Path To Redemption (Fighter's Den, #1)

Chapter 1 - Jaxon

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I look back down from the building I'm parked in front of to the paper in my hands, making sure I've got the right address. I know I'm stalling but hell, I can't shake the feeling that this decision will change my life drastically. At the thought, I immediately let a dry and humorless laugh out. My life has already faced ridiculously drastic changes. Losing my brother was one of them. My hand gripping the steering wheel tightens on its own accord and I close my eyes, exhaling shakily. It's time to move on.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" My daughter's sweet voice calls from the back seat.

A sense of peace washes over me when I hear her. My daughter is admittedly the light of my life. If it wasn't for my determination to do right by her, I'd still be on my ass and mourning my brother's loss when I lost him a mere 4 months ago. I was drinking, partying, and going home with an endless slew of women to escape the world I wasn't ready to be thrown into; a world without my brother. My daughter's sitter, Greta, had been an enormous help through it all and once again I find myself wishing I could pay her more than a measly minimum wage. I can barely provide for my daughter as it is. But that wasn't the reason I'd finally had some sense knocked into me. It was when I'd come home from a night out at the bar, creeping into Lizzie's room to kiss her goodnight. I was startled when she shifted to look at me, clearly awake and clearly having been crying.

"Baby?" I'd whispered in question. It was always a punch to the gut to see your child cry. Nothing was worse than knowing your child was hurting. Which is why it felt like someone took a knife to my chest when she'd said, "Why aren't you home anymore, Daddy? Did you like Uncle Sam better than me?"

It was then that I realized I was prioritizing my dead little brother over my very alive, and very alone daughter. I could've kicked my own ass when I saw the pure and unshed hurt on her face. I did that, I remembered thinking when I saw that look. That night, I lay beside my daughter crying and apologizing to be better. I vowed not to let her down the way I did with Sam. I vowed to get better. Most importantly, I vowed to fight. So here we are now, at Sam's old boxing club. Working double jobs, I was never able to drop my brother off so I'm only now seeing this place. I'd decided that night with Lizzie that I'd make things right with her and Sam by continuing Sam's dream of becoming a boxer and earning enough money to buy my daughter a castle if I could. She deserved it.

"Daddy?" Lizzie says again, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I turn to look at her in the backseat where she holds that ratty and torn teddy bear I gave her as a baby, refusing to throw it out, and has her head tilted at me in child-like curiosity. I give her a soft smile.

"I'm fine, baby. Just making sure we're not lost. You ready to go inside?" I ask and she nods her head vigorously. The brown ringlets of her hair bounce when she does this and I smile wider. I may be biased saying this but my daughter is the cutest fucking kid on the planet.

I get out of the car and slam my door, making my way over to Lizzie's side. I open her door and reach down, unbuckling her seat belt and lifting her out before closing her door with my hip.

"I can barely hold on to you with this massive dress on," I tease her as I begin walking, adjusting her in my arms when the puffy silk of her pink dress causes her to slip slightly. I bend my knees and pretend like I'm going to drop her and this makes her squeal so loudly, my ears ring. I lift her back up and over my head so I can blow a raspberry on her tummy. She starts giggling uncontrollably and it's like music to my ears.