The morning light blinded me against closed eyes, making me feel more irritable than the day before. The painkillers from the night before had already worn off and the dull throb at the back of my neck burned slightly. At least the pain hadn’t made its way completely down my back yet. But the day was still young.

I groaned, peeking out from under the shield of my pillow to find my bed cold and empty. I rolled, without grace, onto my back and picked a peculiar shape in my ceiling to stare at while my thoughts drifted away.

I would have to get my ass back in the gym. I hadn’t been once since I started this God forsaken job. I would have to take exceptional care of the brand to make sure it would not hinder me useless when the time for the tournament to start. I wouldn’t be able to make Black aware of my plans. He would think I was going to betray him by working for another, and I wouldn’t dare tell him about the truth behind me doing it. It would potentially put all my friends in danger, and that’s the last thing I needed. Making sure Giovanni stayed on the straight and narrow was hard enough as it was.

I wasn’t prepared for the day. Classes were beginning to really weigh all of us down with mid-term approaching, and the nights begun to have that bitter chill that came with northern winter. I rolled out of bed and groaned again as my muscles protested the movement. Better to get my ass to my classes before the gym. I couldn’t afford to fail them. Dominik hated wasted money and if I didn’t complete these courses with flying colors, he would have my ass on a spike.

I pulled up my gym shorts in a hurry, trying to steal the little bit of daylight that was left after the long day I had had. Between classes, Giovanni, and stupid cheerleading practice, I was completely booked.

I sighed.

Seems like it would be that way for a while, until I could get my ass back on track. The minor laziness I had come accustomed to didn’t help matters, and the last thing I wanted was to get in the ring and lose. I not only had a reputation to uphold, but Ryker’s safety was on the line. If I hadn’t done what I had, they would have come for him by now, and I wasn’t entirely sure they would have left him breathing afterwards.

The thought made me shudder.

I was a friend to pain and blood, to fighting for what you wanted or needed. But death was not something I liked to think about. Even for someone that I wasn’t rightly sure I even really cared about. But feelings had little to do with this. It was either fight for Ryker’s life, or watch it get taken from him, knowing I could have prevented that outcome. I was definitely not okay with the latter.

Not to mention, I had so much pent-up stress and aggression, that it would be nice to cut loose for a bit and get back to the roots of who I am. Just me, a punching bag, and the mat. It was almost the equivalent to a warped sense of homesickness. The anticipation ebbed at me and caused me to move faster than I had been. I quickly stuffed my gym bag full of the random essentials and peeked out of my door. Ryker still wasn’t home.

Good.

I snatched my water bottle and keys off the counted, slinging my bag across my shoulders and stepped into the hallway, sure to the lock the door behind me. Walking in a daze downstairs, I stopped almost too short when a familiar voice filled the terrace.

Abraham.

Fuck me.

I prayed silently that he hadn’t seen me and had to take a deep breath when I heard his deep rumble across the room.

“Hey, Jay.” He called out.

For fucks’ sake.

I straightened myself and came out from around the corner, with my usual grim face and look at him, trying so hard to not roll my eyes.

“Abe.” I nodded in his direction, trying to still make it to the door.

“Where you off to?” He asked curiously, dismissing the boy he had been chatting with.

“Why?” I raised a brow.

“Just wondering if you’re going to go off and start more shit with gang members. Figured I’d ask if you needed a wingman this time.” I wanted to punch the smirk off his face as my eyes darted between him and the boy I didn’t know.

This fucking guy.

“Not that it’s really any of your business what I’m doing, I’m headed to the gym. Figured I could use the work out time before my upcoming...stuff.” I looked at the boy as I emphasized the word.

“Oh, well then I’ll come with you.” He turned.

“Absolutely not. I don’t need you to babysit me. I know what I’m doing.” I said through clenched teeth, trying so hard to keep my anger in check.

He said something to the boy and the boy walked away, giving Abraham the notion that he could approach me instead.

Breathe, Jaylyn.

“You asked me for my help with this, so why is now any different?” He asked. “If I started this with you, then I’m going to see it through to the end. And Ryker is my friend too.”

I snorted. “I didn’t see you offering up any solutions to his problem.”

“Well, in my defense, I didn’t even realize he had a problem until you said something. And then, next thing I know, we’re driving into enemy territory to fix said problem.”

“Why are you being so adamant about this?” I sighed.

“Because.” He paused. “You know how the Jade can be. Once you’re a target on their radar, you never really get off it. And since I was with you, there is honestly no way I don’t have a gigantic target on me too. And in the event that you might fail, that’s my life on the line too. Not to mention, do you understand what kind of bragging rights I’ll have when I get to tell everyone that I helped train with the Smoke? I’ll be a walking legend. No one has trained with you. Ever.” He boasted.

He really had me in the beginning, and then typically lost me completely at the end. I rolled my eyes. Of course, there would be something in it for him.

“You’re an idiot.” I sighed. “Fine. You can come. But only because I’ll need someone to spar with. And the first time you get annoying, you are done. Got it?”

He smirked. “We’ll see about that.”

“I’m serious, Abe.” I stared a hole through him. “No messing around.”

“Scout's honor.” He lied, and I knew it.

“Fine. Meet me at the gym off Wheelock Street.”

“If you give me just a minute, we can just ride together in my truck.”

“No, I’m fine. I’m just going to ride my bike. So, I’ll just meet you there.”

He chuckled a bit. “Scared for Ryker to see us leave together again?”

“I could give a fuck less what Ryker sees. I’m doing this for him anyways.” I huffed.

“Alright then. I guess I’ll see you there.”

“Don’t take forever.” I quipped as I walked out the door.

When I approached my bike, I sighed again. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck with Abraham while trying to get back in shape. I could already imagine the snarky comments and the constant jokes. I wasn’t an unhappy person, at least I didn’t think so. I was just into realism more than anything. There was a certain way the world worked, and Abraham understood those realities. His only fault seemed to be that he didn’t care. Where I was careful and calculating, he lived on the edge of reckless and just plain out stupid.

Once I got on the highway, the wind picked up. I had decided against wearing a helmet for the rather short ride and the bitter chill seeped into my bones, waking me up from the impending exhaustion. The blades of air cut at my face, and for a moment I felt more alive than I had in a while. The sense of freedom that came with high speeds on two wheels was unlike any other feeling I had come into contact with. It did not leave you disappointed and wanting, because it was always there, ever waiting for me to jump on and ride.

When I arrived at the gym I parked near the front and walked inside. It was the only twenty-four-hour gym that was close enough that on nights like these, it wouldn’t be such a hassle to get to and then get home.

The inside seemed appropriate enough for what I needed as I gazed around quickly, falling on a man standing behind the counter. He looked like he had not missed a day of work out, his hair cropped short and neat, with hard lines on his weathered face. I approached the counter quickly and tried my best to smile.

“Can I help you?” He didn’t even bother to look up from his screen.

Straight and to the point. I could work with that.

“I need a membership.” I started.

“Did you fill out an application online?”

“Wasn’t aware that I would need to online.”

“I guess we can just do it now.” He clicked a couple of times on the screen.

“Name.”

“Jaylyn Sloan.”

“Date of birth.”

“November fifteenth, two-thousand.”

“Social?”

I wrote it down for him along with giving him the address of the college with my dorm room number.

“It comes with a twenty-dollar startup fee.”

I pulled out that little black card and handed it to him. “Just keep it as the card on file.”

He grunted as he entered the digits and handed it back to me.

“Well, that’s it. No funny business in the gym and be courteous to others while you are here. The locker rooms are in the back. Use them only when you are here, if you happen to keep a lock on one, you will have twenty-four hours to remove it, or we do.”

“Understood.” I nodded.

“If you need a tour, or need help with equipment, the owner, Travis should be lingering around somewhere.”

I nodded again, hauling my things over my shoulder, heading for where he had directed the locker rooms to be. It came a little surprising that the man at the counter wasn’t the owner, but not entirely shocking. I had seen so many walks of life in the gym and in the ring. When I rounded the corner of the lady's locker room, I bumped headfirst into another man.

“Fuck. Sorry.” It slipped.

“No worries.”

I looked up at a plain face with a charming smile, dirty blonde hair, and an unnatural tan.

“I should have been paying attention.” Happened to be one of my better qualities, always running into people.

“Nah, it’s fine. Been considering removing this wall for a minute now.” He grinned.

“You must be Travis.”

“Guilty as charged. New member?” He extended a meaty hand.

“Yeah. Jaylyn, Jay.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. Let me know if you need anything.”

I assured him I would and walked into the locker room without looking back. It was already a relief to be back in the gym and I had not even gotten close to the mat yet. I dropped off my bag and locked it up, carrying only my water bottle and a small hand towel back out with me and ended up in the open area for stretching. I gathered in my surroundings. People peppered every corner, all shapes and sizes covered in sweat and determination.

I smiled to myself as I sat down and stretched out my legs.

Travis joined the grumpy man at the counter, and they conversed quietly, until Abraham finally showed, and Travis’ face lit up with amusement. I could barely make out any words between their constant bellowing laughter. Obviously, they knew each other. Why wasn’t I surprised?

I rolled my eyes and continued stretching until Abraham finally spotted me and trotted over with a lazy smile.

“Of course, you would know the owner.” I said without amusement.

“We go back a bit.” He explained.

“Hmm.” I nodded my head slowly once and continued bending until my muscles screamed at me for release. I didn’t want to be sore in the morning, even though I knew I would be.

“So, what do you want to do first?” He asked as he began his own stretching routine.

“Well, first thing I would like to know is if you’re going to be all in with me with this?” I raised a brow.

“Yeah. I want to help in any way that I can. I don’t want anything to happen to you and by extension, I don’t want anything to happen to me either.”

“That means being here every day until fight day.”

“What? Really?”

“Well, yeah. What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. Just not every day.”

“Yes, every fucking day, Abe.”

“Fine. Every fucking day, Jay. I’ll be here.”

“I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Sure thing. Can’t be that bad.” He sounded so sure of himself.

An hour and a half later and we were both drenched in sweat. I could feel my tank sticking to my back like a second skin and my limbs were screaming at me from the consistent abuse. Abraham laid in the middle of the ring, panting so hard his chest was rising and falling in erratic patterns, like he might have a heart attack at any moment.

I bent halfway over, steadying my breathing, trying not to laugh. “You okay, Abe?”

“I might die.” He managed between hard breaths with that lazy smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

I tried not to, but the laugh escaped regardless. “You’re not going to die.” I reached forward and helped him jump to his feet.

“This is worse that Ryker riding our asses during training in football season.”

“This is not football, Abe. It is life or death. I would rather not die if that is all right with you. So, yes, it is going to be a lot harder than working out for football. And you never know, you might turn out better next season if we can keep this up. Well, if you can keep up.” I smirked.

“What, you think I sucked, huh?” He punched my arm gently.

“Nope. Just saying you’ll be better than the best of them once you hit the field after training with me.”

“That will be an excellent way to piss off Ryker. Not only could I be better, but his girlfriend is the one who trained me.” He chuckled.

It was my turn to punch his arm. “I’m not his girlfriend. And you better not say anything to him about what we’re doing here. I don’t need to hear the complaints.”

“I won’t.”

“Abraham, I’m serious. Not a word. Or I won’t train with you anymore.”

“Jay, I said I won’t, and I won’t.” He did look serious as he said it, so I let it go.

“Well, we’re done for the day. So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. What time you want me here? Right after practice?”

“Just the same time as today, every day.”

“Fuck.” He laughed. “I might die before the week is out.”

“Maybe.” I chuckled as I grabbed my duffle and headed for the door. “One could only hope.”

He smirked and winked at me. “You’re a hard one, Jay.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” I waved as I walked out into the cool air and sighed.

I wasn’t going to lose this fight.

No matter what.