Page 72 of Heart to Heart

“I saw you!” he yelled. “I saw you and now it’s all I can see.”

“You’re fucking crazy. Maren was right about you. I want you out of here. Go away and never come back. Let go of me.”

“I saw you. I saw you, Holly.” Tears streamed down his face, and he swiped them clumsily away with his sleeve.

“You saw me? What the hell are you talking about?” I tried to pull out of his grip, but he held me too tight.

“I saw you in his truck, on the side of Petunia Street, sucking him off like you were a common whore. I was parked down the street, but I saw you bend over. I saw how your body moved over his. I know what you were doing to him. How could you debase yourself like that?”

“If you saw me there, then you were following me,” I accused as I struggled to get away. “And if you watched it happen, then you aresick, Jared.” There was no way he just happened to be randomly driving down a deserted, low-traffic street at nearly ten o’clock at night.

He looked away, his nostrils flaring as he seethed in discomfort. “I can forget about what you did with him. I swear I can. But you have to stop acting out like this and accept the fact that you belong to me.”

Finally, I was able to wrench my arms out of his grasp. I shoved him and tried to go around him, but he grabbed my upper arm. I shook it off. “Put your hands on me again, Jared, and I’ll cut them off.”

“Let’s discuss this civilly. Can we please do that? Without all the foul language and threats of violence. I’m sorry I grabbed you. I’m sorry I shook you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Fuck. You. The last thing I am feeling right now is civil.” I advanced on him, pushing him in the chest as I herded us back in the direction of my shop and back toward safety. “You think you want me? You have no idea what you’re asking for, asshole. I do what I want when I want. And if I want to suck my boyfriend’s dick in the front seat of his truck on a deserted fucking street, then I’m damn well going to do it. You can’t shame me, Jared. Not when you were the pervert following me around and spying on me.”

“Watch your mouth!”

“Fuck off!” I shoved him again.

“Stop it.” He stumbled backward and I kept shoving. I didn’t want to turn my back on him by trying to run away. All I could think about was getting back to my store. Back home. Back to safety.

“I don’t know what I’ll have to do to get you free of him, but I know I’ll think of something. I always do when it comes to you.”

“If you even think of hurting Liam, you will deal with me.”

I’d pushed him too far. He planted his feet and raised his arm, swinging it to backhand me. I blocked the hit with my forearm and punched him in the stomach.

He stumbled back just as Liam made it to my side, followed by Levi who had Cheddar cradled against his chest.

“You found him!” I cried at the exact moment Liam hauled off and hit Jared square in the jaw. He went flying back to land in the street with a thud. I probably should have attempted to hit him like that, but all I’d been able to think about was getting back to the store. And part of me still underestimated him, which was stupid considering what he had done.

“Oh my god, Levi. Let me see him. Is he okay?” I was desperate to cuddle Cheddar and see for myself he was okay.

“He’s fine, Holls. I found him sleeping in your herb garden.” Levi’s eyes were gentle as they met mine. “Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay. Mom and Gram are with Jude back at the store. Why did you come all the way over here? I saw you under the streetlamp when I was heading back inside.”

I glared at Jared. “He called me over. Told me he spotted Cheddar. I wasn’t thinking.”

I took Cheddar from Levi and held him to my face, kissing his tiny pink nose. “He smells like basil.” A hysterical laugh shot out of me at the same time I burst into tears and clutched him to my throat. I hiccupped out another sob. “He took Persephone, Levi. He took her from my birthday party and gave her away.”

“The fuck?” Levi spun toward Jared. “You motherfucker,” he ground out. “Don’t you fucking move.”

Liam drew me into his arms.

Levi took his cell from his back pocket. “I’m calling 911. He needs to be arrested. We need this to be on record. He hurt you, Holly. Look at your arms.” I glanced down and saw purple bruises starting to form all over my upper arms.

“What’s going on?” Jared stirred on the ground, rubbing his chin as he sat up.

“You’re going to jail,” Levi snapped. “That’s what’s going on, asshole.” But Jared had stopped listening.

“Get your hands off her,” he spat at Liam. “I’ve known her longer than you. I’ve earned the right to have her. How long have you been here? Not even a year.”

“Shut your fucking mouth. Holly has been through enough. If you were any kind of man, you would understand that. If you actually cared about her, you would have never treated her like this. Levi, take her inside, She doesn’t need to hear any more of his shit.”

“No, I won’t leave you out here, Liam. You’ve been through enough too.”

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