Page 29 of Forever My Soldier

I wanted her to go away for many reasons, but mostly because I didn’t want Deacon to hear any of this. “Why don’t we talk about this outside?” I tried to push her out the door, but she was surprisingly strong.

“No, I don’t think so.” She eyed Deacon behind me. “Hello, handsome.”

I smacked my forehead with my hand and ran a hand through my hair. “This is between you and me, so why don’t we just keep him out of this, all right?”

She didn’t acknowledge me, only pointed a finger in my face and started walking toward me, causing me to back up further. “You took my marriage and blew it to smithereens. I bet you do this all the time, it’s probably your M.O. Catch the interest of a married man, get him to sleep with you, fall for you, and then screw everything up for their families. Is this one married, too?” she said, gesturing to Deacon.

I went to say something, but she just kept right on talking. “Michael told me he loves you, could you believe that? He’s divorcing me, and still has illusions of the two of you getting back together. Well, it’s going to be a cold day in hell when I give up that easily. So just know that every time you’re with him, I’ll be there, too. You’ll never truly be alone because I’m not going anywhere.”

That was a scary thought because she was obviously a raging lunatic and I wanted her the hell out of my house.

“What? Can’t say anything, too much of a good girl to fight back? Yeah, that’s right, I know all about you and that righteous family of yours. You must think you’re better than me, than everyone. I hate people like you, who think they can get away with any and everything just because they walk around wearing Prada this and Prada that.” She eyed me, giving me the up-down.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, which only seemed to infuriate her more, but I didn’t give two hoots. She was obviously off her rocker. “You don’t know the first thing about me, sweetie, and if you think I can’t fight back, you’re sorely mistaken. See, I may have grown up in that world and I may have gone back to it, but for a second there I wasn’t part of it, and I’m not the good girl you think I am. Also, your husband is the one who kept pursuing me, bitch.” I added that last part because the smirk on her face when I was talking was making me want to deck her more and more by the second. Especially when she brought Deacon into it.

“What did you just call me?”

“You heard me,bitch.”

I knew I was egging her on, but I couldn’t help it. She came into my house, throwing insults. Of course, I was going to fight back. I didn’t see the next part coming, though. She raised her hand and slapped me right across my cheek. I nearly stumbled backward because I wasn’t prepared for it.

I thought I heard Deacon say something, but I was so fired up, I couldn’t see straight let alone hear him.

I fought the urge to bring my hand to my cheek, even though I really wanted to because it was stinging something fierce. I had something better to do, though. I lunged for her, and I was so close, too, but I suddenly felt strong arms come around my torso and carry me away from her. “Put me down!” I yelled, kicking and screaming, pissed that Deacon was stopping me from yanking those cheap hair extensions out of her head.

He just kept his hands wrapped around my waist, though, as she scoffed. She looked at Deacon and then turned back to me. “Tell me, is she really that great in bed?”

Before I could think to rip her throat out, Deacon intervened. “I was raised to not lay a hand on a lady, but I’m thinking you’re not so much a lady. I think it’s time you leave.”

He clearly shocked the hell out of her because she swallowed hard and didn’t say another word. She just fixed herself and turned around.

“Don’t you ever come back here or I’ll call the police.”

“As long as I never see you again, never hear your name again, I’ll be just fine. I have a marriage to repair anyway thanks to you.” Then she turned to Deacon one last time and added, “I feel sorry for you, honey. You have no idea the woman you’re in bed with. She’s nothing but a cheating skank.”

I growled and wrinkled my nose, still pissed. “Why don’t you say that again to my face?”

I tried one last time to throw myself at her, but Deacon’s grip was strong, too strong. “Get out of here,” he warned.

She threw her fake hair behind her and stalked out my front door as if we didn’t just almost tear each other to shreds.

Deacon put me down on my feet and followed behind her to close the door. “What the hell were you thinking, going to attack that woman?”

I rolled my eyes. “I was thinking she came into my house and called me a skank. And if that wasn’t enough, she slapped me to boot.” Remembering it, I put my hand to my cheek and felt the hot skin still tingling.

“You’re bleeding,” he said, and gently moved my hand to show me.

I blew outwardly, taking a deep breath I didn’t know I was holding in. I was never one to fight so I had no idea where all that aggression came from, but I would never forget it anytime soon. “That’s because of that stupid rock on her finger, probably just as fake as her hair.”

He led me back to my stool by my elbow. “Let me clean that for you.”

I nodded my agreement, still reeling from the whole exchange. That and the fact that I was going to have to explain what just happened here to Deacon, something I was more than a little ashamed to have to do. Michael made me the other woman and that still bothered me.

He walked from the room and came back with supplies. He unscrewed the lid on the hydrogen peroxide and laid a cotton swab on the top. “You ready to tell me what that was all about?” He looked down at the swab, where he was pouring the liquid.

Not really.“It’s no big deal.”Okay, that was definitely a lie.

“No big deal?” He shot me a look.

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