{ Andrea's POV }

Mafia woman have always been strong in their own way, I wouldn't say anyone of us has been stronger than the other. Off the top of my head from what I was told - Tori was a force, she was underestimated but lived for the thrill and pain, she always proved everyone wrong. Reia was a flower made of iron, beautiful and innocent but very smart and unbreakable. Both of them are living outside of the mafia now, but their history in it helped change the mafia into what is today, and what it will be in the future.

Then there's Roslyn.. who is strong, smart, and unapologetic. She's an assassin who didn't want anything to do with the mafia, but she was born into it, escaped it, and ended up back in it when she married who happened to be my brother.

And that's just three of the women...there was many more such as Angelina, Elena, Vera, Annika, Sabrina, and now there is Isabel and Charlotte. All different in there own way, but they are all equally strong.

I'm just as strong. But I'm not a force. I'm not a flower. I'm not made of iron. I'm not unapologetic.

And as I step into the training mat with Chan, I'm reminded that I'm not like the other women. I'm not like the men either. Because I have a completely different story, and that is okay with me.

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"To start off Nicolás and Andrei will spar. Then Andrea and Chan." Ander announces as he hands wooden sticks to Nicolás and Andrei.

Andrei seemed more brutal in his way of sparing, but Nicolás was not only quick he is taller, and more muscular. The sparring lasted a while. Until Nicolás won by taking Andrei surprise, and knocking him to the ground with the wooden stick to his throat.

"Well Andrei is dead." Chan says

Now I'm seeing why he's married to the very bold Isabel. I smile and reply back "It seems so."

Andrei looks a little disappointed, but he still shakes Nicolás's hand to show there isn't any bad blood. They do it after every match in training now to show respect. Ander makes it mandatory, because it was one of Artemis's rules.

Artemis said how you could respect someone who couldn't show you respect in training. If they can't shake your hand after a training session, then they can't be trusted in battle. It sounds harsh, and a little off, but I've come to believe it to be true.

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"Andrea, Chan..you're up." Ander says

Chan and I walk up to the mat. Nicolás and Andrei passed us the wooden sticks they had.

"Good luck." Nicolás says handing me his

I give him a slight smile and a nod. Then Nicolás and Andrei walk over to Ander just right off the mat to the side.

"Begin." Ander says strongly sounding like Artemis, I take a deep breath and close my eyes, I feel my whole body relax.

With my eyes shut I hear some of them talking, but I can hear Chan walking towards me hesitantly. He swings at me with his, I block. He hesitantly swings again, and I block it. That went on a few more times. I could tell he was confused, and frustrated by his breathing and steps.

However I keep my eyes shut, and the next time instead of blocking, I do a back bend. Then quickly hit him in his side, then I swipe his legs out from underneath him. Not wasting a moment.

I hear his body hit the ground with a grunt following from his mouth so I open my eyes and point the stick at his throat.

"Now you're be dead." I say

I take another breath and then offer my hand to help him up as a sign of respect even though he doesn't need help getting up off the floor.

He seems surprised but takes my hand, when he stands up we shake hands like Nicolás and Andrei did before us. I look around and notice everyone looks to be confused and surprised.

Isla is smiling, and Bart starts laughing while he's clapping. Then Bart says loudly "Wherever he is, he's smiling and shaking his head."

He said referring to Artemis who every time I took down one of his best fighters, Jason, or even himself. He would smile which was a rare thing, and then lightly shake his head.

"He sure is." Isla adds loudly so I can hear her

"I didn't learn to do that." Ander tells me

"I didn't either." I say with a shrug

"What do you mean?" Andrei asks seeming interested, and so does Nicolás who is smirking a little, and Chan and Andrei who seem to look at me with pure respect and curiosity.

"When I first started really training, I couldn't stand to see blood, it would trigger me...so I just started closing my eyes." I tell them honestly

"Didn't you get hurt?" Andrei questions

I laugh lightly and nod.

"More than a few times. It took me a few months before I could actually hit what or who I was actually aiming for." I explain

"You mastered fighting blind." Chan says

"I guess you could say that." I reply

"You could've ended me the first hit I swung." Chan says just realizing it

"Possibly but I wanted to know exactly where you were so it was done perfectly. If not it could've gotten messy." I reply then I look at Ander and question"What's next?"

"You, Nicolás, and myself will fight..every man for themselves." Ander says

"Or woman in your case." Nicolás adds

I give a nod.

Andrei and Chan walked off the mat, and to the side while Nicolás and myself stayed on it with Ander.

"We don't use weapons in this, it's strictly hand to hand. Are you sure you can handle this? We won't go easy on you. " Ander says

Nicolás is watching me closely.

"I appreciate you giving me an out, but I need this, and I don't want either of you to go easy on me. That wouldn't make me better, it would make me weaker. If you break my wrist or a rib it'll hurt but it'll heal. It won't be the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last. At least by end of it I'll be able to say that it was a fair fight." I tell them

Then I look at both of them and say

"Both of you promise me that you won't take it easier on me.. pretend I'm another boss or one of your men." I say

Both Ander and Nicolás look at me in respect.

"I promise." Ander forced out

I give him a grateful nod.

"I will try but you don't look like any of my men." Nicolás says

I lightly laugh and say "Well give it your best shot."

He smiles says "I promise."

I give him a smile.

"Let's begin." Ander says a little louder so everyone can hear clearly