Page 128 of Bodybuilders for the BBW

So what happened to Bronson?

I didn’t have him, Rhett couldn’t, and Garrett… I walked down the hallway of our house and into the bathroom, my eyes fighting to take in the mess all at once. Piss soaked towels, scratch marks on the door, on the walls, Bronson’s toys torn apart and left strewn on the floor. It was like the room had transformed into a cell.

“Fuck!”

My phone was in my hand, and I was about to read Garrett the riot act. There were literally hundreds of nurses working at that damn hospital. Why couldn’t one of them help Helen out? Why was it always fucking Garrett? And most importantly, why did he say yes, right after we’d sworn to Katie to stop this bullshit? The only answer I got was a heavy thump on the front door.

“What?” I snapped as soon as I jerked it open, to see some middle-aged fuck standing there in high-vis gear. He stumbled back, obviously expecting something else, but he collected himself quickly.

“Your dog attacked me today.” I started to laugh, the idea ridiculous, but this idiot just got angrier. “Tried to go at me on your front lawn. I’ve rung the council, reported a dog attack. They’ll put that bastard down for sure.”

“Bronson?” I shook my head. “He wouldn’t hurt…” We both turned as his dog started fucking barking again, over and over. “Is this about your bloody mutt?”

“It’s about your bloody wife, dickhead.” I watched his finger move in slow motion, ready to poke me in the chest, but I intercepted it, bending it backwards and forcing the man to jerk his hand away. “I tried to have a civil conversation with her about the dogs…”

His mouth moved, spittle flying through the air, but I didn’t hear what he had to say, not when my brain was putting two and two together. I checked the group chat and there it was. Garrett explained what was happening and asked Katie to look in on Bronson when she had a chance.

Fuck.

“Out of my way.” I shoved him backwards, not even watching him stumble, before locking the front door behind me. There was nothing I needed here. He was still swearing and waving his hands around in the air, spouting some bullshit, when I got into my car and took off.

“Rhys…” Rhett got to his feet as I marched into his office. “What’s going on? Are you OK? Is Katie OK?”

“No.” I was aware we had an audience, but I couldn’t keep it in. “She’s not. Garrett left Bronson at home on his own.” He frowned. “Katie looked in on him and found him messed up in the bathroom. The new neighbour had a go at her about it, and Bronson had a go at him.”

“Good,” Rhett growled. “And Katie?”

He didn’t wait for me to answer, pulling out his phone and looking for something from the woman herself, but he wouldn’t find it. She hadn’t made contact, despite me calling and calling her.

“She’s gone.” When adrenaline wears off, you feel like someone’s pulled your plug. No energy, not even enough to stay standing. I sank into the chair, head in my hands, and closed my eyes as I tried to focus. “Natasha and Mandie came into the gym to let me know that she’s gone.”

Chapter65

Garrett

I was beyond exhausted, yet I didn’t feel a thing as I stared at my phone screen.

“Helen, she’s beautiful.”

The proud grandma was standing next to a humidicrib, a tiny figure nestled inside, covered in sensors.

“Thanks for covering me today. Things were…” Helen looked back over her shoulder to where I think her daughter was resting. “Hairy. Anna developed pre-eclampsia. I had my concerns when she started putting on weight really rapidly and looking really puffy. Thankfully, she got in to see her obstetrician, and they realised what was happening. She got induced early and…” Helen was as tough as nails. I’d seen her go toe-to-toe with tweaking meth heads and not even blink, so when her voice broke, I knew this was serious. “She’s going to be OK, both of them. It’s just going to be a bit touch-and-go for a while.”

“Look after them and yourself…” My voice trailed away as I walked down the hallway to find the guys standing there. I glanced around and didn’t see Bronson, which forced me to refocus on what was happening here. “Look, I’ve gotta go.”

“Of course, and thanks again. Talk to you at work tomorrow.”

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and dropped my bag, then faced them down.

“What happened? Where’s Katie? Where’s Bronson? I left him in the bathroom?—”

“We know.”

Rhys nodded to the bathroom doorway and I walked in, starting to put two and two together.

I thought I was doing everything right. Dogs with separation anxiety need enclosed spaces like crates to feel safe and things like dirty clothes with your scent on them to reassure themselves. The bathroom seemed the perfect place for Bronson for just a few hours. I remembered his big amber eyes, the way he’d reluctantly allowed himself to be lured inside, but… That wasn’t the picture I was getting right now. The claw marks, the stink of urine…

“What happened?”

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