Page 29 of Dirty Love

Wilson

I can feel Tabitha behind me, shaking like a leaf. I want to turn to her, but I can’t give this guy my back.

And I need a minute before I look her in the face and see that it’s true.

Because I know it is. All the pieces slide together.

She doesn’t have much of an identity because Tabitha is anassumedidentity. Which means she’s also someone else, and as that someone else, she had a baby and married this man, for reasons that might be connected, but the key is thatI don’t know them.

I’m nobody to her.

I’ve bought into yet another layer of lies.

Grant smirks at me.

I’m not giving him the satisfaction of a response.

“Hope you wrapped it up, anyway,” he tosses off as he walks to the first bedroom like he owns the place. “She’ll let anything stick it in her.”

I’m across the room before he puts his hand on the door. I slam into him, shoulder first, and the crunch isn’t nearly satisfying enough as we tumble into the bedroom and spin around. I slam my fist into his guts twice as I back him up against the wall inside the door, two quick shots that’ll make him pee blood, then I get my forearm under his chin and I press.

Hard.

“I’m your new worst enemy,” I whisper, spitting in his face as I do. I’m shaking with white-hot rage, the likes of which I haven’t felt in years, and if he moves, I will kill him.

He freezes.

“You think a casual insult scares me off? You think I’m under any delusions about not being used byyour wife?” I nudge his legs apart with my knee, lifting him higher up on the wall so his toes just dance helplessly above the ground. He knows what’s coming, and I make him wait for it.

It’s only when doubt starts to swirl in his eyes—maybe I won’t do it?—that I jerk my knee up, driving his balls hard into his body.

More blood to piss out.

Asshole.

I step back and let him crumple to the floor, then I back out of the room, closing the door behind me.

There’s still the small matter ofTabithato deal with. She’s staring at me, eyes wide, mouth covered with her pale little fingers.

“Don’t—” I stop and shake my head. “You have nothing to fear from me.”

“I’m not…”She gives me an incredulous look. “I’m notafraidof you, Wilson. But why did you do that?”

“He said—”

“You think that’s the first time he’s called me a slut?” She laughs hysterically. “That’s a regular good morning around here.”

“That fucking shit doesn’t fly with me.”

She gives me a look of disbelief. “So?”

“I’m not going to let him talk about you like that.”

“You don’t get a say in it.Weare not a thing. You need to leave.”

My jaw clenches so hard I think I may have fractured something. I don’t fucking care. “We aren’t done.”

“He wasn’t lying. It’s a secret, for kind of stupid reasons, but it’s true. We’re married.” Her chest rises and falls in sharp, stuttering jerks. She thinks that’s enough to push me away?

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