Logan (Chosen Champions #1) - Macy Blake Page 0,70
can from Taj. Let’s hope he can give us a new direction to look, right?”
Gideon nodded. “You’ll need help, though.”
“I’m fine. I won’t push myself, but if I don’t move around some, I’m going to become one with Logan’s couch, and no one wants that.”
“We need to start working you out again. Stretching some at the very least.”
“Yeah?” Bailey asked.
Gideon nodded. “I can help, if you want.”
“Oh, I want. Let’s do that. We can order in again.”
Gideon laughed. “You’re going to turn into us at this rate.”
“Nah, but I wanted to move around because I’m stiff as a board. My body is a giant bruise, but it’s been a couple weeks, you know? I need to move.”
“Come on, then. Let’s hit the mats.”
Logan and Aleron went outside, following Taj. Gideon stared after them for a long time while Bailey waited. Then he blew out a breath and turned to Bailey. “Let me show you something new. We’ll have to take it very easy, but I think you’ll like it.”
He went to one of the large black bags he always seemed to have with him and pulled out a couple of giant sticks from inside. Well, not sticks, exactly. Long wooden poles. Kinda like the broomstick Bailey had used to block his door. Huh. Weird.
“What’s that?”
“This is a staff,” Gideon explained. “And it’s actually a pretty formidable weapon in the right hands.”
“Weapon?”
“But for our purposes, we’re going to work on some stretches and strengthening your core.”
“I heard you can do a really awesome handstand.”
Gideon gave him a look.
“What?”
“Of course I can.”
“Of course, he says, like that’s normal. Most people can’t do handstands, Gideon.”
“You can’t?”
Bailey laughed. “Nope. Are you kidding?”
“We’ll work on it. Give me a couple months and you’ll be a pro.”
Bailey scoffed but took the staff Gideon held out to him. He mimicked each move Gideon showed him, and actually felt better after about half an hour. Exhausted but better.
“How do you know all this stuff?” Bailey asked as they went upstairs to the break room. He had to move slowly, but the stairs weren’t as bad as they’d been the first few days. He’d barely been able to move then, so he’d definitely made some serious progress.
“Years of training,” Gideon said. He took the bottle of water Bailey held out, then glanced back toward the door.
“You want to go down there?”
Gideon hesitated. “Yes.”
“I can go with you.”
Gideon smiled at him, and even though it wasn’t a happy one, Bailey smiled back.
“You’re a good man. You’re good for Logan, and the rest of us.”
Bailey didn’t know what to say, so he kept quiet and drank his water.
“Taj is my ex,” Gideon added after another long break between words. “He dumped me for another guy. I thought we were… but he didn’t return my feelings.”
“Oh, damn. That sucks.”
“Indeed.” Gideon finished the bottle of water and tossed it into the recycle bin. “But it was a very long time ago, and we need his help to catch the asshole who hurt you. So I’m going to suck it up and deal with it.”
“If he crosses a line, you let me know.”
Gideon put his arm over Bailey’s shoulders and guided him back toward the stairs. “Yeah? What will you do?”
“Use my staff and kick his ass. I’ve got a great trainer. I can do that, ya know.”
Gideon grinned. “The number one thing you have to do is survive. Remember that.”
“You did,” Bailey said, bumping their arms together. “And so did I.”
“We did. You should feed us, though. I’m starving, and let’s be real, I’m sick of takeout. You’ve ruined us, and the freezer’s almost empty already.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. Pretty sure Aleron’s been stealing stuff. But maybe not. Logan’s definitely hoarding in the freezer in his apartment. I caught him doing it.”
“He is not!”
“Yep. You’ve ruined us all.” Gideon opened the door and pulled in a breath. “So, Taj can have dinner with us. Then we’ll do the big meeting in the upstairs room. Sound like a plan?”
“You’re kicking me out?”
“Yep, I am. You need to rest. Don’t pretend that workout didn’t take it out of you. We’ll order food; then you rest while we talk to Taj. It’ll be fine.”
24
Logan
Bailey didn’t like strangers around, not that Logan could blame him. But he also wanted the kitchen done, and Logan believed the distraction would be good for him. There were only so many pots of soup Bailey could make. Logan had to buy a big box freezer to store the extra food he’d already made.