, and he just managed to
protect his balls from her knee before she landed a blow to his stomach. 
    “Enough!”  He roared and flipped her onto her back, covering
her struggling body with his own and pinning her arms above her head.
    “It’s Will!”  He spoke into her ear as she panted and
wiggled under him.
    Her body froze and then she sagged against the floor.  
    “Will?”  She whispered.
    “Yes.”
    “You scared the hell out of me!”  She hissed furiously at
him.
    “What are you doing in here?”  He asked.
    “Nothing.”  She muttered.
    “Don’t lie to me.”  He warned.
    “I’m just – just practicing okay?  I’m not breaking any
rules.”
    “Actually,” he said mildly, “there is a rule about leaving
the dormitory after lights out.  You know that.”
    “I highly doubt that going to the gym after lights out is
what they meant by breaking the rules.”  She scoffed and tried to heave him off
of her, but he settled his weight more firmly against her.
    “I would think you get enough physical activity during the
day.  If you’re looking for night activities, I can think of something entirely
more pleasant for you to participate in.”  He said the last sentence in a low whisper,
and something about the tone in his voice made her shudder with involuntary
pleasure against him.
    She made herself remember the day he had humiliated her
while she had vomited helplessly.  “Could you get off me, Will?  You’re too
heavy.”  She said firmly.
    Will had excellent night vision and he studied her face. 
Her dark eyes were huge and, despite her steady tone, he could see her lips
trembling and her entire body was shaking under his.  He took a deep breath; he
could smell the sharp tang of her sweat, and under that the scent of
strawberries.  She must eat a lot of strawberries he thought hazily, the scent
almost always lingered on her.
    “Will?”  She prompted and pulled against his hands holding
her arms captive.
    “Why are you practicing at night?”  He tugged the gloves
from her hands, tossing them to the side before propping himself up on his
elbows above her, but keeping her pinned to the floor with his lower body.
    She flexed her fingers experimentally and then pushed at his
chest.  He refused to move and she sighed in frustration.  “Because I need to
get better.  Because I’m not stupid and I know you’re this close to kicking me
out of the program.  Because every time I close my eyes at night all I see is
Sara’s face.”
    To her horror, she could feel tears beginning to drip down
her cheeks.  The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of Will.  He
already thought she was pathetic enough.
    To her surprise he roughly wiped away her tears with his
thumbs.  “It gets better.”
    “Does it?”  She muttered.  “I don’t think it does.”
    He nodded solemnly.  “I promise