Claimed by my Unexpected Protector

Chapter Six

Benny’s POV

I grunt as I push the weights forward once again, sweat dripping from my forehead from the effort, the burn feeling good as my muscles strain.

It’s six thirty in the morning, and I’m in the twenty four hour gym just south of my apartment complex. I’ve been here for over four hours after yet another night of insomnia, I’m lucky if I manage to get a few hours every couple of days, last night was not one of my lucky nights.

I release the handles of the machine I’m seated on, dropping my head back against the head rest as I close my eyes and take a calming breath. We have a gym at work but even though I have a key, I didn’t want to go in and use theirs, honestly, I didn’t want the questions on why I was in so early, lifting more weight than I should.

Opening my eyes, I lean down and grab my towel, wiping it over my face before standing up and running it over the machine to clean it. Turning back to the room, I contemplate moving to another machine, but I think that if I push it any further today my arms might just give up on me. Instead, I head for the door, ignoring the other few people who have floated in whilst I worked out. Pushing open the huge glass door, I step out into the cool, air conditioned hallway and head down toward the changing rooms.

The locker room is bright and airy, the individual lockers lining the centre of the room, facing toward the walls, whilst wooden benches surround the edges. Making my way toward the metal cubbies, I lift my wrist to the one marked zero seven one, using the key fob built into my wristband to unlock the door before pulling it toward me.

Reaching inside, I rummage through my bag, grabbing my wash bag before slamming the door shut again and relocking it, my feet turning toward the far end of the room where the showers are located.

Walking into the tiled space, I grab a thick towel from the pile to my right that are laid out for patrons to use, one of the upsides of a higher priced gym membership along with the lack of posers who are just here to flex in the mirrors.

Making my way to the far end, I push open the door to the last cubicle, stepping inside and locking the door behind me. I’m now in a small space that contains a bench and two coat hooks. Placing the towel down on the seat, I reach behind my head and tug at the sweat slicked fabric of my t-shirt, dragging it up my back and over before dropping it beside the towel. Toeing off my sneakers, I quickly remove the rest of my work out gear before digging through my wash bag for what I need and then turning toward the other door in the small room and open it, stepping through, into the tastefully decorated wet room on the other side.

As soon as the door closes behind me, I turn the knobs on the wall, water slicing through the air from the showerhead above me and striking my skin. It’s cold, but I don’t even have time to flinch before the heat kicks in, bathing me in warmth.

I lean my forearm against the wall in front of me, head bowed as I let the water fall over me, warm becoming hot until each drop stings slightly as it hits me.

I stand there for a few minutes, letting the heat wash some of the ache from my muscles before I straighten up and finally start to wash the grime from my workout from my skin.

Once I’m clean, I turn the dials back and head back out again, grabbing the towel and using it to semi dry my hair and body before wrapping it around my waist and bundling up my belongings. Unlocking the door, I make my way back to my locker, pulling out my clothes before I dry myself more thoroughly and get dressed.

Shoving all my gear into my bag, I throw it over my shoulder and head for the door, dropping my used towel into the large laundry basket beside it, before pulling the heavy wooden structure toward me so I can slip back into the hallway and down toward the reception. I lift my chin to the twenty something young man who is behind the desk, my feet never slowing as I walk toward the entrance and out into the morning sunlight.

Reaching my truck, I unlock the doors, opening the back door and tossing in my bag before slamming it closed and climbing in behind the wheel. I check my watch, just before seven, it’s still early, I’m not due into work until ten.

I consider heading back to my apartment for a couple of hours, but immediately dismiss it, not relishing the thought of staring at four walls on my own until I can leave again.

I tap my fingers on the steering wheel idly, I could go in early, but again, it’s just enticing questions from my colleagues, whoever said women were gossips have never met a group of ex military men, those guys are nosier than a dog with a scent.

Making a decision, I put the truck in reverse, and back out of my space, straightening up before I head out of the parking lot and out onto the road, heading toward town.

I barely make it half a mile before a rain storm opens up, drenching my vehicle and the road around me. Sighing, I slow down, squinting through the unexpected downpour as I make my way down the road, past the well presented apartment complexes that make up the skyline of my part of the city.

Ahead, red lights appear, and as I crawl toward them, I find my way blocked by slow moving traffic. Joining the queue, I inch forward, frowning, until I get close enough to see that the way ahead is blocked. A man in a high vis jacket is waving us toward a road to the right from beside a sign declaring that the road is closed.

Rolling down my window, I shout over the rain, ‘what’s going on?’

‘Burst pipe, you gotta go round’ the man replies curtly, waving a little more energetically to get me to move on.

Grumbling, I raise the window again as I turn the steering wheel, following the cars in front of me as we leave the main road and start to try and find an alternative route. As I pass turning after turning, each road is blocked as people frantically try to find a way to work with the main road now out of action.

Pressing the screen of my satnav, I pull up the map, typing in the address of Daisy’s café as I try to keep one eye on the road ahead of me. Scrolling the list of options, I press the quickest route, the screen turning before an arrow appears at the start of a blue line and the smooth voice of the AI assistant starts to tell me where to go.

The traffic starts to thin as I follow the route on the screen, leaving behind the familiar streets of my area. The well kept houses and apartment buildings fall away, the area becoming less affluent. I turn down another street, this one rougher than before, the houses are surrounded by chain link fences, grass over grown, the properties, paint chipped, a few with cracked or boarded up windows. As I drive past a tired looking pink painted house, a large dog rushes the fence, jumping up and barking loudly at me before it’s owner appears on the porch yelling at it.

The houses slide past me before they end, along with the sidewalk, and greenery takes its place, I’m still driving slower, struggling to see through the weather which has increased now that I’m out in the open. I turn on my lights, hoping that the beams will help somewhat, the light cuts through the deluge enough to give me a view of a few more feet and a small figure that is walking along the edge of the road, huddled against the wind and rain, their coat wrapped around them tightly as they stagger slightly into my path.

I slam my foot on the break, tugging the wheel as I skid a little before my tyres gain traction, and I swerve around the person walking in the way before I come to a dead stop.

Jesus Christ! What the hell are they doing out in this? They’ll get themselves killed if they don’t die of f.ucking hypothermia.

I throw open my door, climbing out, my clothes immediately drenched as I call out to the pedestrian.

‘Hey! Do you need a ride?’ the words stick in my throat as I focus on the rain drenched face across from me.

‘Eralia?’ I demand, striding toward her as her own eyes widen in shock. ‘What the f***k!’ I growl, grabbing her shoulders and staring down into her chocolate brown eyes, ‘what the hell are you doing out here?!’

‘I’m OK, don’t worry, just go on to where you were heading’ she replies, trying to tug away from me as I hold her in place.

‘I’m not leaving you here!’ I snarl, ‘it’s f.ucking pouring out here! Get in the truck, I’ll give you a lift.’

Eralia shakes her head quickly, ‘no it’s fine! I’m fine! I can walk . . .’

‘Not a chance’ I snap, ‘you’re coming with me.’

Eralia’s lips part as she stares at me, the argument that she’s trying to form refusing to come out though. Her body shiverers uncontrollably under my fingers, standing still seems to have allowed the small amount of warmth she was creating to dissipate.

Muttering a curse, I drop my hands, grabbing her own and drag her toward the passenger side of my truck. Throwing open the door, I practically lift her bodily off her feet before I place her inside, slamming the door and run around to the driver’s side, sliding back in and shutting the door.

Pushing my soaked hair out of my eyes, I turn toward the shivering woman incredulously, as she holds her trembling white hands toward the heaters, avoiding my gaze.