Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
FALLON
“ H i honey.” My blood froze in my veins. That voice, that cologne, the shivers that went down my spine when he was close, made it so I didn’t have to turn to see who it was. “So you’ve been playing house with that dumb cowboy.” His hot breath on my neck made me want to throw up and run, but I stood unmoving. My mind spun in a million different directions, but the one thing I always circled back to was I’m glad I left the girls at home with mom. They were safe, even if I wasn’t.
“You’ve had my child, I see.” He let his hand slide across my hip and over my abdomen, which had been distended when he’d seen me last. “Now I can make you pay for deceiving me about Josie.” He walked around to face me, bent down and looked me in the eye. “I knew she wasn’t mine, and you tried to pretend she was.” He reached behind him and pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. “Get in the fucking car.” He growled. How in a town where everyone knew everything, there was nobody on the street finding out what was happening?
Walking around me slowly, he pressed the gun to my back and pushed me forward. Taking slow, deliberate steps, I hoped someone would cause a scene, or give me time to come up with a plan. Someone had to be watching.
Opening the car door, the smell of cigarettes and coffee crashed into me. “You’re smoking again.” I say flatly. He’d smoked when I’d met him but had stopped when he was trying to impress me, but I’d always had a suspicion he hadn’t actually quit. There were telltale signs, the smell, the taste of his kisses. He’d had an excuse every time I’d question him. They were always he’d been out with friends who smoked, a new client smoked and on and on with the lies I’d overlooked.
“One more thing you’ve driven me to do, taking off like you did.” He sneered over my shoulder, whispering in my ear.
“Taking off? You fucker, you left me to be happy with your mistress.” His mistress. Why was he even here? Why had he been so obsessed with getting me back? I could never measure up to her, so what made him take this course of action? “Where is Chrissy? Did she come with you for this family reunion?” I turned and looked into his cold, dead eyes. He clenched his jaw and narrowed his gaze at me .
“You’re my wife, you’re the mother of my child. Why did you think you could just run off and hide behind your mommy?” He slammed the door as I got my foot in the car. The click of the locks sent dread through me. He unlocked his door and got in beside me.
Think, Fallon, he’s got weaknesses you need to play on them. “How are things with Chrissy?” I asked sweetly in the voice I’d learned over the years placated him. It was soft, made him feel like he was in control, and made my stomach churn because I sounded like a child.
“She’s gone.” He mumbled without looking at me. A car whizzed by, well over the speed limit, so they wouldn’t have noticed anything out of place. Fuck, there was my chance for someone to help. I needed to refocus.
“Oh no, what happened? Did she get tired of being a punching bag, too?” I smirked as I stared straight out the window. I could see him out of my peripheral vision and I was waiting for him to strike, but he kept both hands on the steering wheel, gripping it so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Her kid wasn’t mine, so I sent her packing.” He grumbled.
“And you wanted me back knowing one of my children wasn’t yours?” Turning, I didn’t care what he did to me. Now the gun was pressed into my abdomen and I could feel the cold of the metal seeping through my thin top.
“No, I don’t want her. Don’t be silly. I can’t have a bastard child ruining my bloodline. We’re leaving her here with her father. I’ll swing by, grab that baby, and go home.” Stepping on the gas, he made a U-turn and drove back down Main St.
Turning, I looked at Steam ’n Sugar and Fred was standing in the window. His brows were furrowed, and he held my gaze as we drove by slowly. I knew Andrew wouldn’t want to draw attention to himself, so he made sure he fit in. He didn’t speed. He waved as we met other cars, but he missed the fact that initially he’d parked across from my daughter's grandfather's shop. I mouthed the word help, and I swear Fred nodded.
I let out the breath I was holding, and I drew in another slow one. “Did you learn that technique in your therapy appointments?” Andrew sneered. “I should have had you committed last time. I wouldn’t be dealing with this now.”
Laughing, I snorted before saying, “I have to admit it would have been better than living the last three years with you.” It was the first time I’d spoken back to him and I was ready for my punishment, but he just kept his eyes focused on the road. “What’s wrong, Drew? Not into hitting women anymore?” He hated when people shortened his name. He didn’t feel it sounded sophisticated, and I knew it would get under his skin .
The prairie whizzed by as we left town and headed out on the highway. He was heading toward the ranch, and my heart started to race even more. I needed to keep him preoccupied, slow him down somehow, and pray Fred alerted Nash.
“I can’t take you home with a baby and bruises. Those will come later.” He turned slowly and looked at me. His eyes were black like his soul and I felt like he sucked the life out of my body.
“Well, you can’t take me or my baby home at all, so I’m not sure what you’re thinking.” Rolling my eyes, I continued avoiding looking at him. I’d make him mad enough he’d mess up, and I needed to be calm when that happened.
Had I kissed Josie before I left today? Would that be the last memory she has of me? What about Lottie, she would never know me. Never know how much I loved her. My arms ached to hug my girls, to keep them close, and my heart hurt with the love I have for them.
Then the most amazing sight crested the hill we’d just driven over. Fred’s truck was behind us. He was far enough back not to draw attention, but he was there. He’d come after me. Another truck was behind him. It was a shiny red truck, chromed out and there was only one person I knew who drove that and I internally jumped around because it was Kristin. Little did the fucker beside me know the cavalry was behind me and my army would be waiting.
We drove in silence for miles. I didn’t have anything to say to him and I needed him to be somewhat calm when we got to the ranch. There was no reason to show my hand yet. “You’re not usually this quiet. It must be the medication you’re on.” His jeers didn’t phase me. I didn’t care what he thought and if he believed I would be obedient, the better off I would be, since making him agitated hadn’t worked.