Ten minutes later, both of us were shirtless and in gym shorts as we stepped into the practice ring, while we both pulled gloves on to our hands. “This a smart idea?” Blaze mumbled from behind me.
“He asked for it,” I murmured back.
“Still, is it smart? Shouldn’t you have pushed him toward Taylor or something? Shit, even Dagger would be better than this,” Blaze grumbled.
“He keeps asking about Roadie’s.” I pulled my gloves on tight, eyeing Jason from across the octagon as he spoke softly with Marcos and Nico.
“Not good,” Phoenix muttered.
“Yeah, I know. Figured this would be better than anything. He’s hurting, needs an outlet.”
“And you think it’s smart that you’re the one to do that? He’s a brother, Ax,” Phoenix said.
“I know, dude, I fucking know. But you go change his mind.” I shook my head exasperatedly at my brothers.
Jason finally turned away from Marcos and Nico, and I had to remind myself that they were his president and vice president respectively… and Jason was the club enforcer. He was no weak fighter. He could hold his own, though no one had seen him get dirty in a while.
“Go easy,” Blaze suggested softly.
I nodded.
“Give him hell,” Phoenix chuckled.
I smirked slightly and stepped toward the center of the ring. Jason met me in the middle and we pounded our knuckles together by touching gloves. “Typical rules apply, knock out or tap out. Everything else goes,” I said.
“Got it,” Jason agreed with a nod.
I glanced to the right and saw Marcos’s son standing ringside. “You sure you want him here?”
Jason glanced at the kid and nodded. “Marcos will take him away if it’s too rough, but he could use the demonstration. We’re teaching him to defend himself.”
Shrugging, I smirked and made the first jab, tossing a sucker punch right to Jason’s jaw.
Jason’s head snapped to the right, and he swore, before he laughed, and then we were fighting. Jason came at me with a solid one two punch that I blocked and ducked easily.
I swung my leg out and aimed a roundhouse kick right into Jason’s ribs. The thud of my foot connecting with flesh echoed through the gym. Jason grunted with pain and came at me with vengeance.
We danced around the ring, both of us hitting and dodging, striking and kicking. I was slowly wearing him down. Jason was starting to lag on his feet. Both of us had sweat pouring down our muscular bodies.
I went in for the kill. A one-two punch to distract Jason while I swiped my foot out and took out Jason’s legs, sending him sprawling to the mat. I didn’t let up though, I dropped my elbow and my body weight on top of Jason in one of those TV professional wrestling moves that had Jason bouncing up in pain. I didn’t let up though; I wrapped my thighs around his torso and locked my elbow around Jason’s neck in a chokehold.
The men around the octagon ring started yelling and shouting, but I held tight. Jason knew the rules, he could tap out at any time. “Tap out!” Nico called.
“Jason!” Luke shouted.
Finally, after hearing the kid’s voice, Jason tapped the mat twice.
I immediately let go and Jason rolled to his side, gasping for breath. “You good, man?”
“Yeah, thanks for the fight.”
Laughing, I slapped Jason on the shoulder before I stood up and walked away. I walked over to where Blaze and Phoenix were waiting with a bottle of water ready. Taking the bottle, I sucked back half of it in one large sip.
Maya
Gettingreleasedfromthehospital felt surreal to me, because I didn’t have anywhere to go. Griffin had made it fucking clear that I wasn’t allowed to be alone for long periods of time. I was still in pain from a broken rib, and my abdomen still hurt from the surgery. But I was otherwise getting around alright, albeit slowly, and I was managing alright on my own.
Doc Griff refused though, and my mother said she didn’t like the idea of me at the house because she still needed help of her own. She said she didn’t feel comfortable knowing we were both too weak in the house.
