CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE: MY WIFE.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE: MY WIFE.

~MIRA’S POV~

James barked out a short laugh. I pushed the chair away and covered the gap between us. He turned in his seat so we were locked in an intense eye battle. I was staring down at him but the height difference didn’t seem to bother James.

“I already told your husband.” my heart fled.

I schooled my face into a blank mask. Grey didn’t mention this to me. He didn’t because James was lying. James didn’t see Grey. He was a chronic liar, a bastard.

“I saw her twice and in both cases, she was fine. I love you, Mira but get out of my office. I have work to do.”

James pointed to the door of his office and I slapped his hand down.

“My husband? What do you mean my husband?”

James sneered and the thread holding my anger intact broke. I grabbed Charles by the collar. “When did you see my husband?”

Our eyes locked again. James smirked. It made me tighten my hold on his collar but it didn’t seem effective. He easily pried my hands off him and rose to his feet, making me stagger. I didn’t shy away with the obvious switch in position. I wasn’t scared of him any longer.

“I didn’t see your husband. He called me. Both of you are insane. Your mother is also insane, maybe that’s why she got beaten up.”

Your mother is insane.

That’s why she got beaten.

How did he know my mother was beaten? I didn’t tell him that. And he claimed not to know anything about it. I wasn’t thinking any longer. I acted, my hands moved before I could recognise what I was carrying. I smashed the ashtray over James’ head, snatched a pencil from the holder and stabbed him in the shoulder. A howl dragged me back to reality. I stared at my hands, then at James’ face and his shoulder. He was bleeding. His hand came down on my cheek and the impact of his slap sent my face snapping to the other side. I hadn’t processed that when another slap landed on my other cheek, rooting my feet to the ground.

“Are you insane?” he thundered.

He raised his hand to hit me again but stopped. His chest fell and rose. “You’re bloody crazy, Mira.”

James wiped the blood trickling into his eyes and spat out, “You will pay for this. I swear on my life.”

I froze. He hit me twice. I stabbed him with a pencil. I smashed his ashtray on his head. I looked down at the evidence of my anger. The broken pencil and the dust of the ash scattered all over the tiled floor. His bleeding shoulder, battered head. And I almost smiled.

James picked up his phone and barked orders into it. Moments later, the door wrenched open and security men ran inside to grab me.

“Get her out of here. Get her to the police station.”

Everything eventually came crashing down on me. My numbness gave away and the stinging pain in my cheeks forced a whimper out of my lips. I struggled in the arms of the men who tried to carry me. James’ back was to me as he spoke some more into his phone.

I would kill him. I would kill that bastard for hurting me. For hurting my mother.

~GREY’S POV~

Mira's number was unavailable. I tried again but I got the same response. She was not at the hospital. She was not at home. My mother-in-law was asleep when I arrived or I would have questioned her.

I walked the length of the balcony. The cigarette in my mouth was almost finished. I finished it off and lit another. Where the fuck was my wife?

Lisa.

How could I forget Lisa?

I gave her best friend a call almost immediately. The two of them must have gone home together and Mira was spending the night at her friend’s place. I didn’t have a problem with that but I would have appreciated a prior notice.

Lisa picked but said nothing for the first few minutes.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

Her voice was groggy like she had just woken up from sleep. Work had taken longer than I expected so I had left by 8 pm instead of my usual 5 pm. All my texts to my wife to let her know I would be late were delivered but unread. I leaned on the railings.

“Is Mira there?”

“What?” There was a sound, then a groan. Lisa coughed. “What do you mean is Mira there? Isn’t she at home?”

“No.”

“We left the hospital together but she said she was going home. I saw her get into a cab, Grey.”

The embers at the butt of my cigarette flickered in the dark, I pulled it out of my mouth and stomped on it.

“She’s not here.”

And she didn’t tell me she was home. Her text said she would inform me when she was about to leave the hospital.

“What time was that?”

Tiredness rolled over me. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I needed rest. Today had been hectic. There was a lot to catch up on for all the times I missed.

“I mean, what time did you two leave the hospital?”

“Past two.”

It was some minutes past ten. I nodded.

“Alright. Thanks. I’ll give you a call if I find anything.” I pried the phone from his ear to end the call. “Goodnight.”

“Wait.”

“What is it?” My annoyance leaked into my voice but I didn’t apologise for it. At the prolonged silence, I said, “Look, Lisa, I’ll call you later when I have more information.”

“Yeah. But that’s not what I wanted to say.” I took a deep breath when she didn’t say anything. “So… At the hospital, her mother didn’t recognise Mira.” That wasn’t news to me and I was about to tell her that when she cut him off. “But she recognised me.”

Oh. My stomach dropped. I clenched and unclenched my fists. I couldn’t possibly imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for my wife. Oh, God. Was she okay? She had to be okay. She had me to rely on. I was here for her through thick and thin.

“Thanks.”

“She must have gone somewhere to cool off.”

I would have preferred her calling me but I could understand her need for space. I scratched my head, thinking up the places she could possibly be but came up with nothing. I wanted to be with her. She needed me and I needed her too. Right now.

“Do you have any idea where she might be?”

“No. But when you find her, don’t be hard on her, okay?” I laughed. “I won’t. Thanks for telling me.”

“Goodnight.”

The call ended and I slipped the phone into my pocket. Wrapping my palms around the railing, I stared into the dark. My mind was a pool of many thoughts. Some good, some bad, some confusing.

Where was my wife?