Page 16 of Saving Grace

Jabbing his thumb in Marcus’ direction, he ordered me. “Handle it, before I do.” He walked back behind his desk turning his chair, his back to us.

I needed to hurry up and get rid of Marcus before I was witness to a murder.

I righted the chair I’d knocked over and sat back down. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

Marcus stood in the same place as before, staring at me like the clueless fucking idiot he was.

“Marcus, I’m sorry for hitting you,” I started, but decided to forgo the apology. I wasn’t sorry at all, so why lie.Fuck him.

I just needed to wash my hands of the whole fucking mess.

“I’ll have my lawyer send you divorce papers.” I said because I didn’t know what else to say and that’s what a real wife would do, right? But there would be no divorce papers.

We weren’t even legally married because the woman he married didn’t exist. Veronica Jones didn’t exist. I thought she could. That’s why I had married him. I wanted normalcy.

But nothing in my life ever worked out like I wanted it to. I would adjust accordingly.

I started plotting in my head how I'd get away from the mess I’d gotten myself in again. Selling the shop would be easy. Deciding where I wanted to start over would be next—I could do that. I had money saved. Who I would be—that would be the hard part. I had to be careful.

“No.” Marcus exclaimed, drawing my attention back to him. Green eyes flipped to mine and his lip curled. He wobbled on his feet as he stalked toward me. He was barely standing on his own two feet but looked as if he was ready to use the last bit of energy he had to attack me.

Rage flared in his bloodshot eyes “Divorce? I didn’t marry your fat ass to get divorced.” he spat venomously.

I was going to tell him to kiss my fat ass, but before I could respond, Atticus reacted.

It took only a millisecond for him to come out from behind the desk. In his hand was a gun, one that seemed to materialize out of thin air. He pressed it to Marcus’ head. I don’t know if it was me or Marcus that screamed, but someone did. I jumped up from the chair but didn’t approach them.

I would try to save Marcus’ life. I hadn’t exactly been honest with him during our marriage, but I wouldn’t go as far as stepping in front of a gun for him.

“What are you doing, Atticus?”

When he turned his steel grey eyes my way I knew Atticus had checked out.

“I told him to watch what the fuck he said to you,” he gritted out from between his pearly white teeth, before turning his attention back to Marcus who looked like he was going to cry or pass out, or both.

“Didn’t I?” He nudged Marcus’s head with the gun and waited for an answer.

Marcus nodded.

His silence seemed to piss Atticus off more. I watched Atticus raise his arm and swing toward Marcus with his free hand. I could literally see spittle fly from his mouth. Marcus dropped to the floor on to his ass and threw his hands up to protect his face. He looked so pathetic, cowering.

Atticus’ mouth curled into a cruel smirk. He bent down and placed the gun to Marcus’ temple.

“Hardheaded motherfuckers like you never listen.”

My heart stuttered to a stop for a split second. Was he about to kill my husband right in front of me? Marcus was a lying, cheating bastard, but I didn’t want him dead, not because of me. Plus, he had a child he needed to help take care of. My feet moved without thought, I stepped up next to them and put my hand over Atticus.’

“Please, just let it go, he’s not worth it.” I pleaded.

Atticus pulled back the safety on the gun he held.

My heart fell to my stomach.

“Please, don’t.” I breathed.

A long second passed before Atticus turned to me.

“You’re protecting him Grace?” The veins in his neck bulged, his tone is deadpan.