Chapter 14 — The Gym
Landon:
GYM. 10 min. -Landon.
I will be there. -Derik.
Same. -Jared.
I pound my gloved hand into the heavy bag swaying in front of me. The guys and I have been attending this little boxing gym since we first came to the Americas as young adults. It is a dirt-cheap boxing gym that is always filthy. I am sure this place is still in business solely because we're loyal customers. The owners are drunks who do not know whether it's day or night.
Derick arrives and silently holds the bag still for me. I have had to come here a lot in the last year and a half of my marriage to release the anger I harbor for my wife and the contract and the whole situation I find myself in. If I am being honest, many of my visits here were to release some of my sexual frustration.
But today's visit is none of those things. Well, maybe a little bit of sexual frustration. Today I am angry at myself for the suffering that MY wife had to endure. Grief, I inflicted needlessly. Goodness, if only I took the time to look. Like really, and truly, look at my wife in the beginning. I should have noticed the signs. They were always there. Hell, even on our wedding day, she favored her right side. I wonder what he did to her the night before. Were her ribs bruised, broken? Did he kick her or shove her down the stairs?
Then a flash of our wedding night comes to my mind. Shit! I was drunk and not gentle enough. If I had removed her nightgown, indeed, I would have seen her pain. But I was so set on not giving her father the satisfaction. I slam my fist again.
I keep hearing the pain in her voice as she told me how she got that scar. Slam! How that worthless piece of shit held her down. Slam. Then I think about how small and helpless she is. Especially in a room of men that are much bigger than her. Slam! If I ever get my hands on either of those bastards, I swear they will regret it. I let out a punch so hard it causes Derick to stumble back.
"Wow! What did she do today?" Jared says as he approaches us. I glare at Jared, and he steps back. Fuck, even Jared belittles her. I think of how Arnold talked about her. How he told her how worthless she was. Has any man ever cared for her, encouraged her? Or anyone, for that matter?
"Don't speak about my wife," I growl. Never the one to get pushed around or back down, Jared's face goes dark.
Derick steps between us. "Okay, let's step back for a minute. Landon, why don't you tell us what is going on." I turn away from them, removing my gloves.
"I came here to punch some shit." There’s a silent pause before Derick nods and repositions the bag.
It feels like hours pass before I have exhausted myself. My muscles burn from overuse, and I have sweated through my shirt. The guys are just as exhausted. Derick tosses me a towel, and I wipe my face. "You ready to tell us what the hell is going on?" he demands. I just spent the last two hours releasing my anger, and it just returned in full force just by thinking about it.
"What do we know about Arnold Mackintosh?" I glance at Jared, directing the question towards him.
"Robinson's nephew?" I nod, and he shrugs. "What do you want to know about him?" It is a weighted question. Jared is the head of security for our company. If there is something he wants to know, he knows how to find it. He has a way of bringing your deepest darkest secrets out of the closet.
"Everything. I want to know all his business dealings. How close to Robinson's Tech Company he works. Who does he socialize with. Who does he owe money to. Strengths, weaknesses." I would ask for Conner Robinson's information too. Still, Jared did that before I even asked at the beginning of my marriage.
Jared quirks an eyebrow. "May I ask why?" I look down at my left hand. I have removed the tape that was supposed to protect my hands, but one of my knuckles is split open.
"He's responsible for a lot of suffering my wife endured, and he's going to pay for it!"