I pulled my legs up against my chest and dropped my head to my knees.
Then I asked Mick to forgive me for not keeping his secret.
Chapter 16
Thomas
“You’re not comin’ in here,” my brother argued as he stood guard in my doorway.
“He’s hurt,” Molly hissed. “Let me in so I can at least tape up his knuckles.”
“You see my face?” he asked. “I’m fuckin’ hurt. Tommy can stew in his own shit.”
“You have a black eye,” Molly said flatly. “I’ll kiss it better later. Now let me in.”
They’d been having the same argument for the last five minutes and Will wasn’t budging. I didn’t blame him.
I was lying in my bed with one arm curved around my chest as I tried to breathe shallowly. When I’d lost my shit earlier I was pretty sure either my uncle or Dragon had cracked one of my ribs. It wasn’t broken, I’d felt along the bone to make certain, but it sure as fuck was cracked. Molly didn’t know that, though, or I was pretty sure she would have pushed her way in without my brother’s permission.
She wasn’t afraid of him. My brother’s temper rivaled mine, but Molly had absolutely no fear. I closed my eyes and pictured the way Heather had cowered, her arms wrapped around her head like she thought I was going to hit her. I swallowed down the bile in my throat and breathed deeply through my nose.
They’d all thought I was going to hit her. Every single person in that room thought I was going to attack my wife. Heather, who was about a hundred and ten pounds and at least ten inches shorter than me. They’d thought I was going to hurt her.
It hadn’t been my intention, not for a second, but I knew it hadn’t looked that way. Had I wanted to keep her quiet? Yes. But I’d never even considered using force. Will had been holding me back from her since she’d come into the room and the longer I’d had to watch her freaking out without being able to hold her, the worse my anxiety had gotten. By the time she’d started spilling secrets I’d been at the end of my rope.
It wasn’t even the words spilling out of her mouth, though those had made my skin crawl. It had been the look on her face as she spoke that had pushed me over the edge.
So I’d done what I had to just to get to her. Just to get my hands on her. I hadn’t wanted to fucking hurt her. But the minute I’d gotten past Will, she’d been terrified. I’d seen it. Hell, I’d felt it. The entire room had felt it.
That had made me even worse. I hadn’t been thinking straight. I knew that. She’d been terrified of me. I’d been the problem. But when I saw her drop down onto the floor, the only thing I’d been able to focus on was the fact they were keeping me from her. It hadn’t quite registered that she was cowering from me.
It wasn’t until they’d held me against the floor, with a knee in my back and another on my neck, that I’d comprehended what I’d done.
“Will,” Molly said, sweetly. “Get the hell out of my way.”
She pushed into the room and Will growled as he spun and followed her to the edge of the bed.
“I swear to Christ, Tommy,” he warned, his jaw tight.
“I’m good,” I mumbled through swollen lips.
“God, Tommy,” Molly whispered, gently brushing my hair back from my forehead. “Why didn’t you just stop?”
I hadn’t seen my face, but I guessed it was pretty bad by the look in her eyes.
“They wouldn’t let me get to Heather,” I rasped, closing my eyes.
“Of course we fuckin’ didn’t,” Will shot back.
“Will,” Molly snapped. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
“Wasn’t gonna hurt her,” I told Molly, looking up at her. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Is that a fuckin’ joke?” Will asked.
I shook my head and closed my eyes again, blocking him out. I knew what they all thought and there was no way to prove them wrong.
“Is there something wrong with your ribs?” Molly asked, resting her hand softly on my arm.
“Think I cracked one,” I answered.
“Your breathing is a little fast,” she mumbled. “Can we get this shirt off?”
I swallowed hard. “Don’t think so,” I answered.
Will made a sound but I didn’t look at him. I was ashamed and embarrassed and I just wanted to be left alone.
“Come on, baby brother,” he said gruffly, sliding his hands under my armpits and lifting me into a sitting position. I turned my head away so I wouldn’t have to meet his eyes.
“Can you lift your arms?” Molly asked.
“No,” I rasped. There was no fucking way that was happening.
I heard the snick of a knife, and then Will was cutting open the front of my ripped t-shirt, baring my chest and stomach.