Page 68 of Make Me Trust Again (Bluebonnet Creek #3)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

ROSE

“J-John?” My voice stutters as I just stare at him. “What? Why? ”

What is he doing? Why is he doing this?

It doesn’t make any sense.

But he’s here, in the flesh. Anger is radiating off of him in waves as he glares toward us. His hatred is palpable, like it’s a living, breathing thing, making my stomach sink in fear. Because this time around, it isn’t just directed at me.

He has Kyle.

Not just that, he’s clearly not well. The light of a nearby lamp illuminates his face.

He hasn’t shaved in days, the dark shadow’s covering his jaw, and his hair’s a mess as if he ran his fingers through it a hundred times.

His eyes wander around, shifting between the dog and us; they are bloodshot, pupils blown, with dark circles underneath them, his cheeks red, like he’s been drinking again, which is never a good sign.

John has a mean streak on a good day, but if he adds alcohol to the mix, he becomes violent and downright vicious.

And he has my son.

Fear slams into me, making it hard to breathe. My fingers squeeze around Chase’s, but it’s like he doesn’t even notice it at all.

Shadow growls at him once again.

“Stupid beast! I should have gotten rid of you when I had a chance.”

“Don’t hurt her!” Kyle protests, grabbing John’s arm with his free one.

“You be quiet,” John hisses, twisting Kyle’s arm and making him wince.

A sob breaks out of me as Kyle rises on his tiptoes, his lip wobbling in fear as John gets into his face.

“You’re hurting him!” I go toward them, my feet move on their own, or they would if Chase didn’t tug me back.

“No.” John smirks, looking down at Kyle, who’s still trying to pull his arm out of his grip.

“I’m teaching him some manners. He should know this is no way to talk to his father, something you obviously failed to do.

” His mouth curls in disgust, and he shakes him.

“Why are you crying like a little pussy? Real men don’t cry. ”

“He’s crying because you’re hurting him!” I protest, my heart breaking as I try to struggle out of Chase’s iron grip. I glare over my shoulder at him. “Let me go.”

Chase gives me a curt shake of his head, his gaze directed at my ex and Kyle, his jaw set. His face’s a mask of cold fury, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. “You can’t,” he says softly, so softly I can barely hear him.

“He has my son , Chase.”

Chase’s gaze darts to me, a deep frown etched between his brows. For a second, I think I see a trace of fear shining in his irises, but it’s gone just as quickly. “I know, but I’m not letting you anywhere near him. He’s not well.”

I press my lips tightly together.

I can understand his hesitance, but I have to get to Kyle.

“John,” I plead. “Please, let him go. He’s just a child.”

Shadow barks, and there is something deadly in the sound as she jumps even closer to John. He yelps, clearly surprised, and stumbles back, pulling Kyle against his chest, the sound of tearing echoing in the air.

I suck in a breath, my heart thundering as my mind wraps around what just happened while John curses up a storm.

She bit him.

“Call off that beast of yours, Williams,” John mutters, glaring at us. With one hand, he’s holding Kyle in a headlock, his other one going behind his back. “Or I swear I’ll put the dirty mutt six feet under myself.”

He pulls his hand in front of him, and something metal shines under the light of the street lamp not too far away.

My heart flutters as fear grips my stomach.

“John…” I say slowly, too afraid to move a muscle, too afraid to breathe. “What are you doing?”

A gun.

He has a gun in his hand.

“Call it off!” John screams.

Even though Kyle can’t hear him, or see him since his back is to John, his body shakes in fear as his fingers curl around John’s arm, his eyes are locked on me, tears shining in them, making his fear that more palpable.

“M-mom… I wanna go h-home.”

My lips open, but no words come out. I don’t know what to tell him. I want to reassure him, but my gaze keeps going to that gun. It’s shaking in John’s hand as that anger inside him grows. Or maybe it’s the alcohol. I’m not sure. He’s reckless. Unpredictable. And that makes him even more dangerous.

We will. I sign, praying he can see it. Just stay still.

“Okay, just… wait.” Chase’s fingers slip from my arm as he pats the side of his leg, but for the first time since I’ve met them, Shadow ignores him, her attention still locked on Kyle and John as she slowly continues walking around him, eyeing her prey.

“You have five seconds. Five.”

“You’re hurting Kyle, so she’s not listening.” Chase takes a step closer. The movement is minuscule, his arms are lifted in the air, his voice steady. “Let him go, drop the gun, and she’ll stop.”

“Don’t tell me what to do with my son!” John yells, turning his gun toward us.

Chase steps in front of me, shielding me from John’s view, and raises his arms higher in the air as he nods. “You’re right. He’s your son.”

Calm.

Steady.

How can he be so relaxed when there is a gun pointed at his chest?

I want to shake him senseless.

I want to yell at him.

I want to hug him so tight and never let him go.

“Damn right. And you should remember that the next time you’re playing family.

I’m his father.” John’s breathing is ragged; each word is accompanied by the jab of the gun in Chase’s direction.

“I get to decide what happens with him, and I’m saying he’s going with me.

You don’t get to steal him away from me. ”

“I don’t want to go with you,” Kyle protests, trying to push the hand that’s holding him against John. “I want to go home with Mom and Chase! Let me go.”

The pleading in Kyle’s voice is like a punch to my gut. I peek around Chase as best as I can. “John, just let him go. You’re scaring him. Nobody is trying to steal him away?—”

“Like hell you aren’t!” Those blazing eyes shift to me, and I can feel the acid burn the back of my throat. “I told you, Rose. I warned you, but you didn’t want to listen. You can’t run away from me. You and Kyle belong to me. Always have and always will.”

He’s crazy.

Completely and utterly out of his mind.

“John, we’re divorced. And I know you proposed to Lucy. You can’t…”

“I don’t fucking care!” he screams, taking a step toward me.

My throat bobs as I swallow. It’s like my body is locked in place as he rants, the arm holding the gun flailing around.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want. You left me. You ruined my life. I don’t get to play football.

I’m stuck in this Godforsaken town trying to sweet-talk the losers that live here instead of earning millions, and it’s all your fault.

So no, you don’t get to leave me in my misery and be happy with somebody else.

I won’t let you be happy. You. Are. Mine.

Until death do us part, sweetheart. That’s what you promised. ”

Hearing the nickname Chase uses for me coming out of John’s mouth leaves a bitter taste on my tongue.

The corner of his mouth lifts in a smile. “Until death do?—”

He takes a step closer, just as I hear the rushing footsteps.

John must hear them as well because he looks over my shoulder, his eyes narrowing. I suck in a breath, when from the corner of my eye I see Chase lunge at him, his fingers wrapping around the hand holding the gun as he jerks the other hand away, pushing Kyle away from John.

Kyle stumbles forward, and I can feel my heart sink into my gut.

“Kyle!” I call out his name as I run toward him, my arms wrapping around my son’s trembling body and pulling him to my chest as I step away, shifting so I’m between John and Kyle, while Chase and John continue struggling over the gun.

Low grunts and shouts echo in the air, the noises dulled by the sound of the music playing in the distance.

“You’re okay.” I kiss the top of Kyle’s head, pulling him back so I can look over him, my hands running over his face and body to reassure myself he’s really fine. “You’re going to be okay.”

Shadow’s body brushes against my legs as she wants to get to Kyle, who’s pushing me away. “Chase. Mom, he’s?—”

His words are left hanging in the air as the loud bang pierces through the air.

Kyle’s body goes still in my arms as I look over my shoulder, my ears ringing from the blast. It feels like all the air is kicked out of my lungs as I look at Chase and John just in time to meet Chase’s wide eyes.

Time seems to go to a complete standstill, everything falling into the background, the sounds dulling as those hazel eyes I love so much glance at me from a distance, pulling me into their depths.

“Go,” he mouths as he stumbles back to the ground, a red stain spreading over the pale blue shirt he’s wearing.

“Dad!”

Kyle rips out of my arms, running toward the two men, and I follow after him. My heart is beating wildly inside my chest as my feet eat the distance to my boys.

From the corner of my eye, I can see the gun slip from John’s hand before he turns around and runs away, but I’m too focused on the man lying on the ground to pay him attention.

There is shouting around me, but I ignore it all as I fall down to my knees next to Kyle, who’s staring at Chase with teary eyes, Shadow by his side, licking at Chase’s face.

I scan Chase’s heaving chest, his pale cheeks, the way his knuckles are white as he grips his upper arm, the red stain now bigger.

“Ch-Chase…” His name comes out in a stutter. My hands shake as I look over him, unsure of where to touch him so I don’t cause him more pain. If I can touch him.

“I’m fine…” he grumbles, trying to push upright, only to wince in pain.

“You’re not fine!” I protest, gently brushing his hand away.

“Just a little s-scratch.” He forces out a smile. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.”

I blink my eyes a few times, chasing away the haziness. I press my hands against his shoulders and push him down on the ground, my hand pressing hard over the wound on his upper arm. “Don’t joke about that when you’re bleeding all over my hands.”

“Ch-Chase?” Kyle’s head pops next to mine.

Chase turns to him and smiles, lifting his free hand to ruffle his hair. “Hey, buddy. I’m afraid I can’t sign. I’m short one hand.”

My heart hurts at his lame attempt at joking.

The infuriating man.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Chase lets his hand fall and takes Kyle’s in his. “I’ll be fine in no time. Don’t you worry.”

Kyle’s lip wobbles, the fear clear on his face. “You’re not mad at me? I told him I didn’t want to leave. That I wanted to stay, but he grabbed my hand really hard?—”

Oh, my poor little boy.

If John was here, I would strangle him with my bare hands for putting Kyle through this. For hurting him like he did.

“You did good, Ky,” Chase says softly. “This isn’t your fault.”

“I didn’t want to go. I want to be with you and Mom.”

Extending my free hand, I wrap it around Kyle and pull him to me, pressing my lips against the top of his head. “You’re not going anywhere. I love you so much.”

“ Oh my God… ” Rebecca gasps as she stops by our side, her eyes growing wide as she spots her brother lying on the ground.

“I’m fine,” Chase croaks, but I can see the strain this took on him. The tiny droplets of sweat are clinging to his forehead. Gritted teeth. Pale face.

“Nico called for an ambulance.” Rebecca places her hand on Chase’s leg. “Help is on the way.”

Extending my hand to Chase’s, I cup his right cheek. “You hear that? Help is on the way. Just hold on for me, baby, okay? Just hold on.”