Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“Hey! It’s not over,” Jake snapped. “I’m not finished.”
“Yes, you are. And so is Kellam. He’s done fighting. I brought him here to show my team what he can do. Nothing more,” Quick intervened. “This isn’t a challenge, Jake. I won’t let you fight him out of anger.”
“I’m not asking you.” ‘The pretender’ got up in Quick’s face. “This time I don’t want him to hold back.”
“Come on, man. How was he holding back and you still lost?” Dana deadpanned. “That should tell you something.”
Quick frowned at Jake. “You can’t be serious. Nobody even asked you to participate, Jake. You volunteered for that embarrassment. If you get back on that mat with him, I’m not gonna restrict him this time. He’s a master of four styles, one of which you better hope he doesn’t show you.” Quick towered over Jake and snarled. “Believe it or not, I was protecting you.”
“I think it’s time we leave. We appreciate your time, Jake. We’ll continue this session on another day.” Duke pulled on Quick’s elbow, trying to diffuse the tension, but Jake was still steaming.
Ty supposed it was quite a blow to a man’s ego that he couldn’t walk what he’d so sleazily talked. Instead, he’d thought mind games would work. He’d treated Kell like he was child, mocking and teasing him instead of treating him like an equal on the mat. Jake played himself and now he was pissed; not to mention mortified.
“Come on, kid. There’s more than four rounds in a bout. If you’re trying to be ready for these streets you gotta bring more than that. Motherfuckers a lot bigger than me will not hesitate to end you. Let’s go. Me and you. I ain’t tired, are you?” Jake spoke out of desperation, struggling to preserve his dignity.
Ty couldn’t believe this man was ’frontin’ like he wanted more.
“That’s it, Kellam,” Quick said definitively.
“No wait a minute,” Jake argued.
Kell stood straight with his feet together and his arms at his sides, he made a quarter-turn and bowed to his master. Quick gave him an appreciative nod. Then Kell squared his shoulders and turned his back on Jake’s ramblings. It was a cold, disrespectful gesture when Kell didn’t bow to Jake. He hadn’t earned any respect today.
Kell walked directly toward Ty, his light eyes boring right through him. Ty’s chest was just as puffed-out as Quick’s. He was proud. Proud to have Kell as his partner. He understood he’d done just what Jake had—whether he’d voiced it out loud or not—assumed because of Kell’s delicate features and build that he couldn’t hold his own. That he would need constant protection.
He was glad to be proven wrong. So very glad.
Kell was almost to him, his face still holding his battle expression—a cautious frown and narrowed eyes. He acted as if he was still on high alert for any sneak attacks.
That won’t happen with me. He tried to tell his new partner with just a look. Ty watched over Kell’s shoulders as he approached him. Watching his back for him.
Kell
His stomach was doing that thing again when it felt like something was living and moving in there—as he stood in front of Ty, his adrenaline slowly retreating. He wasn’t shy staring up into those warm eyes, eyes that were overflowing with respect and a whole lot of shock and awe. God, he felt amazing. He’d wanted to teach that asshole a lesson so badly his insides burned. His fingertips still tingled. Jake had better be glad that his sensei had put a limitation on him, because otherwise he would’ve leveled that bastard with a roundhouse kick to his jaw that would’ve had it wired shut for the next six weeks. Then he wouldn’t have been able to talk trash.
He’d also wanted to show Ty and the rest of the team his skills, and his new-found calmness. Because if that exact scenario had happened to him a week ago, Jake would still be on his ass… unconscious and drooling. However, Kell wanted to be truly worthy of being called his sensei’s protégé. So, no ’hotheadedness.
Speaking of hot, Kell was getting rather heated under his collar at Ty’s gaze on him. At first, Ty had been looking over his shoulder, he was Kell’s eyes in the back of his head. Did we just do that naturally?
The rest of their team began to file out of the gym and into the locker rooms to get their stuff while Jake’s fair-weather friends hustled him through the opposite door. He and Ty stood alone, the silence of the now empty gym swallowing them. When Ty spoke his voice was like the sun on Kell’s face during his morning meditation, pure warmth.
“I’m rarely speechless, but I am now.” Ty’s voice got lower, “Kellam. I have no words. Your discipline is inspirational.”