My breath caught in my throat. The room seemed to tilt. "Murdered?"
"And the man who killed him," Victor whispered frantically, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another key, pressing it into my hand, "is standing right outside that door."
Instantly, the brass doorknob rattled. A heavy fist began pounding against the wood, making the hinges shudder.
"Victor!" The giant's deep, abrasive voice boomed from the hallway. "Open the door. She doesn't belong in there. Open it right now."
Victor grabbed my shoulders, looking at me with absolute panic. "Hide the key," he mouthed silently. "Whatever you do, don't let Rex know who you are."
CHAPTER 2
The heavy fist slammed against the wood a second time. The frame of the office door groaned under the impact.
"Victor!" Rex shouted, the aggression in his voice vibrating through the floorboards. "I know she's in there. Unlock it!"
Victor looked completely unglued. The sweat beaded on his forehead as he shoved me backward, gesturing frantically toward the pockets of my track jacket. "Hide the key," he hissed, his voice barely audible over the pounding. "Hide the stopwatch. Say nothing."
I jammed my mother’s rusted key into my right pocket and Victor's dented stopwatch into my left. My heart was hammering so wildly I felt dizzy. According to Victor, the man currently trying to break down the door had murdered my father twenty years ago. I felt physically sick as Victor finally stepped forward, drew a deep breath to compose himself, and turned the deadbolt.
The door swung open violently. Rex stood in the hallway, practically filling the frame. Gabe and Sal hovered just behind him, their expressions hard and suspicious.
"What is this, Victor?" Rex demanded, his eyes immediately darting to me. His jaw was tight, likely still feeling the phantom impact of my heel. "Who is she?"
Victor raised his hands in a calming gesture, though his fingers still trembled. "Easy, Rex. It’s nothing. She’s... she’s just looking for private lessons. The girl’s a bit intense, but she was willing to pay double for a consultation."
Rex stared at Victor, clearly not buying a single word. He stepped into the small office, his massive presence sucking all the air out of the room. He walked slowly toward me, stopping barely a foot away. Up close, I could see a jagged scar running through his left eyebrow.
"Private lessons," Rex repeated slowly. He didn't look at Victor. He looked exclusively at me. "She’s got a loud kick for a little girl asking for lessons."
I kept my mouth shut. The instinct to back away was overwhelming, but I dug my sneakers into the scuffed linoleum and held my ground.
"You need to leave," Rex told me, his voice dropping into a low, menacing register. "This isn't a playground. And Victor isn't taking new students. Don't come back to my gym."
"Your gym?" Victor interrupted, his tone suddenly adopting a forced, nervous authority. "I still own the deed, Rex. Take Gabe and Sal and get back to the bags. I'll handle this."
Rex held my gaze for another three painful seconds before he finally backed up. He didn't say another word. He just turned and walked down the hall, his two crew members following like loyal dogs.
As soon as the hallway was empty, Victor closed the door again, though he didn't lock it this time. He slumped against it, looking a decade older than he had ten minutes ago.
"Listen to me, Maya," Victor said, his voice urgent. "Your father was a good fighter, but he made a terrible mistake. He stole fifty thousand dollars from a local syndicate. That’s why he disappeared. Rex found out about the money, and Rex took care of him. I covered it up to keep the gym from being burned to the ground. If Rex figures out you're Leo's daughter, he will assume you came back for the cash. He will kill you just like he killed your father."
I stood frozen, trying to process the avalanche of information. My father was a thief? It didn't fit. My mother was the most honest, rigidly moral person I had ever known. She wouldn't have kept his photo, wouldn't have taped a key to it, and wouldn't have told me 'Don't let them forget' if he was a criminal who abandoned his family for stolen syndicate money.
"Just leave, Maya," Victor pleaded, wiping his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "Go home. Forget you ever found that photo."
I didn't argue. I just nodded, stepped around him, and walked quickly down the hall. I kept my head down as I crossed the gym floor. I could feel Rex’s eyes burning into my back from the heavy bags, but I didn't turn around.