Billionaire Protector - Alexa Hart Page 0,75

little jealous.

“He was bad news. I told you guys, I call it like I see it.” Preston replied, shrugging. Pres pulled his phone out of his pocket, and I distinctly heard the 9-1-1 being entered. A split second later, “Hi, yes, I’d like to report a... actually I’m not sure what in the hell is going on here. But someone has a gun and there are people all duct-taped up, and a lady on the floor is threatening to kill everyone... It’s a goddamn mess and I’m pretty sure it’s not normal human behavior.”

I shook my head as Preston gave the address to the operator and slid his phone back in his pocket. Was it more disturbing that he could attempt to be funny at a time like this, or that I found him funny at a time like this?

“I’ll grab some scissors.” He disappeared and was back in moments, cutting first Murphy and then myself completely loose.

I ripped off the tape from my mouth and did the best I could to prepare Murphy for the momentary shock of having his own ripped off.

Murphy, understandably, was a sobbing wreck. He clung to me like a baby koala. As for me... I was beginning to think I had a touch of shock myself. I couldn’t stop staring in horror at Kate, the woman who had taken me in.

“Duct tape!” Penn shouted, and Preston took off running.

Between the two of them, they had Kate’s arms and legs completely bound within a couple of minutes. They’d also been called nearly every name in the book by a shrieking, out of her mind woman. Repeatedly.

Penn turned to me. “We’re gonna go do the same to the douche in the back, okay? I’ll be right back.” He kissed my forehead, kissed Murphy’s forehead, and followed Preston out of the room.

I was still staring at Kate, and now she was staring back. We hadn’t duct-taped her mouth. It hadn’t seemed necessary.

“I trusted you,” I said quietly, bouncing Murphy and patting his back. He’d stopped crying, but I knew it would be a long road for Murph. This wasn’t the type of shit a kid should see. Or hear. Ever.

And he’d already seen enough.

“That’s your problem, not mine.” Kate spit the words at me.

“I trusted you with my life – with my son’s life.” Anger burned through my veins. There was a part of me that knew, if Murphy hadn’t been present, I could have possibly killed Kate simply for what she put me and my child through.

“Pretty careless parenting, in my opinion, Valerie. That’s something you should work on. But also, that’s just one of many reasons why you shouldn’t be a mother. You’re too young. You’re not ready. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Shut up, Kate.” My voice was emotionless, my body was not.

“And why you just stayed there in that goddamn trailer with that piece of shit Randall – do you know how quickly I woulda killed that son of a bitch? Do you? All those years of abuse – you did that to yourself. You should have taken a stand sooner. Maybe then Murphy wouldn’t have ever gotten that first backhand.”

Kate was evil. She was going for the softest part of my heart and stabbing it violently with her words.

The guilt and shame and absolute horror over Murphy ever having a hand laid on him hit me like a tsunami, just as she knew it would.

“Shut up, Kate.” I repeated calmly.

“Just because I’m speaking the truth and you can’t handle it doesn’t mean I have to stop talking. You’re a bad mother, Valerie. Bad. And you’re a weak human being in general. Do you know how sick it made me to pump you up and make you feel all good about yourself all of the time? That was all bullshit. You are nothing. You have always been nothing. And you will always be nothing.”

I almost smacked her. But that would be the first time Murphy ever saw me being violent to another human.

I had sworn to myself that he would never, ever see that behavior from me. He had to know that wasn’t how all people were. That wasn’t how normal people handled life.

And even though Kate more than deserved a good slap in this moment, I refused.

I sat Murphy down calmly. “Hold on one sec, bud.” He looked at me with fear in his giant green eyes, but he trusted me. And he would always trust me, because I would never give