Page 38 of Tattered Souls
She sighed.
Then she said, “It didn’t save my mom when my dad went after her. He found her, beat the hell out of her, while I curled in a ball in the corner of the motel room. Then he took me with him. Never saw her again. It wouldn’t have stopped him fromtaking his hands to me. And it won’t stop Lance.” Then she scoffed, sadly, “I’ve only ever been a punching bag to the men in my life. Except for Granger.”
“What did he do about it?” I asked her.
She glanced away.
That wouldn’t do.
I needed those iridescent eyes of hers back on me.
Carefully, I gripped her chin and turned her head back, so I got those mesmerizing sable eyes of hers, “Tatum.”
She sighed, “I never told him. Didn’t want anything to stop him from achieving his dreams. And a record would have done that.”
If I didn’t already know she was a strong woman, that was all the proof I needed.
Something caused me to glance up, and when I did, it was to see Bruce was also standing there, eyeing Tatum’s bruised face, and they didn’t miss the protective hold I had on her.
He looked at me, and Dom, and said, “Probably isn’t the best time to say this, but I’m going to anyway. Expect a call from me in a day or two. We’ll get everything finalized. I rather enjoy doing business with people who don’t take any shit, and ones who tell the consequences to go to hell.”
And with that, he turned around and walked back to his car.
He left my mind after that.
Carefully, I turned Tatum in my arms, and looked down at her, waiting for her to look up at me.
When she did, I winked down at her. “Got a few questions for you before I take you to the hospital. Need to know if you're okay if your girls come into your house and pack up your things. They will put them in the SUV and Dom will take it to my place.”
“I can get a hotel,” she said.
I shook my head. “You know me. But one thing you don’t know is that when someone triggers my protective side, I’m like a GSD. I’m loyal and I protect. I can’t protect you at a hotel. I mean, I can. But I’d rather not sleep on the floor outside your room. Save me from that, alright?”
She shook her head slowly, and then I watched as her shoulders dropped. “I’m in too much pain to argue.”
I chuckled and then bent my neck and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.
Then I pulled out my phone and called Talia.
She answered on the third ring, “Hey, G. A little busy, what’s up?”
“Need you to get unbusy ASAfuckingP. Call Harlee, Lila, and Everly. Get over to Tatum’s. Need y’all to pack up her stuff, load it into my SUV, and Dom will drive it to my place. Get her things into my spare bedroom, alright?”
I heard her moving around as she asked, “What happened?”
“You’ll see. Just get it done for me, okay?” I said.
“Got it. Leaving now. I’ll call them.” She said and then hung up.
The EMTs were called in then, and a deputy went with Lance to be taken to the hospital.
They told me he more than likely had a broken jaw.
Good.
Fucker deserved it.
No, he deserved worse.
