Chapter 11

"How to train a killer"

The next couple of days were spent in awkward silence. Mostly between my brother and Karen. He had no idea where this woman came from. Her rough authoritive attitude scared him into thinking she was a cop. He was too afraid to ask. I assumed if he didn't know, the better off he'd be.

Karen and I hated each other. I could feel the looks she gave me. I thought she would one day get into a physical fight over Niko, not because she claims she didn't love him which I guessed to have some truth, but because she constantly nagged him. Making him do things that he shouldn't be doing. He was forced to do some intense workouts and training in hand to hand combat, telling him he'd gone soft since the last time she met him. It was degrading him, and I could tell she was changing him into the mindless killer for the government. She also reviewed her plan multiple times that I even understood what it was. It was being drilled into his head, so he would not second guess her. I put my two cents in by saying this plan was stupid.

"It is only 3 targets they want him to eliminate. Niko has killed more than that with a low price to match."

"That doesn't mean he's okay with doing more! He wants out, and your employers told him to his face he was done. It's no wonder he keeps saying this country let him down."

"Niko will never be the man you want him to be."

Her comment made me fill with rage, and I tackled her to the ground. All her training didn't prepare her for me to get the first blow to her. She regained the upper hand and threw me off, but she didn't hit me at all.

"I don't want to hurt you. There is no reason for me to, but do know if you do that again, I will put you down."

My brother upon witnessing this, went to the other side of the room and sat. He wanted nothing to do with a cat fight. I sat myself in the kitchen and started up my game to calm my raging blood. Karen sat farther away from my brother and turned the television on to see what wasn't on. Niko emerged from the bathroom just finishing a shower from his last hard morning workout. He must have picked up on the heavy atmosphere. He was probably able to hear shouting and fighting.

He found his way to me in the kitchen and grabbed himself something to eat. The smell of him fresh out of the shower sent my brain flowing down an imaginary river.

"So, what'd I miss?" He said, sitting down at my table.

I lean close to him, so no other ears but his can hear.

"She is nuts."

He laughed slightly as he was eating a muffin for lunch and made sure he didn't choke. She's got him on a strict diet.

"She just wants me to get stronger." He whispered.

"I don't want you to get stronger. I like you the way you are. I don't want you to be some hulking beast of a man."

My words must have made his mind picture him as such because he threw his head back with laughter. This made me laugh too at his merriment.

"That's not going to happen. I don't want to become like Brucie."

"Who's Brucie?"

"Some meat head who does steroids and shit. If I didn't know any better, he probably has muscles around his brain."

"I see."

"It won't come to that. I promise. I am doing all this for you."

I think Karen was wrong that I can't change Niko. Niko can change, and that is also for him to decide. I'm only helping him along.

Karen suddenly stood from her corner and walked to our table. Like the bitch that I was to her, I scowled at her. I warned her with my eyes that if she touched him, she'd die. She pulled at Niko's arm, and I was in her face in less than a second.

"Sharon, calm down." He said before things got out of hand. He must have known I hated Karen.

"She won't take you away from me this time. You worked out enough."

"Sit down." She barked. "Niko needs his training."

"He needs his rest! Can't you see he's still hurt!?"

She ignored my plea and demanded Niko to get up. He responded by standing up and waited for his next order. She told him to take the stairs fifty times inside the apartment complex to strengthen his legs. Even though the apartment complex was twenty stories high, he did so without question. I glared at her threateningly, but I made no action. She grinned rather smugishly. Every fiber of my being hated her now. But I kept thinking what Niko told me. He said he was doing this for me, for us. To finally be together. I guess he agreed to the contracts he had. She was whipping him into shape even though he was in great shape. He had the best set of abs I've ever seen...best not to think about that too long.

Her exit from the apartment to hurl negative insults like a drill sergeant made me slip in my rage and take it out on the nearby wall. My hand recoiled from the impact, and the small hole in the wall did nothing to ease my anger. My anger was on Karen, who belittled my boyfriend as he struggled up and down the stairs.

I heard him coming down the stairs, and I stopped him. Beads of sweat drizzled down his face. I offered him some water to help him along and positively coach him on what a good job he was doing, hoping to counteract her negative swear words.

"Don't listen to her. She is being so mean to you."

He chugged the water down and sucked on an icecube. He looked at me as if to tell me what he tells me all the time now while he was working on this. I lower my head in sadness. Why was everything so damn hard for him?

"Be patient. I am sure you and Karen aren't getting along." He said in a low voice.

"Isn't that obvious!" I said a little too loudly.

"Get your ass going, Niko! You still have twenty five more times to go, and you're only putting yourself behind."

Niko gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, and somehow I thought it was for him too. Something to motivate him as he continued on with the staircase. She looked at me again, and this time I couldn't hold back the damn of swear words.

"Ти кучко! You better not hurt him, or I swear you'll have to deal with me!" I threaten when he gets to higher floors.

"I see he's taught you some Serbian, but that proves you are blinded by him. He is no gentleman. He's playing with you. He is a killer, and once he's gotten a taste for that, there will be no changing him. He's a tool for the government, and will never end up with you. As far as I can see it, your relationship will end after this. I guarantee he will not settle with you."

Her lack of confidence in him was wearing on me. Why did she want to help us be together, when she was discouraging our relationship? Was she planning on two-timing Niko? She didn't sit right with me, and Niko was playing right into her hand.

"You better watch what you say. We will be together no matter what you say. He and I. Not with you. I can see through you. You want him. You love him. Why else would you not want him to be with me? I tell you this, I am willing to fight you for him, and you will lose."

"Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't waste my time with him. I have seen him in the nude, and I was almost going to lose my lunch. And the government will insure your incarceration if you harm me in any way." Her superiority was shown through and had many volumes.

I was ready to attack her with another verbal onslaught when my brother pulled me inside. The sound of Niko's footsteps decending down the staircase was approaching, and I ran to get him another water to keep him hydrated. By the time I filled the glass, he'd already ran past me. I frowned at my lack of quickness, and she called to Niko.

"Hurry up you slow sorry excuse of a man. You're not working hard enough!"

His footsteps stop, and I hear him collapse and plop down.

"Get up!" She called down to him.

I shove her out of the way, and took the staircase two stairs at a time. He was sitting on the stair absolutely winded. His injuries were getting the best of him, I only assumed.

"Niko." I cried to him.

"I'm okay. I just need a break."

"Come back upstairs. Take a break there." I tried to get him back on his feet, but his legs wobbled under him.

"I must be out of shape. I feel pathetic."

"You worked hard today. I'm proud of you, my sweet."

My comment earned a weak smile from him.

"Thank you."

I slung his arm over my shoulder to assist him up the stairs.

"Please show patience. I know she is being a bitch, I am doing what she says to get this over with. I can't wait to be with you." His anticipation came through his words.

"She is hurting you though. I've never seen a man work as hard as you. She's got you by the cock and won't let go."

"She will let go in the end. We will be free."

We get back upstairs completely ignoring Karen's shouting and harsh words and sit down on the couch. She only followed us in and ordered Niko to get back up, or she'll add more to his training regime.

His ignorance made her square up with Niko as he sat.

"For God's sake! Will you leave him alone! He's exhausted!" I yell.

"Do you want him to be all flabby and easily subdued when it's time for him to take out these targets?"

"He's not flabby! He's rock solid! Sure he's gone soft in his emotions, but that only means he isn't the brainless killer you make him out to be! Now leave him alone!"

"Be easy, Sharon." Niko lightly warned.

I kept my silence. Over fifty arguments came to my tongue, and I tried to have them melt away as I obeyed Niko's wish.

She was still squared up with Niko. I guess she missed the hint.

"It's time for your combat training. Get up."

He stood up, but didn't advance to her yet. I looked up at him as he looked out the window with a strange look on his face. It almost looked like he was going to get even with Karen with a mixture of joy and anger.

"You know what, Karen? I think I figured out why you're so miserable. You need to get yourself laid. You probably didn't have sex since the last time we did. And now I am gone from you, you won't have sex with anyone else. I gave it to you so good that you won't fuck anyone else because I have that good Serbian cock you lust for. Did I just figure you out?"

I held back the world's loudest laugh as Niko just completely destroyed Karen's character with the world's best roast. I waited for her reaction.

"No, Niko. I have not had sex with anyone else. Do you want to know why?" She tested.

"Enlighten me, Karen as to why you are such a bitch." He crossed his arms acrossed his chest as he turned to her.

"Because sex with you was so awful that I thought it can't get any better."

"That's ridiculous. You know as well as I do that you can't get any better than this." He presented himself as the show model of king of sex.

She made gagging noises to illustrate her distaste in his claim. I peeped in to back him up.

"Oh, God. He is simply the best. When he rattles it in me just right and with his head streching me out. Oh! Bliss! Pure bliss."

Even Niko was in shock at my detailed words. His eyebrows shot up to match.

"Nice!"

"I can't take it." She made relching noises.

"So, step off, or we will show you what you're missing out on!" I said audaciouly.

"Alright! Alright! I'll give him the rest of the day off. Please keep your clothes on." She held her hands up.

Niko did nothing to stop a vigourous arm pump and sat back down. He and I fooled around on the couch, and I heard her gagging from the other room.

The rest of the day was spent in blissful snuggling and kissing. I really enjoyed his touch, and surprisingly, that was enough for me. I didn't want to get too physical with him. It took me a while to recover from his sex a few days ago. In the back of my mind, I knew his real training was about to get more severe.