“Fun?” Oleg spits the word out like it’s poison, lunging at Erik again, his movements tighter, more focused. “I’ll show you what fun really is.”
“That’s the spirit,” Erik says, ducking another swing; quicker than a goddamn cheetah on crack, he steps in close, jabbing Oleg in the ribs and dancing back before Oleg can retaliate.
I chew another piece of gum, the taste still bitter but at least it keeps my jaw busy. I watch them fight as I stay planted in my seat.
“Don’t even think about stepping in.”I can hear Wren’s voice in my head, bossy as fuck and hotter than hellfire. She knows how to make my dick stand at attention with just a look.
She’s right.
My body’s not ready yet, not after everything.Besides, I promised Alex.Today, we’re hitting the trails, my boy and I. Just me, him, and the horses.
No more brawls, no more black eyes.
I glance at the ring, at the fists flying, the sweat and grunts and adrenaline crackling like electricity, and something’s different.
It doesn’t pull me the same way it used to.
I don’t feel that rush, that need to jump in and dominate, to put someone on the ground and feel that sharp satisfaction. Instead, I feel…hollow?
Like something’s missing from it all. And then I think of Alex, his little laugh, the way his tiny hands grab at mine when he’s excited. The way he looks at me like I’m someone he can count on, someone he’s safe with.
It makes me…softer.But not weak.
Soft in a way that brings peace instead of chaos. A kind of warmth I’ve never known before, one that makes the violence feel empty, pointless. I never thought I’d be the kind of man who’d trade a fight for a day with a kid, but here I am, chewing this goddamn gum instead of throwing punches because I promised.
Maybe it’s because I’ve started to realize there’s more than this. More than fighting for the sake of it, more than violence just to feel something.
My lips curve up, my heart swelling at the thought of my boy.
The kid’s got a way of changing things without even knowing it. A promise to ride horses shouldn’t mean more than stepping in that ring, but somehow it does. Somehow, I’d rather be out there, seeing Alex’s face light up, feeling that small, unexpected warmth in my chest.
“Focus, Oleg!” I shout, more to pull myself away from those thoughts than to help. Oleg swings, his face a mask of frustration, barely missing Erik’s smug grin.
Erik winks at me, narrowly avoiding another punch. “I’m always playing, D.”
“One day, Erik, that mouth of yours is gonna get you killed,” I mutter, shaking my head. He laughs, but I catch a flicker of something more serious in his eyes before he turns back to Oleg.
I chew the gum, the taste sour now, but I keep chewing. For once, I’m content to watch, to let that thrill stay distant.
Maybe I’m changing.
Suddenly, Erik bounces right in front of me, his breath ragged but his grin wider than ever. I blink, taking half a second to process the fact that he’s standing here, smirking, while Oleg is flat on his back in the ring, cursing up a storm.
“Did you just take down Oleg?” I stare at him.
Oleg is a fucking mountain of a man—raw power and muscle. But Erik… Erik’s got the brain. And to win a battle, you need both. He always calculates each move like it’s a goddamn chess match, a smug bastard who knows he’s five steps ahead.
“Blyat’, that was pure luck,” Oleg growls, getting up slowly, wiping sweat from his forehead. Erik just shrugs, looking every bit the asshole that makes Oleg want to wring his neck.
“Oh, luck, sure,” Erik drawls, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his eyes flickering with that cocky glint. “Or maybe I just know where your slow ass is gonna swing next, Frost.”
WHAM! Erik slams his heel into the mat, mimicking the movement he used on Oleg. The take-down was smooth, precise—a kick to the back of the knee, a twist, then down went the big guy. I shake my head, a laugh rumbling in my chest.
“You cheated, didn’t you?” I ask, not really needing an answer. I know him too well.
Erik puts his hands up, mock surrender, the smirk never leaving his lips. “Me? Cheat? Come on, D, where’s your faith in me?”
I snort. “Faith, my ass. You cheat every time.”
