“Does it matter? You’re not getting a cent.”
Cole looked at the road ahead.
“Call my lawyer if you have something to say about the house.”
“No. I’ve got a better idea.”
Derek lowered his voice.
“Come to my gym Friday night. You and me. Five minutes in the ring.”
Cole stared through the windshield.
“What?”
“You heard me. Five minutes. If you last the full round, I’ll pay you the value of your half of the house myself. Cash or transfer. Your choice.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you walk away without a fight and without my girlfriend’s money.”
Cole almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
Then Derek added:
“I want Claire to see exactly what she’s been missing. Let her watch you try to be a man for once.”
Cole looked down at his left knee.
The old injury had been aching all week. Some mornings, the pain made climbing stairs feel like a negotiation with his own body.
