“Another part of this agreement and my decision not to expel you is that I’d personally see to it that you deal with all that anger in a positive way. So, all of this comes with one more condition.”
“Anything.”
“I want you to go down to 5th Street, the boxing gym around the corner—”
“Expel me.” Lila jumped to her feet.
“Sit down,” he said as she stood there glaring at him. “Do you want me to pull you out of this school and put you into a military-type school like your foster parents are suggesting we do? One where you’ll be on lock down and away from your sister until you turn eighteen?”
The hot tears from both anger and fear burned her eyes. “No.”
“Then sit down.” She did and the dean continued in a much calmer soothing tone. “You won’t have to fight anyone. But I really think hitting a punching bag and speed bag, working off some of that anger, would be good for you. It’s very therapeutic. It’s what I used to do.”
She stared at her knuckles again as the suffocating emotion she’d begun to feel about being locked away at some military school—away from and unable to protect Ali until she was eighteen–subsided. The thought of even putting on boxing gloves, something she’d sworn she’d never do, was still unbearable, even if she wouldn’t be fighting anyone. But the thought of not being there to look after her sister, who still had three more full years of living in foster care, was worse.
“I’ll do it,” she whispered.
Chapter 1
Three-1/2 years later
This was just a trial thing. No big deal. Lila would try it, and if it wasn’t for her, then she’d be done with it. End of story.
Gio, one of the 5th Street owners and a trainer, had met Lila in the private training room as promised. He’d been trying for months to convince Lila to step into the ring. She’d dropped her guard recently. For years, she trained during the slowest hours of the day at the gym, when she was certain none of the trainers would be there to notice her. She’d seen guys approached some times by trainers impressed by them, and she wanted no part of that. But in recent months, she’d had to change her schedule to accommodate the promotion. She’d gone from juice girl at the juice bar to assistant youth trainer for the special-needs youth group the gym had.
So, Gio approached her recently, saying he’d watched her train on the bags, and said she had a gift, especially when she’d told him she never had any formal training.
“I’ve been looking to get the women’s boxing program a little recognition,” he’d said when he first approached her. “We’ve had a few bouts lined up as undercards for the headlining fights here, but we don’t get much of a turnout for them. So far, we haven’t had a standout, but I think we might with you. It’d be a great opportunity for you. 5th Street has turned out a lot of worldwide champs. This could be a good career move.”
Gio had been the one who gave her the chance with the youth training group. She’d since had a chance to talk to him and had mentioned she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her future. Fitness modeling was something else she’d considered. In the last three years since she started working at the gym, she’d spent so much time there she knew she had the physique for it, but it just felt like such a long shot.
In the beginning, Lila had turned Gio’s suggestion down flat. She’d meant it way back when she’d told Dean Martinez she thought fighting for the sport of it was stupid. And she’d still felt the same when Gio had hit her up a few months ago, not just for the most obvious reason—what happened to her mother. But she just couldn’t see herself getting punched in the face for a living; though Gio had made an excellent point.
“With your speed and God-given talent, I seriously doubt anyone will be landing many punches on you.”
He also pointed out that, for the most part, she’d be fighting with headgear on. What really had her considering it now was he’d also said it could be a good way to get noticed by fitness-modeling scouts.
“We already have some excellent agents representing a lot of the boxers as well as the models who work out here on a regular basis.” Gio had pointed out a few of those models, both female and male. “You’re right up there, fitness-wise, with most of them, but you’d be in even higher demand to sponsors wanting you to endorse their clothes or equipment if you also have a boxing title. We’re talking big bucks here.”
Lila had never been greedy. Having lots of money was never on her list of priorities. But it would be nice to be able to afford to live in a safer neighborhood. Nice to be able to afford to have two reliable cars so she and Ali didn’t have to share the not-so-reliable one they shared now. Most of the time, she made Ali take it while Lila opted for the bus or to walk home. She’d had Ali take the self-defense class at 5th Street almost as soon as she’d found out about it years ago, and had made sure she took a refresher class at least once a year since. But Lila still worried about her sister and knew the odds of Lila fighting off a would-be attacker were much better than Ali fighting one off.
More than anything, Lila wanted to be able to help put Ali through school. Her dream was to become a journalist someday, only since they both needed to work, Ali could only afford to go part-time to a community college. Lila had pretty much accepted the road to Ali’s degree would be a long one. Her own career would likely consist of staying at 5th Street, maybe becoming a full-time youth instructor.
Then Gio began getting in her ear, and trying the boxing thing didn’t sound too bad now. She had to admit that having bigger dreams did excite her a little.
“So, what we need to start with is technique, try to figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are, if any. Then we work on them.” Gio jumped into the ring. “Get in here. We’ll start with you punching the pads so I can get an idea of your strengths.”
Trying to stay calm and not get too nervous about this as she’d knew she’d be, she concentrated on something nice, just like her therapist had always shown her. Something nice. Gio’s eyes. They were hard not to get caught up in. They were this beautiful light green.
Lila also did her best to concentrate on the training by focusing on the pads in his hands and the different types of punches he began showing her. Each one she got almost immediately. She’d been doing them, not realizing she was mimicking some of the boxers she’d seen in the gym or that each punch had a name: the jab, a hook, an uppercut, the cross, and the overhand.
Gio stared at her, stunned. “You’re left-handed?” She nodded as he continued to peer at her weirdly then put up his left pad. “Give me an uppercut with your right hand.” She did and he smiled big. “Now try a right hook. Again . . . again . . . again!”
Each time she did, he got louder and more excited.
He’d promised her their first session would be a private one, so she was puzzled when he had her stop and pulled out his phone then alarmed when she heard what he said into it. “Get in here. You gotta see this. Bring Hector with you.”
As soon as he hung up, she was on him. “You said today would be private.”
“It’s just Noah and Hector,” he said quickly. “No one else. You’re a natural, Lila. You have a gift. Are you sure you’ve never boxed before?”
“Never,” she said for a moment, thinking of her mom and her grandfather, but she wasn’t bringing that up.
“So far you have no weaknesses.” He smiled big, those green eyes sparkling. “Zero. I’m not sure if I’m just a little too excited for my own good. It’s why I want Noah and Hector to watch you and—”
They both turned when the door to the training room opened and Noah and Hector strolled in. Lila had met them a few times but only spoke with either on a few occasions. It felt awkward at the time. But she knew now they all tried to meet and greet every single one of their employees. Even Felix and Abel, the other two much more famous owners, had made it a point to introduce themselves. Before either could say anything, Gio said a word she’d heard before.
“Ambidextrous
.” That made Noah’s and Hector’s eyes open wide. “She’s just as strong with both hands, and she’s got crazy speed. So far, I can’t find a weakness.”
As awkward and unnerving as it was to stand there listening to Gio gush about her, it was also strangely exciting. She still wasn’t sure about this, and the way he was talking sounded like this was a sure thing, given her gift and all.
Gio turned to Lila, putting up the pads, and asked her for a combination of punches using both hands. She did and once again he smiled big with excitement. When she was done, he turned to Noah and Hector, who were now peering at her just as Gio had earlier.
“You’ve never fought?” Noah asked skeptically. “Not even for fun?”
“Boxing, no, but I’ve been in fights.” She glanced away before clarifying. “Brawls. Never using gloves though and . . .” She shrugged with a smirk, remembering the most satisfying and last real beat down she’d given anyone—Missy’s. “I guess some were fun.”
“But you’ve never been in a ring before?” Hector asked this time.
“First time.” She scratched an itch on her forehead with the back of her glove.
“No weaknesses, huh?” Noah asked, sounding doubtful. “Let’s see her footwork.”
“We haven’t gotten to that yet,” Gio explained.
Noah got in the ring and went over some basics, bobbing and weaving then blocking and parrying. He, too, seemed impressed by how quickly she caught on.
“Show her how to slip a punch,” Hector said, leaning his arms against the top rope of the ring with the same twinkle of excitement in his eyes as Gio.
Noah did, and within minutes, she had that down too. “Get a girl in here.” He turned to Hector. “See if Trina’s here.”
“No.” Lila’s stomach knotted up. “Gio said this would be private. I don’t want anyone knowing I’m doing this yet. This is just a trial thing.”
“Sweetheart,” Noah said with an incredulous smile. “You’re a born boxer. You have to do this.”
Lila started pulling the strings of her gloves with her teeth as her insides began to ripple. “I said I’d think about it. I’m not sure—’
“Hold on.” Noah held his hand up. “Alright, we won’t get anyone else in here. But don’t take them off yet. I just wanna try something.”
“I don’t want anyone else in here,” she reiterated through her teeth.
“I said I wouldn’t get anyone else in here,” Noah reassured her. “But I still wanna try something.”
She stopped pulling at the strings and let Gio retie them.
“I’d prefer a girl to do this, but if we can’t get one, then I guess I can try it. Of course, we won’t go full force. This is just a test.” He turned to Hector. “Get headgear and a mouthpiece on her.”
“Are you serious?” Hector’s face contorted. “You can’t spar with her, dude.”
“I’m not gonna swing for real.” Noah rolled his eyes. “I’m not even putting on gloves. It’s just a test.” He lowered his voice, but Lila still heard him. “Everyone has a weakness.”
Hector handed the headgear and mouthpiece to Gio, who placed them on Lila. They reminded her of her mother. She’d seen her wearing them in her earlier years, but then later her mother began the fights with no headgear.
“Okay.” Noah lifted his fists in front of him in a blocking stance. “You go ahead and swing at me as hard as you want, but block me when I reach around. I’m just looking to touch you and see how fast you are at blocking. I wanna test your reflexes. I’ll only go for your headgear, and I’m not punching, but expect a good nudge. Okay?”
Lila nodded, bringing her gloves up in front of her. As soon as he gave her the go-ahead, she tried to punch him, but he blocked it each time then reached around her gloves and touched the side of her headgear. Hard. He’d warned her he would, but it still pissed her off. She swung at him again, this time landing one on his chest, and he laughed.
“Good one!” He reached around and she blocked him, but he was fast. He went the other way and got the other side of her headgear this time.
That time it was hard enough to make her head move. She hadn’t even had a chance to recover when he pushed the other side of her head, making her lose her balance slightly and see red. She punched at him furiously, making him back away. “Whoa.” He held his hands out. “Easy.”
Lila spit her mouthpiece out and charged him. “Easy, my fucking ass!” Seeing him smile and then laugh as he easily blocked her punches only infuriated her further. “Asshole!” She continued in vain to try and land more, but he blocked each one.
Feeling someone try to pull her away only made her spin around, and she almost punched Gio but completely missed and nearly lost her balance. If it weren’t for the rope she fell on, she would’ve gone down. There was more laughing, this time from Hector. She turned and glared at him, trying to take off her gloves as she struggled to catch her breath.
“I think we found her weakness,” Hector said, smiling big. “Sloppy as shit when you get hot.”
“Temper, temper,” Noah tsked with a smirk.
Lila turned to Gio. “Get this shit off me.”
“Wait up,” Gio started to say. “You can’t just let—”
“Get ’em off,” she said louder.
Noah and Gio exchanged glances and Noah shrugged.
“Misplaced negative energy in the ring is a waste,” Hector said as she watched Gio untie her gloves, still breathing hard. “You gotta learn to make it work for you not against you. But it’s okay. That’s part of training.”
“I’m done training.”
“What?” Gio asked, exasperated.
The moment she was free of all the gear she went through the ropes and jumped out of the ring, even as Noah and Gio called out after her. Lila wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there, but she had a class to supervise in less than an hour. She couldn’t afford to lose this job. Already, she’d called one of her bosses an asshole. She needed to get it together, so she went into the employees’ ladies’ room and splashed her face. Taking long deep breaths with her eyes closed, she concentrated on her happy place: the beach. Aside from the pool at a local park, it was the only place her mother could afford to take them recreationally every summer when they were much younger, and Lila had loved it.
She was just in the beginning stages of calming herself down but still on the testy side, when a girl she’d never seen in the gym and who was clearly a bottle blonde walked into the bathroom. The “employees only” sign on the door couldn’t be clearer. They used a cabinet in there to stash some of their things such as extra feminine products and toiletries. Lila had been known to leave her phone in there when she was in a hurry and couldn’t make it to her locker. It was supposed to be a safe place, and she was sick of seeing gym members who knew better, or potential members like this chick who wasn’t even dressed to work out, walk right in.
“Are you an employee?” she asked bluntly, staring at the girl through the mirror.
“No,” Blondie said, lifting her brow. “But I’m here with my boyfriend, the superstar athlete, the one and only—”
“So?” Lila said, lifting and dropping her shoulder, completely unimpressed. “I didn’t ask you who you were here with. This is an employees-only restroom. That means employees only. You can use the public one by the entrance like everyone else who’s not an employee.”
“I beg your pardon?” The girl’s brows lifted as she brought her hand to her chest, looking completely appalled. “First, not only is my boyfriend a huge name in sports, I’m also a guest here for other reasons. I’m a sports journalist who interviews some of the biggest names in sports, including some of the owners of this place. My boyfriend’s also the one who told me it was okay for me to use this restroom.”
Lila threw her used paper towel in the trash can, clenching her jaw. This wasn’t the first time she’d been irritated by the pretentious boxers’ girlfriends. Apparently, there was a new one or this was
a new girlfriend to one of the regulars. “Maybe you should tell your boyfriend that neither journalists nor any of his girlfriends are employees of this gym. There’s a sign on the door for a reason.”
“I think I’ll do that right now.” Blondie huffed as if that might make Lila feel threatened.
“You do that.”
“I will.”
With that, the girl and her little attitude marched her ass right out of that bathroom before Lila could tell her what she could do with it.
As irritating as that had been, it made her feel better to see the pampered little bitch, who was likely used to getting her way, have to walk out of there without getting to use the bathroom.
Chapter 2
“One of those days, huh?” Stacia asked as they got out of the car.
Lila groaned. “Don’t get me started.”
Aside from the huge fail in the ring with Noah then her little run-in with the smug journalist in the restroom, she’d also had to deal with a sick kid in her youth-fitness program. She knew a lot of the single moms in the area used the program as more of a babysitting option than anything, but it was still unfair for this mom to drop him off like that, knowing he might be contagious. He threw up twice for fuck’s sake.
Lila shared that part of her day with Stacia—that and the incident in the employee bathroom with the blow-hard journalist. But she kept the other part of her day to herself. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone about that. She wasn’t even sure if she really was through with the idea of giving boxing a shot. It was just frustrating as hell that, after all these years of trying, she still couldn’t get a handle on her temper.
They stood in line outside the small club where they’d be watching The Ratz perform in a VIP section. They were a band Stacia’s fiancé, Derek, had gotten her into. Stacia and Derek had driven out to Vegas just to see them more than once. The Ratz were finally performing here in Los Angeles, and Derek had gone all out and bought VIP tickets. Unfortunately for him and Lila, he was a highway patrolman and had gotten recalled at the last minute. Lila had never been the club type. Unlike most people who couldn’t wait to turn twenty-one to be able to go to the twenty-one-and-over clubs, Lila had hit the milestone over five months ago, and this would be her first time at a club.