“If you take us to a shooting range, I’m calling a cab,” she hissed.
I winked. “Not yet, but that is not completely off the table.”
“Oh, yes, it is.”
I pulled up in front of the old, rundown building in the Bronx. “Where are we?” Saige asked.
She didn’t immediately get out of the car. She looked around with a look of concern. The place did look really sketchy, but it was safe. Safe enough.
“Let’s go in,” I said.
We walked in the door of the old building that had been transformed into a boxing school. “What are we doing here?” Saige asked again.
“Nash!” someone shouted.
I turned to see the owner of the gym coming toward me. I held up a hand. “Ronnie,” I greeted.
“What brings you in here?” Ronnie asked.
“I’ve brought a friend that could really use some of your attention. This is Jace.”
Ronnie looked at the little boy that was cowering behind his mother. “Jace,” he said. “That is a strong name. I like it. How old are you, Jace?”
“Eight,” Jace answered.
“How do you know Nash?” he asked.
Saige stepped in front of Jace. “I’m Saige, Jace’s mom,” she said. “Nash is my boss at work.”
Ronnie grinned and nodded. “I see. What brings you three here today?”
Saige looked at me. “Yes, what brings us here today?” she asked.
“I want to get Jace in the ring,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “No. Absolutely not.”
“He’s just the right age to get started,” Ronnie said.
“Nash,” she whispered.
I looked to Jace. “Hey, do you want to learn how to box?” I asked him.
At first, he looked confused. “What?”
“We’ll put on cool gloves and we’ll pretend to fight. It will teach you some moves.”
“Can I, Mom?” he asked.
“Is it safe?” she asked me.
I nodded. “It is.”
“You can,” she said.
“Come with me,” I told him. “Let’s go get ready.”
Ronnie helped him put on gloves while giving him a little pep talk. Saige sat down in one of the folding chairs outside the ring. I helped Jace into the ring. “All right, buddy,” I told him. “You’re going to do whatever Ronnie tells you. We’re only playfighting. I’m not going to hurt you. We’re just learning how to jab and dodge.”
He looked confused.
“Ready?” Ronnie asked.
“Yes,” Jace said nervously. “I’m ready.”
We spent the next thirty minutes going over the basics. We did some play fighting, bouncing around the ring as we jabbed. Ronnie climbed out of the ring and went to sit with Saige. I listened to them talk while focusing on Jace.
“How do you know Nash?” Saige asked.
My ears were tuned into whatever they were saying. Ronnie laughed. “I met him a while ago. I was in a bad way. Nash offered to be my business partner. I thought he was crazy. I’m in this crumbling building with no way of ever getting out of it and he wanted to invest in my business. He asked for some boxing tips in exchange but nothing more. He saved me in every way. I was on the verge of losing everything. He stepped in and helped me get back on track.”
“Do you have a lot of customers?” she asked him.
“I have steady clients,” he said. “Most of them come from Nash. He refers people all the time.”
I turned my attention back to Jace. “Hey, Ronnie,” I said. “Why don’t you get up here and earn your money?”
Ronnie laughed and got up from the chair. He climbed into the ring and took over for me. I pulled off the gloves and took Ronnie’s seat next to Saige. “He’s gaining more confidence,” I said.
“I don’t know if this is the way I want to build his confidence,” she murmured. “Violence is never the answer.”
“Violence is the answer to violence,” I argued.
“He’s eight. Doesn’t it seem a little violent for a little boy?”
“Didn’t you tell me he got hit?” I asked.
“Yes, but I don’t want him hitting back.”
“You want him to get his ass beat?” I shot back.
“No! Geez, no way.”
“Then, he needs to know how to defend himself. He has to be able to stand up for himself. Do you want a girl protecting him all the time?”
“No, but—”
“I’m not encouraging him to fight but I think it’s important he have the knowledge that he can fight back if it comes to it. Ronnie is really good at teaching self-defense without encouraging violence. He trains fighters. A trained fighter never goes looking for trouble, but if trouble finds them, they know