Chapter 16
Caden
I walk through the door of Rebels Advocate and come to a startling standstill.
Shit.
He’s here.
It’s been nearly two weeks and I haven’t seen or talked him. All his training sessions have been at Xander’s gym and he’s been training his other fighters later in the afternoon when he knows I’m not there as I usually do the early morning clients.
I’ve been dreading this moment since the night he found out about Imogen. I have no idea how he’s going to react. Am I going to get punched again? Am I going to get the silent treatment, or does his being here mean he’s ready to talk?
I should have looked out for his truck in the parking lot, at least that way I could have saved myself from looking like a stunned moron in the doorway.
As if sensing my presence, his eyes flick to mine and I see the rage still deep within them. I cross off ‘ready to talk’ from the list of possibilities. Maybe he just realized it doesn’t look good for business if he’s not here to actually help train our fighters.
Not able to handle seeing him look at me that way, I cast my eyes away and walk around to my office. I dump my phone and keys down on my desk, let out a heavy sigh, and sit down. Today is going to be a trying day. I feel it in my bones. Not to mention, I haven’t seen or spoken to Imogen either and that alone has a heavy feeling settled within my heart.
I fucking miss her.
She hasn’t texted and I know it’s out of respect for Cole, but I just need to hear from her to make sure she’s ok. I’m sure this whole thing couldn’t be easy on her and I’m sure she knows she could always call if she needs, but I’m not about to go and call her until I’ve sorted shit out with Cole.
Needing to keep my mind off the whole situation, I go through and reply to all my emails before double checking my schedule. I have Brandon’s session this afternoon and I find myself oddly excited. That kid has really grown on me. He’s like a little fucking ray of sunshine, though, the only negative that comes with it is that Imogen isn’t here to enjoy it. I know she has a soft spot for the kid too.
It pains me to know what he’s gone through. Each session he reveals a little more about his prior life and I hate that he’s had such a shitty upbringing and I’ve found myself, on multiple occasions, wishing I could give him something better. The kid needs some good memories to grow up with, something positive which he’ll be able to share with his own kids one day.
The day drags by, fighters come and go, and I manage not to get my nose broken by my best friend.
The only thing to make me feel somewhat human is when Brandon walks through the door for his training session, though, I’m not going to lie, I’m disappointed when it’s only Susan and Katia accompanying him. I didn’t expect Imogen to be here, but I had hoped. She didn’t show up last week and something told me Brandon was also disappointed by it.
Brandon runs over to me and instantly gets straight into it. “Can you teach me those jump spin kick things? I saw it on YouTube.”
“Slow down,” I laugh. “You’ve got a bit to learn before we can start that stuff,” I tell him.
His face falls and it kind of breaks my heart so I promise him that I’ll show him a few things that I know he’d find cool. We get stuck into our session and I put him through a quick warm up before I ask if he’d prefer to train in the ring today seeing as though Cole has Xander doing circuit training right now.
Brandon’s face lights up as though I’ve just granted all his wishes at once. We head over and it takes all of about two seconds for him to slide himself through the ropes and get himself situated in the center.
I grin as I walk up to him. Since our first session, we’ve been using the punching bag, but being in the ring, he’ll have to aim his shots at me and I hope he has come far enough that the act of turning your fist on another human being doesn’t have him freaking out on me.
The last thing I would ever want to do is damage any of the progress Imogen has made with him, but sometimes all a boy needs is a man in their lives who can push them in the right direction. I like to think of myself being that kind of person to Brandon, and I think if anyone asked him, he’d agree with me.
I give him a combination to work on and I grab a set of pads. We get straight into it and I’m pleased to find he’s doing great. He has a look of absolute concentration on his face and I try my best not to grin at it. We’ve been working on relaxing and letting the moves come naturally. I don’t want him thinking so hard about it. He needs to be able to free his mind so he’s aware of the things around him, especially if he were in a fight. He needs to be aware of his opponent, not just his own moves.
He gets that but knowing something and doing it are two very different things, so I throw a few challenges in his way. Every now and then, I’ll swing my arm out and tell him to duck. The first time didn’t go so great and he completely dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The next few were better, but now, nearly three-quarters of the way through our session, he’s the one throwing extra challenges at me.
I swear, this kid is going to go far in MMA and I truly hope he stays with it.
There’s a commotion at the door but we ignore it. It has nothing to do with us and I’m sure with both me and Cole in sessions, Jace will take care of it.
“Brandon,” a voice is hollered across the gym. I look down at Brandon who suddenly freezes. “Get your ass down here.”
I turn towards the commotion to find a big burly man trying to get past Susan and Katia. Jace is darting across the gym to figure out what the hell is going on, but something tells me this man is Brandon’s father.
I turn back to Brandon and realize he’s taken a step to his left which puts him directly behind me and out of his father’s sight. The move has pride swirling through me. If he hadn’t had moved, I would have done it for him. “You ok?” I murmur.
His eyes are wide and he shakes his head. Shit.
Brandon’s father gets fed up with Susan and Katia and strikes his arm out. He instantly bowls them out of the way and they scream on their way down. I realize just how much strength he possesses, but what really pisses me off is this man had been using that strength against a child.
Jace makes it to them and situates himself directly in front of the man. “Whoa,” he says, holding his hands up in a sign that he’s not there to fight. “What’s going on here.”
“I want my son,” he demands as he tries to look around Jace. “Where the fuck is he? I know he’s here.”
Susan and Katia get themselves to their feet as Cole and Xander start making their way over, each with furious looks on their faces at what they just witnessed happened to these innocent ladies.
One of the fighters in the gym also makes his way over, but I’m shocked when he takes a place next to Brandon’s father. “Come on,” he says to Cole, knowing he’s probably the biggest threat in that little group. “He just wants his kid back.”
“No fucking way,” Cole grunts.
I want nothing more than to go down there, but with Brandon at my back, I’m not moving an inch.
I notice Susan on the phone and I have no doubt she’s calling the police to get him removed. “Get out of my way,” the man orders as if Cole, Xander, and Jace are all just going to bend at his will. I mean, the guy’s got the wrong fucking gym if he thinks that’s the case.
“Get out of my gym,” Cole asks as calmly as though he were on a tropical beach.
A vein practically pops out of the guy’s head. “Give me my kid.”
The other fighter takes a step forward and it’s almost comical the way my three boys straighten up at the threat, always prepared for anything.
The man tries to look around Cole’s shoulder. “Brandon,” he roars. “You have three fucking seconds to get your ass down here.”
“You need to leave,” Cole says again.
The man ignores him. “One,” he says, starting his countdown.
I can’t practically feel the anxiety coming off Brandon behind me. I turn back. He’s as white as a ghost and his whole body is shaking. “Please, don’t make me go,” he begs.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I promise him.
“Two,” his father screams out.
The other fighter is done with waiting and launches himself forward. He tackles Xander to the ground while the man goes for Cole and Jace. Susan and Katia scream and scatter away as my whole body tenses. I know there’s no way in hell he could get through them, but I’m not taking my chances.
This kid is mine to protect. He’s here because he wants to train with me. He’s my responsibility and there’s no way in hell he’ll be getting hurt on my watch.
With the man distracted, I usher Brandon out of the ring and into the studio room with Susan and Katia. It’s a glass room so it’s not great for concealing them, but it’s all we’ve got without crossing the entire gym to have them hide out in our offices.
They all watch with wide eyes and I make my way across the gym to the front reception area.
By now, both men are restrained. Cole and Jace usher out the man while Xander practically throws out the other fighter. As they’re getting the man out the door, he swings around with an elbow and nails Jace in the face. The sudden movement has his beefy wrists torn out of Cole’s hold and he storms into the gym like a raging bull.
I step into his direct line and he attempts to take me down. I swing my fist and nail him in the face. He falls back a step and I go with him. Steam practically comes out of his nose and ears as he prepares to fire back, but I’m too quick. I get him with an uppercut that has him doubling over. “What’s wrong?” I question. “You don’t like it?”
He straightens himself up and takes another swing. I block it instantly and return one of my own. “Come on,” I say presenting myself to him. “Hit me back. Fucking try it.”
Naturally, he can’t resist the bait. He swings and I grab hold of his arm. I swing him and slam his arm up against his back before kicking his legs out from under him. He falls to the ground with a heavy thump and I go down with him to hold him there.
Cole is there a moment later as he tries to buck out from under me. “You got it?” he questions.
“Yeah,” I say. “Apparently this guy only knows how to hit kids.”
“Hmph,” Cole grunts as the boys come and hover around us in case he manages to get free again.
I look up at Jace who has a stream of blood pouring from his nose and a heavy scowl on his face. “You good?” I question.
“Yeah,” he grunts. “Fine.”
I nod. It’s not the first time Jace has taken a hit and I highly doubt it will be the last. If he says he’s fine, then he’s fine. I trust him. He knows when something is serious and needs medical attention. All this did was manage to piss him off.
The police finally show up and escort him away.
After they leave and have taken everyone’s statement, I walk over to Brandon who sits on the lunch table with a packet of chips. I sit down beside him. “How are you feeling?” I question.
He raises his eyes out into the main part of the gym to where Susan and Katia are talking. “Been better,” he grunts.
“I know,” I sigh. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. It couldn’t have been easy.”
“I thought he was going to take me back there,” he admits.
I look down at him and make sure he’s truly listening. “I would never have allowed that to happen. You hear me?”
He nods his head and gives me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “What about when you’re not there?” he challenges. “You saw how easily he knocked over Katia and Susan. What if he finds me at her place?”
I let out a breath. “You’ll be ok. Your location at Katia’s place is confidential. He won’t find you there.”
“Then how come he knew I was here?”
“He shouldn’t have,” I sigh. “We had a member here who knows your father. He betrayed our trust and told your father you were here, but you should know his membership has been terminated and he won’t be returning. You’ll be safe here. I promise you that.”
He looks down at his lap and nods his head. He jumps off the table and I call him back to me. “You know, Imogen is going to hear about this and she’s going to make you talk about it.”
He lets out a heavy groan which has me grinning. “I’m happy she wasn’t here now,” he admits. “He would have hurt her.”
“I know,” I tell him. “Me too.”
He considers me for a moment and like the smartest kid on the planet, he comes out with something which took me nearly fifteen years to work out. “I think you love her.”
“And why’s that?”
“I just know. You always smile when you talk about her. It’s really annoying.”
I shake my head but I can’t help but laugh. “Get out of here,” I tell him. “I’ll see you next week.”
“That’s if they let me come back,” he murmurs to himself.
“They will,” I tell him, though, I honestly can’t be sure if it will be approved, but no matter what, I’ll still be seeing him, even if I have to break a few rules to make it happen.
With that, Brandon turns his back and walks out the door with Katia and Susan, safe and sound.