by Jade Kuzma
He gave me a nod.
“Her father is a real powerful man in the city,” I said. “It wouldn’t be too much of a favor to ask him to handle this. Just this once.”
I knew I wasn’t going to get the response I wanted from Aden but I had to ask anyway. He didn’t give it a second thought, shaking his head at me like I expected.
“Mia is in love with Roman,” he said. “Roman’s got my back. Everybody in the club has my back. What kind of man would I be if I put Roman on the line instead of me? And Mia, too? The mother of a young child… It wouldn’t be right.”
“You wouldn’t be putting them on the line. You think her father hasn’t faced down his enemies before?”
“His enemies, Danica. This is my fight. Not anybody else’s.”
“…I know.”
My head dropped down as I sighed. Aden put his fingers on my chin and forced me to look back up at him.
“I told you not to worry,” he said. “Everything is under control.”
He moved forward and kissed me on the lips. I opened my mouth and let his tongue search for mine. A drop of his salty sweat lingered between my teeth but that didn’t stop me from enjoying my kiss.
“Ahem.”
A loud cough interrupted us. Aden pulled away and we both turned toward the man standing right next to us.
His clothes were disheveled. His hair was sloppy on his head. He looked like some bum who’d wandered onto the streets and was lost.
“Yates,” Aden said, some slight anger in his tone. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Came to say hello to No Mercy,” he said.
“You’re not welcome here.”
“Now hold on a second,” Yates said as he put his hands up. “I’m not here about business. I just wanted to talk to you about the kid.”
Aden hesitated for a second then gave the man a nod.
“The doctors are saying he’ll make a full recovery. He took a hell of a hit though. It was a severe concussion. Along with what happened to his nose, it’ll be a long process. But the kid is strong. He’ll make it.”
The relief on Aden’s face was nice to see. Considering the circumstances, good news was rare these days.
“Isaac’s always been strong,” Aden said. “Maybe too strong for his own good. That’s what got him into this mess.”
“That’s what’ll get him out of it. I’ve been watchin’ him, makin’ sure that the kid is all right.”
“You? You’ve been watching him?”
“Hey, gimme a break. Just because I was makin’ the kid some money doesn’t mean I don’t care about him.”
“If you cared about him, you would’ve pulled him out of that fight.”
“That was out of my hands, Mercer. You know that. The Spades wanted someone they could make some money off of. Someone strong. Someone the people would bet on. The kid kept winnin’. They were the ones pullin’ the strings.”
Aden rolled his eyes and turned his back to Yates like he didn’t want to listen to him any longer. But the man didn’t leave. I grew more anxious, wondering what the hell he was up to.
“How you feelin’ there, Mercer?” he asked.
“Look,” Aden said as he turned back to face him. “All I care about is Isaac. You can go on your way now.”
“Now hold on a second. I’ve got a proposal for you.”
“I thought you weren’t here on business?”
“…Okay. I lied about that. But I think you should listen to me. It’ll give you a chance to win.”
My eyes widened as soon as he said it. Aden didn’t trust the guy but I was listening clearly.
“The line is movin’,” he said. “People are bettin’ against you.”
“That’s because people are starting to hear about what happened at Hades,” Aden said.
“That is part of it. But they’re not just bettin’ against you. They’re bettin’ on the other guy. And they’ve got good fuckin’ reason to.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The guy’s name is Samson.”
“Never heard of him.”
“He’s an underground fighter. Not exactly mainstream. But he’s the toughest, meanest motherfucker you’ll ever come across. The guy’s a behemoth. Got maybe a hundred pounds on you. Nothin’ but muscle.”
Listening to Yates to describe Aden’s opponent made my heart sink in my chest.
“Doesn’t matter,” Aden said. “The bigger they are…”
“Samson has already bodied a few guys,” Yates said. “Intentionally. When I tell you he’s a mean motherfucker, I mean he’s a mean motherfucker—”
“Why are you telling me this? Do you think I give a shit who I’m fighting?”
“No. But… I’m sayin’ there’s another way for you.”
“Another way?”
Aden glared at Yates hard enough that I thought he was gonna swing on him. Yates stood his ground. He looked around the gym before addressing Aden.
“I’ve got a proposal for you,” Yates said. “I’ll put everythin’ I have on Samson. The line is close enough that I could make a good profit. You can even give me some of your cash and I’ll do it for you.”
“Why the hell would I give you my money to bet against me?”
“Because you could get out of it. You could just submit. It’d be the easiest cash you ever made.”
“Not happening.”
“Think about it, Mercer. You can take your cash. You’d have enough winnings to enjoy the rest of your life in comfort. You could leave Ivory and disappear for good.”
Aden wasn’t listening to Yates. I’d be lying if I said that his suggestion wasn’t appealing though. With the way Samson was described along with Aden’s injury, another way out, any way out, looked better than forcing Aden to fight.
“I’ll give you a good piece of the pie,” Yates said. “I’ll split it with you—”
“Not happening,” Aden said through gritted teeth.
“Like I said, you think about it, Mercer. You’ll never find a better deal.”
Yates slowly backed out of the gym and went on his way.
“Asshole,” Aden muttered. “Can you believe that shit?”
Aden went back to training by himself. I thought about what Yates said and suddenly something came over me.
I left the gym and looked up and down the sidewalks to find Yates walking down the road.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Wait!”
Yates stopped in his tracks and I rushed up to him.
“Hold on,” I said.
He gave me a skeptical look, examining me up and down.
“Did you really mean it?” I said. “Aden can get out of this and still make some money?”
“I always take care of my fighters,” he said. “Even when they lose. He’d get his fair share. No question about it.”
“I… I tried talking him out of it but he won’t listen. He’s going through with it. Maybe you can—”
“Look. I know what you’re tryin’ to do. I’m assumin’ you’re his lady. But if you can’t get through to him, I can’t.”
“I…”
I sighed in frustration, knowing that the rope I was trying to grab was out of reach.
“…I just want Aden to do what’s best for him.”
Yates twisted his lips like he was thinking. He shrugged at me and shook his head.
“You should see that kid in the hospital,” he said. “That Spade busted him up real good. You might think I’m some heartless bastard just tryin’ to make a profit. And there’s some truth to that. I’m just tryin’ to make ends meet. But I know when someone is makin’ a mistake. I’m givin’ Aden a way out. And this isn’t just because I can make some money.”
“Wait… You mean you actually care about Aden?”
The corner of his lips curled into a smile.
“I was always a big fan,” he said. “There was nobody who fought like No Mercy.”
Yates looked away from me a
nd sighed a deep breath through his nose. He looked out into the distance. The smile left his face.
“I remember the first time I ever saw him fight,” he said. “I was at a bar. Nobody was payin’ much attention to the TV but I was. I didn’t think much of it because I didn’t even know who he was. But the more I watched him, the more I realized how special he was. Ever since then, I told myself I would never miss any of his fights. And I never did.”
“You know what happened with him, don’t you?”
Yates gave me a nod.
“I saw the Johnson fight. Damn shame, really. Aden was just doin’ what he always did. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. Shit just happened.”
“…Do you think Aden can win this fight? Do you think he can beat Samson?”
“Anybody can make a prediction. What really matters is if you put your money where your mouth is.”
“And what does your money say?”
The grin came back to his face.
“I guess we’ll find out when I make that bet.”
Yates turned around and started whistling as he made his way down the street. I thought about everything he said for a moment before heading back into the gym.
“Hey,” Aden said. “Where the hell did you go?”
“Oh… Sorry… I just… I wanted to talk to Yates.”
“What would you wanna talk to him about?”
“…I just wanted to see who everybody was betting on and how much money was on the line.”
“It doesn’t matter. If you wanna make a bet, put everything on me and you’ll be good.”
He smiled at me. It was so rare to see it. I believed he could do anything. Despite all of the doubts and concerns I had, nothing compared to the confidence I had just from having Aden look at me. I knew that Aden could do what he was planning on doing. The only question was whether or not this feeling would stay with me when the fight actually happened.
Aden kept working up a sweat. It was still early in the day. No matter how long it took, I would stay by his side to make sure that he would get through this.
Chapter 22
ADEN
“Make sure you lock up when you’re done, champ.”
The last man in the gym shut the door behind him. It was dark with just a couple of lights on the mat I needed to look at my reflection. I was sweating, my skin shining from the amount of water pouring down all over me. I kept my head down and threw punches, ignoring all of the distractions around me.
“I think that’s good enough.”
Another voice filled my ears. I ignored it.
Focus…
Just another short session of shadowboxing would have me primed and ready for what was waiting for me tomorrow night.
“Aden.”
I couldn’t avoid the voice any longer. I dropped my hands and turned toward her. She was smiling despite the obvious concern on her face.
“I think you’re good,” she said.
“I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
“At least take a break. You’ve been going at it for an hour now. You don’t want to waste all of your energy.”
I took in a deep breath through my nose, not realizing how tired I really was until this moment.
There was a boxing ring off to the side of the gym. Danica sat on the apron while she watched me this entire time. I walked over to her and she tossed me a bottle of water. I gulped it down quickly. She kept her eyes locked on me the entire time.
“Is it such a good idea to be pushing yourself before the fight?” she asked.
I smiled as a memory came back to me.
“Back when I was a champion, people always asked me what the key to my success was. Was it the training? Was it superior genetics? Did I study my opponents and memorize everything they did? Some people thought I was on drugs and cheating. They never stopped questioning me…”
“What did you tell them?”
I moved closer to Danica and took a seat on the ring apron next to her.
“It’s not just boxing,” I said. “It’s not just sports. It’s life. There’s always someone out there. They’re competing with you. They’re trying to get that same job you’re vying for. They’re trying to buy that house that you wanna buy. They’re trying to impress that guy or girl that you wanna sleep with. Life is just a constant competition between you and everybody else. Doesn’t matter if you realize it or not.”
“It’s pretty grim when you paint a picture like that.”
“Only if you’re looking at that picture the wrong way…”
Danica was looking right at me, listening to me like she actually gave a shit about what I was saying.
“…I always pushed myself,” I said. “When my opponent was sleeping, I was awake training. When my opponent was stuffing himself with the worst kinds of foods, I was eating as clean as I could. When my opponent was overconfident that he could beat me without even trying, I was doing everything I could to make sure that the opposite happened.
“I know you’re worried. I know you’re concerned that something might happen. The odds are against me. This shit hurts…”
I pointed at the bandages on my stomach.
“…But I’m gonna push it. Sometimes you just have to force your way through to get what you want.”
“What do you want, Aden?”
I sighed softly through my nose. I already knew the answer.
“Peace,” I said. “Peace and quiet.”
“Getting into a big fight. Joining an MC. Spending time around me…”
She gave me a wink.
“…That hardly sounds like peace and quiet.”
“Sometimes you have to run through the noise to get to the quiet you’re looking for.”
“Maybe there’s a way you can have that peace and quiet without having to run through all that noise.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. Whatever she was about to say, she looked hesitant about it.
“What are you talking about?” I said.
“Maybe Yates’s idea wasn’t so crazy.”
“…Are you serious—”
“Hold on. I’m just saying. Think about it. You could take a dive. Put all that money on your opponent. Make a crapload of money. You can ride off into the sunset.”
She moved forward and put a hand on my shoulder. I looked away from her, trying to imagine the picture she was painting.
“You’d have all the money you need,” she said. “You wouldn’t have to do anything else except enjoy the rest of your life in peace… And I’d be there with you.”
The concern in Danica’s eyes was still there. Despite all of the reassurances I’d given her. There was no promise or guarantee I could make for her to stop worrying about me.
“Is that what you want?” I asked. “To just leave Ivory behind?”
She chuckled softly to herself and shook her head.
“I’ve lived here all my life. All of the friends who’ve come and gone. All of the family who were with me and left for one reason or another. They’re all from Ivory.
“I wondered what it would be like if I left. Life in Ivory is so… ordinary. Maybe it’s for the best that I make a change. Maybe there’s something out there that I’m missing out on.”
I looked down at the ground, listening to Danica tell me her story.
“I remember when I first won the world title,” I said. “There was a celebration. A party in my honor. There were so many people there. Rich folks who were congratulating me. Promoters who wanted a piece of me. Endorsement deals. They even talked about putting me in movies.”
“Movies. Ha! I would’ve enjoyed that.”
“There were women, too. Women who just wanted to sleep with me because of what I was, not who I was. They wanted the fame and the money and to ride the success. Just live an easy life…”
Danica was smiling softly at me. Long, beautiful flowing blond hair. Blue eyes that had me hypnotized even in the darkness of the gym. She was gorgeous. I could feel her next to me.
It did something to me. Something inside of me that didn’t make sense but I didn’t care trying to figure out what it was or how to explain it.
“…You’re not like those other women,” I said. “You’re special.”
“How can you say something like that?” she asked.
“Because you never knew who I was but you were still there. You were always there. You’re here now, even when I’m at my lowest.”
“I should’ve looked your name up as soon as I met you. Things might’ve been different.”
She smirked at me but I shook my head.
“No. You are who you are, regardless of who or what I was in the past.”
“I’m not… I’m not special. I’m just an ordinary girl in Ivory. I want you to do what’s best for you.”
I moved closer to her and met her lips with mine. I kissed her softly, enjoying the feeling of being next to her. The stink of the gym disappeared and my senses were overwhelmed by her sweet aroma. Just being close to Danica was enough to make me lose my mind.
“That’s exactly why I need to do this,” I whispered. “For Ivory. For the MC. For you. When this is over, I promise you, we can both enjoy the peace and quiet that I’ve been looking for.”
“…I believe you.”
I put my mouth back on her and lost myself completely. Tongues swirling. Lips smacking. Our sloppy kisses echoed through the gym. Nothing could take my focus away from what I needed to do tomorrow night except for the girl right in front of me now. A moment of weakness before I had to use all my strength.
Danica breathed hard and fast as she started fumbling with her jeans. I pulled my pants and underwear down to free my painfully swollen cock. I helped her get her jeans down and did the same to her panties, revealing the wet pussy that was inviting me.
She didn’t care that I was sweating after hours of training at the gym. Her growing whimpers were becoming desperate pleas to have me closer to her.
I pushed my cock toward her entrance. She gasped a deep breath. The way she grimaced in pleasure made her look more beautiful than she already was.
I looked into her eyes. Those blue eyes… Like the ocean I could just fucking get lost and swim in. She was the reason I came to Ivory. She was what I’d been looking for this entire time.