Tornado (18+)

10- Tez

"I'm. Not. Done," I reply, gritting my teeth.

"You're done. Let's go." Jace drops a towel and water bottle to the ground. I roll on to my back, my lungs struggling for air as I stare at the ceiling and rub the towel across my face. When my oxygen levels return to normal, I climb to my feet and rehydrate, dropping the empty water bottle in the bin.

As I reach Billy's office, Jace is sat behind the desk as though he owns the gaff not running it, feet on the table, his arms folded across his chest.

"Alright?" I ask dropping into the vacant seat opposite. "What's up?"

"You're showing discipline and power as I've never seen from you before, what's going on?"

I shrug, scrubbing the towel across the back of my neck. "Isn't this what you wanted? Clean up my act, sort my head out, and focus on my future?"

"It is, Tez but I'm concerned this is just a fleeting show of improvement, and the next knock you get you're going to be pressing the self-destruction button again."

I sigh with puffed cheeks and an eye roll. "Look, with all due respect, Jace you're not my Trainer, you're my sparring partner. I'm working damn hard here to improve. I want to be a better person and a better fighter."

Jace plants his feet on the floor, sitting straighter. "I can see that. I've been your partner for two years and I've never seen you carry out a circuit with such grit and determination as you've shown today. Whatever the force is behind this change in you, keep it at the forefront of your mind when life out there becomes tough."

"Always look forward, never look back, isn't that his saying?"

He grins, holding up his palm for a high five across the desk. His smile drops and a deflated exhale leaves his chest. "Listen, the reason I want you to keep your cool is that today is the last time we'll work together."

"What?"

"Brent Dean is bringing in his own team to run Stallone's and I'm out the door."

I push to the edge of my seat, the sparks in my brain trying to connect the dots but short-circuiting instead. "Are you saying he's getting rid of you?"

"I shouldn't be telling you any of this, but I figure as I'm being booted out anyway, I may as well fill you in on what's going on behind the scenes."

My eyes are trained on his face waiting for him to elaborate. His lips form a pensive grin and he turns his head to the window, his eyes just as still, then he speaks with the same robotic tone I've heard him use before when he's about to give bad news.

"Macy's agreed to sell Stallone's to Brent Dean, he's paying a lot to have lawyers rush the paperwork through so it isn't a drawn-out affair. As of Monday, this place will belong to him. Macy says the plans for here include a complete overhaul with all new equipment to bring it up to date so it'll attract more upmarket members."

I whistle with relief and relax in my chair. "At least it's staying a gym."

"The name Stallone's and Doris will both stay too. Apparently, it was a stipulation of his daughters. You know the girl who caught you with your dick-"

"Yes, I know who she is," I reply curtly. I can't help but smile knowing Paisley has kept some traces of Billy here. This means more to me than she'll ever know.

"Where does this leave me? Am I welcome to stay here or do I need to find a new gym, trainer, and sparring partner?"

Jace shrugs and looks at me impassively. "I don't know. That's all the information Macy has shared with me."