Page 43 of Saving Grace

I rolled my head back and forth in my shoulders.. My muscles were so tight they hurt. My thoughts were jumbled and so many emotions ran through me, it was taking everything in me to sit still. I was still reeling over the fact I had a son, with Grace.

I wanted to hate her ever since I'd found out. I'd missed so fucking much of my child's life because she’d ran instead of trusting me to protect her, but then I'd think about her lying unconscious in the hospital bed and my anger would dissipate.

Maybe I was being punished. I had done so much bad in my life that maybe this was God’s way of evening it all out. Taking something good from me.

I had so many questions I needed Grace to answer, but she hadn’t woken up from surgery yet, and every day she lay in the hospital was driving me closer to the brink. Not knowing who was responsible for her being there made me bloodthirsty. If I didn’t have answers soon, I was liable to snap

I sighed and slid my eyes back to my children.

It was impossible for me to keep my gaze off the boy for too long when we were in a room together and when we weren’t, I’d seek him out.

“Are you ignoring me Roman?” Sophia hissed bringing my attention back to her. I’d forgotten she was even in the room, let alone talking to me.

I’m always trying to ignore you. I wanted to say but bit my tongue. I had been disregarding her for years thinking maybe she would get fed up with my indifference and leave. But nope, I couldn’t get that lucky. She had been persistently hanging on to me like a leech, helping to suck away as much of my life force as she could.

“What did you say?” I asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice.

“What are you going to do about him. He’s been here ten days already and what if she dies?” She looked towards AJ who was crawling around on the floor with his sister, with her face scrunched up in distaste.

Luckily for her we were sitting in an alcove adjacent to Tori’s playroom. AJ was too far away to hear her and too occupied to pay attention to us.

My head whipped in her direction as my initial irritation morphed into anger.

“What the fuck do you mean Sophia? He’s my fucking child I'm going to be keeping him with me.”

Her face went rigid. “He's your fucking bastard, you have only had one rightful child.” She sneered.

The rage that filled me had me wanting to physically hurt her.

I chuckled, feeling crazy. It took everything in me to remain seated and my hands to myself.

Over the years I’d grown to tolerate Sophia. After she had Tori, I’d resigned myself to being her husband and a father, but in the time since AJ had come to live with us in Florida she’d been really trying my patience about my child.

When he even tried to speak to her she’d turn or walk away. He didn’t seem too phased by it. Sometimes it actually seemed as if he made a game out of it. He’d chuckle at her response then run off to play. Then do it all over again later. I appreciated that Grace had raised him to have a thick armor. He’d need.

I jabbed a finger in her direction. “You watch your fucking mouth or I'll personally snap your fucking neck if he hears you.”

She brushed off my comment with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m not one of your lackeys, Roman. You don’t scare me. My brothers would make you regret it if touched a hair on my head.” She said, wagging her finger in my face

I smacked her hand away. “Fuck you and your brothers.” I gritted out between my teeth trying to avoid raising my voice and alerting the children to the fact that we were arguing.

I don't know what type of power she thought her punk ass brothers wielded, because they had none. I was the motherfucking boogeyman people were afraid to cross. It was me who was keeping them from being slaughtered like sheep amongst wolves. The only reason they were able to hold on to the modicum of authority and respect they still had was because of my family's name and their association to us. Their father had given away all their power just to indulge his bratty daughter. Fucking pathetic.

“Call my child anything but his given name again and I will make you regret it.”

Sophia crossed her arms and cocked her squared hip. “I call him a bastard because he is a bastard.” She challenged me, raising her chin defiantly.

My entire body flashed hot.

Before I could restrain myself. The sound of her head hitting the wall reverberated throughout the small room. I brought my hand up to cover her mouth, making her swallow her scream. I used my weight to pin her small frame against the wall then I glanced in the direction of the kids to make sure they weren’t watching, before leaning into her.

With trembling hands, she tried to pry my hands away from her mouth.

I leaned into her, restricting the air her lungs needed until she stopped struggling. I ducked my head and whispered directly into her ear. “I don't know why you would test me, Sophia when know I only tolerate you. Do you have a death wish?” I had never killed a woman and had never planned on it, but I would make an exception in her case.

Her body trembled in fear as she shook her head.

“Our daughter won’t save your life if you choose to continue disrespecting her brother. You understand?” She nodded and only then did I let her go.

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