My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0735

Nina

The morning mist settled over the lawn, cool and refreshing against my warm skin. With a yawn, I watched as the others lined up on the grass, and I listened as my father's commanding voice called out today's orders.

"This morning, we're going to start with circuits instead of a run," he said, his voice loud and clear. "This will test your explosive energy rather than your endurance. I want you to do twenty pushups, thirty jumping jacks, fifteen burpees; then start over. Do this five times."

An audible groan spread across the group at the intense circuit. My father's eyes flashed.

"If anyone has an issue with our regimen, you may leave," he said coolly, clasping his hands behind his back as he regarded the group. "I simply won't train you, and therefore I won't choose you for the job. Is that clear?" "Yes, sir."

I watched, then, as my friends began their circuits. As I watched, I placed my hand over my belly and paced back and forth in the wet grass. My father glanced at me from where he stood in front of them, but he didn't invite me to join.

"Faster!" he barked out. "I don't want to see any slacking!"

Part of me expected at least Lori to walk away, but none of them did; after all, it was only day two of their training. They still had just a little under two weeks left to go, and it seemed as though they were all vying to be named as one of my father's assassins.

It was impressive to watch them try so hard, especially Enzo-who, despite everything, was at the forefront of the group.

I watched Enzo intently as he worked. Soon, his shirt became soaked through from a combination of sweat and dew from the grass. The way that his muscles buckled and flexed was almost hypnotic in the cool light of the morning sun. He was working hard, maybe even two or three times harder than the rest.

It was clear that he wanted to be one of my father's assassins. I could see it in his eyes, not that I even needed to; he had always laid his goal out on the table for me, and he was determined not to fail.

But my father was hardly paying him any mind.

"Matt, don't skip the pushup at the end of those burpees," he said. "Jessica, don't slack on the jumping jacks."

the way from where I stood. He wanted the attention, the

harder. My father's lack of attention wasn't going to stop him. He was,

The circuit was likely too intense for my condition, but

a slight smile, I walked over to join the group and began stretching along with them. It felt good to lower

and bending left and right. I then closed my eyes

What are you

me out of my pleasant reverie, and I cracked my eyes open through my legs to see him standing right behind

stretching," I said deliberately, "That's

him, placing my hands on my hips. His gaze wasn't

at the very

"What?" I asked.

gently took my arm and led me away while the others kept going. Once we were out of earshot, he

the doctor

opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again and nodded with

on some of the

a few moments before his shoulder slumped a bit. "I mean it, Nina. You can stretch, but I won't let you get involved

two days in a row, Nina," my father insisted. "You're a pregnant princess; I won't have it." There was that word again:

own accord. "Nevermind," I said softly. "I'm just gonna go

sorry, Nina," he called after me. "But

a cup of tea. My mother, who was seated at the kitchen table

your

my hands, and managed a slight smile that didn't reach my eyes.

she said with

chewing my lip. "I just... I