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Nodding, we walked out and back to my truck as I asked Eli what he’d done today.

We made a pit stop for burgers and ate them inside, I didn’t want to take him back to the compound until I had to. It would just be a reminder that she wasn’t there. I was having a hard enough time just keeping it from Eli as it was.

I needed help so on the way home, I decided that I’d call ma and get her to come over. I couldn’t deal with all of this on my own. She’d know what to do, not that I didn’t want to spend time with Eli, I just needed to concentrate on finding Kay.

Once we were back at the compound, I let Monty out into the back yard and he ran around playing with Eli, keeping him occupied. Pulling my cell out, I dialed Ma’s number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Ma?” I couldn’t stop my voice from cracking.

“Tyson? What’s happened?”

“Kay,” I whispered, watching Eli laugh as Monty tagged him with his paw. “She’s been taken.”

“We’re on our way, son.” I nodded, even though she couldn’t see, and I swallowed past the lump in my throat and pressed the end call button. I had to keep it together, for Eli.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled my shoulders back and walked out into the yard. If I didn’t attempt to keep things as normal as I could, Eli would know for sure that something was up. Although, just with Kay not being here, it made it different. She was always home, baking, cooking or playing with Eli and Monty.

I got so caught up in the memories, that I didn’t notice Eli running to me. “When is mama coming home?” he gasped, out of breath.

“Soon bud. Nana E will be here in a minute though.” He’d taken to calling her that, at ma’s insistence of course. They’d fallen in love with him, just like we all had.

“And Pop?” He grinned, jumping up and down.

“Yeah.” I smiled. “And pop.”

My heart thumped harder as the door squeaked open and I watched as a pair of boots stepped into the room. My eyes ran up his legs, his torso, and up to his face. Max stood there with an evil smirk on his face and I couldn’t stop the gasp that came out of my mouth as I looked into his eyes. I’d never seen them look so dead and so lifeless.

I desperately wanted to look away but I wouldn’t, I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. That’s what he wanted and there was no way that I’d be giving him what he wanted anymore.

“Come here,” he said, his voice low and raw.

Not moving an inch, I kept my eyes firmly planted on him. I wouldn’t willingly go to him, he’d have to drag me kicking and screaming. I wasn’t the meek person that I used to be.

“Now!” he roared. His face turning red, that vein that always pulsed when he was angry started to throb. I smiled, seemed like he still had a short fuse, that hadn’t changed. His temper would always get the better of him.

He stomped forward, grabbing onto my hair and pulling me up. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out, I wouldn’t allow him to hear the pain that he was causing, that’s what he wanted, it’s what he had always wanted.

I scrambled to land on the bottom of my feet but the concrete scraped against the top of them as he dragged me up. Bringing me into the middle of the floor, he turned me so that we were facing the girls and I shivered as his chest touched my back.

“I’m gonna teach you a lesson. Every. Single. Fuckin’. Day,” he growled down my ear.

I stared at the girls, seeing the fear in their eyes as they watched us. They knew him, I could tell that much.

His fist to my ribs took me by surprise and I gasped, and then moaned in pain as I tried to get my breath back.

“Ahhh! That’s it! I’ve fuckin’ missed that sound.” I felt his nose touch my neck and I heard the inhale as he sniffed me. I was off balance, and when he let me go with a push, I went tumbling to the floor. Curling up into a ball, I looked him square in the eyes.

“I hate you,” I whispered.

He stepped closer, each footstep echoing throughout the small room. “What did you say?” His voice was low and calm.

Gulping, I lifted my head and squinted my eyes at him. I wanted him to see how much I meant this.

“I. Hate. You.”

His nostrils flared and his hand clenched into fists, this time I was prepared. His fist came down onto my ribs again and he pushed me over onto my back. Pressing his boot into my stomach so that I couldn’t curl up into a ball again.