Justice Falling (Falling #3)(62)

I lunged at him. My body was hot, muscles primed and ready to strike. A fight was what I needed and I was going to take a pound of flesh. Tyler fell to the ground and we rolled, gravel and dirt crunching around us. Eventually I got the advantage and straddled him, slamming his head into the dirt.

“You cock-sucking piece of shite! Do you know what you did to her? This is your fault!” I roared, planting my fist firmly into his jaw. The sickening sound of knuckles meeting bone filled the air. Blood poured from Tyler’s nose and he spit a spray of blood in my face. His fist shot out and caught the side of my face and eye socket. Pain sent me back a step but not enough to let go of the arsehole.

“Nate, Nate! Get off him! He’s not worth it!” Camille tugged at my biceps. “Please. You can’t go to jail for this!” Her words finally entered my brain and I pulled away and jumped off him.

He rolled to the side and spit out more blood, then wiped his nose on the sleeve of his suit.

“Motherf*cker, you ruined our friendship. Five years of brotherhood for this whore! Believe me, her * is not worth losing your best friend, Nate.” He scowled. “I know. I’ve had it!”

He gutted me with those words, the reality sickening me. I made to go at him again. Camille jumped in front of me.

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks, Nate. I don’t care. He can call me whatever he wants. He means nothing to me,” she cried as tears filled in her eyes.

Tyler groaned and looked up at the sky.

“I came here tonight, Ty, not because you invited me, but to tell you the truth.”

Camille’s eyes widened in horror. “No, Nate, please don’t.” A tear slipped down the side of her face. “He doesn’t care.” She tried, but I was ending this right here.

“You have a son! A beautiful four year old boy named Tanner.”

Tyler rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. “Is that what she told you? That the kid is mine? And you believe her?” He shook his head.

“Of course I believe her. The boy looks exactly like you!”

“And probably a handful of other Johns she f*cked to pay the bills. You saw her. You think she shakes that ass just for you? Did you even know that she was spreading her goodies all over town?”

His words sunk in and hit a point in my heart that I couldn’t deny. Camille had lied to me repeatedly. Lies of omission, but still lies. She stripped however many nights a week, baring her beautiful body to the highest bidder. My mouth watered with the sour sickness you get right before you vomit. I pushed it down and took a few deep breaths.

“The boy is yours. I’ve met him. He’s perfect. You can request a paternity test--”

“I don’t want anything to do with the little bastard. Even if the kid is mine, he’s the spawn of a two-bit skank. I’ve paid my dues. I gave her money to do away with the pregnancy. I should have known the stupid f*cking cunt would screw me over one day.” The words he used to describe the woman I loved filled me with a rage so dark it spilled out of every pore controlling all my instincts. I was about to rush him again when he grabbed Camille’s wrist, lifted his hand and backhanded her. “That’s for not doing what I told you, you dumb bitch!” he said as my body plowed into his.

“Don’t you ever, f*cking put a hand to my woman again!” I shoved him down and cinched his neck in a chokehold. My knees held his biceps and effectively restricted any defense from him. I squeezed with every ounce of hurt and anger I had. Time blurred and faded as I held his life in my hands.

Eventually I realized that Camille was beating my back with her fists, screaming for me to let him go, that he was turning blue.

I flung myself off him, my arse hitting the ground hard. My entire body shook with uncontrollable rage. Camille sobbed, her forehead against my back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered over and over, a hollowed chant against my back.

Tyler turned over and lifted himself to his hands and knees. His breathing was labored. When he stood, his face was bloody and unrecognizable. “I don’t ever want to see you or your bitch again,” he croaked in a raspy voice. “And if you come at me again, Nate, I swear to f*cking God I will crucify you. Feel f*cking lucky I’m not pressing assault charges.” He was right. I was lucky. Even if he did, I wouldn’t care. It would have been worth it.

“And what about your son?” Emotion filling me as Tanner’s innocent face entered my vision.

Tyler wiped his bloody face and spit more of it on the ground in a pool of crimson sludge. “What of it? I have no desire to see or be a part of this bitch’s life. She’s been doing fine on her own, she can continue to do so.”

Camille whimpered and shook behind me. Her sorrow was palpable and matched my anger.

“You’ll sign your parental rights away?”

“Draw up the papers *. Have them on my desk Monday morning. It will be the highlight of my f*cking week,” he grated through his teeth then grinned as I looked at the man I had once called my friend. Did I ever really know this person? His face was smeared with blood and his cheeks and chin were swelling more prominently.

He’d gotten in a couple good hits of his own. My chin and the skin around my right eye were tender and swollen. A cut on my lip stung as I licked it and tasted copper. “Done,” I said with finality.

“Yes, we are. Have a nice life with your whore.” He left with that one last pot shot. Again, my muscles flexed, wanting to defend and defile.