Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 267

Hudson closed his eyes, the cigarette clamped between his lips. The veins at his temples bulged, and cold sweat rolled down the side of his face.

Arthur stood nearby, catching a glimpse of his profile. His heart skipped a beat.

"Boss..."

Hudson raised a hand, cutting him off.

After a long while, the men in the water began to surface one by one.

"Boss, nothing. The water is too deep, and there's an undercurrent. They might have been swept away."

Hudson put out his cigarette. "Let's head back."

The moment the car door shut, his hands began to shake.

Arthur caught it in the rearview mirror. His chest tightened as he quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the console and handed it back.

"Boss, should I call Dr. Harrison?"

Hudson took the bottle, twisted the cap off, and downed a heavy gulp. The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat, but it did nothing to quench the fire churning in his chest.

"Call him."

Liam arrived to find Hudson submerged in a bathtub full of ice.

He checked Hudson's pulse, his brow instantly furrowing.

"Heart rate is too fast."

He dug a syringe out of his medical kit and injected a sedative into Hudson's vein. "You can't take any more stimulation right now. The ice water won't help; it's just making you more wired."

Liam thought for a moment. "He needs to burn off the excess energy."

Arthur stared blankly. "How?"

"Fight. Get in the ring. Beat someone down until he has nothing left in the tank."

Arthur fell silent for a beat. "Alright. I'll arrange it."

...

The underground boxing gym.

The air was thick with the smell of sweat and rust.

Hudson stood in the center of the ring, shirtless, sweat rolling down the sharp lines of his muscles.

He rolled his neck, the joints popping with a harsh crack.

"Damn it..." he muttered, pushing himself up and rubbing his temples.

Inside the ring, Arthur was currently trading blows with Hudson.

He was a far better fighter than both Olive and Liam, but against Hudson, it still wasn't enough.

A few rounds in, he was backed into a corner.

Hudson threw a heavy cross. Arthur slipped it, but the sheer force of the blow grazed his cheek, leaving it burning.

Gritting his teeth, Arthur refused to retreat. He stepped in and drove an elbow straight at Hudson's chest.

Hudson didn't bother dodging. He took the brutal hit head-on, then planted a devastating kick right into Arthur's stomach.

Arthur flew backward, crashed into the ropes, bounced off, and slammed hard into the mat.

He lay there, gasping for air, bloody foam bubbling at the corner of his mouth.

"Get up."

Hudson stood over him, looking down with cold, predatory eyes.

Arthur slowly pushed himself up from the canvas. He rolled his shoulder, confirmed nothing was broken, and forced himself to stand.