Walk the Line (Kings of Chaos 5)

“Two things. Mail and B agreed to be my Old Lady. We’re not rushing into the tat, but she’s got her spot locked in.”

Stone smirks. “Well shit, look at you settling in.”

I roll my eyes. “You really gonna bust my balls?”

“Hell, yeah. I would’ve bet the farm on you being a lifetime bachelor.”

“Everyone has their one person. It’s a matter of if or when you find them.”

“Damn, is college girl schooling you in more than the bedroom?”

I flick him off as I walk in, gather my mail, and frown at the manila envelope from Indiana. Who the hell do I still know from there?

“You plan on changing your address anytime soon?” P asks.

“Nah. Don’t know if we’re going to stay put or move.” I shrug. “I’ll keep paying my rent here.”

“Works for me. You know we’ll keep your dorm here as long as you want.”

“Thanks, P. Have you seen Warp today?”

“Been training and in the ring for the past few days. Careful, he’s full of hellfire.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I leave the office with a salute, ready to settle things with words or blows, whichever work best.

I find him in the gym battering a black punching bag.

He looks up sensing my presence. The man didn’t get where he was from being unaware of his environment.

“Tape up and join me.”

It’s an olive branch. I take it and nod. I set my mail aside, rest my cut over the folding chair, and move to get the tape. I try to go over my words as I wrap my hands the way he taught me. Boxing gave me a safe place to unleash my aggression.

“I’ll hold the bag. Let’s see if you remember anything I taught you,” Warp says.

I snort. “It’s like that?”

“Yeah. I ain’t seen you in here in a while.”

The rhythm comes back to me as I run through the familiar motion, warming up and loosening my muscles. We move together seamlessly as we return to the roles of teacher and student.

“That’s it. Stick the jab. You got it.”

I add a little footwork as I get into the rhythm. Warmed and calmer I step back and roll my shoulders.

“Still think I don’t have it, old man?”

He laughs. “You’re not half bad.”

I shake my head. He was never one for high-praise. “You ready to talk this out?”

“Don’t know what’s left to say.”

“She agreed to be my Old Lady, and I think you owe me an apology for bad mouthing a woman you’ve never met. Yeah, her ex-lunatic was rich, but she came from a middle-class family from a tiny town in Tennessee. That’s pretty salt of the earth. If it’s three things my girl knows, it’s whiskey, Jesus, and loyalty.”

Warp snickers. “Are you serious right now?”

“Partially. She prefers beer to whiskey unless it’s Tequila, but she’s loyal, strong, and yeah a little godly too.”