Savage Love (Back Down Devil MC #7)(19)

“Jerry, I never meant… I have a copy but I didn’t…”

Jerry jumped and grabbed the papers. “They’re f*cking signed by you! They’re f*cking filed by you!”

“Okay, fine. I filed papers. And I wanted to talk to you about it. I had it arranged so that they wouldn’t…”

“I got them! I got them right f*cking here, Ella. What the hell are you trying to do?”

“Beck is sleeping.”

“WAKE UP!” Jerry boomed. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “WAKE THE FUCK UP!”

Ella moved at Jerry. She grabbed his wrists and tried to slap him in the mouth.

“You stop this,” she said.

Jerry grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her back. For a brief second Ella left her feet. She crashed against the counter, the edge hitting her back so hard she lost her breath. The room spun and went dark for a second. Next thing she knew she was on her ass on the floor. As Jerry then came at her, she put her hands up.

“You try to f*cking stop me?” he growled.

A hand grabbed her hair and twisted. Ella yelled in pain. She kicked up and forward, hitting Jerry in the leg. He stepped back and she kicked again, this time getting him in the balls. Jerry stumbled back and groaned in pain.

Ella tried to get up, gasping for air.

Jerry swung with the back of his right hand. He barely got her, but got her enough to send Ella to her side. She put her hands out and grabbed at the floor, trying to pull herself out of the kitchen. She told herself she could hide somewhere, for a moment, just to catch her breath.

But Jerry was right there, right on top of her. His hands clawing at her shoulders, the weight of his body crushing her to the floor.

“You like this?” he asked. “You like me holding you down? You f*ck. You want to f*cking leave me?”

“Yes,” Ella said. She threw her head back, smashing into Jerry’s mouth. “I hate you!”

Jerry groaned again.

For a second, Ella thought she had a chance. She felt Jerry’s body lift off her.

“You’re going to pay for that. You’re going to pay for everything.”

Ella started to turn her head and caught sight of Jerry’s boot. She tried to scream but had no chance. Jerry’s boot hit the back of her head, driving her face to the hard, tiled floor.

All Ella could remember was some kind of pop sound.

Then there was complete silence. Complete darkness.

When Ella could move again, she popped up and let out a cry. She looked at the floor and saw blood. Her hands shook and she put them to the floor and pushed up. She got to her knees, trying to brace herself, balance herself.

“No,” she whispered.

She touched her face and it hurt. Reaching up, she grabbed the counter and pulled herself up. She was able to keep her balance, which was good. Her face throbbed but there wasn’t blood dripping. As Ella stepped forward, she let go of the counter. Her legs almost gave out, but she demanded her body to work. Instinct had kicked in and she knew that Jerry had Beck.

He has my baby. My son.

Ella got to the stairs and climbed them. The room on the right at the end of the hall was Beck’s room. The door had been shut; now it was open a crack. Just seeing that gave Ella a sudden burst of strength and extreme willpower. She ran to the room and grabbed the door, opening it the rest of the way.

There was Jerry, sitting in the rocking chair. Beck cradled in his arms.

Ella couldn’t remember the last time Jerry held Beck.

But there he was, rocking Beck back and forth.

When he looked at Ella, his eyes were dark, evil, sick. He was a far changed man and now he was holding the baby.

“Your face is bleeding,” Jerry said with a grin.

“You can go to jail for what you did.”

“Seriously? You really think anyone would believe you? Or give a damn?”

“Give me Beck.”

“It’s my son, right?”

“It? Beck is not an it.”

“So cute and innocent,” Jerry said. “Kind of like what you used to be. Right, Ella?”

“Stop this,” Ella said. “Beck has nothing to do with this. This is between us. You’re mad at me for filing papers. I never…”

“That’s what you want,” Jerry said. He slowly stood. “After everything I’ve done for you. Given to you. This house. A marriage. The front yard and back yard bullshit. The neighborhood where there’s no f*cking crime. I even gave you a baby.”

“You gave me a baby?” Ella asked. “We had a baby.”

“No, Ella. You had a baby. And if I knew you were going to close up on me and turn into this, I would have pulled out or made you take care of this a long time ago.”

Ella gasped. She felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.

“Get out of here,” Ella said.

“This is my house.”

“Then I’ll leave you.”

“You want to go that bad?” Jerry asked. “Pack a bag, bitch.”

“Give me my son.”

Jerry looked down at Beck and grinned. “I guess it’s for the better. He is kind of ugly.”

Beck let out a little wail and Jerry held him out. Gently, Ella took the baby. She pulled him tight to her chest, feeling relieved. She could take the abuse, but Beck deserved nothing of the like.