Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
My pulse hastens, as does my pace.
“Give me my fucking daughter! She’s not yours. She belongs to me now.”
“You don’t care about her at all!”
“I love Marci!”
“Her name is Lucy!”
“Whatever!”
I see Tallie up against the wall, the baby crying, and sense that the situation is a dangerous one.
Before her is a large, tattooed, bald man who is pointing a gun right at her.
“My child doesn’t belong to you, bitch,” he goes on. “You think I’m going to let you have her after you ruined my relationship?”
“You ruined your relationship, Marcus! Every time you lied to her! Every time you stole from her! Every time you hit her!”
“I only ever did what was best for us!”
“You did what was best for you, Marcus!”
“What’s best for me is what’s best for us!”
I’ve heard enough. I rush in and tackle him to the ground. He has poor form, and it’s easy to slam his hand to the ground, losing his grip on the gun.
“I’m pretty sure a convicted felon like you isn’t supposed to have a thing like that, Marcus,” I hiss at him before punching him in the face. “Not to mention you’re on probation. You’re going away from a long time now.”
“Fuck you, pig!” he shouts as soon as he sees my uniform. He squirms against me, but I throw another hand across his face.
I’m not one for police brutality, but everyone has their limit. This son of a bitch is mine. He spits at me, but I yank his hands behind his back so I can wrestle my cuffs onto him. “You have the right to remain silent,” I begin.
Once I’m done reading him his rights, I call for back-up and they aren’t far away. Home not being a very large town has its advantages, and I take solace that someone will soon take Marcus far away from here, to at least the county jail. Someone as dangerous as him? He might wind up in the state penitentiary.
Tallie cradles Lucy as Marcus is driven away, and hopefully that will be the last either of them ever see of him.
“Are you alright?” I ask when we’re finally alone, knowing the sad answer to the question.
“I’m alright enough,” she says, exhausted and defeated.
“What happened? Why didn’t you call?”
“I don’t know. He just burst in, and I scrambled to protect Lucy from him. I left my phone on the coffee table, and Marcus grabbed it.”
I wrap my arms around her and Lucy. I hold them tight. “He’s gone for good, now. Violating his probation and breaking a restraining order, he’s looking at at least twenty years’ worth of charges. Maybe in that time he’ll come to terms with his history and how he treats people. Maybe he won’t. But he’s not your problem anymore, Tallie. And if he ever somehow becomes one again? I’ll be there for you, ready to protect you.”
“Graham... Graham, are you crying?” she says, in a non-judgmental way.
“You mean the world to me, Tallie. I’m never letting you or Lucy go. Never, ever. I love you two with all my heart.”
She smiles up at me. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.
12
TALLIE
The whole event stressed us all out, and crying like she did exhausted Lucy. I carry her to her crib and tuck her in, where she immediately starts to nap, and I enjoy how precious she looks.
I had hoped never to see Marcus again, and now I have faith that after this last time, it’ll be true. He dug his own grave. I’m with Graham when it comes to him. I hope he finds peace in the time he spends in prison. He’s always been a fundamentally toxic and unhappy person, and whatever led him down that path couldn’t have been sunshine and rainbows.
Julia must have seen something good in him. No matter how small. Why else would she have gotten with him in the first place?
With Lucy napping away, I realize I need to do something to shake off the day’s horrible energy. I head to the kitchen, where Graham is tidying up.
That can wait.
I lean against the doorway as he looks up at me. “You okay?”
“Officer, I have a confession.”
He chuckles as he catches on to my game. “Do you now?”
“I’ve been bad. And I’m hiding illegal contraband somewhere. I think you need to come and strip search me.”
Graham laughs. “You don’t need to do all this roleplay, Tallie. You telling me it’s time to fuck is hot enough for me.”
“Then it’s time to fuck, Graham.”
“Gladly.”
In a flash, he’s on me, his hands all over my body, a palm sliding down my hips to my ass.
His lips on mine, as delectable as they always were, the two of us enraptured with one another. I’m pulling at the buttons of his shirt to uniform reveal his chest, letting it fall away so I can enjoy him, then immediately going to work on his slacks.