Page 51 of Like You Love Me

“No!” he roared. “You are making excuses for him again. When is it going to stop?”

“He’s my husband, and I love him.” Her lips trembled, pleading, but London refused to be suckered in.

He just couldn’t understand this kind of love and especially not a man putting his hands on a woman. He would never be able to understand or forgive something like that. Never.

“He will be back later and apologize. I know he didn’t mean to do it,” she reassured him.

“And then you will be back to normal until his next binge, right?” His question didn’t earn a response. “How much money did he take this time?”

Tears and mascara rolled down Mona Lisa’s cheek. “Two hundred dollars. It was the money Gabriella and I collected for her school fundraiser. I had it hidden in the cookie jar.”

“Dammit,” he said. As he released a string of obscenities, he caught movement to his left and looked over to see Gabriella walking into the room.

“Mama. You, okay?”

Mona Lisa quickly swiped her palm across her face and forced a smile. “Yes, sweetheart. I am fine. You know how your father gets when he is stressed, but he will be back later with candy and hugs.” She rushed over and kissed the little girl on both cheeks.

Gabriella’s lower lip trembled as she shook her head, causing her ponytail to swing left and right. “I don’t want Daddy to come home.”

Mona Lisa’s eyes widened in alarm. “You don’t mean that.”

She nodded her head. “He hurt my mama. Daddy took my money Auntie Carmen gave me.”

“What?” Mona Lisa glanced briefly over at London before she kneeled and stared directly into Gabriella’s eyes and said, “Your birthday money?”

Her bottom lip quivered. “He took it.”

London’s jaw cringed as he watched the two, both victims of a gambling alcoholic, embrace. He stood by for too long, allowing Mona Lisa to figure things out herself, and he was tired of doing nothing.

“Daddy scares me, Mama,” Gabriella whispered.

Mona Lisa looked stunned before she burst into tears and squeezed the little girl tightly to her chest. “I promise Gabriella; I will do everything I can to protect you.”

London felt a squeeze at his chest. Dammit! His sister loved the little girl, and he understood why she had stayed with Caleb for so long. It was not just because Caleb was her husband and she loved him but because she was the only stability Gabriella had.

Someone rang the doorbell. London hurried to answer it, hoping it wasn’t Caleb for his sake. He yanked it open to see Denise standing there.

“Mona texted me. Is everything okay?”

“For now.” He tilted his head in the direction of her bedroom and stepped aside so Denise could enter. “Go help her. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Where are you going?” Denise called after him as he stepped out on the porch.

“To handle some business.”

It didn’t take London long to find him. Caleb was sitting at the bar, tossing down shots. London pushed his way through the crowd of people watching the game.

“Hey London,” Ryan said. He was sitting at the end of the bar and signaled for him to join him, but London barely noticed. He kept walking until he reached his brother-in-law. Caleb saw him coming.

“London. Come have a drink—”

He threw a fist before Caleb could get the sentence out, and the man fell onto the floor. Caleb laid there with a stunned expression as London reared back to hit him again when Ryan caught his fist.

“Whoa, man! Chill in my wife’s bar.”

Caleb swiped his mouth, and when he saw blood on the back of his hand, he spat, “What’d you do that for?”

“Touch my sister again, and you’re dead. Do you hear me? You are dead!” London shouted. Ryan dragged him away before he had a chance to kick Caleb in the ribs.

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