Page 36 of The Fighter who Needed Me
And there they stayed. They had a governess come out to the house when Persephone was about ten years of age, but the woman went missing under mysterious circumstances and to this day her family mourned her loss.
Bruce and Kitty had not cared about her disappearance and did not help the small investigation in the least.
Brooks looked up from the paper and over at Carter.
He had a place to start and information that could help his cause.
He went to stand, and Carter held up his hand, “I have had one of my men check out their house in Kent. It is dark and quiet. No one is there. They have to be somewhere else.”
Brooks let out a curse, “They must be at that man’s house, but I don’t know what his full name is.”
Carter sat back, “Let me dig around. I promise we will find her.”
Brooks nodded and stood, “When is my next fight?”
Carter shook his head, “I think you need a night off. You need to go home. Talk to Burk. He has to be worried about you. And I will have my man follow you. So you don’t get into trouble. We will find her Brooks. But you need to stay alive so we can.”
Brooks let out a snarl, and Carter stood, not backing down. “I mean it Brooks. You have barely eaten or slept. I know because I have seen it. You need to sleep and then tomorrow you can come back and fight. But do not lose all you have worked for. Go and talk to your brother.”
Brooks nodded tightly and walked out of Carter’s office and down the stairs. He looked at the ring and the men fighting there, and Carter blocked his view.
“Go home Brooks. Seriously. This will be here tomorrow.”
He walked away and did not look back this time.
He walked the entire way, not having brought his horse again. It was easier that way and he kept his head down, not wanting to attract attention.
Not this time. Carter had it right. He would find his wife again and he had to be alive for her to protect her.
He had been dumb, going out and seeking fights he had no reason to seek.
He was lucky he had only had a few grazes here and there.
When he got back to the salon, he walked up the stairs to the rooms above and heard Burk and Lily in Burk’s office.
He let out a sigh and knocked on the door, not wanting or needing to see them in flagrante. He had caught them once before and did not need the image of Burk’s ass in his mind again.
The door opened moments later, and Burk stood there, his hair a little disheveled and his face tired, but when he saw who stood at his door, his face perked up in small amounts.
Burk pulled him in for a hug, and Brooks hugged his brother back. When they let go, Burk led him into the office and Lily rushed forward, “Oh Brooks! You are safe. Thank god.”
Brooks hugged his sister back softly, “I am all right. It just has not been easy on me in the weeks since she left. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Burk shook his head, and Brooks let Lily out of his embrace, it was too painful.
“We know you have been struggling. Carter came by and told us. But going out in the streets at night alone? What the fuck were you thinking? You know better than anyone what type of men there are on these streets. These men are desperate and cruel. They don’t care who you are.”
Brooks felt his face scrunch up in anger, “I know. I am not stupid. I looked for trouble myself. I had to. It was the only way to keep myself sane. You think it was easy for you? When Lily fought against her feelings? That was nothing to what I feel.”
Burk raised his eyebrows in shock and Brooks pushed on, “Well, Burk, my wife was taken from me. The woman I love is being hurt and abused and sold to some man like she is nothing more than cattle! So no, you have no idea. And if the only way I can cope with her being gone is to fight, then you need to mind your own business and let me handle it the way I choose. It’s this or drinking myself to death. Take your pick. I have a bottle I saved for a long time calling my name right now, but I have not touched a drop. So, tell me Burk, what you think I should do, I await your answer.”
Lily gasped softly in shock and held a hand to her mouth, but Brooks ignored her, his anger too great at his brother.
“Do you think I love seeing my brother happy and in love and shoving it in my face when I am so miserable? Do you think I love seeing it? When all I want is to punch a hole in every wall I see because of it? I had it for a brief amount of time and then it was stolen from me. And not only that, but I have endless worries about her because of the pain I know she is in. Because I know she is suffering. Her maid told us as such when I saved her life. And yet, you think I want to sit here and do nothing? That I want to stare at my walls each and every night, not sleeping and also knowing that I can’t change anything? How about that? That for these weeks I could either be drinking myself into a stupor or trying to get some of the tension out by fighting? What do you want from me? The man you knew and loved as Brooks died the second she was taken from me. I don’t think I can find him again if I tried.”
Burk was staring at him in shock and anger registered on his face, “Brooks, I don’t know what to say. Except that I am sorry you have been struggling so much and never spoke to me until now. I know how hard it is to have your woman taken in the middle of the night or did you forget the years I waited for Lily’s return? I am not trying to downplay your hurt and anger, I truly am not. If you need to fight, then do so. But you need to do it here or at Carter’s but do not go out in the streets again. I don’t want to see my brother killed because of this.”
Brooks felt some of his anger leave when he remembered Burk also went through what he did. “I apologize Burk. I just cannot do this. Not the way you want me to.”
