Savor by Xavier Neal Read Free Book Online Page A

bend. Ugh. On record, I tried to fly in my yoga pants but Erin somehow magically knew I wouldn’t have time to change. She’s like a fashion fortuneteller.
    “Think he’s gonna be excited that we’re here?”
    “Of course.” I reassure Dean briefly before Jake is standing in front of us smirking smugly.
    Does he have to have that stupid smile?
    “Pleasure to see you again, Maxx.”
    “Nice to see you too, Jake.”
    “You must be Dean.” He extends his hand. When Dean shakes it he says, “If you fight half as good as Unbreakable, it might be you I recruit next.”
    “No,” I say in a very motherly tone.
    Dean flashes me a look and drops Jake’s hand. “But what if I wanna fight?”
    “The answer is no.” My words receive what I imagine to be a look I’ll receive many more times as a parent.
    You know the one that’s a cross between I hate you and you aren’t the boss of me. The one cloaked in so much attitude and tension suddenly you wonder how they’re gonna retaliate for being told not to do something. Great. Just what I needed today. You know, I knew parenting wasn’t gonna be a walk in the park, but teenagers are really fucking moody.
    Jake clears his throat and pushes his hands into his gray suit pockets. “Well, I hope you enjoy the fight. I am expecting a win. I’ll be escorting you to the resort part of the casino and helping you pick up the key to his room afterward.”
    “Thank you,” I softly sigh before he nods and makes his exit.
    The moment he’s gone I turn to Dean. “Kid—”
    “I think I should get to do what I wanna do in life.”
    “I highly doubt you know what that is at 15.”
    “I’m almost 16.”
    Really? That’s his argument?
    “Even so. It’s a big world with lots to offer. You don’t have to fight.”
    “Logan did.” The point I knew he was gonna bring up follows next. “And we came from similar households. With the same story. And look at him now. He’s damn near famous.”
    “Kid,” I take a long hard breath before continuing, “I’m gonna paint you the picture of Logan that no one sees. It’s the one where he was beaten before he left his mother’s stomach. The one where he had cracked ribs at three. The one where he saved other kid’s lunch leftovers to have dinner when he was six. Logan was taunted, beat up, shamed for being poor, for being hungry because they didn’t always have enough food, for being dirty because his mother’s eye was too swollen for her to get laundry done. Now, imagine what happened to him when his father beat his mother to death. Whatever feelings he had inside of him for his family died. Imagine suddenly being a complete orphan. Suddenly having so much rage, aggression, and anxiety inside of you that there are only two very distinct paths. Suicide or homicide. Hurt yourself or hurt someone else. He didn’t choose to fight because he had a whirlwind of options waiting for him. He chose to fight because it was life or death, Kid. Now you wanna fight? Fine. We won’t stop you, because you’re right. You should get to do whatever it is you really wanna do in life. And we want you to be whatever you want in this life, Kid. Whether that’s a fighting champion or a rocket scientist. I’m just saying…you don’t have to make that choice right now. Not at 16.”
    “15,” he corrects me and I slug him in the arm playfully.
    Jackass.
    After a beat he says, “I don’t really like getting hit.”
    With a smirk, I turn my eyes back to the ring. “Yeah. Neither does Logan.”

Chapter 7
Logan

    Victorious. A feeling I’m very familiar with, but one that without everyone else around basically feels empty.
    You know, I thought for years that every win felt as fucking fantastic as it did because it meant the world knew I was the shit. Because there were thousands of dollars that fell into my pocket. Because watching me in the ring became the best aphrodisiac known to women. After tonight’s massacre, I’m starting to think