Worth the fight(13)

“No, I’m not your mom. But I can kick your ass with one hand behind my back, so show me some respect you little shit.”

“So you can curse, but I can’t?”

“I’m an adult.”

“Hypocrite.”

I rub my hands across my face, losing my patience after my lack of sleep. “Go downstairs and give me five miles on the treadmill. If there is any time left before school we’ll train, big mouth.”

Vinny groans, but quickly starts back toward the elevator. When I started training with Preach, all I wanted to do was learn moves. I hated cardio too, it was punishment to a kid who was in a room with a good trainer.

I take my time making my protein shake and make one for Vinny before I head down to the gym. I know there probably isn’t any food in his house. Some of these kids only stay in school because they know they can get a free meal there.

Vinny is drenched in sweat as he runs full out on the treadmill. I smirk as I pass him. I would have done the same thing. The faster you’re done with the cardio, the faster you get to the fighting.

“Preach says you might fight Kravitz.” Vinny gives me a quick left and I duck and easily sweep out his legs while he attempts to rebalance from his miss.

“You’re leaving yourself exposed. Lean into it. Set up your legs.” I extend my hand and pull Vinny back to his feet.

“So is it true? Are you getting back in the cage?”

“Stop gossiping like a little girl and take me down.” The kid needs to focus. Plus, I don’t have an answer to give him.

Vinny shoots in and tries for a double leg takedown. The kid is definitely becoming more explosive.

“Nose up. Back straight. Again.”

He shoots, I wobble for a second, but I don’t fall. Someday kid. Someday.

After another twenty minutes, he’s drenched and I’m warmed up for the day. “Jump in the showers. Make it fast. You got 25 minutes to get to school. If I find out you’re late, next week will be ten miles on the treadmill and there will be no time for training, no matter how fast you run.”

Vinny groans but sprints to the shower. The kid wants it bad. I just hope it’s bad enough to keep him clean with all the shitstorm swirling around him at home.

“See you Monday, Nico.” Vinny jogs by me with his backpack swung over one shoulder. I nod and he’s gone. Out the door after a thirty second shower. I smile knowing he’ll make it to school on time. I pick up the phone and call my brother to give him an update on his student. The kid’s lucky my brother has a soft spot for fighters or he’d have had him expelled the last time he found Vinny pounding a kid three years older than him in the stairwell. But instead, he found him a place to channel the fighting he was doing in the halls. Yep, the kid lucked out when they assigned his teachers.





Chapter 8


Elle

“Sal’s deli just called to see how Leonard was feeling. Business must be down with him out for almost a week.” Regina says with a smile as I hand her the menu for our lunch order.

“He’s probably just afraid we’ll sue him for damages after they’ve fed him those deadly sausage and peppers heroes every day for all these years. You know how much fat and cholesterol are in those things?”

“You know who doesn’t look like he eats any fat at all?” Regina wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and speaks in her best sex kitten voice.

“Nice segway. I think you can turn any conversation into something about Nico Hunter lately. You should’ve been a lawyer.” I laugh at Regina’s latest obsession.

“Do you blame me for being smitten?” Smitten, who uses the word smitten?

I sigh, thinking back to our kiss last night. No, I certainly don’t blame Regina for being smitten. I think I agreed to have dinner with Nico so I could find something wrong with him and get his lethal smile out of my head. But last night only made things worse. I didn’t find a single thing to help me push my wayward thoughts out of my head. In fact, I actually found things that made it harder to stop thinking about him.

“Are you going to tell me about your date or do I need to bring you into the conference room for a formal deposition?”

“How come you never ask about my dates with William, Regina?”

“Because I don’t want to be bored.”

“Regina!” I raise my voice chastising her.

“What?” She smiles at me knowing I’m not really mad. It’s an odd friendship, but the part of my relationship with Regina that I value most is that she is so honest when we talk.

“What makes you think my dates with William are boring?”

“Aren’t they?” Regina grins knowingly.