Page 51 of Saving Grace

Tank was amused. Which somehow made me feel more secure in the fact that I would make it out of the situation I had been forced into unscathed.

Finally, I looked at Atticus. His low hooded eyes were trained on me, but his face was devoid of emotions.

“Good morning” he offered congenially, as if my being there wasn’t wrong in so many ways.

My eyes fell to the bandage on his cheek, more proof that everything was terribly wrong. I couldn’t believe I had bit him.

AJ tugged me forward, stopped me right next to his sister. She had the same eyes as her brother and father, but larger and cuter. With a face like a China doll and a head full of curly brown hair that hung naturally around her shoulders. I melted.

She rose from her chair to look up at me. “Hello Ms. Grace, I’m Tori. That’s how Daddy said I should greet you,” she said in the cutest toddler voice.

She was adorable. I spoke back. “Morning, pretty girl" I damn near cooed.

She giggled up at me.

AJ’s only child syndrome kicked in. Just that quick, he had already had enough of sharing my attention. He tugged at my hand, “Come sit next to me.”

“Yes, come sit next to us.” Atticus chimed in. He stood from his own seat gracefully. The matching black jacket to his tailored suit was draped over the back of his chair. His crisp white dress shirt made his tan skin almost look light brown and glow in the kitchen lights. He slid a chair out for me.

The seat he was offering just so happened to be the one right next to him, the one that would put me in the middle of him and AJ. We’d be sitting side by side, like a big happy family, directly across from his wife, so I had to stare directly into her angry eyes.

Cutting my eyes to Atticus, I slightly shook my head. I watched as a smirk tilted his lips.

He was purposely making the situation more awkward. He wanted to embarrass me.

I wanted to show him he couldn’t. If I kept giving him the upper hand he’d find more ways to torture me.

Lifting my chin, I made my way to his side. Jr’s hand wrapped in mine. Per usual he was talking, but my heart was beating too loudly. It drowned out his words and made me feel dizzy. I could feel Atticus’s wife’s eyes heavy on me. My heart sped up. If I wasn’t careful I was going to stroke out. I tried to breathe low and deep without anyone noticing.

Soon as my butt hit the seat, AJ’s sister got out of her seat again and came over to me. “Hey again". she said, her voice low and cute. She held out her hand. “Can I see your nails?” They were painted to look like bumblebees, AJ’s favorite. I raised mine to show her, but before I could she was snatched away. Atticus' wife snarled a few indecipherable words at me, then stormed off with the little girl under her arm.

With my mouth opened, I watched her until she disappeared from the kitchen

I was shaken by her reaction in front of the children and stunned by how roughly she was handling her daughter. I understood that she was angry for the situation she was being put in, but lady, have some fucking decorum in front of the kids.

Atticus’ chair scraped then crashed to the floor. I squeaked in surprise, shrinking away from his anger. There was a severe scowl on his face as he rushed out the room behind his wife and daughter.

“That boy’s gonna end up dead playing these games.” Ms. Joyce mumbled as she took a bite of eggs.

Tank grunted.

AJ tapped me on my side. “Can you let me go?

I looked down to find him glued to my side. I hadn’t even realized I’d snatched him from his chair.

I let him go. He backed and smoothed his hands down the all blue school uniform he was wearing, before returning to his seat and resuming eating like nothing had happened. Sometimes, my son’s lack of emotion worried me. But then, it was probably a good thing under these circumstances.

I was able to spend the next fifteen minutes with AJ before Ms. Joyce had to rush him off. Atticus had enrolled him into some fancy private school he seemed to love. He left without objection, which was new for AJ. He didn’t like school before.

I was left sitting at the table with a plate full of food I couldn’t bear to eat—wondering how my day was supposed to go. Atticus hadn’t told me any of the rules for his warped punishment. Pushing away from the table I made my way towards the kitchen door. I had a feeling if I disappeared for a while Atticus would come looking for me, then I could question him. Just before I walked out Tank spoke up, I jumped slightly startled. He was so quiet; I’d forgotten he was there.

“Don’t let Sophia bait you into fighting with her.. She’s a woman scorned. Furious that a man she wants more than her next breath doesn’t want her. Don’t give her any excuses to do anything out of line to you. Atticus will kill her for you in a heartbeat. That’ll put you in even more danger with this family.

I turned to meet his eyes.

Exhaling I reached up and shoved my fingers s through my locs before asking. “Why do you think it’s this family that means me harm?”

He chuckled. “You’re fighting too hard to leave the safety Atticus can provide you, which leads me to believe that you’re running away from someone in our circle and you’re afraid he can’t or won’t protect you.”