Free Before We Fall by Courtney Cole Page B

women. They all want to be glamorous bombshells, overly made-up and too sexed out. But even though Jacey is wearing makeup and short workout shorts, she’s the classic girl next door, even if that’s not her goal.
    I bend and replace a spit can next to one of her toned legs, and she glances down at me, her eyes warm and sparkling.
    For a minute, there’s something in her expression, something mischievous, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she just braces for another punch from the gigantic kid pummeling the bag she’s holding. It’s taking all of her weight to hold it still, but she’s doing it. I can’t help but be impressed.
    Mainly because not only is she holding it, but she’s not intimidated by him, either. She’s half his size, but she just marched right out here and jumped in, just like she jumped in between Cris and me. Completely unafraid.
    The kid she’s with looks like he could eat her for breakfast, and every time he punches, it practically knocks her into the wall. But she still holds on.
    She’s stubborn, I’ll give her that much. And fearless.
    Why I’m thinking about her at all, though, I don’t fucking know. Annoyed with myself, I turn around and head to the other side of the room.
    That’s when I hear the commotion.
    Snapping around, I turn just in time to see the kid grab at Jacey’s chest, his tape-wrapped fingers twisting her T-shirt and yanking her toward him. For a split second, my heart hammers as I watch the juvenile delinquent manhandling her. The kid is giant, and Jacey is extremely small.
    But there’s no time for me or anyone else to react before Jacey spins out of his grasp in one deft move, swinging her leg around in a surprisingly powerful roundhouse kick to his chest, knocking him onto his back.
    I’m utterly stunned and so is she. I can see it on her face as she stands over him, her hands clenched and shaking at her sides as she balances one tennis shoe lightly on his neck.
    “Don’t touch me like that again!” she snaps at him. “I’m here to help you, but that doesn’t give you the right to grope me.”
    By now, activity in the gym has halted, and every eye is on Jacey and the kid on the floor. You can hear a pin drop in this place.
    The kid is still and silent as he looks up at her, and unconsciously I start to move toward Jacey. Even though I don’t want to be involved with her or anything else, I can’t leave her there by herself. I’m not completely heartless.
    But then the kid smiles, even though Jacey’s foot is still on his neck.
    “If you let me up, I’ll behave,” he promises. Jacey stares down at him uncertainly, but after a second, she lifts her foot. The kid climbs to his feet, holding his hand out to Jacey.
    She eyes him hesitantly.
    “I’m sorry,” the kid tells her, smiling again. “My name’s Jake. There’s no hard feelings, right? I was just messin’ with you.”
    Jacey stares at him and I stop a few steps away.
    “I guess not,” she finally answers. “No hard feelings. Just don’t do that again. I can take care of myself.”
    “Fuck, yeah, you can,” the kid agrees. “Where did you learn to do that?”
    Jacey shrugs, relaxing slightly even though she still keeps an eye on the boy.
    “My brother’s an Army Ranger. He taught me a lot of things. One of those things is how to shoot, and I have a 9mm in my bed stand. It might be pink, but it shoots just as straight as a regular one.”
    I can’t help but chuckle now, at both the thought of this tiny chick with a pink gun by her bed and at the look on Jake’s face.
    “No worries,” he tells her quickly. “I don’t have any plans to break into your house. No need to threaten me with your pink gun.”
    I hear chuckling around me from the kids, and Jacey relaxes.
    “Good. I just thought I’d let you know.”
    “Jake!” Joe’s voice booms through the gym, and I glance over to find him standing in his office doorway, a pissed look on his face. “Get in here.”
    Jake