Page 50 of The Unforgiven

The gym was my chosen destination afterwards, a need to burn off some steam from being in the office and the morgue most of the day. I preferred being out in the field, even if it was knocking on doors and being told to fuck off to being still and confined, probably to do with my childhood.

It was always to do with childhoods.

The gym was empty apart from Jalen, who was pulling hell out of a punching bag when I got there, his skin glistening with sweat.

“Mia!” He announced my entrance without turning round. “Busy day?”

I dropped my coat and kept hold of my bag, needing to take my chances and change.

“You could say that. I need to get changed. I didn’t want to hang around at work.”

“Why was that?”

“One of the DC’s was trying to find me to see if I wanted to go for a drink and I might’ve said yes.” It would’ve been all too easy to have fallen into to a Bank Holiday Sunday drinking game,forgetting I didn’t have the luxury of lounging off a hangover, and feeling rough all day tomorrow.

“A fate worse than death. You’ve avoided another fate – the changing rooms are out of action. The ceiling fell through yesterday and it won’t be fixed until Tuesday.” He pulled off his gloves and dropped them. “But I’m a gentleman and I’ll turn my back.” He shot me a grin that was sheer good-natured cheese.

I found I didn’t mind the idea of him seeing me change and automatically felt guilty. I had a boyfriend, a nice, handsome, respectable boyfriend who’d offered to go round to mine and cook me dinner.

I’d said no, because I wasn’t sure I’d be good company, my head still throbbing with the memory of Leah’s face when she identified her sister’s corpse.

I went into a corner where the free weights were, away from the open door, not needing to worry about the windows because the outside of them hadn’t been washed in half a century at least.

Trousers, shirt, jacket, bra, all went into my gym back, and I pulled on shorts and a sports bra, keeping my back turned, wondering if Jalen had kept his word.

My bra had just been secured when arms grabbed me from behind and I was pulled backwards and down, panic flooded every muscle, my heart bursting out of my chest. Old memories deluged my brain, but I boxed them away, taking the rage they set fire to and forcing me to give this a different ending. I started to fight, bite, kick backwards with my heels, and I freed my elbows, remembering at last to use my body weight, scrambling and kicking, until I twisted out of the grasp and then my training kicked in and I was back on my feet.

But so was he, looming over me, using his size to dominate.

Upper cut, punch, grab, a knee up towards his head and I remembered where I was and who I was with, stopping justbefore my knee made contact with his head, but kicking out towards his groin.

I relaxed, stopping. I’d have had him then, been able to floor him, and Jalen knew it.

“That was better.” He nodded, letting me catch my breath. “The changing rooms are fine, Mia, I just wanted to properly test you.”

My next inhale was long and hard, filling my lungs, before letting my breath out suddenly. I looked at his face. “I’ve busted your lip.”

Jalen lifted a hand and touched his face. He fingers came away bloody. “So you have. It’ll heal.”

“I’m sorry.” I apologised as he found kitchen roll, randomly left around because these things happened in a boxing gym.

“No need. I expected it. You were wild,” he managed to grin at me, despite his injuries. “I liked it.”

I looked at floor, kind of proud, pleased with myself. “Thanks.”

“Pad work, next? I think I’d like to walk out of here without my face completely mangled.”

We went through combinations of hits, changing them up, Jalen demanding my focus. Jab, jab, hook, cross. Jab, jab, hook, cross.

Jabjabhookcross.

We stopped when I was breathless, hot in the face and drenched in sweat.

“Break. Water.” He grabbed us a couple of bottles, sitting down on the mat, warm himself. “How’s it going with the killer?”

“Not easy. We’ll get them though.” I knew we would. I just hoped it was soon.

“You will. No one can beat you, Mia. Even me.”