Page 141 of Play Dirty

“I want you doing anything that doesn’t involve you getting soft,” Mercer said. “Free weights. Core. Cardio. I don’t care.”

Ares cracked his neck.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Mercer said. “I want to see Rocky Four.”

Silence followed. Sebastian frowned.

“…Rocky Four?”

“How many Rocky’s are there?” Ares asked.

I stared at both of them.

“Are you serious right now?”

“It doesn’t matter!” Mercer barked. “You need to train like animals in the snow.”

“That was Rocky Four?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes.”

“That feels like a very specific reference,” he muttered.

“Shouldn’t we start with Rocky One?” asked Grayson.

“No,” I cut in. “I know what he means. Four’s the best one, anyway. It’s not even close.”

“You’re goddamn right,” Mercer growled.

Ares looked impressed. The others looked personally betrayed.

“You’ve seen all of them?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes.”

“Multiple times?”

“Oh yeah.”

He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know how to feel about that.”

“Feel motivated,” Mercer barked, taking back command of the conversation. “Because if I find out you’re sitting around doing nothing, I will personally—”

The line crackled. Then died.

We all stared at the phone.

“He hung up,” Sebastian said.

“Shocking,” I muttered.

Ares pushed off the wall.

“Alright, he said. Rocky Four.”

“Workout first,” Grayson corrected him.