Are you really planning to fight me?” Staff Sergeant Jake Turner asked, laughing loudly enough to draw every set of eyes toward the center mat. Sergeant Emma Carter crossed the boundary without responding, and the laughter spreading through Fort Liberty’s combat gym instantly grew sharper. Jake looked down at the tape wrapped around her hands before letting his gaze fall toward her bare feet. “You’re actually serious about this.” Emma held his stare without flinching. “I wouldn’t be standing here if I wasn’t.” Behind them, a heavy bag slowly stopped swinging. Someone beside the benches gave a short snort, while another soldier muttered something that made three others laugh. Jake heard them, and his grin widened. “Carter, you still have time to walk away.” Emma tightened the tape around her right wrist. “Why would I?” The question took some of the amusement out of his expression. Jake moved closer, noticeably taller and heavier than she was, surrounded by soldiers who already thought they knew exactly how this would finish. “Because this isn’t some fitness class.” “I know.” “This isn’t an office contest.” “I know.” “And I’m not going to take it easy on you just because you made a bad choice.” Emma gave him a small nod. “Good.” Her answer seemed to throw him off. Several soldiers traded looks while Jake remained there, clearly expecting embarrassment, nervous laughter, or some attempt from Emma to justify herself. Instead, Emma stayed exactly where she was and waited. Sergeant First Class Nolan Briggs stood a few yards away with a whistle hanging against his chest, his posture visibly more rigid than it had been moments earlier. Jake looked over at him. “You hearing all this, Briggs?” Briggs did not smile. “I hear it.” Jake gestured toward Emma. “You want to explain the difference between confidence and s.t.u.p.i.d.i.t.y?” Briggs looked at Emma instead. “You sure about this, Carter?” Emma answered with a slight nod. “I’m sure.” Briggs remained silent for a moment longer than seemed necessary. That small hesitation immediately caught Jake’s attention. “What?” “Nothing.” Jake gave another laugh. “There’s always something.” Briggs crossed his arms. “Stick to the rules.” “You worried about me?” “I’m worried about both of you.” A soldier near the wall muttered, “That’s generous.” Several men laughed. Emma heard every word, but her expression did not change. Jake noticed. “You don’t embarrass easily, do you?” “Should I?” “That depends.” “On what?” “How long you manage to stay standing.” A louder reaction moved around the mat. Someone [sl@.pped](mailto:sl@.pped) the side of a bench, and Jake turned slightly toward the spectators, obviously enjoying the attention. “She won’t last thirty seconds.” The comment came from somewhere behind him. Jake pointed toward the speaker. “Twenty.” The gym erupted into laughter again. Emma never looked toward the crowd, keeping her attention fixed completely on Jake. Once the laughter finally faded, she spoke quietly. “You done?” Jake’s grin tightened. “With what?” “Performing.” Something in the room shifted. The laughter did not vanish completely, but much of its energy disappeared. Jake’s jaw tightened. “You always this mouthy?” “Only when somebody refuses to stop talking.” “Go back to the office.” Emma’s eyes hardened slightly. “Before what?” “Before you embarrass yourself.” A young private beside the equipment cage whispered, “D.a.m.n.” Jake heard him, and Emma did too. She stepped all the way onto the mat. The movement itself was simple, but nearly every soldier around them seemed to straighten at once. Jake’s expression shifted because, for the first time, Emma had moved toward him instead of merely answering from where she had been standing. Briggs watched her closely. Emma noticed his attention without showing that she had, and Jake noticed it too. “What’s wrong with you?” Jake asked Briggs. “Do your job.” “I am.” “No.” Briggs nodded toward the mat. “You’re talking.” A few soldiers laughed at J - @daddylastpromise