Fractured Hearts (Shattered Lives, Book Three) Read Online Free

her on the forehead. “Sounds like a date to me.”
    Gunther jumped back into the truck and watched Quinn walk back to the school. She glanced over her shoulder, gazing at him in a flirty manner. He groaned at the sight of her purposeful strut. “Damn you, woman,” he mumbled, enjoying the view.

Chapter 2
    Gunther was walking down the hallway when he met up with Elaina. “Hey. Is he still in there?” he asked.
    Her face was angry, and her tone was irate. “I don’t know,” she growled. “Henry and I have talked about his drinking a thousand times! I’ve tried to dump as much as I can, but he won’t leave me alone long enough so I can dump everything.”
    “I was coming to check on him. See if you needed help since he could barely stand before,” Gunther offered, not knowing what else to say about it.
    “I appreciate that,” she said.
    “How long has this been going on?”
    She sighed. “Do I really want to answer that question? I feel somewhat responsible.” She swallowed. “He started his really heavy drinking when we were broken up, shortly after all this began. His drinking before was more of a casual kind of thing. Although, on several occasions, he could really pour the drinks back.” She paused for a moment. “I suppose he was what’s called a ‘functioning alcoholic’. He did tell me he started drinking after his first severe beating that hospitalized him.”
    Gunther knew she must have been wondering if that was because of him. It was. He fucked him up big time—fractured his skull. It was a beating that got out of control. If it hadn’t been for the quick actions of the clinic nurse, he probably would’ve had a true death.
    Holding back the tears, she spoke again, “But the drinking increased dramatically after Sophie died.”
    With a genuine concern for Henry, Gunther mumbled, “I’m sorry.” She put her face in her hands in an effort to hide her red-cheeked humiliation. He squatted down to her, putting his face in front of hers, then peeled her hands away. “Hey. Come on. It’s going to be okay. We’ll get him cleaned up. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
    “You would do that?” she asked, as they headed off to fetch Henry.
    Embarrassed, he replied, “I owe that, and so much more, to him.”
    Her voice broke, “I love him so much.”
    “I know. I can see that. We’ve been through a lot and, obviously, I’m not innocent here. I have affected him, too. Before he came to the States, we had a few encounters that were…less than polite, shall we say. This may be the wrong time, but I feel I need to say this to you. I’m very sorry about what happened to Claire and the baby.”
    Waving her hands to make him stop, she said, “Please. I can’t talk about that right now, and I’m not sure if I will ever be able to. I need to focus on Henry. His health is my main priority.” More tears trickled down her face, followed by more sniffles.
    “Right. Yes. I’m sorry.” Gunther patted his pockets. “I’d give you a tissue but, sadly, I seem to be fresh out.”
    Through her misery, she laughed, enjoying his quirky sense of humor. “I miss that in Henry. He hasn’t made me laugh in a really long time.”
    “We will get that back for you. I promise.”
    When they made it to the door of the mechanical room, Elaina stopped and took a deep breath. She paced in front of the door for a few moments before Gunther grabbed the handle.
    Opening the door, they were struck with the stench of liquor and vomit. “Ah, yes. My two favorite smells combined in one aromatic delight closed off in a small, tight space. Refreshing. Glade should patent it,” Elaina grumbled.
    They stepped in. Henry was lying on his stomach, seemingly unconscious, next to a puddle of whatever he ate and poured down his throat.
    It truly was a sad situation to see and Gunther felt horrible for his role in it. “Shit,” he muttered, looking down at the wreck on the floor.
    Elaina began to cry again, but she sucked it