Marcus answered on the fourth ring.
“Mercer? You alive?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“That’s the spirit. What’s wrong?”
Cole explained the situation.
There was a long silence.
Then Marcus said, “Let me get this straight. Your wife is cheating on you, her boyfriend challenged you to a fight, and you’re considering it?”
“I’m considering how to handle it.”
“Those are not the same thing.”
“I know.”
“Then listen to me. Your knee is not twenty years old anymore, and you’re not getting paid to fight. Don’t let humiliation make decisions for you.”
Cole stared at the motel carpet.
“I won’t.”
“Promise me you’ll get that knee checked before Friday.”
“I promise I’ll think about it.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Cole smiled faintly.
Marcus sighed.
“Some things never change.”
After the call, Cole sat quietly for a while.
Then he called an attorney.
By midnight, he had arranged a consultation about the divorce and the house. Whatever happened at the gym, he would handle his marriage through the proper channels.
