36. Focus

“That’s wrong,” Talay reprimands Kai for the umteenth time. “I said roundhouse and you did a front kick instead. And you usually have more power behind your jabs.The hell’s with you today?”
Kai jaw clenches, and he forces a tight smile across his lips.
“Nothing,” He resumes the fighter’s stance, waiting for Talay to call out the next combo. “I’m good.”
“You’re not good.” Talay puts a hand on his arm. “Two days ago you were out of your head cause your coffee got spiked. But that’s not the reason you’re out of it now.”
After his discharge from the hospital this morning, the first thing Kai did was text Talay and see when they could meet at the gym. Since it was a Friday, Talay had to work during the day, but told Kai to meet him at the gym in the evening. Then, Kai had sent a LINE to Pepper, asking her to pick him up afterwards, and then Luca, to round out his plan for the rest of the evening.
Kai hadn’t asked Jet for a ride to the gym. He took BTS instead. He feels a little guilty for avoiding his older brother, especially while their deal to spend as much time as possible together is still in place. But every time he saw Jet, Kai was tempted to divulge his secret, and he’s still not sure that’s something he wants to do. He’d rather go out with Pepper after he hit something that can’t hit back. Like a punching bag.
Practicing Muay Thai has become easier. While he might not be ready for an actual sparring match with anyone other than Talay anytime soon, Kai can sense the changes in his body every time he trains. He’s gained a little bit of muscle. His arms don’t protest when he throws punches. His legs don’t scream for mercy every time he runs or when his shins connect with one of the bags. He’s got calluses on his knuckles instead of bruises, and he doesn’t gasp for breath when he does drills.
Talay is still watching Kai with an expression of concern that doesn’t quite fit on his monkey-like face. Today is the first time in a while that Talay yelled at him for not concentrating. Kai has a perfectly good reason for not concentrating, but he’s not sure he wants to tell Talay that. Besides, Talay might already know about Jet’s adoption and their parents’ undercover operation already, so why rehash it?
“I said I’m good.” Kai shakes Talay off, flexing his hands inside his gloves. He forces himself to focus. Right now, he’s at the gym. Right now, nothing else matters but getting all his strikes right. Maybe this time he’d remember to strike with his elbow instead of jabbing again. “Same combo?”
Talay shakes his head, removing the training pads from his hands, and holding out a water bottle for Kai to take. “Take your gloves off, drink the water, and talk to me.”
Rather than argue, Kai strips off his gloves and takes the water. “You’re not going to tell me I look like a squirrel trying to solve a Rubik’s cube?”
“That’s cute,” Talay smiles at him. “I might use it sometime. But don’t try to change the subject. You’re distracted because of your investigation into OmniVentures, right?”
“Yeah,” If Talay insists on pushing then Kai won’t bother to deny it. “I found something and I don’t know what to do with it.”
“Something about Chalam or something about Jet?” Talay sits down on one of the benches near the punching bags, silently inviting Kai to join him.
Kai shakes his head, putting the water down and pulling his gloves back on. “Same combo?”
“Kai.” Talay pushes.
“Let me get some strikes right and I’ll tell you whatever you want,” Kai promises, if only to shut Talay up. “Same combo or a different one?”
“Let’s try a different one.” Talay’s smile widens. “But not against bags or pads. This time, you’re fighting me.”
“But,” Kai falters. “You said I wouldn’t be ready to spar for months.”
“I said you wouldn’t be ready for a sparring match.” Talay corrects him. “This is different. Get in your stance.”
Kai swallows. His mind races as resumes his stance. What questions will Talay ask him if he does get all the strikes right? Will they be questions he actually wants to answer, or will Kai have to try to distract him again?
“3-3-2.” Talay puts his own gloves on and faces the smaller man. “Remember to step forward when you punch, pivot when you kick, and keep your guard up.”
Kai nods, running the sequence over in his mind. It was one of the first drills Talay had taught him, but Kai had only done it with bags and pad, not face to face with another person. His muscles tense with anticipation.
“Ready?” Talay’s voice breaks through Kai’s nerves, snapping him into focus. “Don’t forget, you get these strikes right, and you answer my question.”
“Got it.” Kai bounces lightly on the balls of his feet, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “No problem.”
Neither of them move for a second. Then Kai throws the left jab, and Talay sidesteps, slipping smoothly out of Kai’s reach. Kai’s right cross is countered by a deft block from Talay’s forearm.
“Two strikes down.” Talay’s voice is calm, but his eyes shine with encouragement. “Keep going.”
Kai throws a second left jab, but this time he feints a right cross and throws a left hook. Talay parries the hook with a flick of his glove. It doesn't escape Kai’s notice that Talay becomes a different person when fighting. Every movement is easy and calculated, his eyes alert to Kai’s every twitch. The rhythm of the drill picks up as Kai pivots on his left foot, aiming his right for a roundhouse kick to Talay’s solar plexus. Talay sidesteps a second time, leaving Kai’s foot hovering in the air.
“Nice try.” Talay’s smirk is kind, but it’s still a smirk. “Now elbows.”
Kai nods, and readjust his stance again. His left elbow is blocked by Talay’s forearm, and his right by another sidestep .
“Balance.” Talay’s hand lightly taps on Kai’s shoulder. “And adjust the angle of your elbows. “Again. Throw like you mean it.”
This time it’s a little faster, and Kai’s hook is countered by a parry and jab from Talay. When he throws his first cross, Talay catches his hand and throws an elbow, and his second is blocked when Talay performs a roundhouse kick of his own, forcing Kai to retreat. Kai loses his balance and drops to the mat.
Damn.
“Not quite like a squirrel with a Rubik’s cube,” Talay stands over him, his monkey-like face lit with triumph. “But almost. You lost your balance because you were leaning.”
“I know.” Kai levers himself on his elbows. Damn, damn, damn.
“Guard and balance.” Talay reminds him. “You don’t have those, you’re screwed.”
“So,” Kai gives Talay a wary look. “How many of those strikes did I get right?”
“All of them, until you lost your balance.” Instead of offering a hand to pull Kai to his feet, Talay sits down next to him. “Are you scared of what you found out?”
As stupid as that sounds, Kai nods his head.
“You want to tell me what that is, now?” Talay persists.
Kai takes his time removing his gloves and reaching for the water bottle again while he figures out how to answer. He knows Jet and Talay are working together, but is Talay working for Interpol like Rome, or just an interested party, like Mali?
“You know I’m NIA, right?” Talay answers Kai’s silent questions, keeping his voice low in case anyone else in the gym hears. “That’s why Jet asked me to help with his OmniVentures investigation. Actually, Kit asked me first. Thought Intelligence had info that Interpol doesn’t.”
Kai nods, acknowledging Talay’s explanation. “Kit’s Interpol?”
“So is Jet.” Talay gives Kai an odd look as Kai swallows his water a little too fast. “I thought you knew that.”
Kai waits for his coughing to subside before he answers. “I do now.”
The amount of revelations Kai’s mind has had to keep track of over the past several days is making him dizzy. Jet’s Interpol. That’s something else he kept from me. Maybe he didn’t say anything so he thought it would protect me. So it’s only fair I keep things from him for that same reason, right? Right?
“I should have made sure you knew.” Talay looks like he wishes he could stuff his confession right back into his mouth. “So maybe there’s a good reason you don’t want to tell me anything.”
“Actually, maybe it’s good that you do know.” Kai hesitates, glancing around the gym to make sure no one else is listening. At least tell Talay some of it. He doesn’t need to know everything. He keeps his gaze on the mat, rather than Talay’s face. “My parents…They were working undercover. For Interpol.”
Talay blinks. “Can you prove that?”
Kai nods, telling Talay everything that he and Rome and Mali have found both in OmniVentures’ archives and public records, and what he found in Chalam’s private archive. Everything except Jet’s adoption, that is. To Kai’s surprise, instead of asking questions, Talay doesn’t do more than nod.
“I saw the public financial records when you were brought to the hospital.” Talay explains. “Rome said you have more, but I was too busy trying to keep Jet from castrating him, I never got the chance to ask. I’m guessing the ‘more’ was about your parents.”
Kai nods. “That’s what I was able to get my hands on before Chalam made me give the books back. He’s probably hidden them by now.”
“Maybe Kit’s found something we haven’t.” Seeing the curious expression on Kai’s face, Talay elaborates. “He’s got a connection with the CIA. It’s kind of a weird one, but it’s still a connection. I’ll ask him about it later tonight.”
“Why can’t you do it now?” Kai protests.“Then you could add what Kit knows to your resources and you can tell me and Jet about it.”
If he can get Talay focused on his parents and their undercover work, maybe he won’t ask any more awkward questions. Like how Chalam had forced Kai to return his books, and what else Kai has found that he hasn’t told anyone about. Like Jet’s adoption. And the only way to keep Talay focused on that is to make sure Talay gets in touch with Kit as soon as possible. Right?
“I can’t call Kit now.” Talay gets to his feet. “Not when you have three other drills to run.”
“Three!?” Kai’s squall of protest echoes around the gym. One or two people stop their own training session to stare or glare at him. Kai smiles sheepishly, waving an apologetic hand.
Talay’s grin is threatening to split his face. “Squall again and I’ll make it four. Let’s go, 3-3-2. This time we’ll do it faster, so remember to stay balanced and—”
“Keep my guard up, I know, I know.” Kai rolls his eyes as he stands, then assumes the fighting stance, ready to repeat the drill he just completed.
Pepper is waiting for him outside the gym later that evening. Kai had sent her a LINE asking if she could pick him up. Seeing her sitting in the car as he comes out makes Kai grin like a stupid idiot.
“Wow. You look--I mean…” Kai flounders, opening the back door and drops his gym bag behind the passenger seat. “Nice car.”
Yes. Focus on the car, Kai.
Not that pale green dress she’s wearing which brings out the deep brown of her eyes and hugs her body in just the right places. The soft fabric accentuates every one of her curves. Her hair cascades smoothly down her back, framing her face like a dark halo. Pepper’s whole appearance is sending signals to parts of Kai’s own anatomy that he should not be listening to right now. Especially not in a public parking lot. But he’s never seen her in anything like that, and now he's tempted to see her in even less.
Get a grip, Kai.
“Thanks.” Pepper’s eyes are dancing with mischievous light, and she smiles knowingly at Kai’s hesitation. “It’s new.”
“Yeah,” Kai knows full well she’s not talking about the car. “You really do look…wow.”
Pepper’s smile widens. “Luca has good taste, huh? He said you had something planned and there was no way in hell he’d let me pick out my outfit.”
“I think your taste in clothes is fine.” That word doesn’t even begin to describe how she looks in that dress, but it’s the only one Kai can think of right now. He still can’t take his eyes off her.
“Tell Luca that next time you see him.” Pepper winks. “He also made me swear on whatever I hold dear that I bring his car back in the same mint condition.”
“So what did you swear on?” The words are out of Kai’s mouth before he can stop them.
Pepper laughs. “What would you say if I said I swore on your life?”
“Thank you?” Kai can feel the heat creeping up the back of his neck--and other places.
His response makes Pepper laugh again. “I think he’s just mad he doesn’t have a date tonight and I do.”
Kai’s heart is definitely racing now. Date. Pepper had called this a date. That’s exactly how he thought of tonight, but Pepper saying it out loud makes it sound more significant. He’s also realized what else Pepper just said.
“Luca’s not going out with Jet tonight?” That strikes Kai as odd. Usually his brother and Luca meet up every night. Apparently, this is an exception.
“I guess not.” Pepper shrugs. She gestures to the garment bag lying across the backseat. “Luca also sent you that. Said you might need it.”
“Give me five minutes.” Kai’s pulse quickens as he picks up the garment bag. “I’ll be back.”
There’s no one else in the changing room, and Kai had already showered after drilling with Talay, so all he has to do is duck into one of the changing stalls. His jaw drops as he unzips the garment bag. He’d texted Luca his plan this morning, and clearly the other man had not let him down. The shirt Luca sent is silk, trendily cut, dyed a deeper and richer shade of green that will still perfectly match Pepper’s dress. It drapes perfectly around Kai’s chest, the fabric smooth and cool to the touch. Luca’s paired it with meticulously tailored black slacks, and shoes that would cost Kai an entire month’s rent if he bought them on his own. And he’s spent enough on tonight already. Paper crinkles in one of the pockets as Kai pulls the slacks on. He smirks as he reads what Luca decided were encouraging words:
Make Pepper cry, and I’ll castrate you. Don’t screw this up😉