Page 184 of The Catalyst

I swear, when all this is over, I will kill Nolan for doing that to him. My family consists of only two people. My mother and Martin. We’ve never spent a lot of time together, but I know he’s not a bad person. He could never earn a spot at Warehouse Five, but his father has ten times over.

I knew Nolan was a bad person, but I could never prove he did anything. I have that proof now but can’t do shit about it without endangering everyone.

“Where’s Nigel?” I ask as I step into the living room and find Ronan, Oisin, and Charlie lounging on the couch like they don’t have a care in the world. What happened to the rush that interrupted me and my crazy girl?

Charlie nods upstairs where the all too familiar sound of a banging headboard reverberates off the walls.

“Doing something really fucking stupid,” Ronan mutters, irritated.

“Ni has entered his time of burning bridges, and he’s burning them the fuck down to the ground,” Charlie adds with a laugh.

My gaze flashes around to the guys, but Oisin stays quiet despite looking sick.

That’s not good.

“Who does he have in there?” It can’t be Casey. Beth told me she sent her out of Grove Hill, and I can’t think of another person that would piss her off.

That’s until Ro speaks.

“It’s Beth’s mom. He went to see Aimee yesterday and came back with the preacher lady, him drunk off his ass. They haven’t come down, period.”

The red haze that covers my vision can’t be confused with anything besides unbridled rage. There’s only one intention of what Nigel has done. He did this specifically to hurt my woman.

I charge toward the stairs, my fists balled, and take them two at a time.

Of all the fucking people, he chose Beth’s mother, even knowing she abused her. Nigel did too and that’s something I can never forgive him for. It will always be a roadblock erected between us.

Plus, it’s not my place to forgive him for something that happened toher.

“Ollie, don’t do anything crazy!” Ro yells after me, but I’m not listening.

The banging has stopped, but that doesn’t quell my anger. It does the opposite, actually.

I throw the door open, and Preacher Darcy squeals as she throws the blanket around herself. Nigel sits at the edge of the bed, lighting a joint.

“Get out!” Mrs. Mercer yells, but Nigel just chuckles, thinking this whole thing is hilarious.

“You motherfucker,” I growl as I push him into the wall, not caring that he’s not wearing a scrap of clothing.

“Literally, Ollie,” he sneers. “I think you’re missing the irony. It’s quite poetic.”

“Shut the fuck up before I bash your skull in!” I scream in his face as I pin him to the wall.

“What’s going on?” Darcy cries.

“This is what’s going to happen, Mrs. Mercer. You’re going to get dressed, go home, and forget this whole thing ever happened. And you won’t mention any of this to your daughter, got it?” I growl, and Nigel scowls at me. That was exactly his plan, making sure Beth heard about what he did.

He is truly trying to burn bridges, but at this point, burning bridges is only going to make everything harder on Beth. She made her choices, and she has to live with them. What she doesn’t need to live with are his.

“What does Bethany have to do with any of this?” she asks from behind me, but I don’t look at her. My eyes remain on Nigel’s enraged face.

“Maybe because you just fucked her ex.”

Beth’s mom gasps from behind me, and Nigel tries to fight me off, but I’m stronger, and he knows that. He may have fighting skills in the ring, but he has nothing on me when it comes to sheer strength.

“Get out,” I yell and snap my head around to see her pulling on her clothes and dashing out the door, slamming it closed behind her.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Nigel hisses, and I turn back to him.

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