Page 30 of A Burning Rage

“I could use a good workout, and I thought maybe you’d be up for one.”

Shane shakes his head as he unlocks the door and opens it. “Let me guess. Beth called you.”

Jake muscles his way into the room, leaving the door open. “You bet she did. What the hell are you doing, scaring her like this? Consider this an intervention.”

“I don’t fucking need one.”

“Then what’s all this about?” Jake gestures to Shane’s bloody knuckles.

“The pain is a good distraction.”

“If you want pain, I’ll give you pain. How about we spar? You can punch me instead of an inanimate bag. At least, I hit back. You’ll get all the pain you want.”

I’m close enough now I can see inside the workout room. If they know I’m here, they’re not showing it.

The two brothers face each other beside a padded black floor mat. Jake is taller than Shane, and he outweighs his older brother by about forty pounds of solid muscle.

Jake grabs Shane’s hands and holds them up for inspection. He tsks. “Rookie mistake, dude.”

When Shane grins, I know I did the right thing by calling Jake.

“Come on,” Jake says. “Let’s get you cleaned up and put some gloves on you.”

They disappear into the locker room. I can hear their muffled voices, but not make out what they’re saying. Before long, they return, Shane’s hands properly gloved. Jake’s are gloved as well.

“Let’s see what you remember,” Jake says as they take their positions on the mat.

“I’m not that much out of practice, you know,” Shane says as he bounces on his feet, limbering up.

Jake chuckles. “I beg to disagree.”

Shane makes the first move, throwing a right hook that Jake easily dodges and returns with a punch of his own. Shane dodges that as well, and they dance around each other as they warm up.

“So, what’s eating you?” Jake asks. “As if I can’t guess. I’m sure it has something to do with that little pyscho prick, Morton.”

Shane throws another punch, catching the edge of Jake’s chin. Jake retaliates with a right hook.

“She’s been through so much already, first with Andrew, and then with Howard Kline. She shouldn’t have to deal with Andrew walking around freely.”

“I thought Andrew was homebound for the most part.”

Shane scoffs. “I’m sure he can slip out from underneath his parents’ supervision if he tries hard enough. You didn’t see him at the hearing, Jake. He stared at Beth. There wasn’t a single ounce of remorse in his expression. He’s a fucking monster, and I won’t let a monster terrorize my wife.”

“What do you suggest we do then?”

Shane chuckles. “We?”

“Yeah. We’ll handle this together, just like we handled Howard Kline.”

That’s right! Jake was there at my townhouse the night he and Shane orchestrated a sting operation to catch Howard Kline in the act. When Kline broke into my home, intending to kidnap me again, or perhaps kill me—he was armed and ready for both—Shane was waiting for him upstairs in my bedroom. Shane fired in self-defense, ending the threat to me once and for all.

“I’ll have to do something,” Shane says cryptically. His words hang heavily in the air. He doesn’t need to elaborate for Jake to understand him.

“I hear you, brother. Just say how and when.”

I quietly slip back up the stairs and leave them to it. Shane’s in good hands now, and no matter what demons were driving him to hurt himself, I’m sure Jake can handle it.

* * *