AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Was he wearing cologne? I can’t remember but it wouldn’t have stopped me from the gesture. He looked exhausted and his mother just came out of a serious surgery. There was nothing wrong with an embrace of friendship and comfort.
Except for the fact my husband hates Callum and can get blind with rage when talking about him. I tread carefully but decide for the truth because I did nothing wrong. “I gave him a hug—”
The slap catches me off guard, a left-handed pop to my cheek. It stings but doesn’t rock me the way a right-handed hit would have. Luckily, he holds his beer in his dominant hand.
Joshua then walks into me, backing me into the counter beside the stove. My heart pounds with fear because while this behavior is nothing new, I have no clue how far he’ll escalate.
Setting the bottle down, my husband cages me in with his hands. His glare is glacial, his words coated in poison. “You fucking slut. I bet you loved snuggling up to Callum, didn’t you?”
“No—”
Joshua grips the front of my throat and squeezes. It’s not enough to cut off my air but he’ll probably choke me before it’s all said and done. What’s more terrifying is that he forces my head to the left, trying to push me closer to the boiling pot of potatoes. My body locks and my hand slams onto the counter, pushing against him. If my hair weren’t on top of my head, it would have fallen into the flame under the burner. My skin starts to prickle from the heat.
“Joshua… stop it,” I scream.
“Bet Callum wouldn’t think you’re so pretty with that face scarred, now would he?”
I bring my knee up hard, hoping to catch him square in the balls, but he twists out of my reach. It’s enough that his grip loosens on my neck and I’m able to push away from the hot burner.
But he spins me around, pushing my stomach against the counter, pinning me there with his body. I feel his erection against my backside and bile rises in my throat. Nothing turns this man on more than hurting me.
“Stop it,” I growl as I try to twist away. He uses an open palm to clap me upside the head, hard enough it rattles my teeth. His hand then frantically works at the button on my jeans. “I said no,” I scream, throwing my head back so hard, I catch his chin.
“Fuck,” he roars, stumbling back from me.
I don’t wait around, knowing that my only chance is to escape to a room with a lock on the door. I take off running but Joshua’s on me, his hand grabbing my bun and nearly jerking me backward off my feet. I cry out from the pain as he slings me around, slamming me into the side of a corner cabinet where I catch it full force on my temple.
I see stars but slap at him, trying to push him back. His hand is once again at my throat, this time squeezing so hard my immediate air supply disappears. My fingers claw at his arms, gouging skin with my nails to loosen his grip.
The mudroom door opens and through the ringing in my ears, I hear Joshua’s dad, Preston. “What’s going on?”
Stupid fucking question.
Joshua doesn’t spring back, embarrassed to be caught abusing me. He doesn’t even loosen his grip.
Instead, he calmly says, “Teaching this one a lesson.”
“You know I don’t like for you to do that in the open,” Preston admonishes. “That’s private between a man and a woman.”
I’m so oxygen deprived, my vision starts to dim. My ears feel like they’re stuffed with cotton, but I hear Preston say, “Let her go, son. I’m hungry and she needs to finish our dinner.”
“Fucking meatloaf,” Joshua says in disgust as he releases me. I bend over, coughing and gasping.
“Yeah?” Preston drawls. “Thought we were having pot roast to celebrate the new store?”
I swallow, wincing against the pain of my muscles contracting in my throat. Straightening, I step around Joshua, never taking my eyes off him should he again strike at me. I move to the potatoes to turn off the burner. They should be done.
Joshua sneers as he throws a thumb at me. “Dumb bitch stayed at the hospital all day. Ruined our dinner plans.”
I dart a glance at my father-in-law. He’s big and burly, not like his son’s thin frame. His eyes meet mine. “How’s Lila doing?”
You’d know if you went to visit, you piece of shit. But I can’t say that because I’m far too dependent on these two men.
“She was resting comfortably when I left,” I say, my words coming out in a harsh rasp.
Preston’s blank stare stays pinned on me before he nods to the oven. “Don’t let dinner burn. Call us when it’s ready.” He then turns his gaze on Joshua. “Let’s talk in my office.”
My husband doesn’t reply to his dad, merely moves over to the counter to grab his beer. He doesn’t even grace me with a glance of concern, mainly because he doesn’t care about me at all.
