When they were in the car and headed back to the gym, she asked Royce, “What’s going on?”
“Your dad says Gabe showed up all beat up. Some guys are at the gym looking to finish the job. Now they’re trying to get in the gym. Your dad called the police but who knows how long it will be before they show up. Blake and Sam left for lunch.” He stepped on the gas pedal. They arrived in a few minutes and they could see four men in checkered flannel shirts and red bandanas yelling at Jared because he wouldn’t let them in.
“Jessy. Wait in the car until I tell you,” he said in a hard, cold voice. “Ready, Adam?”
Adam cracked his knuckles. “I’ll just pretend he is Jonesy.”
Royce cracked a smile. “That ought to do it. Just stay alert. You don’t need to get yourself injured this close to a fight.”
They got out of the car and headed toward the group of men yelling at Jared.
“If this is a public place you have no right to keep us from going in there,” one of the men yelled angrily. He had his arms crossed over his flannel shirt.
“As the owner I certainly do have the right, especially if you are threatening one of my members. Gabriel Martinez is a member here. Now leave. I won’t tell you again,” Jared said in a cold deep voice. He didn’t look scared, instead he looked spitting mad. Royce knew Jared and Tom had grown fond of Gabe. He was a good kid who just wanted to get off the streets and stay out of trouble.
“Who’s gonna stop us, old man?” one of the younger ones sneered, pulling out a knife from his back pocket, and he started waving it around carelessly. He barely looked out of his teens.
“We are,” Royce said coldly, while keeping an eye on all four guys.
They looked at Adam and Royce and laughed. “You’re still outnumbered. One old man and you two?”
“Not anymore.” Royce heard Blake and Sam’s voices behind him. “So how are we gonna do this, boys? The easy way or the hard way?”
The kid with the knife charged at Royce but he was ready. He swayed to the left, missing the knife completely. He executed a high kick, hitting his opponent’s arm and knocking the knife out of his hand. It landed too far for him to jump for it.
“Now let’s fight like men with our hands, or can you only be tough with a weapon?” Royce asked with a smile, letting him know he was not intimidated. That’s what these punks fed off, the fear they instilled in people.
“I can take you,” Royce’s opponent said before tackling him. Royce hit him with some hard punches. He took one punch to the stomach and grunted, but then he smiled at the punk. He threw a few quick punches to his face and knocked him to the ground. Finally the young punk got up and ran off, leaving his friends behind.
Royce looked to see the other three men running off as fast as they could, and one of them was limping.
Blake and Sam high-fived each other. “Yeah, that was fun.”
Jared tried to look at them sternly for a minute but he ended up smiling and agreeing that he felt energized and might join them in the ring today. Royce laughed and signaled for Jessy to get out of the truck. She ran over to where they stood, looking everybody over for injuries.
Chapter 10
Doctor Jeremy Sides cleaned Gabe’s wounds. He often came in to treat the fighters if they got injured. He had been friends with her dad for years and knew them all well. He was in his fifties and kept in good shape. He often came in just to work out. His brown hair was slicked back with gel and he wore gold wire-rimmed glasses. “You’re going to be fine, young man. Your ribs are bruised but not broken. A few bruises and cuts that will hurt like hell, but they will go away. You were lucky.”
Gabe nodded, taking small breaths as he spoke. It was obvious his side was hurting him. “Thanks to the workout I’ve been getting here I fought them off. I used some of the punches you showed me, Royce.”
Jessy let out a small angry gasp. Her cheeks were red and she put her hands on her hips. “You mean all four of them jumped you? Those no good punks. I wish Royce would have hit them harder.”
Royce put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. He couldn’t resist placing a kiss on her head. He liked Gabe, too. The kid had a lot of anger inside him and it was best to let it out here in the gym and not out on the streets where he could get in serious trouble. “He’s fine, Jessy, and you heard him. Now he knows how important it is to keep up with his schedule.”
“That’s right,” Jared spoke up. It was obvious to Royce he was trying to tamper down his anger in front of everyone. Four adults beating on one teen was not fair. “You kept your head, son, and that’s what makes a good fighter. Getting emotional and losing focus does nothing for the fight.”
“Yes sir.” Gabe grimaced as he moved a little. “As soon as Doc clears me I’ll work hard. You’ll see. My mom is so happy I am hanging out here and not in the streets. She works at night and she worries. I hope she doesn’t think I was out looking for trouble.”
Jessy sat next to Gabe on the couch, looking like she wanted to cry. She patted his back gently and gave Gabe a shaky smile. “You’ll be back on track in no time, Gabe. Have your mom call us if she wants. My dad will tell her none of this was your fault.”
“We’ll take you home, Gabe.” Sam lifted him carefully by the arm. “You should be proud of yourself, kid. You could take the easy road and just join the gang, but you stood up for what you believe in.”
“We’ll go with you,” Adam and Blake offered. “You’re one of us now and we’ll keep an eye on you. Soon you’re gonna need a name like us. Something badass.”
Gabe looked happy with being the center of attention, despite the pain he was in. Jessy guessed he was looking for approval just like anyone else. She patted Gabe on the back. “See you in a few days.”
He nodded and headed out the door with the laughing and joking group of men that had just taken him under their wing.