Page 76 of The Finder

Madison grinned at her. Then she came at Emma swinging. Instinct made Emma deflect her hits before she remembered what she was supposed to be doing. She dropped her arms slightly, and Madison took full advantage. She took Emma down hard and fast, trying to pin her. Normally, this is where Emma tapped out. But using what she had just learned from Garrett, she successfully got out from under Madison and jumped to her feet. “I did it,” she said. She looked for Garrett. He was standing a little distance away from her. “Thank you,” she said. He nodded before turning and walking away.

Emma felt her smile fall from her face. Madison came and stood next to her. “You look like you just lost your best friend. What's going on with you two anyway?” she asked, looking in the direction Garrett had just gone.

“It’s complicated,” Emma said. “I’m going to go get a shower.” Emma was done training for now. Her heart and her mind weren’t in it. Madison let her go without saying anything. Emma made her way up to her room and showered again and got dressed in jeans and a sweater for the day. She decided to go see what she could cook. It had been a little while since she had cooked for everyone, and she needed the distraction.

She ended up working in the kitchen most of the day. It was therapeutic for her. She made several loaves of artisan bread, a huge pot of creamy chicken and wild rice soup, and another pot of cheeseburger soup. She also made chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies. She pulled the last cookie tray from the oven and turned off the oven. As if on cue, the front door opened and Liam and Max and a few of the enforcers walked in. “It smells like heaven in here,” Liam said, taking a big whiff. “Please tell me that’s for us.”

Emma laughed. “It is. Help yourself, guys. There’s fresh bread, creamy chicken and wild rice soup, cheeseburger soup, and chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies.” The guys started getting food. Soon, Madison and Kyle joined in. Emma looked around and didn’t see Garrett. She filled a bowl of cheeseburger soup, grabbed a few pieces of bread, a cookie, and went in search of Garrett. She went to his office, assuming she’d find him there. When he wasn’t there, she knocked on his bedroom door. He wasn’t there either. She decided to check downstairs.

She walked quietly down the stairs. Sure enough, she found Garrett in the same place she had found him this morning. He was seriously punching the life out of the punching bag. Emma set the food down and made her way over to him. When she got close, he stopped. He must have sensed her presence. “I made supper and didn’t see you, so I brought you some,” Emma said quietly.

“Thanks,” he said but didn’t turn to look at her.

Emma knew she needed to talk to him. She walked over and put her hand on his back. He stiffened. “We need to talk.”

“Not right now,” he said.

Emma stepped back in surprise. “Look, Garrett, I’m sorry for what happened last night. I got upset and took it out on you. I want to talk to you and try to make things right.”

“I can’t right now, Emma,” he said in a tight, agitated voice. He started punching the bag again. Emma had had enough. She walked around him to the other side of the bag and grabbed the bag, moving it just enough so he would look at her. She gasped.

“Garrett!” she said with her hands over her mouth.

Chapter 43

“What happened?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’m fine,” he said.

“No, you’re not!” Emma responded. She stepped towards him. “What can I get you? Do you need pain reliever? Bandages?”

Garrett was quiet for a moment before meeting her eyes, pain in his gaze. “Can I just hold you?” Garrett asked in a low voice, surprising her.

She nodded, not knowing what else to do or say. He closed the remaining distance between them and pulled her against his chest. Emma stiffened. She didn’t want to hurt him anymore. “Relax,” he whispered. “You’re not hurting me.” Emma stood still for a moment then stepped back to fully look at all of his injuries. He had dried blood above his lip, his nose was obviously broken, his lip was busted, he had a cut that was almost in his eye. And that was just his face. He had deep gouges on his torso and black and blue bruises all over his body. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said. Now she understood why he was so agitated with her and didn’t want to talk. He had to be in a good amount of pain. “I’m just waiting for Paul to come. It will all heal up soon.”

“Were you in another challenge?” she asked, horrified. He nodded once. “Why didn’t anybody tell me?” she asked in anger.

“I told them not to,” Garrett responded.

Emma felt like an idiot. She’d been in the kitchen cooking while Garrett had been fighting for his life. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Is the other guy... ” she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Garrett nodded. “Dead.”

Emma let herself go then and leaned against him. She felt him take a deep breath and exhale it. She felt some of the rigidness go out of his muscles the longer they stood together.

“Will you talk to me now?” Emma asked. He pulled away for a minute and led her to the wall. He slid down the wall and sat, pulling her into his lap. Emma carefully leaned against him. One arm came around her to hold her in place, the other arm he used to rub her back in small circles.

“I’m so sorry about last night,” Emma said.

“Will you please tell me what I did to hurt you?” Garrett asked.

Emma was quiet for a few minutes, trying to collect her thoughts. “Well, first of all, you and Liam laughed at me when I showed up for the fight.”

He cringed. “I know. That was wrong of me. I’m sorry. As I already told you, I underestimated you. I won’t do that again, but you were upset even before that happened,” Garrett said.

Emma took a deep breath. “Did you sleep with Barbie?”

“What!?” he asked.

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