Impact (The Fight for Life #2)

by K. A. Sterritt

  Fire engines were parked on the grassy verge as well as down the driveway. There was also an ambulance, which just made me want to throw up. Huge torrents of water were flooding the house at multiple places. A loud bang sent shockwaves through my body and I watched as the roof collapsed. I pulled out the borrowed phone and hit Juliette’s number. It went straight to voicemail without ringing. “Please don’t let Juliette be in there.” I repeated my desperate plea out loud as I rode closer to the house. I left the bike on the side of the road and started down the driveway.

  “Hold it right there, pal.” A fireman stopped me at the front gate.

  “This is my house.” I tried to dodge him but was stopped by one of his colleagues, who appeared from behind the closest truck. He held up both his hands to stop me. “I need to get in there.”

  “It isn’t safe. The roof has collapsed and I’ve had to pull my men out.”

  “My mother and girlfriend might be in there.” I pointed to the house, shocked by the tears glazing my vision.

  “Have you found anyone in there yet?”

  He nodded and I felt my world begin to fall apart. “I’m so sorry, son, but one female body has been recovered. Before it got too dangerous, my men were in there looking for other casualties.”

  My hand covered my mouth. Either way, I was about to find out this house was the scene of both my parents’ deaths or Juliette’s.

  “Can you tell me anything about the woman you pulled out?”

  “I didn’t see her.” He looked at the other man. “Did you?”

  “The burns were pretty bad.” His sad eyes gave away the strain of a job not everyone could do. As with all the first response services, they must see some hideous sights along with the reward of saving lives.

  “Do you know if she was brunette or blonde?” I pressed.

  I held my breath waiting for the reply knowing this was the obvious distinguishing feature. Please don’t say blonde.

  Detective Peters materialised next to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “It was Gwendolyn, Leo.”

  The combination of relief that it wasn’t Juliette and devastation that she might still be in there was overwhelming. I stood frozen in place, frozen in time and dying just a little bit more with every passing second.

  A loud bang roared, snapping me out of my stupor. The glass from the upstairs windows shattered and flames licked the eaves.

  “You can’t just leave her in there.” I rushed forward but was restrained by two strong sets of arms. “What about Juliette?” I screamed. “You’re going to let her die in there. Please let me go and get her.” I can’t live without her.

  “I’m really sorry, but I can’t let you do that. We’ll keep working on the fire and when it’s safe, we’ll go back in.”

  Joe pulled me back, but I shrugged him off. I started pacing, all the while willing it to be all just one big nightmare I could wake up from. In my mind, I was formulating a plan to get around the firefighters and into the house, which I knew rationally was insane, but I was far from rational at that point. I couldn’t just stand there watching the inferno.

  Joe rushed over to me holding his phone up. “We just got an anonymous tip.”

  My head snapped up. “Tell me,” I demanded.

  “The basement.”

  “What?”

  “The tip was to check the basement and that’s all the information given.”

  Without any further thought, I made a bolt for it. My whole body went into fight mode and I dodged anyone crazy enough to get in my path. I was headed for the north east corner of the house where I knew there was an external access point into the basement. Dad used it for his wine and home brew supplies.

  Every second felt like an hour as I closed the distance to my destination. If she was in there, it was because of me. I simply couldn’t lose her. Not again. Not ever.

  I was horrified to find the sloping doorset and the ventilation points were covered by fallen stones and timber. I immediately started heaving them off.

  “Are you insane?” A voice called out from behind me, but I didn’t stop.

  “Help me or leave me the hell alone,” I shouted, glancing back to see a group of angry firemen fully kitted up.

  To my relief, they all joined me in clearing the debris and minutes later, the job was done. One of the firemen stepped forward with bolt cutters and made light work of the heavy, rusted padlock. A split second later, I ripped the steel door open.

  “Jules,” I shouted. “Are you down there?”

  I thought I heard a voice, but the sounds of the burning house and the thick torrents of water trying to contain it made it hard to hear. Before the firemen could stop me, I scrambled down the ladder into the darkness, calling out to Jules with increased urgency.

  “Leo?” I could her faint voice and my heart skipped a beat. She was alive. Juliette was alive.

  When I found her, she was lying on the floor in the foetal position, but was trying to raise her head. I thought I might die of relief and happiness. I crouched down next to her and the tears started to pour down her face. My heart broke for whatever she’d just gone through.

  “Baby.” It was all I could utter as I picked her up and cradled her against me. Her arms wrapped around my neck. “You’re alive,” I whispered into her smoky hair. She coughed into my chest.

  “We need to get her out of here,” urged one of the firemen who’d followed me down into the basement. “She needs medical attention.”

  I followed them back the way we’d come, gripping Jules to me with a wild possessiveness.

  “She’s one lucky lady,” the fireman said when we were at a safe distance from the house. “The basement was built like a stone fortress. She would’ve been fine down there until the ventilation was compromised.”

  I looked up to the sky. “Thank you, Dad.”

  “I was so scared I’d never see you again,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know if I should stay down there or try to get out.”

  “Shh.” I kissed her head. “It’s over now, angel.”

  “I’m alive.” She clung to me and spoke against my chest.

  “I don’t know what I would’ve done,” I managed to croak out. She looked up at me and I kissed her, tasting her tears. “I was so scared.”

  “I’m okay.” Her voice was shaky. In fact, her whole body was shaking. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she whispered.

  The ambulance officers wanted to examine her, but there was no way I was letting her go anywhere without me. The first thing they did was place an oxygen mask over her face and check her for wounds.

  “I just went to Hell and back thinking you were dead.”

  She lifted her mask. “I would’ve called you, but my phone got smashed.” Her voice broke. “Your mum… Your dad…” She placed her hands on either side of her head and rubbed at her temples. “I need to speak to the police.”

  “Don’t talk now, baby.” I stroked her hair. “It can wait.”

  “I have more to tell you though. I know—”

  “Please keep the mask on, Miss,” the ambulance officer insisted.

  “I agree.” I felt guilty and stepped back to let them do their job properly.

  Unsurprisingly, the overall experience was taking its toll on her and she looked to be on the verge of collapse. I wished I could’ve taken her place. I had no idea what impact this terrible experience had had on us individually, but we were alive and we were together. We could get through this. I could hear the raging inferno and the occasional crash as my family home continued to burn, despite the untiring efforts of the firefighters.

  I had no idea yet what she had gone through, but I wouldn’t be leaving her side for a really long time. The hours of not knowing where she was and then if she were dead were something I never wanted to go through again. She was half my heart, half my soul and my whole life. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live without her.

  When she was given the all clear, I helped her out of the ambulance and put
my arm protectively around her. “Are you okay?”

  “I have to tell you someth—”

  She was interrupted by the appearance of Detective Peters. “I know you’re probably anxious to get out of here, but I’d like a word with you first, Ms Salinger.”

  “Nick,” she blurted out, tears running freely down her cheeks. “Nick Matthews is the killer.”

  I snapped my head to the side. “What? What are you talking about?”

  “He did it for your mum, but she just wanted the money. He got away with it all these years until Gwendolyn came back for more and he thought she was going to tell you what he did so he came out here to stop her.”

  She was rambling and I couldn’t process what she was saying. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be. I shook my head as my whole childhood flashed before my eyes. Nick had been my boxing coach, mentor and my friend. I had respected him like a father figure. Was that all a lie?

  I stood there in complete and utter shock as Juliette gave further details of what happened today, but it was all a blur. I felt my legs give way and everything started to sway.

  “Sit down, Leo.” Jules and Joe ushered me to the police car and I collapsed into the seat. I leaned forward and tried to get oxygen into my lungs.

  I was vaguely aware of Joe making a call as he walked away from us, but a million moments I’d shared with Nick Matthews continued to rage violently in my head. It wasn’t possible. “It can’t be true,” I spoke my thoughts out loud.

  Within half an hour, Joe returned with a grave expression on his face.

  “What happened?” I vaguely heard Jules asking. She was so strong when I was unable to string a few words together.

  “His number plate was picked up by highway patrol. He was pulled over heading north up the Hume.” Joe paused. “He pulled a gun on the police officers who had no option but to defend themselves and he died at the scene.”

  Silence was our only response. What could either of us say?

  “I’ll drive you home,” Joe said. “I’ll get one of the guys to look after your bike.”

  “We are home,” I mumbled.

  Juliette crouched down next to me and took hold of my hands. “Leo. My home is wherever you are. I don’t care if that’s here, an apartment in the city, an igloo or on the freaking moon.” She smiled. “It’s been a rough day. We’ll stay with Bea and Angus tonight then work out what to do from there. Okay?”

  I nodded, but felt completely numb.

  Before we took off, I stared out the window at what was left of the farmhouse. In front of my eyes, it had been reduced to a pile of stone and rubble. It was gone. My father’s family home that had been passed down through the generations was gone. It was hard to believe yesterday, I had been a cage fighting champion and the king of the underground. Today, I felt so damn weak, crushed by the truth and the weight of a deception that had been right under my nose.

  We sat in the back of Joe’s police car and drove away. Juliette gripped my hand. She had been through far worse than me today, but my girl was strong and she was trying to give me the resolve I needed.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Leo

  We stayed with Bea and Angus for the next couple of months. They had plenty of room and were both thrilled to have us there, despite the fact I was pretty much a dysfunctional human being. When my lease ended, Jules organised for the furniture from my apartment in St Kilda to be moved into storage. She rented her Southbank apartment out fully furnished, reaping an incredible weekly amount. Angus secured her a job at his financial planning office almost immediately. I wanted to talk to her about finding her dream job, but I couldn’t muster the energy.

  Unlike Jules, who was just getting on with it, some days I struggled to even get out of bed. I felt so weighed down by all that had happened on top of having to deal with my mother’s funeral and subsequent estate issues. On those days, Juliette lay quietly with me in the darkness, knowing that her presence helped.

  Other days, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I wanted to join her in the light.

  Today was one of the good ones.

  “Merry Christmas, baby,” Juliette whispered against my lips.

  I pulled her closer. “Merry Christmas, angel.”

  “Do you want to get up?” I asked, nuzzling her neck.

  “You stay here,” she said, surprising me. I’d been sure I was about to have Christmas sex.

  She pulled the sheet back and leapt out of bed, rushing from the room. She returned holding a long cylinder and I sat up in bed, immediately intrigued.

  “What’s in there?” I asked.

  “Just a little something I’ve been working on for the past few months.”

  Now I was really intrigued. “I’m dying here, Jules.”

  She smiled. “This present is really for both of us. I wanted to show you this in private without Bea and Angus.” She scrunched up her nose. “I didn’t want to put you on the spot in front of our friends.”

  “Open the bloody cylinder, Juliette,” I demanded, laughing.

  “Okay,” she said, pulling the plastic disc from one end. “So bossy.”

  I watched her as she pulled a roll of paper out and laid it across the bed in front of me. They looked like architectural drawings. That much I could work out. I just had no idea what they were for.

  “One of the financial planning clients I’ve been working with is a local architect. When I was dropping off some forms for her to sign, I ended up chatting to her for ages about local buildings and, well, it got me thinking.”

  “Oh yeah?” I looked at the drawings again and zeroed in on a few details. I still had no idea what it was for. I leaned down to take a closer look. “Is this a gym?”

  She nodded. “I asked Jennifer to design an all-purpose gym for you with a focus on Muay Thai training.” She bit her bottom lip. “I may have paid Dam a visit to get his input. I know you’ve been trying to move away from the cage and back into the boxing ring, but I think Muay Thai and martial arts is a passion for you. I don’t want to see you give that up, especially if it’s for me.”

  “Why haven’t you told me about any of this before now?”

  “You’ve had so much on your plate and I wanted to surprise you.” The colour drained from her face and I realised I wasn’t giving her the reaction she’d probably hoped for.

  I held out my hand and she moved around the bed next to me. I pulled her onto my lap and pushed the hair away from her face. “You are amazing.” I kissed her lightly on the lips and she relaxed a little. “I am so sorry I’ve been a downer the last few months. This is just a bit out of the blue.”

  “Leo. You haven’t been a downer. You lost your mother and a man you trusted the same day you lost your family home.” She looked at me as if I were crazy. “I would’ve been more worried if you’d carried on as if nothing had happened.” She turned to look at the drawings. “This is just an idea for the farm.”

  “This is designed to be built at the farm?”

  She nodded. “Where the big old shed currently is, I thought.” She repositioned herself so she was straddling me. “Before everything blew up in our faces, we’d planned on living at the farm, but the rest of the details of what we would do out here were all a bit sketchy.

  “That’s true. I guess I’ve just been focused on getting through each day rather than what comes next.”

  “And there’s no hurry, but we can’t bunk in with Bea and Angus forever.”

  “We can’t live in a gym though, Jules.”

  She laughed. “I thought we could design a new home together too.” The excitement dancing in her eyes was infectious. “We can recycle the stones from the original farmhouse and build something even more beautiful.” She placed one hand on my cheek. “If this is too much too soon though, it’s totally fine.”

  I covered her hand with my own. “I think it’s the most perfect idea I’ve ever heard in my life.”

  Her eyes lit up again
. “You do?’ She climbed off me and sat down on her side of the bed, pulling the drawings towards her.

  “I do.”

  “That is great news, ’cause I have more to tell you.”

  “Oh God, Jules,” I said, laughing.

  “You know Nick’s son sold the Lilydale fight club to a developer, right?”

  I nodded. Nick’s son had no interest in the fight game, and as I would never set foot anywhere near that place again, he had sold it to a developer who was going to demolish it and put up townhouses.

  “So, apparently the young guys you had started training and mentoring have been commuting into the city gyms, but have been asking around about whether you’re coming back.”

  “Really?” I’d been so lost in my bubble of misery, I hadn’t even thought about the guys I’d been letting down.

  “If you want to start your own gym, you already have a base to start from. Plus I’d like to keep up my boxing training, so I could use the gym too. Zac has said he would come out here once a week, and he and Juni are even looking at property out this way. They want more space for when the baby comes along.”

  “Wow, Jules. You have this all worked out.”

  “I’ve given it a lot of thought.” She winked.

  “What about you though? Working at Angus’s financial planning firm is hardly your dream job. “Where are you on that?”

  “I was never going to be the big career girl, and despite being so devastated for you with what you’re dealing with, I am so happy here.” She beamed, and I think I fell even more in love with her. “I like working in the smaller office and I’m meeting really interesting people who value me. I’m boxing with Zac and you’re going to be my navigator in the upcoming Targa High Country rally.”

  “I am?”

  “You’ll love it. Trust me.”