Page 117 of Keepsake

My blood curdled inside my veins. “Tell me.”

“Alvaro,” he said, his eyes dropping. “He’s fighting David.”

“He what?” I reeled back because those words surely made no sense. “David Murphy?”

Dustin made a face like all he wanted was not to say the name. “He’s fighting him in three days.”

“That’s insane,” I scoffed. “David is half of Alvaro's size. He’s not a fighter. He’s…”

“Logan,” he called me from my thoughts. “There’s only one reason for David to accept fighting Alvaro.”

“He’s going to cheat.” Of course he was. David did nothing without cheating. Being honorable wasn’t something he liked to do or knew how to do. “Why is he doing this?”

Dustin sent me a sad smile. “Sofia? You? The kids? Take a pick. That guy will never leave you alone. Alvaro knows it. I get it but…”

“He’s going to kill Alvaro,” I whispered.

The words rang between us, an impossible sentence I never thought I’d say. Fear hammered in my chest, and without another word, I said goodbye to Dustin and left the restaurant.

Alvaro was planning on killing David. Or at least harming him enough, but it was he who would end up dead. There was no way in hell David would get inside a ring with a beast that was El Toro without a Plan B.

He wasn’t banking on his fists for this.

I got in the car, slamming the door shut and racing from the restaurant. I needed to call Alvaro, but I had to get the kids first and make sure they were home and—

“Logan? Where’s the food?”

Shecalledmeforthe first time at six thirty a week after I left her house.

Her name flashed on my screen and something inside me twisted like it got stabbed with a knife. Just the five letters of her name was enough to do that to me. I tried to taste her on my tongue, smell her in my space. It was all in vain.

My walls were without Lachlan’s most recent art. My house lacked flowers.

Magnolias.Where were the magnolias?

The empty walls and practical furniture never bothered me until that day when I missed her home.

I had a comfortable couch and a big TV. My bed was good. I thought I liked it all until all I had were my bare walls to watch.

My life reset to the day before Sofia died. I came back to an empty apartment. I worked until I couldn’t stand, and I pushed further by going to the gym. My frustrations hung on me, refusing to let me go as I tried to work them out in the ring.

I was in my forties, and no one depended on me. A ghost of a man. There but not. Life meant nothing if it wasn’t for the people you loved.

Sofia’s death weighed heavier than ever on my shoulders. Intrusive thoughts played in my mind all day. A constant reminder of how useless I’d been my whole life.

I couldn’t go on like this anymore. I felt the fire under my skin demanding action. Then Paddy called and told me an unusual request came to the gym. I accepted.

David wanted to fight me?

He was small, with no training. I wasn’t stupid. I knew something didn’t feel right, but I was past caring. I wanted a chance to confront him, and he just gave me the perfect opportunity.

When the phone rang again with her name flashing, I felt the pang of hurt. I knew I should answer because her voice was all I wanted to hear.

But I couldn’t.

I let it ring. And she called again and again, but I never picked up.

My sins were accumulating, crawling from under the bed and dark corners. I refused to dwell on the pain, and I moved to the punching bag hanging from my ceiling.

---