Moving Forward

The Righteous Rage of a Father

Colt's POV

"I don't give a fuck about the Ashley Waters mission; I want your asses on the jet in an hour." I growled into my phone. "Kitten was taken from school; I need your god damn help to control Sven." I disconnected the call, refusing to listen to any excuses. I sent my best friend a wary look, assuring myself that he was still in control. Fuck, we didn't need this, both of them were just starting to believe she could have a normal life. I called Rolf next, I explained what was going on and that Sven needed him. He stated firmly that he and Bjorn would leave for the airport right away, to have the chopper waiting for them. I started calling local teams and ordered them to the streets. We needed eyes and ears in the places where the police couldn't go and no one could do it better than our Academy members. Sven sent Victor home with the guard team escorting him; he gave them the duty to keep both boys there until further notice. Until we knew why she was taken, we dare not let them roam the streets and lose them too.

Sven's POV

We were only home about three hours when I got the call from a burner phone. I was expecting to be told they wanted millions to be dropped off at some obscure place that she would be released once they had the money. I would have given them every dime I had if it meant my daughter would be okay. Instead, I was informed that I was to show up at the local fight arena tomorrow night at ten, prepared to fight. They would consider giving my daughter back if I made it past the first round. I could hear Chel yelling in the background, she was screaming that I was going to rip some fucker's head off once I got my hands on him. There was a snicker, and a rumble of voices, one chortling over a little girl kicking one of their ass. The call ended abruptly.

Whoever took Raschel just made a big fucking mistake. They wanted a fight; they were going to get one. I would make it through the first round, their fighter wouldn't. While I was in that ring, the Academy was going to be pulling Chel out and taking them down. Colt, Foxy and Shan would be leading the charge. I left Colt to answer questions and start the planning and headed to the gym. I may have stopped fighting professionally, but I had never stopped training. Academy rules, stay in shape and fight like a demon when those you love are on the line. That is why most of our members had been abused children, they above all others deserved to learn how to fight back and know they have worth. Most people didn't understand what made me such a good fighter, my family and team had known. I had years of unsatisfied rage fueling me and it still rode me hard at times. My father had let me become professional in the Junior League to help me take control of my anger, I was moved up after only a few fights. Not only was I big for my age, but I was also focused and determined. It was my outlet for the rage of failing my daughter, of wondering if she was still alive. I may have only been fourteen at the time I lost her; it didn't mean I was too young to feel the bond between a parent and their child. The only time I held her as a baby, she had clutched my finger with her tiny hand and all I could do was stare at her in wonder. She was a miracle, she had gone through so much to be born and I was allowed to be her Dad. This tiny little girl, beyond beautiful and she was all mine to love. Then the asshole took her, it had felt like someone had cut out my heart. Now some fucker was repeating the first man's mistake and this one was stupid enough to offer himself up as a punching bag.

James' POV

"He doesn't blame you," I kept a firm grip on Victor. "They would have taken her even if you had been with her. They may have taken you too, both of you. They want Sven to fight, that tells us that this has to do with his past. He started fighting adults when he was sixteen, your age. Many of the fighters protested his fights; they didn't think a kid should be fighting them. The truth was they didn't want the embarrassment of being defeated by a kid. He won every match. He had one thing that they didn't, he had an unrelenting anger that burned deep inside. One only another father would understand. When he retired, he was still undefeated and there was an outcry that he was being unfair to the other fighters, that he should give them the chance to win back the title. He refused; he didn't want his little girl raised in a gym. There have been fighters over the years that have made public challenges, but he ignores them. They want to make a name for themselves and they think they can do it by defeating him, believing he is out of shape and easily beaten. They want to be the one who defeats Sven Ericson, the undefeated Champion of Street Fighting."