Deaf (Senses Series Book 2)

by Neal, Xavier

  He doesn’t answer.

  I clench my fists tightly inside my pockets. “What’s your name, Kid?”

  “Dean.”

  When I finally manage to unclench my fist, I pull it out of my pocket and extend it. “Logan Kellar.”

  He just stares at my hand.

  Fucking awkward.

  After a moment he drags his face up, nervousness is plastered on it. He swallows. “I know who you are. You’re Unbreakable.”

  “So are you just gonna leave my hand out here making me look like a jackass or shake it?”

  The kid lightly laughs, wipes his hand, and then shakes mine.

  I looked like a moron standing there like that didn’t I?

  After giving this spitting image of myself, down to the dark blue eyes, another look, I push my hand back in my pocket and nod my head towards the building. “You wanna work out here?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I…” His voice trails off as he looks back down at his shoes. “I could never afford it.”

  “Didn’t ask that did I?” Surprised, Dean’s head shoots up. “Now, you wanna work out here or not?” His jaw opens to respond but all he manages to do is nod. “Then get your ass up and let’s go…” I start towards the front door when I notice he hasn’t moved. I stop and glance over my shoulder. “Kid, I don’t ask twice.”

  Dean scrambles to his feet and rushes to catch up with me.

  I was this kid. The bruises on his forearms, I’ve had on mine. The marks under his neck from a set of hands that squeezed too tight, I’ve covered up with shirts before. The stained clothes no one can wash because they’re busy nursing their hand that got damaged during self-defense. I hate that I see myself as this kid. And I hate knowing he’s going through the same hell I did. I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I? Helping him? I know helping is not my biggest strength, but Maxx helped me. Think how much worse it would’ve been without her.

  I open the door with Dean right behind me.

  “Kid’s with me, Will,” I say as he leans forward on the front office desk, putting down his magazine.

  Will gives the kid a glance over and then shrugs, turning the page, and looking back down.

  “Follow me,” I instruct heading towards the locker room.

  For the next two hours I show Dean around the gym, show him my classic warm up as well as the Fight Night routines. To no surprise, the kid is a natural. Of course he has a bit of trouble keeping up with me, but holds his own better than I thought he would.

  Most people can’t keep up with me. I train with Oliver himself and am getting to the point where even he has trouble finding new things to teach me. I’d say it’s time for a new trainer, but I’m happy here.

  After the workout, we’re heading back towards the front when I ask, “You hungry?”

  Dean shakes his head. The towel I told him to take is still wrapped around his neck.

  I stop abruptly, just inches from the door. “Rule number 1. Never lie to me, Kid.”

  Dean’s lips harden but he doesn’t verbally respond. He merely nods at me again.

  “You hungry?”

  Clearing his throat he says, “Yeah.”

  “Come on.” I push the door open by leaning against it and take a right, walking a couple doors down to the local sandwich place where I usually get a snack.

  The minute the door opens, the girl behind the counter looks up from her cell phone. Instantly her face lights up.

  Shocking huh?

  “Hi Unbreakable….” she coos, pushing her chest out for me to admire in her button up, white shirt. Long blonde hair, bright blues, perfectly tanned skin, tiny waist and queen of the push up bra. She is one audition away from making an issue of Playboy.

  I know what you’re wondering. And the answer is yes. I’ve slept with her. It’s rude to ask how many times.

  “Hey Leslie.” My smirk causes her to sigh.

  Dean chuckles a little and I elbow him in the side to shut him up.

  “The usual?” She reaches for a cup, knowing I like a peanut butter protein shake after a hard workout.

  “Yeah. And get the kid whatever he wants.” My eyes dart back at him. When Dean sticks with the silent treatment, something that I can respect but annoys me just the same, I encourage him. “Tell Les what you want.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Tell her.”

  His face forms a hard line at his lips, and a wrinkle at his brow.

  Kid is as hard fucking headed as I am. Oh…don’t start. I’m trying to do a good thing here.

  While Leslie makes my shake he stares at the colorful menu that takes up the entire wall behind her, finally deciding on a Turkey Sandwich combo with all the works. As she makes his food she keeps glancing over her shoulder at me, sucking her bottom lip in to try and entice me.

  “So…Unbreakable…you got plans tomorrow night?” She hums out spreading mustard on the sandwich.

  She knows I like to get laid the night before a fight. She may or may not have been my choice once upon a time. And I may or may not have had her in the store on one of the tables after hours. And on the counter. And against the prep station. You know, you’re getting a little too curious for your own good.

  I chuckle but don’t respond to her. Instead I offer her a twenty which, like always, she denies.

  “You know your money is no good here.” She pushes Dean’s tray to him before wetting her lips at me. “But you know what is….”

  Yes. Females actually say shit like that to me.

  “Enjoy your afternoon, Les.” I turn away after dropping a couple bucks in the tip jar, knowing that if I try to put the twenty in she will fish it out and hand it back.

  Dean and I flop down in a corner booth. After we’re settled he says, “You do know she’s trying to sleep with you, right?”

  Leaning back I raise my drink cup. “They’re always trying to sleep with me, Kid.”

  “I shouldn’t be surprised.” He takes a bite of his sandwich. “After all…you are the one and only Unbreakable.”

  I shrug and extend one of my arms around the back of the booth doing my best to avoid Leslie who is fucking me with her eyes in hopes it’ll lead me to want to fuck her with my body.

  Which it won’t. There’s only one girl whose body I wanna fuck, and she wants me to make her mine. Claim her as the only one. Haven’t I done that already? We’ve been on dates. Yes, more than one. I mean, I’ve given up all other females…that’s a huge fucking deal! She can’t possibly want me to call her my girlfriend or something like that, can she?

  “So do you not like women?”

  Quickly I snap, “What?”

  “That girl.” He tilts his head in Leslie’s direction. “Wanted to bang you.”

  Observant little jerk isn’t he?

  “And you don’t look interested. Gay?”

  “Do I seem gay to you?”

  Dean slows his chewing down and shakes his head. “No. But you don’t seem like the kind of guy to turn down a hot girl either.”

  My eyes glance back at Leslie who is helping another customer. “I used to not be…”

  “And then what happened?”

  His question causes me to clench my jaw.

  You know exactly what happened.

  “The world’s hottest nerd, put on the world’s tiniest outfit, and I was a goner.” The recollection of Maxx in her first Ring Side Girl costume causes me to bite my bottom lip as my dick begins to stiffen. I adjust myself casually.

  “So you’ve got a girlfriend?”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean no?”

  Couldn’t get this kid to talk most of our time together, but bring up my love lif
e and suddenly he’s People magazine. Are you fucking serious?

  With a sigh I shrug. “It’s complicated.”

  Dean takes the hint and shuts his mouth, which is full of turkey sandwich.

  While he continues scarfing down the sandwich and chips, I speak up. “When’s the last time you ate?”

  Slowing down he wipes the mustard off his mouth and shrugs. “Couple days.”

  “And the last time you were home?”

  His fingers slowly turn his cup in a circle as he stares at it mumbling, “Couple days…”

  “Why don’t you go home?”

  On that note he looks up, tilts his face and grunts. “It’s complicated.”

  Yeah. I know. I know. This kid is exactly like me.

  “Alright.” I take another drink of my shake and lean forward on the table. “You like the gym?” Dean nods. “Wanna work out there again?”

  “I told you I couldn’t afford it.”

  “And I told you, that’s not what I asked.” Dean shoves another chip in his mouth while I keep my eyes painted on him. “Do you want to?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” I nod slowly. “I’ll make you a deal. If you’re there when I show up to work out tomorrow, I’ll get you a membership.”

  “And what do I gotta do?”

  “What did I just say?”

  “Be there when you show up to work out.”

  “That simple.”

  Dean looks confused. “How do I know when you’ll show up?”

  With a cocky smirk I lean back. “You don’t.”

  As if trying to fight a smile himself Dean nods and takes the last bite of his sandwich.

  He’ll be there. I know he will because I was. Will had noticed me lingering around and said something to the owner. Oliver made me the same deal I’m offering to the kid just a few weeks short of my 18th birthday, right after Erin and Luke’s parents died. It wasn’t long after I started working out with him that I began to fill out properly and that Maxx told me I should step into the ring to channel all the anger I refused to talk about. To channel the fear of turning into my father one day. If only she knew I also had to channel the disappointment of the regret I had to live with after turning her down.

  ***

  Shortly after leaving Dean, I realize that Maxx is still on my mind. The words she said to me are just as haunting as before except now they’re tied with my own. It’s complicated.

  Whose fucking fault is that anyway? Don’t you look at me like that. It’s not completely mine! Oh, what’s that supposed to mean? Yeah, Maxx has put most of her cards on the table. But— What the fuck am I doing arguing with you? You don’t understand. No one understands. If I openly fall in love with her more than I already have it’s like signing her death certificate. I could kill her. It’s the pattern in my family. I would rather carve off my own dick with a butter knife than hurt her, which is why the possibility alone is enough to keep our situation at bay.

  My head hits back against the headrest in my car as I stare at the doors of TKO from the front of the bar.

  Who the fuck am I kidding? I can’t keep this at bay. Shit, I haven’t been lately and these have been the best few weeks of my fucking life. You’ve seen the stupid dopey look on my face. It’s not natural.

  Sliding out of my car I head towards the door with one thing in mind. I need to show Maxx that she is mine. That this is real. That I’ve been trying to do things the right way. So I’m gonna take her to a late lunch.

  A boyfriend would take his girlfriend on a lunch date, right? God, did I really just fucking say that? I want it on record that saying those words felt like someone was knocking my teeth out with a chisel. And I said them anyway. I want credit for that.

  The door to the bar swings open, and I see one of the weekday bartenders. I give him a quick greeting. “What’s up, Tom?”

  “Unbreakable,” he responds, cleaning out a shot glass.

  There are two older gentleman sitting at the bar, one with a newspaper, the other watching the T.V. After Tom says my name, both of them look over their shoulders, their frowns now morphing into small smiles.

  Guess they’ve heard of me. Really though? Who hasn’t?

  I head towards the back where the employee rooms and offices are. The moment I pass by his office, Frank calls out, “Unbreakable, I need a word!”

  Frustrated that he’s stopping me from getting to Maxx I lean against the doorframe. “About?”

  “Come in. Come in.” He waves his hand. “And shut the door.”

  Cautiously I move into the room and shut the door behind me.

  Last time Frank wanted to talk like this he’d told me he needed me to give the crowd more of a show. To let myself get hit. It would help money flow into his pocket. I then asked him if he wanted to let himself get hit. And that was the last time Frank ever approached me behind a closed door, and about bullshit. You may know this about me by now, but in case you don’t, let me be clear. I don’t like to get hit. Ever.

  “What do you want, Frank?”

  Lounging back in the leather chair, he folds his hands on his stomach. “What? No warm greeting, Kellar?”

  “Talk Franky.”

  “I hate when you call me that.”

  “And I hate when you interrupt my day.”

  Frank nods and props his feet on his desk. “I’ve got good news.”

  “That hair piece is finally staying in place?”

  You didn’t think that was his real hair did you?

  Frank grinds his teeth. “There’s a tournament coming up at the end of September. Three days, all my best fighters matched up.”

  “Point?”

  “The point is there’s a recruiter coming to look for new talent.”

  I swallow the tension growing in my throat. This conversation isn’t happening.

  “And while you are my prized fighter, it will not be you he’s after.”

  What the fuck—

  “The Fight Night before, another recruiter will be attending your fight. You may know him as Jake the Snake. I know him as Jacob Anderson.”

  My brain does its best to process what the hell he just said to me. It’s not working.

  Do you…do you understand what he’s trying to tell me?

  “Jacob Anderson who brought Dylan ‘The Raging Fist’ Johnson into the game—”

  “Dylan’s been one of the highest ranked in his division for the last two years.”

  “He also brought Henry ‘The Hazard’ Morgan to the front lines.”

  “Henry’s only lost three fights in his entire career.”

  Frank sneaks a smug smirk on his face.

  If I didn’t think he was about to tell me something I wanna hear there’s a chance I’d sock him in his mouth. You know you’d pay to see that.

  “Yup. Jacob is as picky about the fighters he invests in as he is about the ties he wears around his neck.” Frank rolls his eyes. “They’re always gray, they’re always sleek, but the shade is always slightly different.”

  Why the fuck would I care about the guy’s ties?

  “Why is he coming to see me fight?”

  “Because he is ready for his next big investment. He’s told me in the past to keep an eye out for real talent. Talent that not only produces results, but profit, and you, Kellar, are a walking cash box. Losing you to the big leagues wouldn’t hurt though. Being the place where a big MMA guy like you was fighting before he made it big? The bar would be flooded even more than it already is. And Jacob gaining you? Well let’s just say those ties aren’t cheap.”

  My mouth remains silent.

  What am I supposed to say? One of the biggest names in recruiting is coming to see me. Me. He’s coming to see Logan ‘Unbreakabl
e’ Kellar. The kid who only stepped into the ring so he wouldn’t end up in jail. The kid whose whole life is about running from the possibility of something stable. The kid who’s about to get his golden ticket to just that. If I get this…how do I say no? Why would I say no? Can you believe this shit?

  “Don’t disappoint me, Kellar.” Frank points a stern finger at me.

  Instinctively I flip him off in return.

  I make this asshole so much money he should be kissing my nut sack.

  “That’s what I thought.” He chuckles. “Think about what’s coming and prepare accordingly.”

  Unsure whether it’s excitement or nervousness pumping through my veins, I shove my hands into my gym shorts, anxious either way. I need to get to Maxx. I need to talk to her about this.

  Can you picture the look on her face? The elation? She’s always so gorgeous when she smiles, especially if it has something to do with me and my career. Fuck, now I’m smiling like a chump.

  “Am I ever not prepared in the ring?”

  Frank lowers his head as if he’s ashamed he even suggested it.

  Fuck him, he should be. I bring 100 percent every time my foot steps in that goddamn ring.

  “That’s what I thought.” I turn around and prepare to make an exit.

  “See you Fight Night, Unbreakable.”

  I don’t give Frank another breath as I continue down the hall to the small office I know Maxx practically lives in. Most of the time she’s working with that asshole, Tony, around the clock.

  Oh what? The guy’s such a worm. I’d punch him in the mouth for shits and giggles. Let him know his place in her life, which for the record is here. And only here. Do you wanna tell him that, or should I? He’ll probably still be breathing after your way.

  Opening the office door, I’m not shocked to see his face but I am surprised that Maxx is nowhere in sight. I refuse to enter the room, so I fold my arms across my chest. It doesn’t take any time for him to notice my presence.

  What can I say? I light up a room.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Where’s Maxx?”

  Tony slides his pencil behind his ear.