The Aftermath (The Hurricane, #2)(37)

“Then maybe I ain’t meant to be world champion. Because it doesn’t mean the whole f*cking world to me. I want that title so bad I can taste it, but what f*cking good is it to me? What kind of man am I to be chasing my dream instead of protecting my wife? What kind of man has titles but can’t protect his own family?” All of a sudden, the fight just seemed to leave Danny. He sat down on the old wooden stool by the side of the ring, and I slumped down on the floor next to him.

“You know, son, sometimes there ain’t no right and wrong choice to make. Life ain’t black and white. Sometimes there’s just shitty choices, and you have to make the best of them.”

“Danny, I ain’t never had anything except shitty choices until Em came along. She went through worse shit than I ever did, and she came out of it pure and loving and kind. But now she can’t see any of that. It doesn’t matter what she says to my face. I know she’s in a bad f*cking place right now, and I can’t help feeling that this choice is the worse one.”

“So you tell me, kid, what d’you wanna do?”

“Keep her here with me so she never has to see that f*cker again, win the world title, then accidentally bump into Frank in a dark alley where I can introduce all of his vital organs to my fist.”

“Shit, you really do have a big Christmas list, don’t you?” said Danny as he lit up a cigarette.

“I may be able to help with the keeping Em here part,” added Kieran as he jogged over.

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“Liam just called. Something big went down in court today. They cleared out the jury and then adjourned because some kind of mini evidence trial is going on tomorrow and needed to be settled. The lawyers were arguing about whether or not stuff was admissible. The Crown Prosecution Service barrister told Em she wouldn’t be needed tomorrow but she has to be back the day after. Liam’s gonna go there anyway and find out what’s happening.”

“We bring her here tomorrow then. If she’s not in court, I want her with me all day.”

Danny nodded. “I agree. I don’t want her on her own but I need a full day’s training from you tomorrow. This trial shit’s like a f*cking circus. You need to get focused.”

“No problem, Danny. I understand,” I told him. With Em here, tomorrow everything would be better. But I didn’t like the sound of what was going down in court. Those black clouds were definitely rolling in.

Two hours later, Liam walked in through the door, and I looked straight past him.

“Well, hello to you too!” he said to me.

“Where’s Em? I thought you were taking care of her today?” I barked at him. I didn’t mean to get shitty. It’d been a rough day all around.

“She’s fine. Her mum was waiting outside the courtroom for her. They’ve gone for a coffee.”

“You let that bitch get near her?” I said. “You know what she’s capable of.”

“Con, this woman is f*cking tiny. There’s no way she could hurt her if she tried.”

“It’s not the physical abuse I’m worried about. This woman was the reason Em endured abuse for six years without telling anyone. I don’t even want to know what kind of shit she’s filling Em’s head with.”

“Shit, I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. Looking after her is my job. You’re helping me out. I shouldn’t get up in your face about it.”

“Looking after her isn’t a job. She’s like our sister, and there ain’t nothing we wouldn’t do for her. Keeping her safe ain’t solely on you. Con. It never has been.” I acknowledged him with a nod. He and the guys all felt the same way, and I knew that. It still didn’t stop me feeling the way I did though.

“Come on,” he told me.

“You can spar with me for an hour until she gets here. That should keep your mind off things for a bit.” I snorted at him. In good form, I could put Liam down inside of two rounds. Like this, he’d probably put me on my arse in one. Still, good as his word, he changed quickly and climbed into the ring.

“Danny says you’re fighting like shit. He’s wrong is he?” he taunted me.

“Fuck you. You’d be the same if it was your girl.” He looked at me funny until I got it.

“Fine. If it was your guy.” I looked around as we bounced about the canvas but no one was listening to us.

“You told anyone else yet?” I asked.

“No,” he replied.

“The guy I’m seeing hasn’t really come to terms with everything yet. I mean it’s pretty new for both of us. We’re both gonna face a boatload of grief when people do find out. Guess we just want to see where this is going before we have to face that.”

“Makes sense. You know I’m here for you when that time comes though.”

“I know, and I appreciate that. It’s just gonna be a f*cking shit storm when it does happen.” I nodded and threw a combination at him to stop him thinking too hard. But he wasn’t wrong. The fallout with his Irish Catholic family would be f*cking huge. All I could do was stand by him.

“So you gonna tell me who they guy is?” I asked him. He grinned that same smile that had been plastered all over my face since I first kissed Em. Whoever he was, Liam had fallen hard.