and I know he’s frustrated with everything going on with my uncle. Apparently, he’s getting those frustrations out by chopping wood. I’m spying on him hoping he won’t catch me because I’m enjoying the view. Holy hell, watching those muscles ripple while he’s shirtless and cutting wood, it’s not only breathtaking but a damn turn on.
The sweat on his body and the way he swings that ax makes his tattoos on his arms move and flex is sexy as hell. The fact that this man is all mine, just adds to his hotness factor.
I’m on my second cup of coffee when there’s a knock at the door. I assume it’s Emelie because she said she was going to come over today for us to do some quilting together while our husbands chat.
Not even thinking twice, I open the door. Only it’s not Emelie and Axel on the other side. It’s my aunt.
‘How did you find…’ I start and don’t get to finish.
‘No, you listen here you ungrateful brat. You need to stop telling lies about your uncle. Right this minute, you need to go back to the police station and tell them you made it all up,’ she seethes.
Is this woman serious?
‘I didn’t make any of it up.’
‘This has gotten out of hand. You’re responsible for him losing his job, for the cops turning on him, and the rumors that are now flying back home. Apparently, because your story got out, other girls think they can take advantage of him too,’ my aunt snarls.
Other girls have come out of the woodwork? Well, that means that I wasn’t the only one he tried to pull this bullshit on. Now that I have that information, it’s enough for me to never back down, no matter what the cost. A man like him can’t be allowed to continue doing this to innocent women.
‘So, you’re perfectly fine being married to a pedophile and a rapist just so long as no one knows about it,’ I sass back.
That’s the moment I see my uncle step around the corner of the house. Was he purposely hiding out of eyesight?
‘I’m going to teach you what happens to girls like you. Just remember I gave you the chance to change your story, and now there will be no more chances.’ He lunges for me, and I let out a scream at the top of my lungs praying my husband will hear.
I watch as his hands sail towards my face connecting with my cheek. The pain is delayed for a second and then the side of my face feels like it’s on fire.
While he’s trying to pull me towards his car, I’m gripping on to the doorway as hard as possible. Thinking to myself there has to be something that I can get to within reach. Unfortunately, the shotgun is too far from the door and if I let go, he’ll easily overpower me.
Hoping to connect with one of them and get them enough off balance to give me a few second advantage, I kick my feet.
‘Leave me alone!’ I scream at the top of my lungs.
One minute I’m struggling and fighting both of them off, and then the next there’s a loud growl. When an axe goes flying in the air and pierces the driver-side door of their car, it causes them both to freeze and start yelling.
‘What the fuck was that?’ my uncle yells.
That’s the moment Bennett rounds the corner at a full on run and tackles my uncle to the ground. Using the distraction, I lunge and grab the shotgun, but I can’t get a clear shot without the possibility of hurting Bennett.
I’m so focused on the fight in front of me between my uncle and Bennett that I don’t notice my aunt coming at me until she tries to take the shotgun.
Now she’s got a grip on it, and I fight her for it. When she’s pushes the barrel up into the air, I’m hoping to pull it down and fire a shot at her. Hopefully, that should distract my uncle enough to give Bennett the advantage.
But my aunt is stronger than someone her size should be. Or maybe we’re just running on adrenaline. With all my might, I try pushing her back, getting her off balance, and stumbling off the porch, but I’m not able to move her. While I desperately want to look over at Bennett and make sure he’s okay, I don’t dare take my eyes off of my own fight.
‘Just give up little girl,’ my aunt growls.
For some odd reason, her words trigger me to start laughing, which catches her off guard. It’s enough for me to push her back a few inches.
‘I will never stop talking and telling my story. Now that it’s out and public, if I go missing that will make you look guilty. Who do you think will be the first suspects? And if you think my husband or my friends will allow it, you need to think again. You’re not getting out of this, and the fact that you support your husband after all this, well, you’re just as guilty as he is.’ I laugh again, mostly because I love how irritated she gets when I do. Hell, maybe it’s not the right thing to do, but I’m out of options at the moment.
I guess my laughter enrages her because she builds up enough steam to slam me back against the wall of the house. The logs hit me at an odd angle and a piercing pain shoot down my back. I’m definitely going to have a bruise there tomorrow.
She uses that moment to try to get an advantage. Remembering something my dad always said about using momentum against someone, I’m able to flip her to the side and get my back from against the wall.
Everything seems to be happening in slow motion, but at the same time my brain is not registering every movement. Suddenly, she’s twisting and turning the gun causing me to lose my grip. Once again, I try to use some of that momentum to get her off balance.
When she slams me back against the porch railing, I’m able to put her off before she smashes me back again. Only this time, I lose my balance and no matter how hard I try to grip the railing or anything around me, it’s as if it all vanishes into thin air as I fall backward, my feet go over my head and I hit the ground.
The air is knocked out of me, and for a moment I feel weightless before the world around me turns blurry and then goes black.
