Page 71 of Mercy
A wounded look in her eyes reflects back at me.
“I need to know.”
“Damn it, Liam, I’m not afraid of you. I was afraid at the hospital of everything. My best friend attacked me and maybe tried to kill me. Then, I was so terrified that you’d be so angry with me that I would lose you. That’s what scares me more than your son beating the shit out of me.”
“Silly girl, you couldn’t lose me if you tried,” I press my lips to hers as she wraps her hands around my neck.
She moans while her hands slide from my neck into my hair. Tilting her head back, she whispers my name, “Daddy.”
As much as I always want to be inside her, it's not happening tonight. When she exposes her neck to me, it physically makes me sick, but I swallow it down for her. Gently, I press soft kisses on the fingerprint indentations my son left on her beautiful neck.
He will be dealt with, Nash being my son will not prevent that from happening. My fucking son could’ve killed my girl. And that will not be tolerated. This won’t happen again, because if it does, I am afraid of what I might do.
“Come baby, let’s watch a movie.”
She groans, “I need you.”
“Not tonight, baby girl. Your body needs rest.”
Rolling her eyes at me she sighs, “My body needs you.”
I tap her ass lightly, “Doctors orders, beautiful.”
Standing beside the bed, I hold back a laugh while she glares at me. I pick her up in my arms to carry her to the living room, “You know, baby, you’re fucking adorable with this cute little scowl on your face.”
She slaps my chest lightly, “You’re being mean.”
“I’m doing what’s best for you. A good man takes care of his baby girl, placing her needs above his own.”
I set her down on the couch and hand her the remote, “Find something on Netflix. Do you want anything to drink?”
She licks her lips as she stares at my crotch, and I can’t help but laugh again.
“Such a dirty girl. A drink from the kitchen, is there anything I can get you?”
“No,” she pouts.
I sit in the corner of the sectional, one leg stretched out on the couch, my other on the floor. I leave space between us since she’s mad. But she quickly scoots over to me and crawls between my legs, laying on her side with her head on my chest while the movie starts.
Running my hands through her hair, I find myself watching her, instead of the movie. I love having my hands in her hair or on her body, anywhere really.
It takes about thirty minutes until she’s asleep, she moved to her stomach and has her arms around my waist. I knew she had to be exhausted after what she went through today.
Carefully, I pull her into my arms and lift her up, carrying her to the bedroom. I lay her down and get undressed. I remove her skirt, and then unbutton her blouse, trying to get her comfortable without waking her. When I remove her bra, I see red all over again. She has three bruises on her breast. She never mentioned anything about him touching her here.
I climb into bed beside her and kiss the bruises and whisper, “I’m sorry, baby girl.” This somehow feels like it’s my fault. Where did I go so wrong with my son that he could do this to any woman, even more so, a woman he claims to love? I gave too much, I let him get away with shit I shouldn’t have. When he asked for money in his adult years, I gave it to him because I had it. I never dreamed that this is how he would spend my money. And now, Mercy has paid the price for it. I’m certain if it weren’t for the drugs, he never would’ve done this. My son is a stranger to me, this is not the child I raised.
Twenty-Five
MERCY
It’s beena few days since the incident with Nash and I can finally cover my bruises with make-up so today I’m at work. I’m excited to see Ivy, I know she’s been upset that I couldn’t come see her. But I couldn’t let her see me with bruises on my face and an actual handprint on my neck.
When I walk through her door, I feel like a million bucks. She sits up, her eyes flash excitement, “MERCY!”
“Hi, sweet girl!” I go and sit beside her bed, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she beams at me.
