Page 94 of Unbound

Marley started barking.

“Get him outta here!” Tommy hollered.

I grabbed my puppy’s collar, pulled him out of the room, and shut the door behind him.

Marley kept barking from the other side of the door.

Tommy kept punching. He was punching Nick like he was a heavy bag. Over and over and over.

“Tommy! Stop it!”

He ignored me.

“What the fuck, man? How many times you been here?”

“This is the s-second time.”

Tommy glared at me, lip curled, like I was a piece of dirt.

I jolted back, my blood running cold.

“She didn’t see me,” Nick said quickly, swaying like he was dazed. “I was just casing the place. Figuring shit out. I delivered something. Your guard signed for it and I left.”

“You didn’t get the message last time, you stupid little shit?” Tommy pulled a gun from his back and put it against Nick’s cheek.

“Talk,” he said.

I fell to my knees on the floor. “Tommy!”

“Shut it, Athena.” He glared at me and then looked back to Nick.

“I got this route so that I could make sure she’s okay. Her father asked me to deliver a letter. He mailed it to me and I re-packaged it. I was just gonna try to talk to her when I delivered it.”

Oh God, Nick.

Tommy let go of him and got the letter from the floor and tore the envelope open. His eyes skimmed it and tossed it on the desk.

I got up. “Tommy, let him go.”

“I’m sick of his shit, Athena.”

“Nick, you have to stop,” I pleaded.

Nick wiped his lip. “Look at this guy, Tia. Look at what you married! You okay with this? The stuff you used to feed me about being an upstanding citizen? Volunteering, making a difference in the world, and this is who you marry? Someone who pulls a gun on me for tryin’ to just talk to you? Ruby told me you’re carrying his baby, Tia? Seriously?” Nick scrunched his face up in disgust.

“Shut your mouth,” I demanded. “That’s my husband and the father of my child you’re talking shit about. Get the fuck outta here and don’t come back!”

“Nice try, Tia. He’s not walking outta here,” Tommy said, emotionless.

Nick and I both gawked at Tommy. Tommy who was standing there with a gun in his hand.

“Let him go, Tommy. He’s not coming back. Right Nick?”

Nick shook his head, his eyes on Tommy’s gun.

Tommy cocked the gun.

I gasped and threw myself at Tommy. “Let him go. Don’t do this.”

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