Err on the Side of Violence: Terribly Acronymed Detective Club Series (Book 3)

Chapter Fifty-Six: Joe, Monday

After his wife and his lover left, off on what Joe thought was a pointless errand that was just Lauren's excuse to get away from him, Joe turned to Rachel and Al and said, "I don't know what I'm doing here."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked. "Here, right now?"

"No. I mean, what am I doing wrong with Lauren? I used to be able to understand her and be understood." He turned to Al and said, "I don't want to hear your thoughts on the matter."

Al threw up his hands and said, "I didn't say anything. How about I call Detective Pak, and the two of you can have a chat, since you're so close."

"That's a great idea, Al, you do that."

Al shook his head and walked away, and Joe led Rachel out on the balcony. Rachel closed the balcony door behind them, and Joe leaned over the railing and looked out into the backyard. Rachel stood beside him, back to the yard, arms crossed. 

They didn't speak for some time. Finally, Joe said, "How are you not sick of his face right now?"

"Who, Al?"

"Yes, Al. Why are you not angrier at him? He betrayed you as much as Lauren betrayed me."

She shrugged. "I have bigger things to worry about right now. If you can't stand the sight of him, though, maybe we should all go. Maybe we can stay with his mom in Coquitlam."

"You wouldn't want to stay and send him off to his mom's?"

She turned to him and said, "I need him here with me, for Emma's sake and for Logan's. We can't split up because then we won't be able to adopt them. More importantly, Joe, I love him."

"And you're willing to overlook the fact that he slept with my wife?"

"I slept with you, and he forgave me, so I can do the same for him."

He gasped. "You confessed to everything? Weren't we on this same balcony over a year ago confirming our story, where we didn't tell them everything?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Jesus, Joe, the game's up. What's the point of withholding anything now? I slept with you, he slept with her, and you're also sleeping with someone else, so you really have no right to your indignation."

"Knowing that won't make it go away. God, Rachel, you can do so much better than him, that's what makes me angry. More importantly, Lauren can do so much better than him, and that makes me even angrier. What does she want with him when she has me?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "You're so full of yourself. What do you think makes you so special?"

He blinked in surprise. "Sorry?"

"I mean, yeah, okay, you're good looking, and tall, and riding that beast of yours made me pop in ways I couldn't replicate with Al, and don't you dare tell him I ever said that. But I'm attracted to Al, too, as hard as it is for you to believe, and he also satisfies me sexually, and both of you rate about the same in my books, and that rating is high."

Joe harrumphed. "You had me when I was injured and at my lowest. If I was in full health I would have scored higher, I know it."

She threw up her hands in frustration. "Why is it always a competition with you? Why do you always have to compare yourself to him?"

"I can't help it. Suddenly my wife is sleeping with another man and I have to understand how that happened."

"Well, how did Joanie happen? Did you expect to fall for her when you met up again?"

He shrugged. "To be honest, I think it started all the way back when I first met her, walking down the aisle as Lauren's maid of honour."

She nodded sadly, as if she'd expected him to say that. "Have you ever thought that maybe you two shouldn't have gotten married?"