I give her my back, but before I can go, she says, “He knows where Marcel Ward lives.”
I freeze again, turning her way, this time much slower than before. “How?”
“He knew about my private investigator and asked him to find out where you were staying.”
I plant my hands on the table, getting in her face. “I dare him to show up. It will give Marcel even more permission to beat his sorry ass again.”
She narrows her eyes, focused on mine. “You’ve fallen for that man.”
I pull back, looking her over. “Does it matter?”
“May I ask you something?”
I frown, but I don’t move, which she takes as permission to ask.
“Were you ever in love with Kyle at any point?”
I shrug, stepping away. “I thought I was…but it turns out I was only in love with the idea of him.”
“I see.” She picks up her cup of tea. “Until next time, Gabrielle.”
I turn away. I no longer want to see her face because all I see is Kyle. They look just alike.
I leave the coffee shop, taking my phone out and giving Marcel a call.
It’s a relief spotting him in the food court, waiting for me by the exit with one of his hands in his pockets, our shopping bags in the other. He looks so anxious, and his worry warms my heart. He truly cares.
When I’m closer, he opens his arms and reels me in to plant a kiss on my forehead.
“How did it go?” he asks.
“Not so well. She hired a private investigator. That’s how she found me.” I pause before saying, “The investigator also told Kyle where you live.”
He frowns. “You think he’ll show up at my house?”
“I don’t know, but if he does, you’ll have every right to hurt him if he feels like a threat. He’d be trespassing.”
“That’s true. Don’t even worry. I’ll keep an eye out. You ready to get out of here?”
“Yes,” I sigh. “Please.”
We leave the mall and head to his truck. As I look over my shoulder, toward the entrance of the mall, I spot a black SUV pulling up to the front.
Mrs. Moore is going toward it, and a man climbs out of the driver seat to open the back door as she walks around with her chin high and lips pursed. I watch as she climbs inside in her pantsuit and heels, but I’m almost certain that on the other side of the backseat is a man.
And not just any man.
By the dark hair and beige skin, it’s clear to me that Kyle is in the backseat too. Fortunately, they don’t see us, and we’ve met at Marcel’s truck, out of plain sight, but that doesn’t stop my heart from banging in my chest.
Marcel starts his truck, but I watch the SUV drive away as I clip my seatbelt. When I can no longer see the SUV, a flood of questions hit me.
Did he send his mother in there, thinking I would cave? Is she even the one who hired the private investigator, or was it a cover-up for Kyle? Because now that I think about it, he’s exactly the kind of person who would hire a PI, and she’s the kind of person who would cover for him.
Wow.
I’m realizing this is no longer a game to Kyle. This is a war.
And he won’t stop until he takes me down.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gabby
I’m having a hard time forgetting about that sitting with Mrs. Moore. Seeing Kyle in that SUV has boggled me.
Kyle knew I was in the mall. Did he see me leaving, too? The thought of it has me on edge for the rest of the night and checking the windows every few minutes to see if some random car will be camped out, watching us.
Marcel tells me that I need to calm down—that no one is going to harm me while I’m with him—but with Kyle and his fucked-up ways, we can’t be too sure.
Later that night, I take Callie out while Marcel takes a shower. I would have waited for him to be done, but she was scratching at the door, so it seemed like an urgent situation. He doesn’t like her going in the backyard, so I suck it up and head out.
“Come on, girl,” I coo when she stops by the mailbox to sniff at something. I continue walking down the street, where the streetlights pave the way. The sun set over half an hour ago, the sky a deep, dark blue.
There is a home for sale two houses over from Marcel’s that Callie likes to go to. The grass is tall, and she always pees there. I move to the sidewalk and she trots over to the grass.
As I wait for her to finish, I hear footsteps approaching and look back, thinking it’s Marcel. When I first moved in, he’d come outside to check on me to make sure nothing bad happened.
But when I see the person, I realize I am completely wrong. It’s not Marcel at all.
The person walks my way casually, in a pair of black dress pants and a white button-down shirt. His hair is disheveled, like he’s constantly been shoving his fingers through it, anxiously waiting for this moment.
My heart drops to my stomach, and it isn’t usually like me to freeze, but I do when I see him coming.
I had my guard up, lowered it for just a moment, and he showed up, just like I knew he would.
“Gabs, look at you,” Kyle sighs, and beneath the lamp posts his smile is eerie. His dark eyes are glassy, and even from several steps away, I can tell he’s drunk.
“W-what the hell are you doing here, Kyle? I swear to God if you don’t leave now, I’ll call the cops! You’re not supposed to be near me!”
Kyle scoffs, still walking. “How exactly can you call the cops if I do this?”
I grimace. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Kyle reaches around me, and I flinch, expecting him to strike me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he retracts, but with my cellphone in his hand.
“I guess old habits never die.”
“Give it back! Now!” I yell, sticking my hand out for it. I know it’s a hopeless act.
“You’ll have to ask nicely.” He smirks.
I back away. I don’t have time for this. He can keep the damn phone for all I care.
I tug on Callie’s leash as she starts to bark at Kyle, then rush toward the street, abandoning him on the sidewalk.
I glance over my shoulder, hustling in the direction of Marcel’s house, but he follows me.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find you, Gabby? You are forgetting that I am your husband! You are mine! This is just a little falling out, but I’m sure we can sort this out, just like last time!”
My heart beats louder. I pick up speed and run toward the house. The footsteps behind me are heavier, quicker.
I rush across the street when I’m closer to Marcel’s house, but as soon as I reach the lawn, I’m tackled to the ground, faceplanting the grass.
I scream loud as Kyle flips me over, but a hand that isn’t mine comes up to firmly cup my mouth.
“Shh, shh, shh,” Kyle hisses. “Don’t want to disturb your temporary neighbors, do you?”
My screams are muffled, and Callie barks at Kyle. He’s on top of me, his weight keeping me pinned to the ground.
Staring into my eyes, he sighs, then uses his other hand to stroke my cheek. I buck beneath him, trying to shove him off, but he keeps me pinned down.
“I drove my car here after getting the address to this place from my investigator. He’s told me all about you and Marcel. How you left town together, went to see your parents. He told me about how you lay on the couch with him, and even when you two have sex in his bedroom.” My eyes widen at his statement. “You’ve had your fun now, but that’s over. Here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to take you to the car I rented and drive you back home where you belong, then you’re going to apologize to my mother for dragging her all this way for nothing.” His throat bobs as he looks me over. “This is just…it’s a falling out,” he croaks, and his breath is heavy with the scent of bourbon. “Husbands and wives fight all the time, right? But they patch things up. The only difference between myself and other men is that if you try and leave for good, I will really have to hurt
you, and I can’t be so sure that I’ll hold back. We don’t want that, do we?” he asks.
I shake my head, eyes still wide.
“Good.” He slowly pulls his hand away, and when he does, I spit in his face. His eyes squeeze shut, and even with them closed, I can tell he’s pissed. His eyes shoot open again as he swipes the spit away with his arm.
“Fuck you!” I snarl. “I am never going back with you!”
Kyle’s eyes flare with rage, and his hand comes down to lock around my throat when I try to scream again.
Callie barks even louder, and then I hear a loud thud, followed by the heavy pounding of footsteps.
My oxygen is nearly depleted as Kyle stares down at me, nostrils flared and teeth bared, but in an instant, I’m sucking in a breath, and all I see is a dark shadow running by me, tackling Kyle to the ground.
Coughing, I roll over and press a hand to my chest, struggling for air. From where I am, I can see a shirtless Marcel on top of Kyle. He’s punching him repeatedly.
“I told you to stay the fuck away from her!” Marcel hollers.
Another punch.
“Marcel!” I yell, but my voice cracks from the damage to my throat.
Sluggishly, I push off the ground and go to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him off of Kyle. It takes all the strength I have, because he’s trying to punch him again, but I manage.
“Marcel, don’t! Let it go!” I plead.
But he doesn’t listen, or either he doesn’t hear me through his rage. Marcel lunges forward, trying to get at Kyle, who is sliding backward on his palms. There are people standing outside their homes now, confused and in shock.
“Marcel!” I scream.
“He hurt you Gabby! I’m tired of him gettin’ away with this shit! He came to my property and hurt you! He fuckin’ deserves it!”
“I know, I know,” I plead, stepping around him and grabbing his hands. “But this is not you,” I cry. My vision is blurring, but I don’t pull my eyes away from him. “Look at me,” I command lightly.
He’s breathing like a raging bull, glaring at Kyle like he wants to kill him. I didn’t think Marcel possessed that kind of power, but I’m certain that if I don’t calm him down, he just might do what he has in mind.
“Please, Marcel, just look at me.”
Marcel finally lowers his head, putting his gaze on mine. His heavy breathing steadies just a bit, but his jaw is clenched, as well as his fists.
“He hurt you, Gabby,” he says again.
“I know, but in order for you to stay here with me, you can’t do what you really want to do to him. Okay? You were protecting me, and that’s fine, but you have to let it go. You can’t go to jail right now. There are people watching—you can’t hurt him more than you have already—and I can’t be alone here without you.”
He frowns, but his eyes swirl with understanding. He gets where I’m coming from, I can tell by the way he staggers backward and looks around at the couple across the street.
I turn away, looking at Kyle who is just now standing up. He stumbles toward the street.
“You are both idiots,” Kyle barks, swiping the blood off his mouth. There’s a red mark near his eye too. “I can’t believe how pathetic you are! All this time, I thought I married a smart woman! You are no different than the rest of them! If anyone should be calling the cops, it’s me!”
“No, it isn’t!” Marcel barks back. “You came onto my property and put your hands on a woman! I had every right to beat your sorry ass!”
Kyle spits in our direction then digs in his pocket, chucking my phone toward me. Luckily, it lands on the grass.
“I suggest you reconsider what you’re doing, Gabs,” Kyle growls at me. “I’d hate for something tragic to happen.”
“Like what?” I snap. “You can’t do anything to my parents! They are preparing themselves for whatever you do! And the worst you could do to me would still be better than being your wife!”
Kyle’s eyes are rounder as he stops in front of the blue Honda that I didn’t even realize was parked beneath the tree of the house across the street from Marcel’s. I thought it was one of the neighbors’ cars. Kyle would normally never be seen driving a Honda. This proves how low he’ll go just to get to me.
Opening the door of his car, he yells, “You’ll regret it! Trust me, I know you!” and then climbs inside, slamming the door behind him. He drives away, his tires screeching as he leaves the neighborhood.
When I can no longer see his taillights, my thundering heartbeat settles, and I walk toward my phone to pick it up. When I look up, the neighbors are retreating, but not without looking back at us a dozen times. They probably think we’re crazy.
“Are you okay?” Marcel asks, grabbing my face and tilting it up. He brushes his knuckles across my neck and shakes his head.
“I’m okay.” I grab his hand, checking his knuckles. They’re a little red, but not split, thank goodness. “This won’t be the last time we see him, Marcel,” I whisper.
Letting out a sigh, Marcel drops his hand to grab mine and leads the way into the house. After Callie is inside, he shuts the door behind him and meets me at the couch.
“This is getting ridiculous, Gabby,” he mutters.
“I know.”
“Call the cops. You need to report this too.”
I nod and call the cops, who arrive within an hour to take my report, as well as the neighbors across the street.
After the police leave, Marcel and I go back inside. He cracks open a beer, sits on the couch, and growls, “I wanted to murder him.” “I swear if you hadn’t pulled me off, I would have killed that son of a bitch.”
I walk to him, grabbing his face and leaving him no choice but to focus on my eyes. “I appreciate what you did, Marcel, but you can’t do anything that will risk your freedom or your safety, okay? Once we have the hearing and get through the rest of this, we’ll be better. Jasinda is going to fight really hard for me.”
Marcel nods. Nothing more.
“Let’s go to bed,” I offer, and I’m glad he accepts. He walks to the bedroom before me, but not without grabbing my hand and leading the way. I follow him, climbing into bed.
Even though we’re laying down, neither of us can sleep. My heart is still beating rapidly as I steal glances at the windows. Thankfully the curtains are closed, but it doesn’t settle my paranoia. That investigator could be trying to watch now, or even Kyle.
“And we’re supposed to be goin’ on a trip tomorrow,” Marcel mutters sarcastically. “That just ruined my whole fuckin’ mood. Don’t even wanna go anymore.”
“No. We have to.” I rub his chest, sighing. “We can’t let him ruin our fun. That’s what he wants. Plus, he’s not as likely to be able to follow us there.”
Marcel makes a throaty noise but doesn’t say anything. Exhaling deeply, he tugs me closer and holds me tight.
“Well, like I said before, I’ve got you. I’m here.”
“I know.” My eyes sting, but I close them before any tears can fall.
I know without a doubt that Marcel is here for me…but with so much going on, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was more than he signed up for.
There is only so much a man can take. Dealing with a stalker-ish, possessive husband is a lot to handle, and is baggage that he definitely doesn’t need.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Gabby
The following day, after eating breakfast, Marcel takes me to the store to grab a few last minute travel toiletries before we leave.
I’m sure Kyle has been arrested. And if he hasn’t, he should be well on his way to jail. There’s no other place he’d go but home. He most likely won’t be sitting in jail for long, but this makes two counts of domestic abuse on his record. They have to count for something when we face the judge at the hearing, I hope.
When we get back to Marcel’s house, we try and let go of our awful night and pack up for our three-day trip to New Orleans. After the shit that happened last n
ight, I know this trip will do us some good, although my paranoia is at an all-time high.
I can’t even bring myself to go to Meredith’s house after the brawl. She had to meet us someplace outside of Venice Heights to get Callie. I felt bad for having to make her do it, but after I told her what happened with Kyle last night, she was more than happy to meet me.
I need to have a good time somehow. Getting out of Hilton Head Island will be a good start…but who’s to say Kyle won’t follow us there, too? If he does, he’s fucking sick.
Even if he doesn’t, he could always send that damn investigator he hired and that thought alone bugs me.
Despite knowing it, I can’t let him stop me from living my life and having fun. The bruise he created has mostly faded away. There is a small purple hue, but it’s easy to cover with concealer. I need this trip. The hearing will be happening very soon, and once I’m back, my game face will be on.
And besides, I need to spend more time with the one man who wants to really get to know me.
I feel like I’ve been so wrapped up with my hatred for Kyle, and worried about the divorce, that I haven’t actually gotten the chance to give Marcel my fullest attention.
Last night really made me question whether or not I should just walk away and stay with my parents until this is all over. I’d be further away from Kyle, and Marcel wouldn’t have to deal with my shit. He wouldn’t have to worry about getting into fights or possibly getting tossed in jail.
Though I’m sure he understands, I know he deserves better. But…he wants me to stay. And I can’t bring myself to leave.
This weekend, I’m making a promise to give more of myself to him.
* * *
As soon as we land in New Orleans, we are in a rental car and on our way to the hotel. Even in July, the city of New Orleans is lively.
It’s extremely humid out, and I can tell a fresh shower of rain has just passed because the roads are slick and the air is sticky. Even so, we have the windows rolled down, taking in the many people crossing the streets.
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