Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,73
I screech as I follow Ricky out into the parking lot.
He stops and turns to face me as Elle makes it to my back.
“Don’t you think you need to stay and work things out with your wife?” I ask.
“Why don’t you go and soothe her hurt feelings, Bellamy? You’re so damn good at it after all,” he spits at me.
“It’s not my job to clean up after you.”
“Could have fooled me. Every time we have a disagreement, she runs straight to you two.”
“That’s because we actually give a damn about her and her happiness. All you care about is yourself. She is one of the most beautiful, generous, kind, and selfless people on this planet, and she deserves so much more than you, but for some reason, she loves your sorry ass. So, we bite our tongues, and we try to be as happy for her as we can. We don’t bad-mouth you or tell her how we truly feel about you. But I’m done with that shit now. You are a pathetic loser who mistreats her and takes advantage of her generosity and forgiving heart. You use pretty words and hollow promises to manipulate her, and that’s over now.
“You have a good woman, Ricky, and you should be kissing the ground she walks on for blessing you with her love. If you can’t see that, then hit the road. She’ll be fine because we’ve got her. We have had her, had each other, through every heartbreak, disappointment, and moments of grief for the last twenty years. Men have come and gone in all our lives, but we are a constant and always will be. If you don’t like that, tough shit because we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Whatever. You’re a bunch of loudmouth bitches, and you can have each other,” he says before he turns on his heel and walks toward the car Sonia bought and paid for.
I lose it. I bolt off the deck and straight for him.
I hear Elle scream for Walker as I dive for his back. The impact of me hurling myself full speed takes him by surprise, and before he can recover, I knee him in his little-boy balls. He drops the keys in his hand as he rolls to his side and howls in pain. I stand and snatch the keys. Then, I look down at him.
“Find yourself a new sugar momma because your free ride is over,” I spit at him.
“Give me back my keys, or I’ll have your ass arrested for theft and assault, you cunt,” he yells.
I laugh in his face. “These keys are to an apartment that belongs to Sonia’s mother and a car that is in Sonia’s name. You don’t have anything worth stealing, and if you want to further curse your manhood, call and report me for tackling you. I’ll gladly post the bail for that.”
Rage fills his eyes, and he reaches out and grabs my ankle as I move to walk back to the party.
I lose my balance and fall forward face-first into the gravel. He is on my back in an instant, and he wrenches my arm behind me to try and pry the key ring from me. He bends my fingers so far back that I feel my ring finger snap, and pain shoots up my arm, but I hold on to that key ring with everything I have.
“What the fuck!” Walker’s voice booms across the parking lot, but Ricky is too stupid or crazy to heed the warning.
He sinks his teeth into my wrist, and I try to throw my elbow back and reach him, but before I can make contact, he is lifted and flying through the air.
“Have you lost your damn mind, son?” Walker asks as he stalks toward Ricky, who shuffles backward, trying to get to his feet.
“Don’t kill him, baby. Just break his legs or something. I don’t want you having to wear prison orange in our wedding photos,” Elle shouts.
Ricky’s eyes fly to Walker as he makes it to him. He grabs Ricky by the collar of his shirt and raises him off the ground with one hand.
“Don’t you ever lay a hand on a woman again. Especially one of my women.” He leans in and gets within an inch of Ricky’s face. “None of them. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
Ricky doesn’t answer.
Walker twists his fist harder in his shirt, and Ricky starts to turn reddish blue.