That just started a whole new round of screeching, and Tyler, who seemed not to be phased by the fact that this was the woman who’d birthed him, asked if there was a petting zoo on site as it seemed they’d lost an animal of some sort. Janelle hooted, which only acerbated the situation, and I didn’t have the heart to tell Tyler to behave.
Eric wasn’t talking; I only realized it when we reached the parking lot. “Keys!” He hissed the word at me, and I opened my purse and dug them out. He took them and threw them to Janelle. “Drive back to the office and pick up your car. I’ll have someone bring it back to the house, leave the keys in the wheel.”
“Woot, this day just keeps getting better and better.” Janelle snagged the keys in midair and did a little jig on her way to the car. “Tyler, I’ll see you at home. Paul, I want a copy of that.” Eric told the boys as they started to walk away.
“Yes, sir,” Paul answered. Eric’s voice was gruff, but his hand was gentle when he took mine.
I wasn’t sure what was going on with him because he wasn’t saying anything, and I couldn’t read this new expression of his. He was being so tender with me when he opened the car door for me and seated me inside before belting me in.
When he climbed into the driver’s seat, he started the car still wordlessly, and then he made this strange sound, almost as if he were strangling before pulling me over the seat into his lap. He held me tight enough to crack a rib, but I didn’t complain because I felt the way his body shook as if coming down from something. I’d scared him, I think.
He pulled back and cupped my cheek, and my breath hitched at the look in his eyes. “Does it hurt?” I shook my head no, too choked up to speak. “Why did you come here, baby? Do you know what I have to do to her now for putting hands on you?” I started shaking my head wildly as fear crept up my throat.
I’ve always sensed an underlying energy in Eric when it comes to the people he loves. It’s nothing he’s ever said, and not even a look, nothing I can put my finger on. But always, I’ve felt this thing in him, like now, almost like a wild animal just before it springs into action. Like he’s coiled, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
I’d lost sight of that in the last few months since he’s been so laid back and happy since the wedding, and maybe I’d convinced myself that it was just my imagination. Now looking at him, I knew I was right before, the cool-headed easing going man I fell in love with can also be this person who was looking at me with someone’s death in his eyes. What am I going to do?
“Eric, no, you can’t. You can’t do anything to her. She didn’t hurt me; please listen to me.” He was shaking his head no as he seemed to look right through me. Ice cold!
“Do you really think I would let her get away with what she did?”
“Eric, it’s not that serious, listen to me.” Now I was the one cupping his cheeks and holding his face in place so I could look into his eyes.
“If you get into trouble, what’s going to happen to our baby?” I was catching at straws, but hey, every little bit helps.
“Baby?” His eyes flashed again; only this time, there was something soft in them as he looked from my eyes to my stomach. I took his hand and led it there, hoping that his belief in his prowess would snap him out of whatever this was. He shifted on the seat, bringing me even closer to him as he hugged us both, his words. “I forgot. So she hit my pregnant wife.” Oh shit!
* * *
TYLER
* * *
“Yo, Ty, where are we going? I thought we were going back to your place?”
“I have to go see Janine’s husband first.”
“What? Why?” I thought you hated that guy.”
“Dad’s gonna kill her ass if I don’t get her dumb ass the hell out of this town at least for a little while.”
“Seriously? You can’t be serious. He’s put up with her shit for all these years.”
“Yeah, that was before, when she was just fucking with him. I’ve seen that look on his face only once, and that was a long time ago when she screwed me over. I had to pretend to be sick unto death to get his attention off of her. Besides, if she’d hit my woman, she wouldn’t be long for this world either.”
“You’re in a fucked up position, bro.”