Chapter 18
Max
“Again,” I barked at Jayden after popping him with one of the flat punch mitts for what seemed like the thousandth time.
I’d taught him a complicated combo earlier.
He nailed it on the bag, so I raised the bar: add the dodging, keep the rhythm.
But Jayden wasn’t picking up the pattern, and it was starting to piss me off.
Sweat dripped down his face as he squared his hands again. Jayden’s gloves pounded against my mitts in perfect rhythm before I struck him - hitting his face again.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snapped. “This isn’t rocket science. It’s one, two, three, duck.”
“No it’s not. You’re moving too damn fast.”
“No, you’re moving too fucking slow. You’re used to dodging those slow ass hitters. You’ve gotta be quicker or the next one is gonna knock you out.”
His gloves dropped to his side as he glared at me. “Fuck you.”
“Watch your mouth before I pop you in it.”
“Do it then, asshole,” he challenged, shoving me in the chest.
I would’ve decked the little shit if Tony didn’t put himself between us.
“Alright, alright,” he said as he stretched his arms out, adding more distance. “Both of you need to take a breather.”
Jayden ripped the velcro from around his glove as he took a few steps backward. Once his hand was free, he proudly flipped me off.
“You little,” I growled, taking a step towards him.
Tony put his arm against my chest. “Stop,” he demanded. “Remember your role.”
“Yeah, I’ll remember it after I body slam his ass. You never let me disrespect you like that. Hell, the few times I did, you rocked me right in my shit. Let me go so I can teach him the same lesson.”
“No. We have a different relationship than you and Jayden. Even when you were popping off at the mouth and I had to check you, we still respected each other. I can’t say for certain you and Jayden are on that level.”
“I don’t give a fuck if he respects me or not. The little runt should be grateful I don’t throw him right back in the-” I cut myself off, remembering who I was talking to.
Tony raised a brow. “No, go on and finish. Where were you gonna throw him back to? Those underground rings?”
I grit my teeth as I averted my eyes. “What do you know about those?”
“More than I want to,” he admitted. “But, I know you pulled him out. I know you’re trying to steer him in a better direction. I know you’re doing a better job than I did.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You were good to me. You still are.”
“Not good enough to keep you from the darkness that’s always tempted you.” He frowned. “I’m worried about you, Max.”
“Don’t. I’m fine.”
“Today you aren’t. You were working yourself half-to-death almost all day. Now that Jayden’s here, you’re pushing him over his limits. Don’t lie and say something isn’t bothering you.”
“I’ve just got a lot going on,” I told Tony. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. I just wasn’t comfortable telling the entire truth.
Bouncing between the two worlds of my life was starting to get to me.
The other night, the newbies did in fact fuck up the count, so I had to abandon the version of myself I wanted to be and transform into the person I needed to be.
I barely had time to relish in my old skin before I was forced to rip it off.
Switching personas every other second was tiring, especially when both carried so much weight. Sometimes it felt like my shoulders were going to give out and I was going to be crushed underneath all the rubble.
Tony patted me on the shoulder. “I understand. But, even with everything on your shoulders, you’ve gotta take it easy on the kid. He’s dealing with life just like the rest of us.”
Following his gaze, I spotted Jayden sitting on one of the benches near the boxing ring by himself. With the nozzle of his water bottle wedged between his teeth, he stared aimlessly ahead of him, completely consumed in his thoughts.
Sighing, I swallowed my pride and walked over to him.
“Unless you want to fight, get away from me,” he muttered as he caught me in his peripheral vision.
“Unless you want your ass beat, you’ll shut up,” I replied as I sat down beside him. “Look, I’m sorry for snapping at you. I know you’re putting a lot of work in, and I don’t mean to ride on you so hard.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind you pushing me. You were right, anyway. I do need to move faster. I was watching some of the guys sparring earlier, and they were quick as shit. I’ll be on the floor within the first ten seconds if you throw me into a ring with one of them.”
I chuckled. “You’re doing well, though. I’m proud of the progress you’ve made.”
He glanced at me. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks…I guess…”
An awkward silence fell over us as my compliment lingered in the air, both of us unsure where it fit in our relationship.
I knew he didn’t really see me as a trainer - or a brother.
He was just here for the paycheck. Clearly, neither of us knew how to feel if we acknowledged this partnership as anything more than that.
But, I was willing to take the first step.
See if maybe there was something between us worth salvaging.
“Do you need a ride home?” I asked. “It’s late, and I know you’re probably aching.”
Jayden started to shake his head, but as his eyes glanced between the clock and the darkness outside the glass windows, it turned into a slow nod.
We briefly separated to grab our things - mine from the office and his from the locker room - before reuniting in the middle of the gym.
I spotted Tony watching us walk together toward the door. I started to wave goodbye when he gave me a wide smile and a thumbs up. My open hand quickly closed, and I gave him my middle finger instead.
After we climbed into the car, Jayden gave me the address to his house.
He lived closer to my old neighborhood than I thought.
It was crazy to think my brother only lived ten minutes away, yet I never once stepped foot into his world.
Sure, we crossed paths here and there, but we never spoke.
Never even acknowledged each other. Just exchanged glances from across streets and stores and kept it pushing.
Looking at him now as he sat quietly in my passenger seat, staring out the window, I wondered if anything would’ve been different if I’d spoken to him.
As I pulled down his street, I noticed a small crowd mingling in the courtyard of the apartment complex.
Not big enough for the police to be concerned about, but big enough for the community to feel their presence.
All of them were sporting the same distorted skull tattoo, but in different locations.
Some had it on their forearms, others on their neck, and a few on their hands.
A clear sign of their association with Elias Blackwell.
Their gazes followed my car as I rolled down the block, seemingly seeing through the tint.
“Do they bother you?” I asked Jayden as I pulled up in front of his building.
“Sometimes,” he said with a shrug. “Where did you think I learned how to fight?”
I almost laughed. The kid was more like me than I thought.
Outside of the gym, I’d learned the same way.
Boys who swore they were tough because of the crew they ran with loved picking at me because of who my father was.
They thought the easiest way to impress was to beat the heir of the city’s best. Each time, they got embarrassed instead.
“Next time they say something, you let me know,” I told him.
“I’m not a little kid,” Jayden replied, his voice hardening. “I can take care of myself.” He opened the door and climbed out. “Thanks for the ride,” he said before slamming it shut.
I rolled the passenger window down. “Slam my door again, and I’ll put you through this concrete,” I yelled after him.
Jayden held his middle finger over his head.
Little asshole.
Still, despite my annoyance, I waited to make sure he got in alright.
I noticed three men from the courtyard drift from their posts towards him. One of their voices carried through the wind, catching Jayden’s attention. He glanced at the men, but continued walking.
The men sped up their stride and blocked his way.
“Shit,” I murmured, opening the door. I hurried over to them, catching the last bit of their conversation.
“Are you avoiding us now?” One of the men asked in a taunting voice. “You already know the boss isn’t tolerating that.”
“The fuck is going on here?” I snapped, grabbing Jayden’s arm and flinging him behind me.
“Stop,” Jayden said. “I said I can-”
“Shut up and be quiet,” I told him, keeping my eyes locked on the men in front of me.
“Ah, Maximilliano Guerra,” a man with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and a snapback on his head.
He stood a few inches in front of the other two men, asserting his status above them.
“It’s a surprise seeing you around these parts.
I’m a big fan of your dad.” He feigned a smile as he held out his hand. “Name’s Clyde.”
I ignored his hand. “The fuck do you want?”
He jutted his chin toward Jayden. “Boss wanted us to check on his boy. He hasn’t been where he’s supposed to be.”
“He’s still getting his money. That’s all he should be worried about.”
“I don’t think you understand. It’s about more than just the money. The boy is one of ours.”
I clenched my jaw. Jayden hadn’t told me that part. But, I couldn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to represent these losers either. “Not anymore,” I replied.
Clyde’s fake smile threatened to fall. “Listen, Maximilliano-”
“Max,” I corrected him.
“Max, our boss holds his deals to the same standards as your father: no exceptions, no excuses.”
“This wasn’t a deal. This is about trying to control a woman who doesn’t want his ass. We all know she doesn’t owe him a dime.”
“She doesn’t?” His eyes flicked behind me to Jayden. “You didn’t tell him about the drugs your mom used to get for free? Or how much money that took out of our pockets?”
“My mom never used any of it,” Jayden snapped from behind me.
“But you’re not denying she accepted it?”
“It doesn’t matter what she did or didn’t take from him,” I hopped in. “Your boss was the one who was willingly handing out money. You don’t get to chastise her to using it.”
“Like your mom?” He asked. “I heard she was just as a big of a gold digger as-”
My fist hit his lips the moment that slick shit slipped out of it. His face whipped to the side, blood splashing out from the impact.
His other men immediately leaped into action.
One lunged for me and was met head-on with my fist in his nose.
Another tried to swing at me. I ducked the punch, and as I came up, swung my leg up to kick him straight in the jaw.
The fourth tried to grab my arms from behind, so I swung my elbow directly into his ribs.
A scream escaped his lips as my bone dug into his and I heard a satisfying crack.
These motherfuckers were dumb as fuck if they thought jumping me was going to do anything. I’ve been fighting damn near my whole life. They were going to need more than some weak ass punches to stop me.
The other two came for me again. I prepared myself for their punches, but they never came.
To my surprise, Jayden punched one man before he could reach me and, as he swung around, gave a swift kick to the other.
While the one fell from the kick, he turned his attention to the other one and gave him a smooth three-punch combination.
He finished his strike with another swinging kick, knocking the guy to the ground.
The two still on their feet tried to lunge for me again, so I grabbed both of them by their necks and rammed their heads together.
As they stumbled to the ground, I grabbed Clyde, who’d been watching with widening eyes, by his neck and lifted him up off his feet.
“You listen to me, you fucking prick,” I said, squeezing my fingers around his throat as tightly.
“If you ever mention my mom again, I will break your fucking neck. Do you understand?”
Clawing at my wrist, he quickly nodded his head. “Yes, yes. I’m sorry. I’m-” His words were cut off as my hold crushed his windpipe.
“And tell ‘boss man’ he better leave Jayden and his mom alone or I’ll put his ass down myself.” I threw him on the ground. “Get the fuck out of my face. Now.”
Like a pack of whining dogs, they hurried off with their tails behind their legs. Fucking idiots.
“You good?” I asked Jayden. I searched his face for any wounds from any hits I might’ve missed. Thankfully, for those assholes, there were none.
“Yeah, are you?”
I nodded. “I didn’t expect you to jump in.”
“And miss all the fun? Hell nah. I’ve been wanting to take a hit at those assholes for a while now.”
I chuckled. “Well, thank you for backing me up.”
“No, thank you for defending me. You…you didn’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, I did.” I grabbed his shoulder and ushered him back towards the front doors of the building. “Now, let’s get you inside. I think that’s more than enough fun for one night.”