I couldn’t have been any more shocked at his behavior, the outburst so unlike the fourteen-year-old kid I’d been helping train for the last six years.
I’d first met Max when he’d come in with his class, a small eight-year-old kid Rebecca had taken a liking to. His mother had died a few months prior to that and his father was struggling with the loss. He’d shown a lot of promise and talent, but they’d been unable to pay for the classes, so Reb had paid out of her pocket under the guise of a special scholarship.
These days we did offer scholarships to kids who had talent, and Max was still one of the recipients. But, over the last few years, he’d started getting into trouble at school. It had never bled over to the gym. He’d always been dedicated and focused on doing well with us.
So, this sudden change in demeanor was so out of character, I was almost unsure of how to handle it. But he wouldn’t shut up, so I did the only thing I could. “Get out of my gym. And don’t come back until you can apologize to my six-year-old daughter and the rest of the guys for taking up valuable class time.”
His eyes narrowed into a squint and as he stormed out, he sneered, “Don’t hold your breath, old man. You’ll be waiting a long time for that.”
The door slammed shut behind him. The gym was quiet, the boys all stunned into silence and gaping at me. I ignored them and went to where Hattie was still sucking her thumb with tears silently streaming down her cheeks. I scooped her up and whispered in her ear, “Don’t listen to him, sweetheart. He was just being mean.”
She nodded and pulled her thumb from her mouth. “Max is always nice,” she whispered. “Why was he so mean to me just now?”
Rebecca rubbed a hand over her back. “I don’t know, honey. But I promise you, he didn’t mean what he said.” Her eyes met mine over the top of our baby’s head and she frowned.
I gave Hattie one more squeeze and put her back on her feet. “Color with your sister, okay, baby?”
She nodded, and Rebecca kissed her cheek before following me over to where the rest of the boys stood.
She eyed them all, her gaze narrowing in on Max’s best friend. “Jax, what’s his deal?” she asked.
Jax glanced away, biting his lower lip. I could almost see the wheels spinning in his head as he tried to decide if he should give up his friend or confide in one of the only trustworthy adults he knew. Eventually, he decided to keep his friend’s confidence because he just shrugged, mumbling, “Don’t really know, Ms. Rebecca.”
Reb pressed her lips together but didn’t push the issue. “Okay, well, if any of you know something that’s going on with him, please let me know.” The boys all nodded, and she softened her voice as she finished, “I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Jax piped up, “Whatever it is, it doesn’t mean he should act like a dick.”
I nodded and jumped on the chance to turn this into a teaching moment. “You’re right. Let’s let this be a lesson to all of you, boys.” I paused and glanced around the huge space that was filled with every type of gym equipment you could imagine. “We may be here to train, but we aren’t just learning how to fight. We’re learning how to be men. We’re learning how to respect one another. We’re learning how to deal with conflict appropriately. And we’re damn sure not going to treat each other with anything other than the utmost respect. Because, each of you is special.” I stabbed a finger at each of the five boys. “Each of you is going to grow into great men, who do great things. And great men don’t act like fucking dicks.” I punctuated my statement by looking into the eyes of each of the boys standing in front of me. “You hear me?”
They all nodded.
“Good. Now, let’s get to work.”
They immediately sprang into action, hustling over to the cage to start sparring with one another, but I held back when Rebecca placed her hand on my forearm.
“I’m worried about him, Ryker,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder at the door he’d just stalked through.
I nodded. “That was so far out of left field. Something must be going on with him. But, whatever it is, it doesn’t give him the right to act like he did. Especially not to my fucking daughter. He isn’t setting foot back in this gym until he comes to me, like a man, and tells me exactly what the fuck his deal is.”
Rebecca’s eyes were lined with worry and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know…” She trailed off, her eyes still glued to the door. Finally, she tore her gaze away and focused back to me. “I’ve gotta get going. You okay here with the girls?”
I nodded and reached out to grasp her hand. I pulled her into my chest and kissed the top of her head. “We’re all good. I’m gonna unleash Cinny on the boys. You should probably be more worried about them.”
Her lips tipped up, the smile not reaching her eyes. “Heaven help them. See you at home later.”
I watched her as she grabbed her purse from her desk and kissed the twins, blowing a kiss in Cinny’s direction and then briskly walking to the door.
Right before she pushed through, I shouted, “I’m off the hook for tonight, right?”
She didn’t even slow down as she said over her shoulder, “We’ll see.”
Chapter Three
Rebecca
It had been two weeks since Max had been sent home from the gym for his behavior and we hadn’t seen him since. If I was concerned about him that night, I was downright terrified for him now.
I knew Max was a special kid the moment I’d met him. Aside from the fact he’d shown a natural talent in the cage at the age of eight, there was something about him that had made my heart melt. Somehow, he’d always been smiling and happy, a bright spot in my day, even though his mother had died, and his father was struggling with the burden of caring for him on his own.
But that had slowly begun to change the older he got. He was still happy-go-lucky, but his smile rarely reached his eyes these days. I was worried he was spending too much time with kids who weren’t good for him, but I couldn’t do anything about what he was doing when he wasn’t in the gym. So, I did what I could and offered him scholarships that meant he could come train in the gym with us almost daily.
And he had. He’d been there four days a week, religiously, for the last year. And while he was less and less like himself as each day passed, he was becoming a phenom in the sport, his talent getting better and better with each training session.
But that had come to a screeching halt that day with Ryker.
And now, I was beside myself with worry.
I’d tried calling him repeatedly. At first, it would just go to voice mail. But about a week ago, the number had been disconnected. I’d gone to his house, which was nothing more than a run-down two-bedroom shack, but there’d been no answer at the door. My stomach had churned as I’d walked up on the porch and I hated to admit I was glad he hadn’t come to the door of that house. It had hurt to know he’d been living like this in the first place.
I’d called the school, but because I wasn’t his parent, they wouldn’t give me any information. I’d even reached out to his friends, but none of them had seen him in days and they were all just as worried as I was.
I was sitting at my desk at the gym, not getting any work done, when the front door blew open, the damn bell jolting me out of my trance.
“Ms. Rebecca!”
Relief washed over me as I saw Max run through the opening.
I pushed out of my chair and met him halfway. He threw his arms around my waist, burying his face in my chest and I rocked on my heels, nearly falling. I recovered quickly and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close as his body shook with sobs.
What the hell?
I continued to hold him as I whispered, “What is it, honey? What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer, just cried harder, so I smoothed a hand over his hair, noticing how unkempt it was. His clothes were dirty, and he smelled as though he hadn’t bathed in a while. This was not the kid I knew, and his appearance
coupled with the tears I had never seen from him before had me shaken.
Something was very wrong.
“Max, honey, you’re scaring me. Let’s go into Ryker’s office.”
He pulled his arms away and nodded as he swiped his forearm over his face, wiping the tears away. I pulled him into my side, my arm around his shoulders, partly because I was afraid if I let him go he would bolt again before telling me what this was all about.
Once we got into the office, I shut the door soundly behind us and he settled into one of the leather chairs. I pulled the other right next to his and sat on the edge, resting my elbows on my knees, and grasped his hand in mine.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for the last two weeks.” I kept my voice soft, hoping to prevent him from shutting down.
He sniffled. “My dad’s in jail.”
“Oh, honey.” I breathed as my stomach sank. “Why?”
Max cut his eyes away, shame coloring his cheeks. “Drugs.”
I’d known his father had been a mess since his mother had died, but I hadn’t realized how bad it had been. And I certainly had no idea he’d gotten wrapped up in drugs.
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “How long has he been in jail?”
It was subtle, but I felt the weight of his head in my hand as he leaned against it. His eyes fluttered shut as he told me, “Almost two weeks. They arrested him the day after Ryker sent me home.”
Bile crept up the back of my throat and I was forced to swallow hard to keep from throwing up at the thought. This kid had been alone for nearly two weeks. I dropped my hand and grasped his shoulders, pulling him hard against me. I couldn’t let him see the tears that were threatening to spill over onto my cheeks.
I cleared my throat and asked, “Have you been alone this whole time?”
He shook his head and pulled away. I tried to swipe the tears away before he saw them. “I was alone for the first week. But social services showed up last week and put me in a group home.”
My eyes widened. No wonder I hadn’t been able to find him.
“It was terrible,” he continued. “The boys there are bad.” His eyes widened as he repeated emphatically. “Really bad. I couldn’t stand it. I ran away the first chance I got.” He shrugged. “This was the only place I knew to go.”
I stood up and blew out a breath.
I needed to think.
And a drink.
But first. “Are you hungry?”
He nodded so vigorously I thought his head might topple off his shoulders. My heart squeezed as I thought about how infrequent his meals had probably been for the last few weeks. “Okay, honey. Let’s go grab some lunch. What do you want?”
His eyes lit up. “Anything?”
I nodded. He could have asked for a damn filet and lobster tail and I would have bought him two in that moment.
“I really want a cheeseburger. And fries. And a chocolate milk shake.”
I forced a bright smile. “Done.”
* * *
Two hours later, Max had been fed and a new outfit purchased for him to change into after he showered for what seemed like an eternity. Not that I blamed him. The poor kid smelled, and he knew it.
I’d spent the last hour grilling him about everything, and to my surprise he had opened up to me, answering all my questions.
I’d been saddened to hear that his father had been battling a drug problem that had progressively gotten worse over the last two years. But it had crushed my heart when Max had told me they hadn’t had running water in a month, or electricity in a few weeks.
How could Ryker and I have missed the signs? Max had clearly been lashing out in a cry for help. I should have seen it sooner. And hell, Ryker had lived that life for a while. Why didn’t he recognize the signs?
I shook my head, trying to clear my head of the guilt that was threatening to consume me. Max needed my help. Now was not the time to try and shoulder the blame. The first step was to figure out where he needed to go from here. He obviously couldn’t be a runaway, but from what he had told me of the group home, it was barely one step above living by himself in his house.
“Max, you feelin’ okay enough to train a bit?” I asked gently.
He nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve missed the cage and the guys. But Ryker was pretty mad.” He ducked his head, his cheeks pinking from embarrassment. “I’m really sorry about what I said about Hattie. I didn’t mean it. I was just being a jerk.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded. “Apology accepted. You still need to talk to Ryker and Hattie, but I’ll lift the training ban Ryker imposed.”
Max’s eyes lit up and I tilted my head toward the cage. “Go get a workout in.”
He jumped to his feet and again threw his arms around me in a fierce embrace. “Thank you, Ms. Rebecca.”
I forced the lump in my throat away and shooed him off, eager to call Ryker and figure out where to go from here.
Chapter Four
Ryker
“You. Are. Insane,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Just hear me out,” Rebecca pleaded.
I didn’t want to hear her out. But I knew I had no chance of not listening to whatever harebrained plan she’d come up with, so I pulled in a deep breath through my nose and silently counted to five before giving her a curt nod.
She clasped my hand and launched into what I’m sure was a rehearsed speech. “Max said the group home was terrible, that the boys there were bad. When he showed up, Ryker, he was so dirty and oh my God don’t even get me started on how bad he smelled. It can’t be a good environment if they aren’t even making sure he bathes and has clean clothes. We’ll just take him home with us for a few days. I’ll contact the social worker and see what we can do to get him in a safer place. But, honey, we can’t let him fall even further into trouble. And if we send him back to that group home, who knows what will happen to him.” She glanced over her shoulder at where he was working on his ground game with one of the trainers and then dropped her voice to a whisper. “He’s a good kid. You know he is. That crap with Hattie, that wasn’t him.”
I sighed. “Does it even matter what I say?”
She frowned. “Of course it matters. We’re a team. I don’t want to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
I cocked a brow at her.
“What?”
“You really expect me to believe that?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her voice an octave higher. “I cannot believe you! Of course I expect you to believe that. When have I ever done anything without talking to you about it first?”
I opened my mouth to answer when she waved a hand. “You know what. Don’t answer that. Just tell me yes, you’re okay with this plan.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know if I am. But I trust you.”
She leapt into my arms and squeezed me tight. “Okay. Why don’t you go over there and talk to him? I know he’s not your favorite kid in the program, especially after what happened…but give him a chance. Don’t hate him.”
I set her away from me. “What are you talking about, hate him?”
Her brow furrowed. “You ranted and raved about him for two days after he picked on Hattie.”
“Of course I did. Hattie’s my daughter. Anyone treats her like that I’m gonna have a problem with it. That doesn’t mean I hate the kid.” I looked around to make sure no one was listening and continued. “Look, the boys we get in here, you know as well as I do that some of them are trouble. And even more of them come from broken homes without one or both of their parents. These boys need positive role models. It’s why I’m so passionate about the program. I want to mold these kids into men, not thugs on the street. And while yes, some of them, like Max, come in here and show natural talent, most of them won’t ever be world-class mixed martial artists. But my hope is that the ones who don’t ever enter the cage professionally will still take away the discipline and positive influence I’ve given them.
So, yeah, I was hard on Max. I was pissed that he was acting like we hadn’t spent the last six years teaching him right from wrong. I was pissed at myself, wondering what I was doing wrong. And I was pissed at him for potentially throwing his talent down the drain.” I blew out a breath and looked over at where Max and Mickey were laughing about something together and smiled. “I don’t hate that kid, Reb.”
Her eyes were soft, and they sparkled with unshed tears. “I love him too,” she whispered and then stood on her toes and placed a kiss on my cheek. “And I love you.”
I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush with mine, angling her head back with my free hand. “You’re the best woman I know,” I told her quietly. “How’d I get so damn lucky to land you?”
The corner of her mouth tipped up. “You’re very persistent. Maybe a little charming too. But I don’t really know how you landed me. You got lucky, Barney.”
A sharp burst of laughter erupted from deep in my chest before I crashed my lips to hers, taking a moment to savor the way it felt to have her in my arms, our tongues melding together in the familiar way that reminded me we were made for each other.
“Get a room you two!” Tripp shouted as he crossed the gym floor.
I growled as Rebecca pulled away and quipped, “Green is not a good color for you, big brother.”
Tripp rolled his eyes and threw an arm around Rebecca’s shoulders. “Need to talk to you about the charity event. I’ve got an idea I wanna pitch to you.” He looked at me. “You mind if I steal her for a while?”
I did mind. I’d been one second away from dragging her into my office and bending her over my desk. But I figured it would have been cruel and unusual punishment to tell her brother that, so I just shook my head. “We were just, uh, finishing up.”
She winked and dropped her voice. “We can, uh, finish up tonight.”
The Undisputed Series Page 55