Page 65 of Filled

Dakota slides off the apron and walks over, and Cruz’s hand drifts to her lower back without him seeming to think about it. She doesn’t move away. Leaning into him instead, wearing Dante’s hoodie, with Cruz’s hand on her spine.

“You okay?” she asks me. “Dante caught you with that shin.”

“I’m good.”

“Your ribs?” she asks.

“My ribs are fine, angel.”

The word is out before I can stop it. I see Cruz’s mouth twitch. See Dakota’s cheeks flush. See Dante across the cage pretending not to listen.

“Brady.” Victor’s voice. “A word.”

I turn. Victor’s standing at the edge of the cage with a look I can’t quite read—amusement, maybe, or just tired. He gestures for me to come over with two fingers. I jog across.

“Sir?” I ask.

“Twice in one session, you’ve lost focus because of her.”

“I know.”

“You know what I’m going to say.”

“I know.”

He sighs and rubs his beard. “I’m not telling you to stop whatever it is. I’m not blind, Brady. Half the gym isn’t blind. But you’ve got a fight in three weeks. Whatever’s going on with the four of you—and I don’t want details, ever, please—you keep it out of this cage. You hear me? That kind of distraction can not only lose the fight, it can get you killed.”

“Yes, boss.”

“This gym means something. We took an oath when we rebranded this place. Every fighter who walks through that door—we don’t break that oath. That goes for the people we love, too. We don’t break each other. Whatever this is between all of you, you handle it like adults and on your own time. Not in my cage. Clear?”

“Clear.”

He studies me a moment longer. Then his face softens, just at the corners.

“She makes you better, you let her make you better. She makes you worse, you figure that out fast. Three weeks, Brady.”

“Yes, boss.”

He claps my shoulder. “Now go.”

Jonah’s tossing a tennis ball against the wall. He looks up when I sit down next to him. “Where’s Theo? He said he’d be here today. Was gonna bring those protein cookies his pastry guy makes. I’ve been thinking about them for a week.”

“He’s in New York,” Micah says. “Some music thing. Back Friday.”

“Friday’s too far away,” Jonah whines.

“You’re literally a grown ass man crying about cookies,” Micah taunts.

“They’re really good cookies, Micah. I will fight you over those cookies.”

“You’d lose.”

“In my heart, I’d win.”

Cruz laughs that booming laugh that fills the whole room. Even Ray cracks a smile. Victor, halfway across the gym, shakes his head without looking up from his clipboard.

“He texted me this morning,” Victor calls. “Said tell my favorite gym rats hi. I’m not your messenger pigeon, but consider yourself told.”