Nothing But Hate

Chapter Seven

Tucker wiped the sweat off his forehead, before shifting his focus back on the punching bag.

Punch.

I'm sure I'll have a hard time forgetting any bit of my conversation with you.

Punch.

I hope you realise how wrong you are about me.

Punch.

I'm pretty sure I can get you to like me if you give me the chance.

Punch.

Tucker was angry. He had always been somewhat of an angry person, and his profession didn't help in the matter either. Dealing with criminals, victims and their families, all of it was extremely mentally taxing. So, apart from his bimonthly visit to his therapist, he boxed at the gym to blow off some steam.

Right now, he was imagining Callum Kaufman's face on the punching bag, and he had to admit, it was helping. His trainer gave him a concerned look, but he had known Tuck long enough to know when to leave the man alone.

Tucker helped out his trainer, Ivan, with a very nasty legal suit about two years ago. The son of a really rich man had slipped in the locker room, in the shower area. He barely twisted his ankle, but the spoilt brat sued the gym for a million dollars, claiming the incident caused him "mental duress".

Ivan had lost half of what he had in his divorce, and was relatively new to America. He knew Tucker was a lawyer, so he approached him. Even though Tuck didn't take personal cases, he made an exception for the sweet man.

They won the case. And instead of a monetary compensation, Tucker gladly accepted a lifetime membership of the gym.

Right now, anyone could see how frustrated the lawyer looked. He was trying to understand what Kaufman was trying to do with his flirty antics. Did he think that just because Tucker was a gay man and Kaufman was rich and attractive, he'd fall at his feet?

Or was it the opposite? Did he consider Tucker to be a challenge? Was he so used to getting whatever he wanted that Tucker's disdain for the CEO somehow made the man want him? What was he trying to prove?

Other than that, he hated the fact that Paige was still somewhat pissed at him. The wedding was soon, and the thought of his twin being angry at him during one of the most important days in her life was heartbreaking. Granted, Tucker was to be blamed, and if he could go back in time then he would still take the case, it still made him sad.

Actually, if he could go back in time, he wouldn't have agreed to go to that charity event in the first place. No Kaufman, no problem.

~~~

"You can head back home, you know?" Tucker frowned at Aurora. The two had stayed back after office hours were over to go over the million files of Kaufman Enterprises, trying to look for anything, just anything that could point to something bigger going on.

"And leave you here all alone to be swallowed by all this work?" Aurora raised a brow, "Not a chance."

"Jaime will kill me for keeping you from them for so long." Tucker smiled, making Aurora chuckle.

"They might, but I think you're used to hearing an earful from them," Aurora grinned, "Remember last year, June?"

"Oh God," Tucker groaned, recalling when he went to Pride with Aurora, Jaime and Dan, "Remind me never to get in a car with them. Jaime is a worse driver than drunk Dan."