Page 50 of Exacting Vengeance

He introduced her first to Gina, a stunning woman with shoulder length chestnut hair and beautiful big brown eyes. Margo came next, with the cutest pixie cut blond hair she’d ever seen, then Annabelle, with piercing green eyes and curly red hair that bobbed every time she moved her head.

“Our fourth partner in crime,” Gina said, “couldn’t be here today, but hopefully you’ll meet her next Saturday.”

Next Saturday. She had no intention of being here again, next Saturday or any other Saturday after that.

“That would be Kinsey, by the way,” Annabelle said. “She’s in Kenya, managing her family’s chocolate farm.”

Margo rolled her eyes. “It’s called a cacao plantation.”

“I know.” Annabelle nodded. “I’m just jealous. All that chocolate…” She put a hand to her chest and made a groaning sound deep in her throat.

“Jack, give me a hand with the mats,” Kyle said.

He followed Kyle but not before dropping a quick kiss on the top of Gina’s head. The gesture seemed so natural.

Would she ever have that kind of deep, emotional love? Maybe it was too late for her. Perhaps life had taken her down such a twisted, winding path that she’d never find that kind of connection with anyone.

On the other side of the gym, Kyle tugged his sweatshirt over his head and set it on the bleachers. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt with the FBI initials visible on the upper left portion of his chest. Every movement rippled the muscles in his forearms and biceps. Jack’s physique was equally impressive, but it was Kyle who drew her complete attention.

“So, how do you know Kyle?” Gina asked, a slight smile curving her lips as she nodded to where he pulled more rubber mats from the wall.

“I, um…” How to answer that question? Then again, if she really was done running and hiding from her past, there was no time like the present to do it. “We met a long time ago. In Chicago.”

“Chicago?” Gina’s mouth fell open. “Oh, right. He said he used to work there.” She nodded, as if catching herself from saying something she shouldn’t and giving Victoria the impression the woman knew far more than she was letting on.

“Did he tell you about me?” How could he have done that? Surely, he’d been bound by FBI confidentiality. Then again, hadn’t she just decided not to hide anymore? Yes, but she’d wanted it to be on her own terms.

The door to the gym opened as other women wearing sweat pants and T-shirts came in.

“Margo, Annabelle,” Gina said, indicating the door. “Why don’t you help get everyone set up?”

When they were alone, Gina rested her hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “He didn’t say much about you. Not really. Except that he had a friend he’d left in Chicago, one he hadn’t spoken to in a very long time.”

“Oh,” Victoria said, feeling like an idiot for making assumptions. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leap down your throat.”

“It’s okay.” She smiled, something that seemed to come naturally. “It’s just nice to finally meet you. You know, Kyle started teaching this class about that time. Right after he came back to New York. From Chicago,” she added, then patted Victoria’s arm and left to join her friends at the check-in table.

Hmm. Either Kyle had said something to Gina, or the woman had ESP.

More women arrived and signed in at the door.

Had Kyle really started teaching this course because of her? Gina’s message had been clear.

He’d started teaching this course because of what had happened to her.

More importantly, it told her something she hadn’t quite believed until this very moment. Perhaps she really had meant something to him. The accusations she’d flung at him when he’d come to her office… He’d been telling the truth. He had cared, enough that for the last ten years, he’d invested his personal time to teach women how to defend themselves.

That tiny fissure in her heart threatened to crack wide open.

Voices near the door grew louder. In all, she counted at least twenty other women.

“Ladies,” Kyle said in a voice loud enough to echo off the gym walls. “Let’s get started. Partner-up.”

Within seconds, it was obvious these women all knew each other and had pre-established partnerships. Watching them reminded her of just how long it had been since she’d had the luxury of socializing with friends.

Gina and her friends stood off to the side to assist. They struck her as being a particularly close-knit group of women.

“When the demo’s over, I’ll partner with you,” Kyle said as he led her to a mat in the front row.