Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 142664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“Garrett, let’s go.” Natalie was still screeching and making threats, and I don’t know what he said to get her to shut up, but she threw herself to the ground and had a tantrum. I should have beat that bitch’s head in.
ALYSSA
It was a mess, but I took over and went into autopilot. As soon as we got home and the baby had settled down some, I made the nanny call Kevin and tell him everything. Not just about tonight but all of it. Then he and Garrett talked for a while while I tried to figure out what to do with the kid.
There was no crib for him, so we had to put all the pillows in the house around him to keep him safe in bed. The nanny was shaking in fear; she kept saying she was going to lose her job and get deported in between beating herself up for not being able to protect her charge.
I tried calming her down now that the kid had fallen asleep, but it wasn’t easy. She had a lot of guilt as she told me of the things that had been going on in that house, things she’d been too afraid to mention to anyone because of Natalie’s threats.
We both looked down at the baby, who was still sniffling in his sleep, and I felt that rage rise up in me again. He had a nasty scratch on his cheek, and each time I saw it, I wanted to go back and beat the shit out of that twit.
I made a hot toddy for the nanny and got her settled in the room with the baby because I was terrified that he’d fall off the bed, even with the mountain of pillows. I just can’t get the images of her hitting the baby out of my head. It’s gonna take a while I guess.
I stopped at the door to the study and listened in on Garrett’s call. From his end, I got the feeling that he was sending his plane to bring the other man back. I’m not sure what they were planning to do, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough.
I was tempted to go back to the house and tear her to pieces. I was so caught up in my anger that I didn’t hear him end the call and walk out of the room. I looked up, and he was there. “Come ‘ere.”
He pulled me into his arms and held me tight against his chest. “Let it out.” How did he know I needed to cry? I never cry; I don’t even cry for myself. I hit him instead and kept hitting him while crying my heart out.
It's so silly after Helen’s hate to be this moved by what I just saw, but it somehow brought back all those horrible memories. My biggest fear, though, and the thing that keeps tugging at my heart, is the thought of what would have happened to the little guy if I hadn’t been watching her? I don’t mean just tonight, but always.
What kind of life would he have had with a mother like that? How many innocents are being traumatized right this minute? “What’re you guys planning to do with her?”
“Kevin’s on his way back, then we’ll talk. He’s sent someone to the house in the meantime since we don’t think she should be alone right now.”
I glared up at him, and he had the nerve to peck my lips with his. “Don’t look at me like that. No one knows what kind of mental state she’s in right now and what she might do.”
“You care about what happens to her after what she did?”
“No, but we have no legal authority over little Andrew. If she does something or calls the cops, he’d be in the middle of it. They can take him and place him in the system, or who knows what? And there isn’t a thing we can do about it.”
He sounded so calm, so detached until I looked into his eyes. That’s when I realized he was keeping it together for my sake. “They’d have to get through me to get to him. What’s her husband saying?”
“He’s a mess. Neither of us expected anything like this.”
“You’re gonna wanna stop talking like you know her so well.”
“Come again!”
“You heard me. Stop talking about that bitch like she’s your long-lost best friend.”
“I don’t get it, but it's okay.” I don’t get it either, but when have I ever claimed to be rational? “As I was saying, once Kevin got over his disbelief, he got pissed. Apparently, he noticed a shift in her behavior around the time we got married. Before that, he knew she was a bit volatile, but he never expected her to go after his son. This is a fucking mess.”