Page 44 of Talon
That got Malice’s attention.He stopped his pull-ups and released the branch, bending his knees as he landed.
“You sure you’re up for that?”Malice asked, one brow lifted.
Talon nodded.“Yeah.I need to move.I need to focus on something physical and with an element of unpredictable.I need something to focus on but the asshole after Madison.”
“And you’re sure you want to do it with me?How will your girl handle you showing up all bruised and bloody?”
Talon lifted one shoulder and let it fall.“Best to find out now and yeah, I’m sure.Are we going to talk all afternoon or do this?”
“Oh, we’ll get to it, but not here.”Malice walked toward one side of his house.
“Why not?”Talon followed, frowning.
“Too many hazards.One of us will end up hurt worse than they need to be.”Malice glanced over at Talon.“And I don’t mean me.”
Talon followed as Malice led him past the house and along the path back to the bunkhouse.
“Over here,” Malice said, leading him to the big clearing where they’d once had all the tables and chairs scattered around while the Tucson chapter had visited.There were still a couple of tables, but the others and the chairs had been put back where they’d started – around the different homes on the place.
“Okay.”Talon shrugged out of his kutte, folded it, and draped it over the end of one of the tables.Then he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on top.“Do we want to wrap our hands or go bare knuckle?”
“Most of the time you don’t go into a fight to defend yourself, or anyone else, with enough warning for either gloves or tape.You can’t train to push through the pain of a fight if you never experience the pain to learn.”
Talon stared at the other man for a seconds, carefully schooling his expression into one of slight confusion, as if he’d never heard the phrase before.After a moment, he shrugged and started stretching, as if he wasn’t sure what the comment meant, but decided it wasn’t important enough to ask about.
Since no one here had seen him fight before, at least not like he needed today.Plus after hearing about Malice and suspecting Jake was trying to set him up by suggesting the one that Talon had heard was one hell of a hand to hand fighter, he was eager to see who would end up on top, and he wasn’t above playing into their expectations.
Facing each other, they circled for ten seconds, each trying to get a feel for how the other moved and watching for any changes that might telegraph their next move.
Talon kept his eyes on Malice, waiting patiently.It came much sooner than he would have predicted, but as Malice lurched forward, one arm swinging, Talon bobbed to the side, letting the fist sail past him without making contact.He brought one arm around, knocking into Malice’s shoulder, and using the other man’s momentum to push him off balance.At the same time, he brought one knee up, ramming it into Malice’s thigh.
Malice grunted but didn’t move away.Not that Talon expected the blow to do much.Yet.The longer this lasted, the longer they kept moving and going after each other, the more that blow to the thigh would burn.Eventually, with enough hits like that, it would wear on his opponent’s endurance.While he knew several things that would end a fight like this rather quickly, that wasn’t what he was after today.He needed the workout, the distraction, the focus on something physical that he could do instead of the threat he couldn’t address, at least not yet.
They traded blows, each dancing around the other then going in for an attack.Talon lost himself in the physicality of it.He focused on the next blow, where it was coming from and blocking it, before taking his own shot.His body ached in a way that let him know he was alive.He felt every hit he’d taken but he didn’t mind.It was what he’d started this for.
“Yo.”The rumble of a deep voice cut through the haze of his brain.“You two done yet?You’ve drawn quite the crowd.”
Malice rolled his neck and stepped back, giving Talon a moment to look around.All the men were in the clearing, even Ghost.Well, all but Colt.He was likely assigned to help Kerry in the kitchen.But along with the men were Bonnie, Heather, and Robyn.
Lurch approached them, looking back and forth between the two of them.
“You’ve got about fifteen minutes before dinner hits the table.I suggest you hit the showers.Not only do you stink, but your woman might freak just a bit when she sees you.”He shot Talon a pointed look.
Talon knew that part was aimed at him.Bonnie was sitting on the edge of one of the picnic tables watching.She knew how much damage there was and where it had come from.
“You’re not bad, man,” Malice said as he came back toward Talon, this time with one hand extended.“One of the better workouts I’ve had in a while, at least without taking on two on one.”
“Thanks.You too.How about one of these days we stand back to back and take on all the others?”Talon shook his hand as he made the suggestion.
“I like the way you think.We’ll have to do that.I know there are a couple who’d like to see me take a bit of a beating.”He tilted his head to where most of the men were gathered, talking amongst themselves.
“Let’s get this thing with Madison and that fuckwad taken care of, then we can plan it.”
“Sounds good.”Malice turned and headed toward Bonnie.
She slid off the picnic table and put up both hands as if warding him off, but she laughed the entire time as Malice pulled her into a tight embrace then kissed her.From what Talon could see, she kissed him back, then pulled away enough to hook her arm around his waist and steer him toward their cabin.
He picked up his shirt and kutte from the picnic table and headed into the bunkhouse.Inside, he grabbed clean clothes from his bunk space and headed for the shower.Thankfully, they’d both stayed away from head blows, so he didn’t have to worry about scaring Madison too bad with his looks.
