“So, she your new chick? “ Abel asked.

Felix laughed. “C’mon brother, you know me. Life’s too short to settle on just one chick. Although there is one who seriously has me considering it.”

“No way,” Gio said, closing his locker. He’d heard rumors about Felix and a girl from Big Bear but just like all the other rumors he’d heard about Felix, Gio hadn’t thought anything of it.

“Hey,” Felix said, lifting his hands in front of him. “Stranger things have happened. So what do you say? You in?”

“I’ll give it some thought and let you know in a couple of days. I gotta talk to Jack, too. This is my first day back and already I gotta tell him I may be leaving for two months.”

“I doubt he’ll have a problem with it,” Abel said “He’ll probably agree you could use the time away.”

Gio frowned. “Still, I gotta run it past him first.”

Gio had to admit the more he thought about it, the more he agreed with Abel that getting away might do him some good.

As it turned out not only was Abel right about Jack agreeing that Gio could use the time away, he insisted Gio did. That evening Jack took Gio aside. “I’m getting old. Too old to be managing this place. The busier it gets; the harder it gets for me.”

“That’s what me and the guys are here for. You know you can count on us for anything.”

“Oh, I know that,” Jack said coming around to sit at his old desk. “I already have Hector doing the bills and payroll for me.”

“Hector?” Gio asked, confused. The kid was still in high school.

“Yeah, that boy is smart as a whip. I showed him the other day how I do all the back end stuff around here and within minutes he had it all going on the computer—said I could do it all faster and more efficiently that way. He’s working on getting everything in there now.”

Gio remembered Abel telling them how his little brother had always been smart and talented that way. He said if the kid ever stopped messing around, he might actually do something with that talent.

“Anyway, so Felix is talking about remodeling this place and putting some big bucks into it. He really wants to give back.”

Gio’s eyes opened wide. “That would be awesome!”

Jack turned to Gio. “That’s why I need you to go and get yourself all better. This place is gonna be all of yours soon and I need you to be here one-hundred percent, both physically and emotionally. But there’s something else I wanted to run by you.” Gio nodded, waiting silently for Jack to go on. “Your name is already on the title of 5th Street. I added you years ago.”

Gio’s eyes opened wide. Jack had made comments in the past about how someday he’d pass 5th Street on to him but he had no idea he was already on the title.

“I wanna add Noah, Abel and Hector’s names too, but I wanted to make sure you were okay with that.”

Gio couldn’t believe Jack would even have to ask. “Of course it’s okay. They put in just as much work around here as I do. But Jack, I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say you’ll always work as hard as you do now to keep this place running smoothly. This place is my life and I’m trusting you boys with it.” Jack stood. Gio walked over to him and hugged him.

“You have my word.”

Jack smiled. “I knew I would, son. Just do me a favor. Don’t tell them anything yet. I wanna get their names on the title first. And keep to yourself the fact that your name was the only one I added at first.” He pressed his lips together. “You were just the first one I got close to. But now I love you all the same. They don’t need to know about that.”

Gio promised not to say anything and with that their guy talk was over and Jack left him with a lot to think about. Gio always knew in his heart that someday he and the guys would be running things. Jack, who had no family of his own, always treated them like family and he’d been a father figure to all of them. For the first time in weeks, Gio felt excited again.

CHAPTER 2

Nana and her mother stared at Bianca as she got off the phone. She hadn’t been able to wipe the silly smile off her face fast enough.

“Was that who I think it was?” Nana asked.

Bianca gave in, nodding. Ever since the past summer, she’d been seeing the Felix Sanchez, current welterweight boxing champion of the world. She didn’t know a thing about boxing but everyone, especially in her neighborhood, knew about Felix. She’d gone to high school with him and he became the local hero when he started winning fight after fight. Then he’d won the championship over a year ago. He was now known worldwide and she was dating him.

Although she admitted him being famous and insanely rich was part of the intrigue, she’d actually had a crush on the guy way back in high school. She hadn’t seen him in person since she graduated, but last summer when she came up to Big Bear after her grandfather’s death she ran into him. She’d been surprised he remembered her. One thing led to another and they began seeing each other.

A first she had her doubts about it working out. She even reasoned that it would be okay if it didn’t. She knew he lived a busy life that was much different from her small town life in Big Bear.

Another reason for her doubts was his fame. Boxers weren’t usually the target of the stalkarazzis but because of Felix’s age and looks—the fact that he’d been linked with quite a few young Hollywood A-listers, and because his upcoming fight was so highly anticipated, he’d now become just as much of a target as a movie star.