Maia Mesa grew up with her family in Cuba, but that suddenly changed, and she found herself in a position no one wishes to be, without family.
Marcus Burnett, a repentant and good soul takes her as his own daughter, as well his wife Theresa, a new...
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"Come on, Reggie." I wiped the sweat from my forehead, a playful grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "I know you can hit better than that."
Reggie raises his arms, assuming a fighting stance, though there's a hesitant look in his eyes. "I don't want to hurt you," he replies, his voice tinged with a mix of concern and familiarity. We've been at this for four years now, ever since I realized that my skills in battle weren't as sharp as they needed to be. Reggie and Kelly have been by my side, helping me improve, pushing me to be better.
"We've already talked about this. You won't kill me." I gesture for him to get closer, challenging him with a nod.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he steps forward.
Reggie throws a punch, but I'm ready for him. I grab his hand and twist it, using his momentum against him. Before he can react, I land a solid punch to his chest and release my grip on his hand. The moment my fist connects, he barely flinches, instead using the opportunity to tackle me to the ground in one swift movement.
"Shit," I mutter under my breath as my back hits the ground with a thud, the wind momentarily knocked out of me.
"Jesus Christ, Reggie!" Dad's voice rings out from the window, and I glance over to see him rushing towards us.
Reggie immediately offers me his hand, his face etched with concern. "Are you okay?" he asks, his tone sincere as I take his hand and let him help me to my feet.
I nod, a smile spreading across my face. "Absolutely. That was really good, actually."
Dad reaches us just as I finish speaking, and he's not looking too pleased. He points an accusatory finger at Reggie. "Do you want me to take out my gun and shoot at you?"
"No, sir." Reggie stiffens, standing at attention, clearly trying not to look too intimidated.
"Then go inside, help my baby with little Marcus, do something productive, and stop hitting Maia out here." I roll my eyes as Reggie quickly retreats, heading back into the house.
I bump Dad's shoulder lightly, shaking my head. "You should stop being so mean to him," I say, grabbing my water bottle and taking a long sip. "He's going to stand up to you one day, you'll see."
Dad smirks, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand. "That's not going to happen." We both chuckle, the tension easing as we take a seat on the chairs, watching the moon cast its serene light over the night. For a moment, everything is still, the only sound the faint rustling of the trees in the cool evening breeze.
"Have you prepared your speech for tomorrow?" I ask, genuinely curious.
Dad grins, a twinkle in his eye. "Kid, I prepared that speech the moment Mike showed me the ring." I chuckle, shaking my head.
