“Hey,” she said softly as she tugged at the hem of her shorts. “I didn’t expect you until tomorrow night.”
Fixing his stare on her bare thighs, he sneered. “Obviously. Why the fuck are you dressed like that?”
The steel tone of his voice frightened her. “I was working in the garden. It’s real hot outside. The tomatoes are doing good, but I wished I wouldn’t have planted petunias. They need a lot of—”
“Shut the fuck up! Who the hell have you been fucking?”
Oh God… he found out about Wheelie.“Why’re you so mad at me? Didn’t you have a good trip?”
“Answer me! Whose cock are you letting in your pussy, bitch? Is that why you’re wearing those slutty shorts? Did I fuckin’ ruin your plans by coming home early?” Tigger’s face was turning redder by the minute.
“I told you I was working in the garden. No one’s here with me, I swear.”
“Liar! You’re fuckin’ someone behind my back, and you’re gonna tell me who it is so I can kill the sonofabitch.”
He doesn’t know about Wheelie. He’s just in one of his moods.“Calm down. Do you want me to fix you something to eat?”
Tigger uncrossed his arms and took a few steps toward her. He bent down and picked something up from the coffee table. “Who the fuck gave you this?” He opened his hand and the silver necklace Wheelie had given her the past Christmas dangled on two of Tigger’s fingers.
“You went through my drawer?”
Rage burned in Tigger’s eyes and from the way his jaw clenched, Sofia knew she had to try and get away from him before he hurt her. “Who the fuck gave it to you?”
“A friend. It’s no big deal.” She calculated how fast she could run out the back door and open the locked gate in the yard.
“If it’s no big deal then why the hell did you have it hidden in a drawer?” Tigger came closer and she took a few steps back. “Don’t fuckin’ move!”
“You’re getting all worked up over nothing.”
“Having my wife hide shit she gets from someone isn’tnothing. Who thefuckgave this to you?”
“Cara,” she lied.
As if startled by her answer, Tigger didn’t say anything; his burning eyes held her still. The air fairly crackled with the growing tension between them, and a shiver ran up Sofia’s spine.
After several seconds, Tigger shook his head. “Why are you wearing that skimpy top? You want Jim to see you, don’t you? I’ve seen you flirting with him, and he’s always asking me about you. Why the fuck is he doing that? He’s been over here the whole time I was gone, wasn’t he? You fuckin’ slut!”
Sofia’s head was swimming: What had been peaceful only a few hours before was now polluted with Tigger’s rage. His muscles tensed and the vein in his temple pulsed like crazy.
“Did you fuck him in our bed?” Tigger was now real close to Sofia, and she could feel the spit flying from his lips. She knew from experience that once Tigger got going there was no stopping him, and his anger would keep getting worse.
“I didn’t fuck Jim. I swear to you that I didn’t. I’m not lying.”A few tiny steps toward the front door.
“You’re just a stupid slut. I bet Jim gave you that necklace.” The muscles in his neck strained against his skin, and red blotches covered his face. “Why he’d want to give an ugly moron like youanything, I don’t know. Did you give him a good blowjob?”
Sofia felt the sweat drenching her skin and the thumping of her heart against her chest.I have to get out of here. I should’ve gone over to Belle’s.His hand hit hard and she fell from the force of it. Instinctively, she raised both hands in front of her face while her fingers clawed at the air to thwart off the second slap that drew blood to the corner of her mouth. Her piercing screams vibrated in her ears as punch after punch pummeled her face, head, and the tender flesh of her breasts, making the pain excruciating.
“You fuckin’ cunt!” he screamed as he brutally kicked her in the belly.
Sofia panicked and she slithered on the floor in a vain attempt to get away from him, but Tigger kept kicking her where he knew it would hurt the most.
“Spread your legs, bitch!” He bent down and pulled them so far apart she thought he’d split her in two. With the toe of his biker boot, he kicked her sex so hard, stars and black spots hazed her vision.
“No! Stop!” Sofia screamed but it seemed like the words made him crazier and only increased the number of savage kicks and punches.
“You’re mine. Only mine. No one fucks your pussy but me,” he bellowed, adding another kick to her sensitive parts.
Reaching out, Sofia scratched at Tigger with her nails, and he groaned as they tore through his flesh. Blood dripped from Sofia’s fingers, then Tigger grabbed her by the hair and dragged her backward toward the bedroom. She wrenched free, crawled over to the door, and frantically tried to turn the lock.