Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,15

know what you need,” he was sneering now, “you need to get in my wife’s panties don’t you? I’ve seen the way you look at her. You probably get rock-hard every time you’re around her.” He laughed almost humourlessly.

“The thing is ‘pretty-boy’, I do too and I know that it messes with your head to know that she is mine. She is my wife.” He punctuated the last three words and then rudely gestured towards his crotch. Elise flinched.

“And it doesn’t matter how hard you get or how messed up you get, you will never be in her panties. And I know that fucking kills you.” He chuckled loving that, in his mind, he had the upper hand.

“I am not going anywhere, pretty-boy. I came here to fuck my wife and that is exactly what I am going to do!”

Elise looked at Dale in absolute horror. She could not believe that he had spoken to Cole like that and she couldn’t believe that he had come here with the sole intention of having sex with her. This was her workplace, for Christ’s sake. What the hell was he playing at? She knew that he was drunk but he must have had something in mind or he wouldn’t have said anything at all. Frantically trying to work out what to do and noting that Dale was still lounging on the sofa, a huge smug smile on his face; Elise helplessly glanced up at Cole and began to feel the first frission of fear running through her. She could tell that Cole had gone beyond angry now and she didn’t know how much longer he would be able to hold it in. Silently, she willed him to stay calm – nothing would be resolved if he lost his temper.

“I am asking you one last time, asshole. Please leave this building immediately.” Thankfully Cole had remained calm – just – but his words were dripping with ice, the threat now unmistakable.

Dale’s eyes flickered recognition at the menace underlying Cole’s words but in his drunken state, it seemed like he was choosing to ignore it. Elise could feel the situation rapidly getting out of control but, before she could contemplate how to diffuse it, Dale spoke again, continuing to add fuel to an already well-burning fire.

“I’m good here thanks, pretty-boy.” Sarcasm from a drunken Dale was not good.

“This sofa is really comfy. Maybe I could just do the missus here, you know, get it over and done with. Bit of an audience but I don’t mind if you don’t.” Dale’s smile was sickening as he looked at her and Elise could not prevent the cry of shock from leaving her mouth.

This was beyond disgusting and he had stepped over the line a hell of a long time ago. To suggest that he would have sex with her on the sofa in the main reception area of her workplace, in front of her best friend and the biggest gossip in the office belied belief. She launched at Dale in the hope that she could get him up and out of there before anything else happened and he made the situation any worse than it already was.

Cole moved at the same time though and was quicker, landing a punch square on the side of Dale’s face. He reeled but was seemingly too far-gone to feel any pain and quickly retaliated, standing up on unsteady legs and slinging a punch back to Cole. Elise looked on in disbelief, struggling to believe that the two men in her life were standing in the reception area trading punches like they were going out of fashion. Even though Dale was unstable, he had no fear and was laying into Cole like a deranged animal. Cole was holding his own and managed to land a punch here and there, the two of them continually shouting abuse as months of rage on Cole’s part was vented onto her husband.

She pleaded loudly for both of them to stop but her voice fell on deaf ears. Neither of them looked to be ending this fight any time soon and the large open area resounded with the echoes of the punches being thrown.

Belatedly, she became aware of Annabel screaming and then suddenly a huge shout came from the door leading back to the main office area.

“Stop! Now! What the hell is going on here?!”

It was Vaughn, striding out of the door and down the reception area towards them a look of absolute murder on his