So overwhelmed with the emotion, with it strangling my heart and choking me I finally go to tell her, “Grace I-”
“Grace,” her name coming from the sound of a familiar male voice has caused my confession of love to die on my lips and my spine to stiffen.
Turning my head that’s when I see him. The man who has been causing my woman’s life hell.
The man I’m going to fucking kill.
Gracie Mae
Steven stands there with an air of superiority and a deceivingly kind smile. His charms no longer work as I have done seen the man behind the mask.
He goes to take a step closer and that’s when Oak gently pushes me behind him in a protective manner.
He’s being the shield he promised he would be.
But this time I’m done cowering from Steven and appeasing him because of fear.
This time I’m fighting back.
I move from behind Oak but his hand catches my wrist in a firm grip. With his head turned to the side and tipped downwards he offers me his side profile. He then says in a low voice, “I don’t want him near you.”
I squeeze his hand with my free one. The touch of his skin igniting my blood and giving me strength. “But I need him to see me. I need him to see that I’m done playing his game.”
Oak’s eyes change and in them I see pride. As much as I love how he wants to fight my battles I’m not the kind of woman who will ever let him to do it for me.
I come to stand beside him then. And I feel more powerful, stronger being by his side. Being seen as his equal.
“I’ve been waiting here for you,” Steven says to me in a caring tone that I don’t fall for. I don’t miss the low rumble of a growl coming deep from Oak’s chest. I know he’s fighting himself not to tear him apart limb by limb.
“What did you do to her, Steven?” I ask him, cutting pleasantries.
His eyes widen, a part of his innocent act, as he asks, “What are you accusing me of?”
It takes everything in me not to scream at him from the top of my lungs. “Why were you with my mom?”
“Why are you questioning me like I’m a suspect of something?” He counters.
“Why are you evading the question?”
He smiles then, a placating smile that does absolutely nothing. All of his charms, all of his tricks up his sleeves, they’re all useless. “Grace, please. I was at the trailer home to do an impromptu visit on Connor.”
My eyes narrow, already detecting the lie. “You never do impromptu meetings. Not once since you’ve been his social worker.”
His eyes glance over to Oak and then back to me. They then glance back over to him as he says with disdain, “The new company you keep has my concern for Connor at a high.”
“Bull-fucking-shit,” I spit out, not being able to hold it back.
“Grace,” he admonishes and I’m fucking done.
I take a threatening step towards him with Oak behind me like a shadow. I point my finger at him like it’s my very own weapon. “You’re abusing your power Steven, and I’m fucking tired of it.”
He laughs anxiously, his eyes fleeting around the hospital to the unseen patients and visitors. This must be killing him inside. His false prestigious image cracking for bystanders to see.
“Everything I do is for you, Grace,” he says to me and I literally want to hurl. “If I was abusing my power-”
“You are,” Oak harshly corrects him.
Steven levels him with a glare as his jaw ticks. “It’s only to keep Connor from being taken away. You and I both know he isn’t safe in your mother’s care.”
