TWENTY-TWO
Cain
T
he gym was quiet and I was back to training. Considering Alicia had given me the all clear, I could spend hours working the bags on my own. The years of training had given me hundreds of drills to run, and all I needed was the time to do them. Considering the gym was my work, any time there were no classes or private sessions with students, it was time that I could use to train. I knew that my opponent had a regular nine to jve Hob on top of his jghting commitments, and if I could spend more time honing my skills, I was going to be able to beat him.
-e was not the one that had taken months oN to recover from a threatM ening inHury so in that regard he had the advantage. Wow that I could train, I needed to work harder, but also smarter. I stood in front of the tall white heavy bag and found my range. Ey kicks were what I needed to work on. Dith my distance in check, I raised my leg and lashed out with a roundhouse. I made good contact with the bag, the thud echoing around the empty gym. There was nobody else here and I was at peace as I started to up the intensity.
Rverything in my body was working properly. Ey muscles felt like they were at last all working in sync with each other, and my combinations were
6BS E.A. KAO2R, EATT EREREAO0
?owing, rolling oN each other. I was at last starting to feel like myself. KunM can had been in my ear, showing me footage of my upcoming opponent. The number of times that we had watched footage of my last jght was starting to get to me. Kuncan had at least had the courtesy to stop the clip right before my inHury, but watching it over and over again, it only served to remind me of my failure regardless.
I used my rage in my meditation to jnd peace within myself. Thanks to Alicia, I felt conjdent and felt like I could step into the ring once again. Kespite all the haters that came at me from every angle online, I knew that they could no longer hold a candle to me. xut would it be enough to win the title back from Kamien zlater’ Rvery day was jlled with training, hours upon hours. If there were nobody in my classes that I could work with, I would spend the time between rounds working the bags.
xut now that I had the gym to myself, I could spend the ne7t few hours working on the bags without interruption. The ?uorescent lights hummed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the cleaned mats that Kuncan had me install the other day. I groaned with some steps as my knees still ached from crawling around on the concrete ?oor. Today was much easier on my body. I had spent most of the morning wiping down every leather punching bag with disinfectant. It was so strong that it left my hands smelling like artijcial lemons, every bag e7cept the weathered black one that I now stood in front of, its surface scarred with years of abuse.
I went to work. The bag was my foe, and he was in my way of achieving the ultimate glory that I sought to regain. There was no music in the gym, there was only me and the heavy bag. I si“ed it up again after my latest break and started to hit at it again. After a few moments, I heard the front door open but otherwise paid it no attention. If someone wanted to speak to me, they could come and say it to my face.
The bag continued to swing as I hit it, until I heard footsteps on the mats in front of me. They were dejnitely coming towards me, and I kept going until I heard KuncanYs voice on the other side of it.
-AOK 2W0C2z 6B”
F!ou and I need to talk, Cain.8
FDhat for’ IYm busy. I need to train.8
I slammed my jst into the heavy bag, driving a straight punch that sent
a Holt up my forearm. Gollowing through with a vicious left hook, my knuckles connected with a satisfying thud against the worn leather. The impact set the bag swinging away from me toward Kuncan, who caught it with one calloused palm, the chains above him rattling as the momentum died in his grip.
Kuncan scowled at me and I knew that he was taking no shit from me today. Dhat had he seen’ I started to rack my brain, as to what I had done lately. Wothing came to mind when it came to activities within the gym. Wobody had gotten hurt, nor was there any commotion about anyone doing something that they should not have been doing. I was sure that whatever it was, Kuncan was going to hit me with it.
F!ou need to be more careful with what youYre doing in the gymL8
I paused, still confused Hust as to what he thought had happened. FI havenYt done anything.8
FI saw you fucking the physio in the ring the other day.8
Ey heart stopped.F!ou saw what’8
KuncanYs ga“e hardened as he stepped closer to me, now fully around the side of the bag. F!ou heard me. Are you fucking stupid’ Ko you disrespect the ring that much’8
F!ou know that I donYt, Kuncan.8
FThen why did you desecrate it’8
I scoNed in his face. FIf it was such a big deal, you would have accosted me straight away. !ou would have been a man about it.8
FIYm doing it now. I wanted to be sure that I was seeing what I was seeing. Karcy would neverL8
FI would do a lot of things that Karcy would never have dreamed of. !ou need to stop using his name in vain anytime I do something my way.8
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FI donYt want you seeing her anymore. ztop paying her as well. zheYs Hust distracting you from your training. Eichael 1iNord was already back jghting this long into his inHury after she began working with him. !ouYre still not even sparring yet.8
FIYve sparred.8
FDith her’ !eah, youYre sparring, but I didnYt know you were doing xra“ilian HuMHitsu. xut with all the rolling around I saw you doing, that doesnYt surprise me.8
FDhy canYt you be happy for me’ Dhen was the last time I had a woman stick around this long’ zomeone that doesnYt care about what I do for a living without getting scared oN by it’8
F-ow long have you been seeing her’8
FItYs been a few weeks now. DeYre taking it slow.8
Fzlow’ Ey ass, CainL The ring thinks otherwise. I had the canvas reM placed after I saw what you did.8
I rolled back and raised an eyebrow. I folded my arms over my chest and shook my head. Fzo thatYs why you had it changed. It wonYt happen again.8
F!ouYre damn right it wonYt happen again. !ouYll stop paying her, youYll stop seeing her and youYre going to get your title back so we can have some honour and prestige about this gym again.8
FThis gym has prestigeL All three of us built that. !ou, me and KarcyL8
FKonYt say his name in vainL8
I shook my head again, unable to believe the audacity of Kuncan. Fzo, itYs okay for you to do it, but not me. -owYs that fair’8
F;ife isnYt fair, Cain. !ou know. ztop sleeping with your physio. If you donYt get rid of her, I will.8
FIYm not going to do that, Kuncan. zheYs going to corner me at the jght.8
Fzhe is not.8
F!ou donYt understand, Kuncan. I want her there.8
-AOK 2W0C2z 6BJ
FI know you want her, but sheYs your physio. Oingside is no place for her. zheYs not a corner man.8
F!et I only have you in my corner. 1ive me the e7tra support that I need so I can win that fucking title back. !ou need to remember youYre not the one paying her out of your pocket. If I want her there then sheYs going to be there.8
KuncanYs ga“e hardened, his weathered face creasing into that familM iar mask of disappointment. -is eyebrows were drawn together, his lips pressed into a thin white line. I was ten years old again, my skinny arms trembling in my oversi“ed gloves, sweat stinging my eyes under the harsh ?uorescent lights of the old gym. That look from Kuncan was the one that made my stomach knot and my throat tighten.
It told me everything. I knew my teep had been sloppy, my front leg telegraphing the move seconds before I e7ecuted it, and my guard had dropped to my chest instead of staying tight against my Hawline where it belonged. R7cept this time, there would be no further instruction from Kuncan.
FDhat are the rules, Kuncan’8
Kuncan sighed, knowing that he had no leg to stand on. If a jghter wanted a particular person in their corner, there was nothing that Kuncan could do about it. -e would still give me the direction, able to pick my opponent apart, but the others would be there for support that he could not oNer me. -e stared at me for a moment, cold and unmoving.
F!ouYre distracted. Dhat are you going to do in the jght if all you can think about is her’8
FIYve dated women before, Kuncan. TheyYve never held me back. Alicia has helped me to no end. Dithout her I wouldnYt be as far along as I am.8
FThatYs not how I see it.8
FI donYt give a fuck. Rven if you donYt want me seeing her, IYm still going to have her in my corner. zheYs the best physio IYve had. !ouYll have to jre her, if you donYt want me around her.8
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KuncanYs Haw clenched together and he glared at me, considering the options that he did not have. FI can pull you from the jght. The fact that we even considered putting you in it again was a risk. Rspecially so soon after a maHor inHury like that.8
F!ou wouldnYt dare. !ouYve got nobody else that is going to be ready for a title jght in two months. De need the pri“e money. KonYt do this.8
FI will if you donYt see reason. Tell Alicia that itYs over otherwise IYll make sure you never see another jght again.8
The clash between us was like two headstrong bulls and neither of us wanted to give an inch over the other. Kuncan was probably right, but if it was going to cost me what I had with Alicia, I was not going to listen to him. Wot this time. If he could not see the net benejt that Alicia brought to my life, then I had nothing more to say to him. I could have the best of both worlds and have it been used to my advantage.
I shook my head, considering KuncanYs words. FIYm not going to do it I want her with me. ust this one time, dad. ;et me have someone else in my corner. Rven if itYs Hust to help you out.8
KuncanYs eyes ?ashed at the use of the word, but given how they then narrowed, I knew that appealing to his better nature was not going to have any eNect upon him. F!ou wonYt change on this, will you’8
I shook my head, this time with authority. FWo. I want Alicia with me or nothing.8
FThen you and I need to have a further conversation about your training arrangements going forward. erhaps youYll jnd somewhere else to go.8