Worth the fight

Chapter 16

Nico

I easily knock the first two guys Preach puts in the ring with me on their asses. He’s trying to build my confidence, but I’m losing patience. “Give me a real partner or I’m done for the day.”

Preach laughs at me. “They are real partners, you just got a bug up your ass today. But let’s keep it there for the next three weeks.”

It takes less than three minutes to blow through the third sparring partner, and I feel more frustrated than when I started. Preach is blowing smoke up my ass about how good I look, but I think he’s just giving me weak partners.

I spend the next fifteen minutes taking what the jerkoffs in the ring couldn’t handle out on the speed bag. My knuckles are swollen and bloodied by the time I’ve let off enough steam to take a calm breath.

Preach looks at my knuckles and shakes his head. We’ve been together too long for him not to recognize when something is bothering me. Sometimes he knows what it is before I do.

“What’s eating you son?”

“Nothing.”

“Alright. How’s things going with Elle?”

“Great.” I pick up the jump rope and begin to swing it at warp speed. The rope slips under my feet twice with each hop.

“Preach.” I lower my voice so none of the gym rats can hear me. “How long do normal people date before they sleep together?”

Preach laughs. He thinks I’m kidding.

“No really, how long?”

“Is that what this is about? You’re hard up?” Preach laughs and I get the urge to whip his ass with the rope that I can’t seem to stop swinging. I have so much pent up energy, it feels like I could workout for days and still be raring to go.

“That’s right, you’re used to the girls just dropping their panties at your feet before you open that foul mouth of yours.” Preach laughs. “You finally found one that’s making you work for it?”

Sal, the guy working the front desk today, whistles to get my attention. “Phone for you.”

“Tell whoever it is, I’m working out and I’ll call him back.” I look at Sal like he’s lost his mind for interrupting my workout for a phone call.

“Okay, but it’s a woman.”

I hear Preach and Sal snickering on my way to the phone.