“As flattered as I am, Scott,” he continued smugly. “You need to control yourself.”
The front door opened again, and Grayson took a step back as Matthew joined us.
“Let’s go,” I said briskly, getting into the car.
A short and mostly silent drive later, we arrived at a run-down boxing gym that had been my second home for most of my life when I lived at home. I led the way, pushing open the door and dealing with the receptionist before descending the stairs.
“Scotty!” a deep voice boomed across the room.
“Hey, Sal,” I said, spotting the old man.
He made his way over and pulled me into a hug. “Didn’t expect to see you today and definitely not this early.”
“Are you free?” I asked.
Sal’s hair was more salt than pepper these days, but in my heart, there was no one else I’d turn to. Sal would be a permanent fixture in my London life until he was no longer here. He was one of the few people I trusted with my life.
“For you? Of course,” Sal told me with a smile.
He looked past my shoulder and clocked Grayson and Matthew before raising an eyebrow. I only ever came to the gym with Cassidy, and he hadn’t been here for years. We were too indulgent when he visited to pay a visit to the gym.
“Something I should know?” he asked. “Are you in one of those open relationship things all you young ones seem to be on about these days?”
Pantone could have named a new colour after the shade of red that warmed my skin.
“No, Sal. These are my colleagues, Matthew and Grayson,” I mumbled through the embarrassment.
“Pleasure to meet you, lads.” Sal shook both of their hands and then said, “Well, what are we standing around for, Scott? Put your gloves on and get in the ring.”
As Sal walked off, I spun on my heel and turned to face both men.“Play nice,” I warned them.
I pulled my gloves from my bag and stalked off to the ring that took up one side of the gym. Sal trained me and Cassidy since we were teenagers. After our parents passed away, he did his best to keep an eye on us, but with Cass in New York and me in Oxford, contact dropped to the odd phone call. It was only since coming back to London had I stepped back into the ring and reached for the old methods of reigning in my temper and keeping my anxiety at bay.
Sal stood in the ring, adjusting the pads on his hand, and I worked through every drill he gave me. I released all the emotions that Erik had dragged to the surface in each punch thrown. I pounded every ounce of pain the memories brought back into dust. I’d done so well in burying Ethan away that last night had left me dazed.
“Nice to see you haven’t lost your touch,” Sal said as I kept directing punches his way.
“Taught by the best,” I replied between laboured breaths.
Jabs, uppercuts, hooks — I worked through the combos with all my strength while keeping light on my feet. Eventually, the fatigue set in, causing my muscles to burn. I stopped and crouched down on the canvas, taking in a deep lungful of air. The physical pain was a welcome replacement for the emotional damage.
As I sat there, trying to catch my breath and calm my heart rate, the slam of weights on the floor sounded through the room. Across the space, Matthew walked up to Grayson, drawing himself up to full height. The God placed his barbell down on the floor with grace before Matt shoved him.
Without a second thought, I shot to my feet, but Sal had caught the aggressive behaviour and leaned over the ropes of the ring.
“Lads!” he bellowed, voice carrying over to them. “If you want a fight, get in the ring! I don’t have fights on the floor of my gym!”
I paled at the suggestion. Refereeing a physical fight between the pair had not been on my agenda today.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Grayson said, looking over his shoulder at Sal.
In moments, both men stood in the ring as Sal laid out the rules. The old man was big on controlled aggression and helped me to deal with my anger until I stopped flipping out over every tiny thing. Under any other circumstance, I might have enjoyed watching a fight, but I had high doubts that this pair could keep it tame.
“Jewellery off,” Sal said, pointing to the cuff on Gray’s wrist.
“Sal.” I took a step towards him, panic not yet giving way to paralysis.
“You know the rules, Scott,” he told me.
