Page 69 of Destiny Reclaimed

“Huh?”

“I shouldn’t have come here today. But I didn’t know what else to do. I needed to get away...out of the house for a bit.”

Away from that monster of a husband of hers is probably what she’d wanted to say. Was she being careful with her words because of Blake?

She reached up and removed the dark sunglasses.

Pain like Jack had never known sliced through his heart at the sight of the eggplant color surrounding her swollen eyes. It took every bit of strength he had not to reach for her and pull her into his arms. His fists tightened at his sides and itched to return the favor to Arthur.

Gary’s arms flew into the air. “What the hell. Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Not a chance in hell.”

“I have to.” Her gaze slid to her son.

“No, you don’t. I’ll help yo—”

She raised her hand, cutting off his words.

“I don’t have a choice.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I can’t risk losing...” She paused and used her gaze to point at her son, then she focused on Gary. “Please. Just calm Dad down. It’s for the best.”

Jack’s heart pounded. That bastard. That sideways glance of hers to their son, along with her carefully chosen words, could have meant a couple of things. One, had he threatened to take her son from her if she went public with the abuse? In this town, her husband had the power and money to follow through with that? Or, had he threatened to take it out on the boy if she talked?

Either way, he’d risk anything to set the record straight, get his beloved wife and son out of this mess.

Chapter Eighteen

Arthur slammed hisfist down on his large cherry-wood desk.

“Shut that boy up!”

Between the clunk of the kid’s cowboy boots on the hardwood floor as he ran up and down the long hallway, and thepop...pop...popof his toy cap gun Arthur had had enough.

“Blake, honey. Come here.”