Maybe she got the dates confused. Maybe he?—
I hear footsteps behind me. I turn and see Dallas approaching, her eyes wide.
“What’s going on?”
The boys start banging on the window when they see her.
“Did you leave them in the truck while you went inside?” she asks, her voice shaky.
Matt’s demeanor shifts to focus on her. “I can’t believeyou’re doing this to him. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t deserve this.”
“Doing what to him? We’re here to stop you from taking my children out of state. You know you’re not legally allowed to?—”
“Wow. The delusion is still there, isn’t it? Did you tell him I said I was going to kill you too? Did you tell him about the part where you were drunk and you made it all up? He’s got his whole life ahead of him, Dallas. Why would you do this to him? Is it not enough that you fucked my life up, left me, and took my boys? My pride and joy?”
Her mouth falls open. I see all the emotions cross her face—shock, fear, disbelief, and hurt. The last one is directed at me when her wide green eyes land on my face and she sees that I was listening to him, that I was starting to doubt her.
And I hate myself for ever giving him a shred of my attention, for letting him get under my skin, even for a split second.
I turn to Matt, taking a threatening step closer.
“Open the truck—now. We’re taking them with us.” I walk over to the door, placing my hand on the handle.
“Or what? You can’t take my kids. They’re my flesh and blood. They belong with me.”
“Matt, they’re scared. Open the door!” Dallas cries.
I move over to the front tire, where the hidden key was, and search for it. Thankfully, it’s still there. I grab the box and slide it open, relief coursing through me when I see the key inside.
I push it into the lock on the driver’s door and twist it. Assoon as I pull the door open, I hear the boys crying. They both jump into my arms.
When I turn back, my heart sinks into my boots.
Matt’s forearm is crushing Dallas’s throat.
“Mommy!” Dawson cries, tears streaming down his dirty face.
I hold them both close, one in each arm. I don’t even know how to stop him when I’m holding both the boys in a parking lot. I can’t set them down, knowing they might run toward them and get hurt. Or worse, run past them, where a car could run them right over.
“Matt, let her go.”
“You’d like to just take my family—is that it? They’re my fucking family. Not yours,” he spits out.
My heart is pounding so hard that it feels like it’s about to explode out of my chest. The boys start crying harder, begging for their mom.
Matt leans his mouth up to her ear. “Maybe I’ll just crush your windpipe, right here, right now, and then you won’t be able to spew all those hateful lies about me anymore.”
I look behind them when I see Jensen stepping closer.
Finally, motherfucker. Get your ass over here!
“If you want to maintain any amount of custody, you’d be better off not strangling your wife in broad daylight when the man behind you is calling the cops. Just my two cents.”
Matt blinks at me, fear flashing over his wide eyes. Dallas struggles against him.
“Let her go, and I won’t hurt you today. I’ll give you a full twenty-four hours head start to get as far away from my wrath as you can.”
Tears are streaming down Dallas’s face now. Dawson is starting to fight me to get to his mom, kicking and punching me as hard as he can.
