Chapter 3

Wind screamed past my ears, the city below blurring the higher I climbed.

The second my feet hit the ledge, the foreman's call came chasing after me.

"Oliver, are you out of your goddamn mind!"

"You crossed Mr. Rodriguez! Forget your pay for today. Get lost, now!"

"Get lost yourself. I quit!"

I killed the call.

Choking down the fury boiling in me, I threw myself into the fire stairwell.

Ten-some floors. It took me under two minutes.

The moment I reached the doors of Rufus's company, the front desk stopped me cold.

"Sir, this is a legitimate business. Outsiders can't come in."

The receptionist looked me up and down, taking in the filthy work coveralls, contempt all over her face.

I was still breathing hard, and forced the words out through my teeth.

"Hi. I'm here for Kathryn Dotson."

She frowned and covered her nose. "You're here for Secretary Dotson? Do you have an appointment?"

Looking at that sneer, I couldn't hold the fire down another second. "What appointment! I'm her husband!"

"Husband?"

She stared for a beat, then burst out laughing. "Where'd this bottom-feeder crawl in from?"

"Miss Dotson's husband is our Mr. Rodriguez. He drives a Range Rover."

"I've seen plenty of losers like you. You don't leave, I'm calling security!"

I didn't waste another word on her. I just shoved straight past and made for the inside.

"Hey! Security! Security!"

"We've got a troublemaker!"

The guard down the hall came running, baton already up, swinging it at me.

"You? A stinking laborer, and you say you're Secretary Dotson's husband?"

"Take one look at yourself and know your place. Get out!"

"Out of my way!"

I knocked the guard aside and headed straight for Rufus's office.

I kicked the door open with a bang.

And what was inside nearly split my eyes open.

Kathryn stood with her back to me, straightening the rumpled hem of her dress.

Rufus, unhurried, was buckling his own belt.

The instant she saw me barge in, her face flooded with shame and rage. She shrieked and jabbed a finger at me.

"Security! Where the hell is security!"

"Get this lunatic out of here!"

"Easy, baby, no rush."

Rufus, in no hurry at all, pinched her cheek, then gave me a taunting little smile.

"Champ James, what's with all the temper?"

He crossed to me, looked me over, eyes full of scorn.

"You can throw hands in the ring, sure. Shame that in real life you're a limp little nobody."

"Can't even keep hold of your own wife. What's the matter, can't get it up?"

Employees from the surrounding offices poked their heads out to watch, pointing, whispering.

"That, that's Oliver James, isn't it? The youngest boxing champ ever?"

"Some champ. Can't even keep his own wife. Champ of getting cheated on, maybe?"

Rufus was clearly pleased with the show. He picked up a cup of coffee off the desk and flung it right in my face.

The scalding liquid ran down my cheeks. I couldn't tell what was coffee and what wasn't.

"Look at you, broke and pathetic. Bet it's been a long time since you had coffee this good."

"On me."

He leaned in close and dropped his voice. "Look at yourself. As sorry as a beaten dog."

Then he straightened, wearing that same look-down-on-you mockery.

"If I were you, I couldn't stand to stay."

"Champ James, is your face as tough as your fists?"

The employees around us howled with laughter, their contempt boring into me.

"Right, no money and he still wants to keep a wife?"

"Has he got no shame? Can't give her a good life, so step aside already!"

I clenched my jaw, fists tight, and looked past him, fixed on Kathryn where she stood off in the distance, disgust plain on her face.

She stood at Rufus's side, clinging to his arm, and from start to finish never said one word for me.

"Why?"

"Kathryn, why are you doing this to me?"

"What did I ever do wrong? Where was I ever not good enough to you?"

Something flickered in her eyes, but it turned quickly to impatience. She gave a contemptuous little laugh. "Why what?"

"Look at what you are now. Haven't I made myself clear enough?"

"You retired! You lost every cent! The bank's about to take the house!"

"Besides some manual labor, what else can you even do?"

"What are you going to support me on? Washing windows? There's not a shred of hope with you."

"That's crap!"

I couldn't take it anymore. "My money, it was you who invested it and lost it all!"

"So what?"

Kathryn threw all pretense out and shouted back.

"A grown man, useless as you are, and now you want to put it on me?"