Page 84 of Breaking Conviction

Before she could even hear Thea’s door shut, Naomi’s dinner was strewn into her lap and Dean was hauling her out of her chair.

“Did you fuck him?” his growled breath tainted her sense of smell and she nearly gagged. “Did you?”

It took her a second too long to respond and he was shoving her against the wall.

Don’t fight back. Think of Thea. Just take it. It’ll be over soon.

The pain in the back of her head stunned her, and she realized he’d shoved her again, causing her head to recoil against the drywall.

“Did you, whore?” Spittle flew out of his mouth and onto her face. “Answer me!”

Should she? She hadn’t slept with Wes,yet. But admitting to what they had done would be just as bad. Hell, he was already attacking her without any proof at all.

“Fucking answer me!”

He shoved her to the ground and the force of his push made her trip and fall to the hardwood. One of her shoes fell off and he kicked it at her, causing the narrow heel to hit her hand.

Get up.

Just get up.

I need to get up.

But why? What’s the point?

Her mind was warring with itself and she was so dazed she wondered if she had a concussion.

He pulled her up by her bicep and shoved her against the sideboard table. The force of her body bending backward rocked the liquor bottles on the table so violently that they crashed on the ground. A drawer knob dug into her back and she squirmed to get out of his hold, but his other hand gripped her hip so tightly she hissed in pain.

“You think you can play me for a fool, bitch? I willendyou.”

Fear sliced into her. She couldn’t go out this way, leaving Thea with this monster. And she couldn’t fight him alone.

I need help.

“Mommy?”

Thea’s sweet little angel voice entered the dining room and Naomi froze.

“Get the fuck out, Thea!” Dean screamed, sending a hot flash of anger throughout her body.

“Don’t talk to her like that!”

Naomi ripped away from his hold and in a voice as calm as she could muster, she turned to her daughter standing in the doorway.

“Thea, baby. Close your door, okay? Mommy will be there soon.” She was choking on her own spit in the back of her throat, desperate for Thea to listen to the need in her voice and hoping she wasn’t lying. “Get Mommy’s purse? Your iPad’s in there. Watch a show.”

An idea formed in her head and as much as she hated using her daughter, Naomi hoped Thea would be able to pull it off. She bent to Thea’s ear until Dean growled.

“I’m giving our daughter a kiss, is that too much to ask?”

Dean narrowed his eyes but left her alone, his fists tight by his side as his whole body vibrated with fury. She turned back to Thea and gave her a kiss on the cheek before whispering in her ear.

“Go to your room, lock the door, and don’t come out. Mommy’s phone is in my purse. Call Wes, okay? Press the green button with a phone on it, and then find the name with the man in a crown, okay?” Once she’d moved to BlackStone, she’d altered Wes’s fake name into a king emoji. It’d been her first admission of her feelings to herself and had the added pleasure of a silentfuck youto Dean, a rebellion she thanked God for at the moment. That act might save her now. “Tell him I need him. Okay?”

“That’s enough, Naomi.”

Naomi backed away, holding her daughter’s round, pale cheeks in both hands and staring into those beautiful eyes, to make sure she’d heard.