the sausage-and-egg sandwich in about four bites and head out the door to my bike. I ride down the street to the house on Sycamore and am surprised to see only scorched concrete where the couch burned last night.
I park my bike, take a deep breath, and then dash inside to change into workout gear. I do my best not to allow the house to get to me, but when I rush past the door upstairs to get to the bathroom, I eye the lock on Grandmother’s door.
God, that woman really hated me and did anything to keep me at a distance.
After brushing my teeth and slapping on some deodorant, I rush back out the door and head toward the gym.
I hate being late.
My bike roars as it comes to a halt in front of Tough’s Gym, and then I sprint up the stairs.
When I open the door, the sound of jump ropes slapping against the wooden floor is the first thing I hear. The gym is packed today, but after a quick glance around, I spot Cole talking to a man about my height. He has sandy-blond spiked hair, and he’s covered from the neck down in tattoos.
Cole spots me and raises his hand in the air. “X!”
A lot of the heads in the gym turn and notice me there, but they go back to training almost instantly.
The guy next to Cole smiles and extends his hand to me as I approach. “What’s up, X? Thank you for doing this.”
Now that I’m up close, I can tell this guy is really young, probably no more than twenty-one.
“No problem. What’s your name, kid?”
“Corey Trulove,” he says proudly.
I raise my eyebrows. “Real or fake name?”
“One hundred percent real, bro.”
Cole laughs. “Almost as good as Xavier Cold, huh, X?”
I nod. “Almost.” I turn back to the kid. “Okay, let’s warm up, and then we’ll step in the ring and see what you’ve got.”
After about fifteen minutes, we’re loosened up and in the ring, bouncing around on our toes.
I widen my stance and wave Corey at me. “All right, kid, come at me.”
Corey shakes his hands out at his sides and then charges at me, but I easily sidestep him and push him down on the mat.
He jumps up and smacks his hands together. “Damn it. Again!”
I raise my eyebrows and then glance at Cole, who gives me an I-told-you-so nod.
I admire people who don’t give up in the ring. It’s what makes a good wrestler.
We go at it again and again for nearly two hours, but the kid never gets me in any holds. I can see the frustration growing on his face, and I want to make sure I don’t break his spirit or make him doubt his abilities too much.
I step back and hold my hands up. “I think that’s enough.”
“No, wait. I can do better. Please give me another shot.”
I can see panic in his eyes because he believes he’s failed.
“Kid, calm down. We’re not finished. We’re just done for the day. I think you’ve got something, and while I’m here, I’ll work with you.”
His eyes light up. “You will?”
I nod.
Corey jumps in the air and pumps his fist. “Hell yeah! I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He runs off toward the locker room, and I smile.
Cole nudges my shoulder. “You’re doing a good thing. This means a lot to him.”
I shrug. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It is to him. Remember, little things mean a shit-ton in this neighborhood.”
He’s right about that. I was all too happy to accept the handouts Bishop had offered even though what he demanded in return turned me into a thug.
I don’t want Corey to end up in that same boat.
After a shower, I head out of the gym with Corey flanking my side, asking me a million questions about what it’s like to be a part of Tension.
I’m about to answer another question for Corey, but I stop when I spot Kai leaning against the front of the same SUV he was in once before.
“Fuck,” Corey mumbles next to me. “They’ve been coming around more and more, wanting an answer from me about doing some work for them.”
I turn to him and say, “You fuck with the Block, and our training days are over.”
“That won’t happen,” Corey says. “I’ve been doing my best to avoid them, but those fuckers are relentless when they want something.”
I want to say, Tell me something I don’t know, but the less people who know about the threats Bishop’s