Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Gideon
“Harder,” I demanded as I tensed my muscles, bracing for Henry’s assault. I held my breath, waiting for his fist to connect with my stomach.
With a grunt, he delivered another harsh blow, sending waves of agony through me. But I refused to give in, even as nausea threatened to overtake me.
“Again,” I gritted out, my voice strained but determined.
“Gideon, man, I don’t?—”
“Again, Henry.”
He pushed out a sigh and shook his head, concern etched on his face. But being the good friend he was, he gave me what I needed, thrusting his mitt-covered hand into my stomach once more, this time with even more force.
I stumbled back, fighting to stay upright as another shock of pain spiraled through me. Henry reached out to steady me, but I pushed him away.
There would be no one to help me to my feet when it mattered. I couldn’t have him act like a crutch now. I needed to do this. Needed to build up my strength. Needed to push myself to my limits. Past my limits.
“Again,” I ordered hoarsely, my throat raw from the exertion. I widened my stance and braced for his attack yet again.
Despite his obvious reluctance, he followed through with another powerful punch.
But this time, I could no longer hold it in. I doubled over, emptying the contents of my stomach into the bucket I kept nearby.
“Okay. We’re done now,” Henry declared, yanking on the tape securing his boxing gloves to his hands with his teeth before removing them.
“Yeah.” I collapsed onto the mat, heaving through the pain. “We’re done.”
“You’re a goddamn sadist.” He handed me a water bottle and helped me into a sitting position, propping my back against the wall before lowering himself beside me.
“Just trying to be prepared.” I brought the water to my mouth, wincing slightly as I sipped.
Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, but I’d be fine later. Henry may not have understood why I felt the need to subject myself to such brutal abuse, but it wasn’t just about being strong physically.
It was about being strong mentally, too.
This was where I fell short, especially after everything I’d endured. Sometimes all it took was a smell to bring me back to that cage. I couldn’t have that. Not with what was on the line.
“How are things?” Henry asked after several silent moments.
I knew him well enough to know he wasn’t asking to make small talk.
He wanted to know how things were with Imogene now that I’d told her the truth.
“I think she’s still processing everything.”
“It’s better than her turning you in.” He passed me a sideways glance. “Do you think she’ll turn you in?”
I bent my legs, resting my forearms on my knees. “I don’t think so.” I ran a towel over my sweat-dampened face. “I went to the beach this morning.”
“I figured you would.”
“I like my routine.”
After my escape, my routine was the only thing that got me from one day to the next. It gave me structure. Helped to prevent me from retreating into the dark recesses of my mind. If I could just get to the next waypoint of my day, I’d be okay.
“Did you talk to her?” Henry asked.
“No.”
He blew out a long breath and took a long pull from his water, sweat dripping from his dark hair and landing on the mat
“But she talked to me.”
He darted his gaze toward mine. “What did she say?”
“She believes me.”
A small smile tipped on my lips from the memory of hearing those three little words escape her mouth.
I thought hearing her tell me she loved me was the best thing I’d ever hear her say. I was wrong.
“I knew she’d eventually come around.” He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Don’t forget. I had trouble believing you in the beginning, too. Not that I think you’d lie to me, but your story is fucking intense. Granted, I’d seen some horrible shit during my time in the military, but Imogene… I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for her to learn what you went through.”
“It was,” I admitted, recalling the tears she shed for me when I shared this part of myself with her.
“Did she tell you what changed her mind?”
“No, but my guess is Liam.”
He straightened, furrowing his brows. “Liam?”
I slowly nodded. “When she wasn’t sure whether she could believe me after all my lies, I told her to mention to Liam that a detective was asking her questions about my death, then watch his reaction. Considering he paid her a visit yesterday, I assume she did as I asked, and his response was enough for her to realize I was telling the truth.”
“So that explains it,” he exhaled, shifting his eyes forward.
“Explains what?”
“Last night, Liam took a last-minute trip to D.C. Which is where James Turner is at the moment, although he hasn’t shown up to any senate hearings or to his office. But he has made a few more calls to a burner phone belonging to a certain funeral director. Apparently, he doesn’t like the way his previous meeting ended.”
“I’m not sure Brian McGuire is in a position to schedule a follow-up.” I flashed a devilish smirk.
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Henry quipped with a wry smile.
“Has anyone alerted the police to his disappearance?”
“Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” He paused, lowering his voice, even though we were alone. “Are you ready for when they do?”
“Of course,” I replied confidently, already working up the next steps in my mind.
“This will put James on edge. Possibly Liam, too.”
“Good. Let them worry their perfect lives are about to be shattered into pieces. Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
“So nothing’s changed, then?” He arched a single brow.
“Why would it?”
“I thought with Imogene finding out the truth and believing you that you’d?—”
“That I’d what? Change my mind about this?”
He gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “I thought maybe you’d realize there are more…important things.”
“What could be more important than making these assholes pay?”
“Love.”
“Love,” I scoffed, somehow managing to raise myself to my feet, despite the soreness in my muscles. “That’s rich coming from a guy who gets a boner every time he sees his son’s ex-girlfriend, but refuses to do anything about it.”
“I’m just trying to be a decent person.” He pushed up to stand. “What’s your excuse?”
“My excuse? You want to know what my excuse is?” I advanced on him, my face less than a breath away. “You’re looking at it, Henry. You look at it every damn day. I lost who I was because of those assholes. I had to become something I absolutely abhor because of them. Look at these scars,” I bellowed, holding my arms wide and doing a slow turn so he was forced to look at the marks on my flesh, even though he’d seen them all before. “Each one represents a life I had no choice but to end. I’ve lived with their blood on my hands for too damn long.”
“You’re not to blame.” His eyes flickered over the scars with sadness and understanding. “You did what you had to in order to survive.”
“I know that. But I can’t walk away now, Henry. You claimed you wanted these bastards to pay, too.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?” I seethed.
“Before Imogene,” he said calmly, despite my anger. “Before she made you human again. Sure, I’d love to make these bastards suffer.” He approached me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “But I’d rather you find peace. And maybe you can have that again with Imogene.”
I parted my lips, but no words came.
Could I have that again with Imogene? Could I find peace, knowing those responsible for the hell I was forced to live hadn’t suffered as I had?
For the past five years, revenge was the only thing that kept me going. It gave me purpose after everything had been stolen from me.
Without my vendetta, I didn’t know who I was.
Shaking my head, I lifted my eyes toward Henry. “I have to do this,” I insisted through a tight voice.
Then I spun from him, feeling like I was losing more and more control with every passing day.