“Henry!” I snapped my head up, seeing Gunther running into the area. “Let him go! Now!” He jumped into the ring and placed his hands on his hips, opening up his chest. “Now,” he growled. I shoved the knob away from me. “I’ll take care of this mess. Go to your office. I will be there in a few.”
I jumped out of the ring and stalked off, shaking out my hand.
It was about a half-hour and one hundred and fifty paces in my office before Gunther blew through the door. He shut the blinds, then stormed up to me, slamming me into the wall. “I swear to god, motherfucker, if we get a lawsuit because you can’t keep your anger in check, I will personally see you get hung out to dry!”
“Fuck you! That bitch sucker punched me!”
“So that gives you the right to bloody the pig up?”
“Yeah!”
“This is not the program! Check yourself, Henry. So help me god…!”
“Back off!” I shoved his big ass away from me.
“Whatcha gonna do about it?” He slammed his chest into mine again. “Gather your shit. You’re taking a couple weeks off to cool down.”
Appalled, I yelled, “What?! You can’t do that! I own just as much as this place as you do!”
“Yup, and that gives me the right to cut you off at the knees when you need it.”
“You’re serious?”
“As dead motherfucking serious as the virus running through our bodies.”
I shook my head. “Elaina’s going to be pissed.”
He stepped back and allowed me to pass by. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you went all ultimate fighter on the sap.”
“Thanks. I’ll remind you of that next time someone sucker punches you.”
Rifling through the desk, I grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys, shoved my laptop into my pack, then picked up my helmet. When I turned and faced Gunther once more, I snarled, “You going to escort me out, too?”
“Are you mature enough to walk out on your own without getting into another confrontation?”
“You’re something else.” I shook my head and headed out of my office. “Good luck with the books.”
“At least two weeks, Henry!” he shouted behind me. “I mean it!” I flipped him off and pushed open the front doors.
Stalking to my bike, I decided not to go home yet. A coffee shop, Zom-Beans, had opened in the plaza across from our gym about a month prior. I hated the name, but we scored big time off each other’s clientele.
When I walked in, the heavenly scent of fresh brewed coffee infiltrated my sinuses. The dark, yet sophisticated interior reminded me of a goth Starbucks. Bizarre, but the place was usually moderately busy.
The girl at the counter—nametag stated Zom-Jenny—reminded me a bit of Josie with a similar demeanor, except she had lime green hair with purple tips. I would never understand the desire to change your hair to make you look like something on a kids’ TV program.
“Welcome to Zom-Beans, where our espresso wakes the dead,” she muttered in an annoyed tone. I stared at her with a lifted brow. She tapped her fingers on the register’s keypad. “Can I help you, creeper?”
“How many times a day do you say that?” I asked.
“What? Can I help you, creeper?”
“No…” I shook my head in irritation. “Your slogan.”
“Not enough, according to my manager.”
“Imagine that. Anyway, I’ll take a large medium roast with room for cream.”
“Gotcha.” She looked over her shoulder. “Zom-Joey! Large medium with room.” She glanced back at me. “Anything else, Mr. Muscles?”
“I’m good.”
“You from England?”
“You really are a brilliant one, aren’t you? How could you tell?”
She circled her hand between us. “Maybe it’s the asshole vibe I’m getting from you.”
I quirked a brow. “Being from England makes me an asshole?”
“Have you been living under a rock? The British released the virus.”
“So, since I’m British—East Ender, to be exact—it’s my fault?” I glared at her. Luckily, for her, Zom-Joey came out with my coffee before I read the bitch the riot act. Seemed like everyone was testing my patience, whether or not they understood my anger.
After pouring a bit of cream in the cup, I sat in the back of the shop and leaned against the tinted glass, feeling the coolness add to my own. I sipped my coffee and tried to figure out what the hell I was going to tell Elaina.
How does one get suspended from their own business? I scrubbed my face and let out a low groan. “Only me.”
“Rough day?” I pulled my hands away and gazed at the face in front of me. I knew it… “Rachel. Remember me?”
I pursed my lips and wracked my brain for a Rachel. “Remind me.”
She narrowed her eyes at me in disgust. “Friends with Vanessa from Geoff’s Gym…”
“Oh.” I sat straight. “Right.” We had dated for about a month and fucked like crazy, but she asked too many questions, so I cut her loose.
“Why are you speaking with a British accent now? And I can’t believe you don’t remember me. I knew it was you the moment you walked in.”
“Long story, but I was undercover before. How are you?”
“Interesting.” She rested her hands on her hips. “I’ve had worse days in my life, like when the guy I was in love with dropped me like a hot potato.”
Wanting to deflect, I asked, “So… You work here?”
“Actually, I own it,” she said with pride.
“Perfect,” I muttered. Outstanding. This day couldn’t possibly get any better.
“I see you’re married now.” Rachel nodded at my ring.
I gazed down at the band and my stomach rolled, thinking about having to tell Elaina about my suspension. “Yeah.”
“Congrats.”
“Thanks.” She stared at me for several long, torturous seconds. I glanced down at my watch. “Okay, well… I should be going. My son likes me to tuck him in for his naps.”
She crossed her arms and shifted her weight. “Oh, and you have a child, as well. Lovely.”
“Yup. Nice chatting with you. Excuse me.” I stood and pushed past her, tossed my nearly full coffee into the bin, then headed back out to my bike, grumbling the entire way.
Minutes later, I pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the shed. My mum and Cora were tending to the flowerbeds. They looked up as I pulled off my helmet and headed toward the house.
After they glanced back and forth at one another, Mum was the first to speak. “Henry? What are you doing home so early?”
“Is everything all right at the gym?” Cora asked, looking a little alarmed.
“Yeah. I just needed… Fuck it,” I grumbled. “Gunther suspended me.”
“What?!” they said in unison.
“I got into a little skirmish while instructing a client in kickboxing.”
“What happened?” my mum asked, hand to her throat.
“I need to talk to Elaina,” I mumbled as I strode past them and up the steps of the porch.
I heard the mixer on in the kitchen. I set my helmet down on the table and shook off a bit of the tension. Dancing around to whatever tune was playing in her head, Elaina seemed happy, but I was about to disappoint her once again.
I leaned on the doorway and wondered if this was how she was when I wasn’t home—happy and carefree. She spun around and screamed when she saw me, her hand slapping over her heart.
“Henry! You scared me!” She switched off the mixer.
“Sorry.”
“Why are you home?”
I pointed my chin at the mixer. “What are you making?”
She gazed at me for a moment. “Banana bread. Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not.”
“Are they talking to you again?”
“They’re always talking to me, Elaina. Always,” I whispered, allowing my eyes to focus on
the floor.
“Then why are you home?”
I was so fucking embarrassed about my behavior and didn’t want to tell her, but I knew I had to. “Gunther suspended me.”
“What?! For what? Can he do that? You own half the place!”
“He told me to take two weeks off.”
“For…?”
“I kind of got into a little row.”
She stepped back. “What happened?”
“It was with a new client. The bastard sucker punched me while I was instructing him.”
“And let me guess…” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Instead of acting like a business owner and walking away, you took it to another level.”
“That’s fucking great, Elaina. Thanks for that. Exactly what I need to hear from my wife while I deal with this bullshit!”
“Don’t get snippy with me because you can’t control yourself,” she growled. She tried to push past me, but I grabbed her arm.
“You going to finish that banana bread?”
“Finish it yourself. I’ve lost my taste for something sweet,” she snipped. Shaking my hand free, she stormed toward the stairs.
“Elaina… Elaina, wait.” She stopped at the base of the stairs just as my mother came through the front door. “I’m a poor excuse for a man, a husband, a father…” I glanced over my shoulder. “And a son. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do or how to change myself. One minute, things are great. The next, it’s like a tank comes in and demolishes everything.”
When Elaina turned to face me, the fire in her eyes broke me. “You need help. We’ve been over this. You should have accepted the help from Dr. Winley.” Tears welled in her eyes. “You’ve lost so much, and now you’re losing your stake at the gym.”
“He’s not buying me out, Elaina. Just suspending me.”
“Just suspending you? Are you even hearing yourself? He is forcing you to take time off from a business of which you own fifty percent!”
“None of this is news to me,” I muttered.
“Me, either.”
I watched my wife stomp up the stairs, then I turned to face my mother. “You are not a poor excuse. You’re troubled and…and sick.”
“I don’t want to be troubled or sick.”
“None of us want you to be. We would love to see you happy and well.” She raised her hand and cupped my cheek. Her thumb swiped away the single tear trickling from my eye.
“I need to try to make things right with Elaina.”
“I’ll keep an ear out for Nicky.”
“Thanks,” I croaked.
I slowly made my way up the stairs, then stood at the door to our bedroom. Even with it closed, her cries were loud. I rubbed my hand over my heart, swallowing the lump in my throat. The door creaked as I opened it. She looked up from her pillow, her cheeks bright red, eyes swollen.
Every ounce of pain slapped me in the face. “Elaina…”
“I don’t want to hear your empty apologies. They mean nothing unless you actually want to change.”
“I don’t want to be like this. I want to change, but the ire in my body… It’s significant and I don’t know how to control it anymore.” I leaned against the closed door and wondered if she still loved me.
The silence stretching between us wore me thinner by the second.
Our gazes locked and she sighed. “I hate this…this cycle of happy and angry, but I will love you forever, Henry.”
I swallowed so audibly, it echoed within the quiet. My feet shuffled across the carpeted floor, the bed squeaking as I settled next to her.
With a sniffle, she reached out and I took her in my arms. She was so warm and comfortable. I couldn’t imagine holding another.
“Elaina, what’s happening to us? I know I’m difficult to deal with-”
“Shh… Just hold me,” she whispered into my neck.
Just as she asked, I shut my mouth and held her, having no idea what our future held, but we still needed one another. I pulled away and grabbed her face. Her hot tears ran around my thumbs, collecting in the crook of my hand. The sadness in her hazy eyes was the worst I had seen from her yet.
“Oh god, Elaina… I’m so sorry. I’ve ruined everything.” I shook my head and let go of her face. Turning, I rested my elbows on my knees and stared at the door. She moved next to me. Her warmth was remarkable. “Do you want me to leave?” I shuddered and waited for her to answer.
“Henry…,” she whispered with such torture and despair.
Just hearing her say my name like that made me further choke up. “’Laina… I don’t even know what to say or do.”
She took my face in her hands and made me look at her. I didn’t want to spend another moment agonizing over her pain, but I relented. When our gazes met, the need to curl up and die was strong. “You need to get help, but I can’t make you do it. This is something you have to do on your own. If you don’t, I have no idea how we will manage the rest of our lives together. I miss Henry. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
After she let me go, my gaze returned to the door. “The man I was when we first met was a fraud. This is who I am. I’m nothing more or nothing less than how you see me right now.”
“I’m dizzy from all of your ups and downs.”
“I know the feeling quite well. You haven’t answered my question, though. Do you want me to leave?”
“I want whatever is going on with you to leave so I can have Henry back.”
I shook my head. “I wish it were that simple. I’m tainted…body, mind, and soul.”
Elaina sighed as she stood and headed to the door, then glanced over her shoulder. “I will love you until the end of time, but you need to get level.” She opened the door and left me alone.
When Gunther walked through the front door of his house, he was bombarded by…quiet. He was so used to the kids running to him to say hello, he found it unsettling when it didn’t happen.
Worry washed over him. “Cora?” he yelled, walking into the kitchen.
“I’m upstairs putting laundry away!”
He headed up the stairs, meeting her in the hall as she balanced a basket of folded laundry on her hip. After taking it from her, he asked, “Where are the kids?”
“You’re late. They’re all in bed.”
“What?” Glancing down at his watch, he muttered, “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the time.” He jammed his thumb and forefinger in his eyes and rubbed at the fatigue.
“It’s okay. You look like you had a rough day.”
“Christ, you have no idea.”
“Actually I do. I was helping Anne with her flowerbeds when Henry came home early, but I never got the story as to why. What happened?” she asked, heading into Gunther’s room.
“He was instructing a client and got into a row with him.” Gunther shook his head and set the basket on the bed. “I made him take some time off.”
“Wow, that’s unacceptable.”
“Yeah, no kidding. I managed to talk the bloke out of calling the police or suing us. Can you even imagine Henry in jail? What a bloody mess.”
Cora grabbed a stack of t-shirts from the basket and put them in the dresser drawer. “What are you going to do about him?”
“Firstly, we both need to cool off. I had to step into him, knocking him down a peg or two. It was all I could do to control the urge to choke the life out of him. We can’t have that kind of environment because business will tank. I have too much time and money invested. Plus, I imagine we would lose the sponsorship.” She picked up a stack of shorts and headed back to the dresser. “Secondly, I need to make sure his head is on straight before he comes back.”
“Well, we all could die before that happens,” Cora muttered, closing the drawer.
Sighing, Gunther dropped onto the bed. “Fuck me.”
Cora watched him rub his head and face. The stress was tearing him up. “Not to add more to your plate, but Josie called again. She’s sad you haven’t called her yet.
”
“Shit… Right. I’ve been so busy with everything.”
“I know you have and she understands that wholeheartedly, but she has something very important to tell you.”
He gazed up at Cora. “Yeah?”
“Why don’t you give her a call now? It will give you some time to unwind while I make you dinner.”
He rubbed his stomach. “Thanks. I’m hungry as hell.”
“I’ll leave you alone.” She grabbed the laundry basket and headed out of his room, closing the door behind her.
Gunther leaned back and dug his phone out of the pocket of his shorts. He pulled up Josie’s contact and tapped the icon. It rang three times before he heard that familiar voice, bringing tears to his eyes.
“Gunther!”
“Hullo, my lass.”
“I’ve been dying to talk to you!”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been meaning to call. Life has been hectic. By the time I get home and get the kids taken care of, I’m falling into bed myself. As a matter of fact, I’m sitting on my bed now.”
“I hope you’re fully clothed.”
“Of course. You never ease up, do you?” They both shared a short chuckle. “Cora said you had something important to tell me?”
“I have a few important things to tell you.”
“Well, out with it. Don’t leave me hanging like this.”
He heard the phone shift as if she was getting cozy. “Jake and I are getting married!”
“Oh, yeah? Congratulations! When is the date? I’d like to walk my lass down the aisle…if I can break away from Edge for a few days.”
“I would love that, but there’s one other part I need to tell you. We plan on marrying after the baby is born.”
“Josie…” He was stunned, thinking about her becoming a mother. “That’s brill. My lass is having a baby. That makes me a grandpa. Oh god, I feel old!”
Josie laughed. “You are not old.”
“Well, tell me… Did you find out what you’re having yet?”
“No. We want it to be a surprise, but…” She paused, her voice lowering in volume. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“What’s that?”
“Regardless of the sex, Jake and I would like to name the baby Quinn. How do you feel about that?”
Blind Faith (Shattered Lives, Book Four) Page 36
