Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
“That left hook gettin’ strong, champ,” Gramps praised as they took a break from the heavy bag.
Nico breathed deeply as sweat poured from his face.
They’d been at it for hours, but that was Nico’s life.
When he had a fight to train for, he ate, slept, and breathed boxing.
“You gon’ need that when you go up against Davies. His strong suit is—”
“What kind of name is Davies anyway?” Nico asked as he sat down on the metal chair on the side of the ring. He really didn’t care too much about what the nigga’s strong suits were. All he needed to know were his weaknesses.
Gramps followed suit and grumbled something under his breath, no doubt about Nico cutting him off, before he responded, “Probably the name his mama gave him.”
“A stupid ass name.” Nico grinned as he took a swig of water.
Gramps eyed him. “Do you ever take anything seriously?”
“Have you ever known me to?”
Gramps seemed to think about it before he shook his head. “You need to cut that shit out and find somethin’ to be serious about.”
Gramps always got in his ass like that. If Nico had to guess, it was the old man’s way of looking out for him.
Many times through Nico’s life, Gramps tried to talk some sense into him and get him to take his relationships with people outside of his family more seriously, but Nico had never been interested .
. . until now, that was. Remedie shifted something for him in a major way.
He sensed that Gramps knew it too. There hadn’t been as many lectures about Nico’s future in the past few days.
That was a relief to Nico because it was always a drag to find something more interesting to think about while Gramps droned on.
The door to the gym opened, and Nico spotted Remedie sashay through the space. His mouth watered as he looked at her petite body in the crop top and biker shorts. She carried two plastic bags and smiled widely when her eyes found him.
“I think I found somethin’ to be serious about, Gramps. Here she come right now.”
Gramps’s eyes followed Nico’s line of sight, and his eyes lit up. Nico glanced at him, his attention half on Remedie as she walked toward them and half on Gramps as he grinned at his woman.
“That’s a fine thing to be serious about, champ.” Gramps waved enthusiastically at Remedie.
“Aye, man, get back,” Nico scolded Gramps.
“You droolin’ all over your dentures and shit.
” He never saw the old man smile so much.
His name really should have been grumps because he never found anything to be happy about unless Nico won a fight, but as soon as Remedie stepped into the room, he looked like Miss America, smiling and waving and shit.
Gramps’s smile quickly turned into a frown as he looked at Nico. “Oh, shut up.”
“Hey, y’all.” Remedie’s sweet voice cut through their bickering.
“Hey, cookie.” Nico stood and leaned down over the ropes with his lips poked out.
Remedie looked she wanted to curve him, but she thought better of it.
She pressed her soft lips against his, and his dick jumped slightly.
Ever since he had a taste of that sweet pussy, he couldn’t get enough of her. “You knew better, I see.”
Remedie smacked her lips. “I just didn’t want to be disrespectful with Gramps here. I know how you get when we kiss.”
Nico nodded. He normally didn’t let up. She wasn’t wrong about that, but she also needed to learn not to give a fuck about what people thought, because Nico sure as fuck didn’t.
If he wanted to kiss up on his baby, then he would do that, even if it got a little nasty.
“You ain’t wrong.” He bit his bottom lip as he looked down at her.
“But that old man ain’t worried ’bout us. ”
Remedie looked behind him and waved a hand at Gramps. “Hey.”
“Hey, sweetie. What you got there?” Gramps asked, eying the bags in her hands.
She lifted them slightly. “Lunch.”
Nico helped her up into the ring, and she handed him a bag. She walked over to Gramps and handed him one next.
“Boy, oh boy. You have an old man spoiled. This gon’ be an everyday thing?” Gramps asked as he tore open the bag.
She giggled. “It can be. I have to bring Nico lunch, anyway.”
Gramps looked like he wasn’t even paying attention anymore. His eyes grew wide when he saw the fried catfish po’ boy with all the fixings and bacon cheese fries. He looked up at her with happy tears in his eyes. “God bless ya.”
Nico shook his head in mock disgust as he lifted his bag slightly. “I get the same thing?”
Remedie cut her eyes at him. “You know you didn’t. You’re back on a diet, sir. Gotta make sure you’re in tip-top shape to win your next fight.”
“Yeah. Gotta beat Davies’s ass. You gon’ come watch?”
Her nose wrinkled. “So much to unpack there,” she joked. Nico loved that saying that had become their thing. Inside jokes were always a step closer to marriage, in his head. “His name is Davies?”
“That’s what I said!” Nico exclaimed as he whirled around to face Gramps. “See, I knew I wasn’t trippin’.” Gramps waved him off. He was in heaven, enjoying his lunch. Nico looked back at Remedie. “What else you got to unpack?”
She shifted from foot to foot. “Me coming to the fight. You know I hate watching people fight,” she whined.
“Yeah, but I’m ya man, so you obligated,” he said as he opened the bag in his hand. She cooked him two salmon filets with asparagus and sweet potatoes. Though he would have much rather preferred what Gramps was having, he had no doubt this would be just as good.
“You can’t just say you’re my man like we had the conversation.” Remedie propped her hands on her hips, full of attitude.
Nico took a step toward her so her titties were pressed against his hard abdomen. “You don’t remember me telling you that you’re mine, even if you don’t realize it yet? I said it last night when I was stroking the fuck out your—”
“Okay.” She put her hands up as a red tint spread across her cheeks. “You got it. Still, I don’t think I can come. I don’t want to see anyone hit you, and I don’t want to see you beat anyone up.”
“What if I promise you he won’t land one single punch?” Nico’s brows rose.
“You can’t promise that . . . can you?”
“He can.” Gramps called out his two cents.
Nico nodded once. “Listen to the old man. He knows what he’s talkin’ ’bout.”
“That won’t stop me from witnessing you beat someone up. You know how I feel—”
“You with a boxer, baby. You gon’ have to get used to it. I need my good luck charm at all my fights.” Nico pinched her chin and gave her his most charming grin. He could see her soften right before his eyes.
“How do you know I’m good luck?” she asked.
“I just do. You gon’ go back and forth with me all day?”
Remedie thought about it. “Will that get me out of going to your fights?” Nico shook his head. She pouted. “Fine. But just because I go doesn’t mean I have to actually watch.”
Nico beamed. “Look at us compromising.”
“Whatever.” Remedie rolled her eyes. “I gotta get going. I need to get gas and get dinner started. What time will you be home?”
“’Round six. You got enough gas to get home?” She nodded. “Bet. Don’t put no gas in that car. I’ll do it when I get home.”
“It’s not that big of a deal—”
“What I say?”
She blew out a breath, but he could see the corners of her lips fighting not to turn up. “Fine.”
“Good girl. Give me some love.”
Remedie stood on her tiptoes and poked her lips out. Nico pecked her lips three times before he helped her out of the ring. He watched her sexy ass walk out of the gym before he heard a whistle from behind him.
“A damn fine thing to be serious about, son. A damn fine thing.”
Nico turned around to see Gramps leaning back in his chair. He rubbed on his potbelly. The container that his sandwich and fries had been in was now empty next to his chair. Nico’s eyes bugged out.
“The hell? You inhaled that shit, Gramps. Yo’ ass ’bout to be sleep the rest of the day.”
“Probably, champ. Probably.” Gramps was already well on his way to an uncomfortable nap in the metal chair.
Nico knew he would be on his own for the rest of the day.
With a loud sigh, he sat down and dug into his food, ready to get his mind back in the game.
He had a fight to win in a couple of weeks, and he wanted to make good on his promise not to let this Davies nigga land one single punch.