8. Taine

Taine walked down the city street and found himself feeling a sense of relaxation for the first time in a long time. It might have been down to the fact that his drinking had decreased since being kept so occupied by the academy, or it perhaps could have been the extra fitness work he was doing alongside the new boys.

Whatever it was that was making him feel good, Taine was all there for it.

While he still had plenty of problems in his life on a deeper level, Taine was pretty pleased with how things were going on a day to day basis. Working with Oliver, Tommy, and of course Donovan was great. All three of them had their own particular combat strength, and all three were the kind of natural athlete able to quickly pick up on movements and techniques.

But it was Donovan who especially impressed Taine.

Donovan had the genetics of a natural born light heavyweight fighter. There was an saying in the fight business that you can't train size. And Donovan certainly had size. As Taine walked down the busy street, his mind flashed back to the mouthwatering sight of Donovan's naked cock. And not only was the image of Donovan's thick, heavy cock seared into Taine's mind, but so too was the super-sweet way that he had covered it up with both hands, showing the kind of shy vulnerability that was so at odds with his other, far more confident an even confrontational side.

He"s cute.

He's hot as hell.

But is he actually a Little?

Taine knew that there was still plenty about Donovan that he didn't know. Sure, Donovan had given his safeword and gone along with the spanking. And yes, there had been plenty of further hints that he was a Little since then. However, as Taine knew, nothing in life was ever guaranteed.

As far as Taine was concerned, the best things in life were often built on false promises, deception, and downright lies.

‘Jeez, you're too cynical,' Taine muttered to himself as he walked toward Power Roast Coffee Bar, the location of his meeting with Danilo. ‘The world ain't always out to get you. Give the boy a chance.'

Taine truly wanted to give Donovan the benefit of the doubt. But with the way his fighting career was brought to such a shockingly underhand end by a jealous promoter, Taine was carrying the scars of the deepest mistrust with him, even after nearly ten years.

Still, what was done was done.

With the morning sun shining and a refreshingly cool breeze in the air, Taine arrived at Power Roast Coffee and immediately spotted Danilo Doni sitting at one of the outdoor tables.

A quick scan from Taine revealed three bodyguards situated very subtly in the nearby area, as was normal for any time Danilo ventured out into public. There might well have been a fourth bodyguard situated somewhere, but Taine didn't spot him.

‘Gino's getting coffee for the others,' Danilo smiled, clearly having noted Taine's assessment of his personal protection. ‘You've got a good eye. We could use you for more than just academy work, Mr. Crash.'

Taine smiled and shook Danilo's hand before taking a seat.

Danilo was looking as suave and smart as ever. Dressed slightly more casually than normal, Danilo was still looking the epitome of style in a black t-shirt, tailored cream pants, and deck shoes.

Taine by comparison was wearing a well-worn white t-shirt, light blue jeans, and his pair of trusty cowboy boots.

‘We look like mismatched detectives working a case,' Danilo chuckled. ‘But I think that's why we get along so well. Life is all about embracing differences and finding that shared bond. Right?'

Taine nodded and gratefully received his double espresso from Gino as he returned with a full order of coffees. Danilo was clearly trying to butter him up for something, but Taine couldn't quite see where he was going with all this talk.

One thing that Taine knew though was that whatever it was Danilo wanted, he was almost certainly only expecting one answer. Danilo was a ruthless, calculating, and highly senior member of the family – you didn't rise to that kind of rank in the Doni family without having a way of making people do things for you.

And Taine wasn't in the mood to be cajoled and manipulated either.

‘Yo, Danilo, just tell me what you need from me,' Taine said, downing his espresso and motioning to Gino for a refill. ‘We're buddies. At least I think we are. We've know one another for long enough to cut through the crap and speak openly.'

Taine stopped talking and tried to gauge Danilo's reaction.

For a brief moment, Taine was worried that he might have overstepped the mark with Danilo. With no obvious expression on his face, Danilo simply sipped on his own espresso and looked at Taine with his cold, ruthless eyes.

But a split second later, both Taine and Danilo were laughing.

‘And that's why we truly are friends,' Danilo said, struggling not to cough as the last of his espresso slipped down his throat. ‘Not many men would dare to speak to me like that. But you're one of a kind, Taine. I respect it. I know you have an honorable heart. And the courage of a lion too. So, yeah, let's drop the bullshit and let's talk…'

Taine listened as Danilo went on to explain a situation that had been developing for the Doni family out of town. It was nothing overly serious on the face of things, merely a rival family in another city beginning to spread their wings a little bit too far. But there was also the possibility that this rival family was being fed information by a traitor in the Doni family – and this was something that Danilo was determined to get to the bottom of.

‘We pride ourselves on integrity and loyalty to the death,' Danilo said. ‘I knew there could be a rat among us even before I moved to the Ice Bears. But now I've been here a little longer, I'm absolutely certain of it. The problem of course is that you can't make an accusation like this without proof. The security of the family could be put at risk if I make a wrong call and falsely accuse someone. Not to mention that my life would be under threat too.'

‘Right, so you need me to head out of town and check something out for you?' Taine said. ‘Sure. I've got you. But why me? I'm not exactly Mr. Incognito.'

‘That's true,' Danilo smiled. ‘But this new family are moving into fight promotion, and I think you showing up at one of their big fight nights won't look out of place. You can even tease that you're considering a comeback. It makes perfect sense that you'd be there, and you'll have VIP access too. Everyone wants some of that Taine Crash action, even now.'

Taine nodded.

What Danilo said made sense. But Taine still wasn't sure precisely what would be expected of him.

‘You'll be doing some reconnaissance,' Danilo said. ‘Talking with the event promoters, hopefully getting your eyes and ears on the Volchek family. Seeing what intel you can pick up. And if you hear anything about the Doni family, anything at all, then even better.'

Taine nodded.

This was very much doable. And the fact that it involved a trip to another city was all the better. Taine even felt a shot of excitement about the prospect of being involved in a big fight night again. It had been a long time, and Taine had deliberately kept a distance from anything to do with fight nights. But somehow, this felt right.

However as excited as Taine was, it was clear that Danilo wasn't quite done with surprise requests…

‘One extra thing,' Danilo said. ‘You'll be taking a boy of your choosing with you to the fight. I want you to think about who would work best in that environment. And if things do go south, which boy would be the most capable to handle it and help you fight your way out of a tricky spot.'

‘Right,' Taine replied, the situation becoming even clearer to him. ‘So this is still part academy business too.'

‘Indeed,' Danilo said, nodding his head and standing up from his chair. ‘And I'll leave it with you to decide. You'll make the right call, I know you will. I'm impressed so far, Taine. Let's see how this goes, but I think you might have a future at the academy beyond our short term arrangement.'

With that, Danilo and his entourage of bodyguards made their way out of the café's seated area and quickly disappeared into the crowds of people walking on the street and going about their daily business totally unaware that they were in the presence of one of the city's most dangerous men.

As he watched Danilo blend into the crowds, Taine had plenty to think about.

The mission for Danilo was one thing, but the fact that he had to take one of the academy boys was something else altogether. It felt like an added responsibility that Taine hadn't necessarily bargain for.

Still, there was one obvious choice for who to take with him – and Taine couldn't wait to break the news to the sure to be delighted boy…