Page 87 of The Two Halves of My Heart

Chapter 27

Grace 21 Years Old

Leo hadn’t told me anything. He’d wanted to meet face to face instead. Of course, that meant my mind conjured up a million scenarios about Maddison, all of them involved horrible scenes with fists and blood and fights he couldn’t get out of. And for Leo to call, I knew it must be bad. He’d never have reached out unless I was the last resort, and that was the truth I couldn’t escape.

The morning arrived, and I was up and out of the house before Mum stirred. Leo had given me his address, and I drove straight there, regardless of the time. Twenty minutes later, the heel of my fist ached from the force of thudding it against Leo’s door.

“Give it a rest.” A tired and grumpy Leo arrived, visible through the obscured glass. “Grace, do you know what time it is?” He opened the door and nearly hung off the edge of it.

“I’m well aware, but you didn’t seem to be very forthcoming with information last night. I couldn’t wait around until you decided you’d let me know what was happening. You asked for my help, so I’m here.” I pushed him aside and stepped inside.

“Fair enough. Make us a cuppa, and I’ll get dressed.”

The bare chest hadn’t bothered me as I’d barged in, but as I processed his state of undress, I couldn’t help the blush across my cheeks as I noticed his freckles coated his entire body, not just his face. He’d quite literally rolled out of bed, and I could have used the caffeine myself. Leo disappeared, and I nosed about and found the kitchen. The first thing that struck me was how clean everything was. The surfaces were spotless, and there was a fancy coffee machine on the counter, with a few other stainless-steel appliances dotted about. It was nothing like the kitchen I’d shared with Maddison. All of this looked expensive and smart. I grabbed a coffee pod from the convenient rack and popped it in the top of the machine and pressed the button, before opening a few cupboards looking for the tea.

With both drinks made, I waited at one of the barstools separating the kitchen from the dining area. My thumb drummed against the surface, beating in time with my heartbeats.

“Hey,” Leo greeted as he entered the room. “You found everything then?”

“Yep, although I didn’t add any sugar.” He shook his head, took the cup of tea over to the coffee machine and spooned three heaped spoons from a small bowl in the cupboard above.

“Now, we can talk.” He took a sip and joined me on the other bar stool.

I turned to face him, eager to hear what he needed to say in person.

“Mads needs help.”

“You said that already. Why?”

“Because he’s losing it. He’s been taking on more and more fights and winning. Just. But he’s a mess. His head is screwed up. He’s drinking, gambling, taking bets. The stuff we both swore to steer clear of.” Leo’s head dropped between his shoulders. “He’s changed, and he’s not listening to anyone. He’s obsessed with making it to the next level. He’s been pushing to fight in this other scene and score big. Zuri’s been putting him off, but with the wins he’s clocking up, Mads ain’t taking his shit, and he laid it down. It got ugly.”

“And you think he’ll listen to me? Leo, you were there, he’s never listened to me before. He’s always put the fights first.” I felt trapped listening to Leo because I knew that Maddison wouldn’t want to hear anything from me.

He turned to face me again, and I saw the worry at the edge of his eyes for his friend.

“This is different. He’s got a fight lined up in London at the weekend. It’s a big event. There’s a guy who’s been doing this for a long time, and Zuri says if you get in with him, then you’re made.”

“Okay, so?”

“So, people who fight in this ring, they don’t get out. Not in one piece. It’s dangerous, Grace. Sure, we do some damage, but there are limits.”

“You think Maddison is going to get hurt?” It was what I had always worried about, and why I’d hated this from the start.

“I know he is. He’s running on ego right now and is taking odds just for the payout. Someone has got to stop him.”

“Have you tried?”

“He thinks I’m jealous because I’m not there yet. And I can say, I’m not ready for that risk. I’m making money and doing well.” He sat back for a moment.

“This is all illegal. You know this, right?” I tried to wrap my head around his comments and attempted to see a world where beating someone up was an okay job.

“Not illegal, just unregulated. We don’t have a ref, but there’s always a doctor to help us out if needed. You’ve seen it. We’re given the guidelines that The Club runs on, then get inside the ring and fight. It’s brutal, and the better you get, the harder it is. Those punches are like being stabbed in the chest a hundred times. But there’s an addictive buzz that you just can’t get from anything else.”

“He won’t speak to me. Not after the last time, I saw him.” I shook my head, already feeling defeated if the only plan Leo had was me.

“Leave the details to me. But will you at least try? We’ve got some time. He just needs to hear some sense from you. That’s all.”

“I’ll do it.” Determination overrode my fear because, above everything, I still loved Maddison, and I would do everything I could to ensure his safety.

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