Over the next few weeks, Jojo couldn't get her out of his mind. He sent his men to watch over her from a distance - not to scare her, but to keep her safe. She was a fire he didn't want extinguished. Then one evening, he visited her dojo, under the pretense of self-defense training.
"I need to learn how to fight," he said. "You're clearly the best."
She narrowed her eyes but agreed. "One condition - no touching without permission."
Jojo chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."
As they trained, something unexpected happened. They laughed. They talked. They connected. Jojo found himself telling her about his childhood - abandoned, raised by the streets. Anika saw pain behind the charm. She was drawn to him too, though part of her resisted. She couldn't love a criminal... could she?