Page 23 of Knuckle's Dispute

Chapter Eleven

Knuckles

JANESSA HAS BEEN avoidingme for the last week since Thanksgiving.I know Marie forced her to come to the clubhouse to eat with the rest of us so she wouldn’t be alone.Our queen was angry when she found out Janessa wouldn’t be having dinner with her brothers and had no plans to come over to us.Honestly, I was pissed the fuck off myself.There is no reason for Janessa to stay alone when she could come over here with the club.It’s not like she doesn’t know us or hasn’t spent time around the guys here in the club.Janessa is being stubborn as fuck and refusing to come over here to see me.It’s not like I want to see her right now either.

The night I went over to the cabin and kicked Seth out of the place Janessa lives, I ended up falling asleep in bed with her.It’s the first time in as long as I can remember that I’ve been able to sleep through the night without having nightmares or tossing and turning randomly so I don’t get the chance to sleep a full night.It scared the shit out of me and I’ve been avoiding her ever since.Then, Marie goes and sets this shit up so I’m forced to sit at a table with Janessa for Thanksgiving.I’m not sure what the fuck her and Seth were talking about, but I know something major is about to happen.Janessa is gonna make a decision I’m not gonna like and there’s nothing I can do about it because we still have yet to talk about all the shit between the two of us.

I’ve been avoiding everyone since Thanksgiving.Especially Tease.My best friend is the worst when it comes to questioning me about things with Janessa and the baby.One of the main things I want to talk to her about is getting a paternity test done.It’s something we need to have done for legal reasons.With everything going on with her, if something were to happen, I wouldn’t be able to take care of her child if I’m not the father.He or she would be put in foster care and that’s something I refuse to let happen when a simple test can fix everything.At least it can if she’s telling the truth.

Parking my bike in the lot behind the gym, I turn off the engine and take a second to just breathe.I haven’t felt as if I can breathe in a long time.Not since the last time I was near Janessa.My phone starts vibrating in my pocket and I pull it out to see Doc’s name flashing on the screen.

“What’s goin’ on, Doc?”I answer the phone, finally getting off my bike.

“I got a strange call from Janessa about a half hour ago.She wants to have a paternity test completed.I’ve already got what I need from her child.Now all I need is a sample from you so we can get the results done.When can you come see me?Or do you want me to come to the clubhouse?”Doc informs me, making me pause because this is the last thing I was expecting today.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.I’m at the gym right now.Are you at the hospital or your practice?”I ask him, already straddling my bike again so I can get this taken care of.

“I’m at my practice.I’ll be waitin’ for ya here,” he responds before hanging up without saying goodbye.

Turning on the engine of my bike, I don’t hesitate to pull out of the parking lot and make my way through town to Doc’s practice.I want this test done as much as Janessa does.This will settle everything once and for all.I’ll know officially if I’m the father of Janessa’s son or daughter and then we can figure out the best way to move forward with our lives.I’ll either have a child or I’ll put it out in the world that Janessa lied to me and she’ll have to move on with her life.There are only two things I’m positive of right now.The first thing is that if the child is mine, Janessa won’t be leaving Frostford.She’ll be here with me and I’ll do everything in my power to make things right between the two of us.Secondly, I’m not sure if I can let Janessa go even if the child isn’t mine.She’s burrowed her way deep in my soul and I don’t know what to do about it.

The streets of Frostford are essentially empty at this time of the day.It doesn’t take me long to get to Doc’s.Parking out in front of the house where Doc has his practice, I quickly get off after shutting down the engine.Heading to the front door, I don’t hesitate to walk inside and stop at the front desk.

“I’m here to see Doc.He knows I was on my way here,” I inform the receptionist, my voice low with a full waiting room behind me.

“He did inform me you’d be showing up, Knuckles.Go on back to his office.He’s waiting for you there,” she tells me, her voice just as low as mine because she knows how much the club members value their privacy.Especially when we’re in a public setting like this.

Giving the receptionist a nod, I head straight back to Doc’s office.I ignore the grumbling of the patients currently waiting to be seen for one reason or another.I’ll be a few seconds at most for this paternity test and don’t need any kind of exam.Doc doesn’t typically do this and let his patients wait, but he also knows this needs to be done immediately with Janessa’s current situation.While he might not know every single detail of her situation, I’m sure he’s been filled in enough to understand this is a dire situation and there can be no hesitation on anyone’s part.The most important person in the world to Janessa is her child and I’ll do what I can to protect her.

“Knuckles, it’s good to see you,” Doc says, standing from his chair and holding out his hand for me to shake.“I’m gonna swab the inside of your cheek and get it sent in for the testing to be completed.I’ve got a good friend doin’ the test and he’s gonna put a rush on the results.”

“That’s good.How long will it take to get the results back?”I question him, my voice low because I don’t know how easy it is to hear through the walls of this place.

“A few days at most.I’ll let Janessa and you both know the second the results come through,” Doc answers me, grabbing what he needs after putting on a pair of gloves.

Doc does what he has to for the paternity test.As I thought, it doesn’t take him long at all to get what he needs.We don’t speak as he puts the sample in some kind of tube for protection or whatever.When I’m ready to head out, Doc walks me out front and tells me goodbye before disappearing back with his patients.I quickly head to my bike so I can get to the gym for work.I’m already late and need to get in the ring at some point today.After doing this test and knowing my life has the potential to change so much in the next few days is messing with my head.All I can hear are the horrendous words of various foster parents over the years when I was growing up.

I was constantly told what a waste of space I was and how I’d never amount to anything.That I was nothing more than a piece of shit and a loser who couldn’t even get a good grade in school if my life depended on it.Every slur a person could be called and every insult my foster parents could think of were said to me on a daily basis.As a child, it didn’t take long for those thoughts to consume me and become my truth.A truth I still live to this day when I allow myself to get lost in my head and things are completely out of my control.This is when I need Tease because my best friend is the only one who can get me out of my head.

***

I’ve been working inthe gym for about two hours when I finally get a break and can get in the ring.Homicide is here and he’s more than ready to spar with me.That’s one thing I can say without hesitation about him—Homicide is always up for a fight and doesn’t give a fuck who it’s against.As I tape up my hands, I notice Rooster and Tease making their way through the room and straight for us.They’ll watch us and more than likely place a bet on the two of us.This is nothing uncommon for the members of the club when two of us are in the ring.Today, because of all the shit I’ve pulled, I doubt either man will place a bet on me.

“You ready for this, Knuckles?Been watchin’ you since I walked in and you’re off today.You’ve spent more time in your own head than focusin’ on work like you normally do,” Homicide asks me, warming up in the corner of the ring.

“Been a rough day and did somethin’ I wasn’t expectin’ to do today.Not ready to talk about it with a bunch of you,” I answer and the three men with me know I’ll eventually talk to Tease about what’s going on.

“Let’s get this goin’ then.I’ll get you outta your head.Don’t think you should be workin’ the rest of the day though.You’re not really accomplishin’ much out there on the floor,” Homicide says as I step through the ropes and make my way to the center of the ring.

Homicide and I trade blows once Rooster starts the sparring match between the two of us.Neither one of us holds back as we go after one another.It’s not how we’re built and I never have to worry about it when I’m in the ring with Homicide.Most of us don’t hold back against one another because we’ve worked together so long, we know how much each member can take.The only other person I don’t hold back against is Ethan.He gives sparring every piece of himself and doesn’t want us to go soft with him.

I vaguely hear Rooster and Tease yelling in the background.They’re cheering us on as a few more guys enter the room only fighters are allowed inside.No one else ever walks in here and they don’t have a choice in the matter.Every single fighter gets a code and it’s theirs alone.This way we can figure out who enters and if anything is going on that shouldn’t be when we’re busy as hell and can’t pay extremely close attention to the room.There are also cameras in place so we know no one gets in here who doesn’t belong.Shaking my head, I put my focus back on Homicide after he lands a hard as hell hit to the side of my eye.

Instantly pain fills my head and I can feel the trickle of blood sliding down the side of my face.Not an uncommon occurrence when the two of us are in the ring.I start taking this shit more seriously and land more than a few hits to his head and body.Melissa is gonna kill me with how hard I’m working him over.She hates when her husband comes home covered in bruises and cuts.Since everyone in the club is pissed as hell at me with the Janessa situation, it’s only going to make things worse for me.I better get used to sleeping with one eye open and getting takeout for my meals.None of the ol’ ladies will give me a damn thing now that I’ve hurt Janessa and gotten in the ring with Homicide to unleash everything I’ve got going on in my head.

Rooster lets the fight go on for several more minutes before calling it and taking care of Homicide while Tease tends to me on the opposite side of the room.I sit on the bench just outside the ring with Tease sitting in front of me as he rips the tape from my hands and tosses it on the floor next to us.

“What the fuck has gotten into you today, Micah?”he finally asks me, his voice low and gentle as he usually is when I’m lost in my head.

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