Flint: Book 1 (Freedom In The Cage) Read online

  Time continued dragging on, and Flint trained harder than before, but he also took breaks. His anxiety was flaring a little at times, but he remembered to keep calm. He was trying to heed Stone’s as well as Jade’s warnings. His mornings were filled with kickboxing and other defensive moves, and during the evenings, he worked on his jabs with the punching bag. He and Stone sparred a lot more, as well as a few other guys in the gym. Brickson had started assisting him on this last leg of his training, with some wrestling moves and takedown maneuvers.

  “I’ve been watching you, man, you have heart—your moves are pretty good too,” Brick complimented Flint.

  Brick wasn’t what one would call the talkative type, but he wanted the young guy to know he was impressed by his tenacity. Besides, everybody needed a cheerleader, right? Flint’s come-up reminded Brick of his own rise to the top. Of course, it also reminded him how it all could come crashing down like a house of cards. He wanted to make sure that did not happen to Flint.

  “Thanks, man. I hear you are gearing up for a fight soon. I remember seeing you fight a few years back. You are an amazing fighter. I learned a few moves from you.”

  Without meaning to, Flint brought up old memories for Brick, but he smiled and continued practicing moves with Flint. Brick made progress working through his anxiety, and he did not want to dump his problems on the new guy.

  Flint gave his all in his workouts. He was determined to come out the winner, with his fighting debut looming just around the corner. Jade and Celeste had invited him over for dinner later that night. Celeste was making sushi, one of Flint’s favorites.

  Although things between him and Jade were better, the bulk of their time had been spent at the gym working out. A few times a week, they would make time to go to their favorite diner. But there was still something missing.

  Flint finished his workout and headed to the showers. As he checked the time on his watch, he was in jeopardy of running late.—good The thing he had thought ahead and brought his “impress the mother gear.” He stripped down, and as he reached to turn the shower on so the water could warm-up, he felt someone enter the shower room. It wasn’t a big deal because the showers were basically unisex with only a partial wall to separate them.

  “A dude is in here,” Flint yelled out.

  He wanted to make sure everyone stayed honest. Stone had told him before that there were a few incidents where people had walked in on each other. Just then, Anna poked her head around the corner.

  “Oh hey, it’s Flint, right? I’ve seen you around, but I don’t think we’ve officially met. My name is Annabeth, but my friends call me Anna,” she said as she extended her hand out for a shake. Within a moment, she pulled it back when she realized he was still in the shower. “I’m sorry, I do apologize,” she said, not diverting her gaze.

  “Nice to meet you, Annabeth, but I’m kind of in the middle of something. Not to be rude or anything, but I’d like to finish it if possible. I’m already running a little late.”

  “I guess I’d better let you get back to it then,” she smiled wickedly before turning to exit the room. “I’ll be seeing you around, and oh, the nice little package you have there.”

  Flint was baffled and borderline annoyed at what just transpired. Before Jade, he would have been flattered and possibly even exposed himself further. How dare she say little package. If it were just a few months prior, he would have shown her just how little it was not. Shrugging the interaction off, he continued with his shower, and his thoughts went back to Jade. He was loving the idea of loving someone. It was amazing how much he had changed in such a short time.

  Later that night, when he arrived for dinner, he knocked on the door, and straight away, the door swung open as if they were trying to beat him to the punch. Jade smiled at him and opened the door all the way. She reached for his hand and guided him into the house. After a few steps, Flint tugged on her hand and made her turn slightly towards him. He found his opportunity, and he leaned in for a kiss. Jade never tired of those soft kisses that he gave her. No matter how simple they were, they remained intimate and sensual. No wonder he made her southern region flutter frequently. Jade knew if she was going to attempt to entice him, she needed to hurry. Time was running out. If anything, she believed in the old wives’ tales, especially when it came to fighting. The number one rule was no sex in the few days leading to a fight. This was thought to weaken the fighters. A few fighters had blamed their lack of leg strength on their sexual appetites. Jade refused to be the cause of Flint losing a fight, much less his first-ever.

  Flint made his way to the living room to wait for Jade to finish in the kitchen. Celeste shuffled through the door with a huge grin on her face.

  “Come here, Flint, it’s so good to see you again,” she said as she extended her arms for a hug.

  Flint rose to stand up as soon as he heard her coming. He knew it was important for Jade that he and Celeste hit it off. Just as quickly as she shuffled in, she shuffled out after her hug. Celeste knew tonight was an important night for Jade, and she wanted it to go off without a hitch.

  “Jade,” she called out.

  “Yes, Momma. I am fixing your plate now. Do you want it in the kitchen or in your room?”

  Celeste motioned for her to take it to her room. She half-whispered; she was going to make herself scarce so they could have some privacy. As she headed for her room, she waved to Flint.

  “Have a good night, young man.”

  After seeing to it that her mom was settled, Jade invited Flint into the kitchen so they could eat. Her mind kept flashing that tonight had to be the night. She needed Flint to know that she was serious about their relationship.

  Once their plates were made and the couple enjoyed their private dinner, Flint felt a need to tell Jade about his encounter with Annabeth. He wanted to be honest because he had an uneasy feeling about the whole experience. Something had been nagging in the back of his mind since the encounter happened.

  Jade was just about to bombard him with questions about his day when Flint offered the information willingly.

  “Babe, so the strangest thing happened today while at the gym.”

  Jade looked intently and with purpose at Flint as he talked. This sounded interesting already.

  “You know that girl Annabeth, right? Well, while I was in the shower, she came in, and of all things, she introduced herself and insulted me at the same time.”

  “How so?” Flint did not like the steely look she gave him at that moment.

  “She called my package little, babe. He isn’t small, is the babe?” Flint looked down at himself with a smirk on his face. Jade was not amused. The only part of the convo she keyed in on was the fact that Anna was even attempting to push up on her man. Even though it was not publicized at the gym, most people knew they were an item. Anna was infamous for being quite the flirt, and she would often throw her finishing line out and see what she could hook. A part of Jade was happy that Flint did not respond in a way that would invite her to try again, but she knew Anna was not to be trusted. Jade was more determined to consummate her and Flint’s relationship that very evening.

  Without further thought, Jade stood from the table. She then walked around to where Flint sat. He inherently slid his chair back and was about to stand when Jade sat down on his lap and straddled him, facing him. She brought her mouth within inches from his.

  Flint was taken by surprise and was unable to get out a word coherently.

  As Jade felt his private parts harden against her own warmth, she kissed him with everything she had in her. Although this is not how she imagined things playing out, now seemed like the perfect time to show Flint that she was all in.

  “I guess it’s only logical since people are questioning your size that I investigate and get to the bottom of the problem.” She teased him with her tongue as she flicked it gently back and forth across his ear.

  Flint was not in the mood to be toyed with. He raised up with her still locked arou
nd him and asked her to show him where to go. Without words, she directed him to her room. It took everything in him to move quietly, to not disturb Celeste. Jade pushed open her door as Flint quietly entered, lightly pushing the door with his foot, and with one smooth action, he laid her on the bed. Jade’s mind and thoughts began to race. She did not want to move too fast, but she was turned on even more than she felt the warmth intensify between her thighs. Immediately she began sliding her skirt down her well-toned legs. This simple act drove Flint into a frenzy. He released his hold on her long enough to begin stripping as well. At that moment, all caution was thrown to the wind. He did not care who heard him. All he knew was that he needed to be inside of Jade, and he had waited long enough.

  While Flint was stripping down to his birthday suit, Jade did the same and excused herself to the bathroom to freshen up. By the time she returned a few moments later, Flint was laid out with anticipation. Jade eased onto the bed. But even that was taking too long for Flint. He grabbed her and pulled her onto him. Once he was sheathed inside of her, he let out a sigh. She felt it too. Jade exhaled. They had both been anticipating this day for so long that now that it was here, the emotions overtook them. With each thrust inside of her, she became more his than with the last. After what seemed an eternity, they were spent. They lay cuddling until sleep claimed them both.

  The next week leading up to the fight was spent training extra hard. Jade refused to allow things to go sideways because they could not or would not wait any longer. The entire time Jade was right there, pushing him every step of the way.

  Finally, the eve of the fight was upon them. All had been quiet and going well without incident. Stone was constantly impressed with how hard Flint was pushing himself in his conditioning.

  Jade, being superstitious, thought things were going a little too well. When she was discussing it with her mom, Celeste assured her that all would be okay.

  “Stay focused on the task at hand. Get through the first, and all others will be a piece of cake.”

  Jade wanted to believe her, but there was this nagging feeling in her gut she just couldn’t shake. She did not know just how right she was. Later that evening, while the gang was celebrating what was to come, she received a text from an unknown number. The message was a picture of Flint in the shower. She immediately looked around the gym to see if Annabeth was there. There was no sign of her. Jade knew it was more about ruffling her feathers than anything else, and Flint had already told her what happened. She was not going to let this foolishness interrupt Flint’s mindset, or hers for that matter. He needed to stay focused on his opponent and the fight.

  Stone thought it better for Flint to stay the night at his place.

  “Just in case you two can’t seem to cool it. We can’t take any chances.”

  Flint wanted to protest, but he knew it was not going to do any good. When Stone’s mind was made up, there was no changing it. A lesson he was reminded of constantly during training.

  “Come on, let’s go kid, it’s off to bed for you. We have greatness to achieve tomorrow. It will be here sooner than you know.”

  Flint was so nervous he knew he was not going to be able to sleep. Stone knew this too. As soon as they arrived at his place, he went into the kitchen to boil some water to make Flint some Sleepytime tea. This would give him the desired amount of relaxation to fade off to sleep without any lasting lagging side-effects that would potentially affect his fight.

  Flint and Jade spoke briefly on the phone before Stone yelled, “Lights out, lovebirds!”

  “Alright, babe, that seems to be my cue. I love you, and I will see you tomorrow.”

  Within moments Flint drifted off to sleep. Even in sleep, his mind would not rest. He envisioned each punch, each swing, and every takedown move as if the fight were happening right then and there.

  When morning came, he was so panicked, and his nerves were all over the place. As he sat up in bed, he reached for his phone, dialing Jade’s number. To his dismay, she did not answer. Her voicemail served to soothe the beast within him, at least for the moment. When he hung up after leaving her a short and sweet message, his voicemail light was blinking. It was a message from Jade.

  “Good morning, my love, yes, my love. Hopefully, that made you smile. I wanted to leave you with something to motivate you before arriving at the gym and prepping for your first of many successful fights. Know that I am so proud of you. You have done so much in such a short time. If, by chance, it does not go as planned, you are still a winner. This fight does not define you. I love you, and I will see you at the gym. No unnecessary distractions. Later, babe.”

  Flint did not have much time to revel in his voicemail before Stone knocked on the door.

  “Hey, Bro, let’s get shaking. Breakfast is on the table, the light, of course, doesn’t want you weighed down or worst yet, puking all over the place,” he said with a half-smile on his face.

  Flint knew he was serious, though. He got up from the bed to shower quickly. He had already told Stone he was planning on taking a long hot shower a few hours before the fight. Stone told him it was not a good idea. He might be too relaxed. He settled for the quick one now and a thirty-minute one later. Stone agreed.

  After Flint ate, well, more like drank his breakfast, and finished getting dressed, he and Stone left for the gym. He chatted Stone up the whole way.

  Stone knew he was nervous, so he tried to ease his mind.

  “Listen, man, this is going to be okay. You are going to go in, handle your business, and then we get to go home. Easy peasy.”

  Stone made it sound so simple as they got out of the truck and headed into the gym. When the guys entered, Flint caught a glimpse of Annabeth from his side view. She was moving fast, too fast for him to even bother with a second thought of her.

  The match was to start in an hour. Flint had still not seen or spoken to Jade. He made another failed attempt to reach her by phone, but still no answer.

  Flint tried to keep his focus on what was to come, but it was hard. Where was she? Something must be wrong. She has never not responded to my calls. If she was not able to answer, she always called back within an hour or so.

  Stone urged him to clear his mind. Assured him that everything would be fine. In the back of his mind, he was disappointed with Jade. This was one of the reasons he did not really want the crew dating within the house. Sometimes it turns out to be bad business.

  Just as Stone ushered Flint toward the ring, Jade showed up. She looked like she had been to hell and back. Although she tried to hide it, both Flint and Stone could tell something was terribly wrong.

  Flint was the first to speak, “What gives, babe?”

  “I’m so sorry I’m late, Flint. My momma collapsed this morning from a heart attack, and there was no time to really reach out. I sent you a voicemail hoping that would tide you over until I got here. But then that happened, and her heart stopped, and things got—chaotic. I’m sorry,” Jade sobbed.

  “Go be with her. I will be fine. I promise.”

  “No, she is stable, and she told me to be here with you. She said you would need me more, and when it is all over, we can both go and sit with her if need be.”

  Just then, over the loudspeaker, the announcer announced the fight.

  There was something surreal about the announcer saying his name, and with that, it all became real.

  Stone walked to the door and waited for Flint to follow. They blew through the double fire doors, which slammed behind as they entered the gym. Although Flint trained in this gym day in and day out, something was different as he walked to the ring. Flint smiled to himself. He climbed up the ring and through the ropes that Stone was held open for him. He looked over to see that Jade had made her way to an awaiting chair on the front row.

  Flint looked over at his opponent, and he saw darkness reflected in his eyes. Stone had told him that this guy was going to be coming to fight. He wanted to win just as much as Flint, perhaps more.

&nbs
p; The referee motioned for the two fighters to come to the center of the ring. He wanted them to touch gloves, to show good sportsmanship. The ref went over the rules, and they both acknowledged their understanding.

  “Good,” the ref said. “I want a good clean fight tonight, where everybody goes home in one piece. Got it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Got it.”

  What happened next was mostly a blur to Flint. He remembered going back to his corner, looking over at Jade—she smiled.

  His opponent, as soon as the bell rang to start the round, pounced on him. Before Flint realized what was transpiring, Diablo was wrapped around him and adding pressure to pull him down. Down he went with a thud. Trying to gather his thoughts, he finally was able to free himself. Not an easy task with this guy and trying to make sure he did not submit.

  Slowly standing, holding onto the rope for extra balance, Flint began his attack. He threw punches, a few kicks, but nothing phased this monster.

  Flint was pinned against the ropes. This guy will not let up.

  Ding, Ding

  Saved by the bell, and not all too soon. The blows and the powerful punches he took in this first round had already begun to wear on his body.

  In the corner, Stone began to second guess himself about thinking the kid was ready. “Hey kid, maybe we should just call this one. We can get you ready for another one when you are really ready.”

  Hearing Stone say that he did not think Flint was ready hurt, but it also served to snap him into reality. He was being dominated by some joker. Get it together, Flint. You can do this.

  If Stone felt this way, he could only imagine what Jade thought. He would show them. He would show them all exactly what he was made of.

  Flint stood ready to go when the second bell rang, Diablo didn’t have time to react. This time it was Flint who began a full-on assault and would not let up. Within seconds he had securely jumped onto his back and tucked his heels into his inner thighs, while his arms were like vipers around his chest. In this move, he had managed to get his opponent’s arms stretched out above his head. The position was extremely hard to counter once set. Flint had struggled during the first round, so he needed this to stick. The ref began looking for the submission, and about thirty seconds later, he received it. Flint relinquished his hold and staggered a little toward the rope.