Cassandra's Pov
The days after the shooting felt different. The danger was real now. It was not just something he talked about. We were bonded by it. He had saved my life. I had seen the violence he was capable of. It should have scared me more. But it didn't. It made something between us sharper. More addictive.
He started to train me. "I will not always be there to shield you," he said one morning. He took me to a room in the penthouse I hadn't seen. It was a gym, but simpler. The floors were matted.
"Show me your stance," he said.
I stood there awkwardly. He came up behind me. He put his hands on my hips. He adjusted my feet. "Wider," he said. His voice was close to my ear. "Balance is everything."
He taught me how to throw a punch. He wrapped his hands around mine, showing me how
