Narrowing his eyes, James glares back at Johnathan. “No. I don’t keep a fucking record of all the shit you’ve said to me.”
Johnathan grins his own big shit-eating grin. “You’re next, motherfucker. You’re going to get a dad bod next.”
James stops and reaches behind himself like he’s going to pull the pistol from his pants.
“James,” I say sharply to stop him and get his attention.
James glances at me, still reaching for his gun.
I jerk my chin toward Charlie.
James takes one look at Charlie’s confused little face then sighs with dejection. Dropping his head for a moment, he pulls his hand back.
Then he straightens and points at Johnathan. “Take it back.”
Johnathan looks at James and purses his lips like he’s considering it before he grins and says, “No.”
“Take it back,” James repeats but this time with a deep growl.
Laughing, Johnathan shakes his head. “No means no, motherfucker.”
James looks at me. “I gave him a chance.”
I have no clue what he’s talking about. Absolutely none.
Lifting his fingers to his mouth, James blows a shrill whistle. “Oh, Mitzy, baby! Uncle Johnathan is here to play with you!”
“Fuck you, motherfucker!” Johnathan roars as Mitzy comes racing toward him from the living room.
“Uh… maybe we should head upstairs…” I say to Beth and Amanda as I turn away from the ridiculous scene.
I have no clue what that is all about, and I have a feeling that if we don’t leave now, we’ll be stuck watching the guys all day.
Snapping their jaws shut, both Beth and Amanda nod their heads.
“Don’t worry, Charlie, she doesn’t like the taste of little boys. She prefers big boys with dad bods that taste like french fries,” I hear James say behind us as we head up.
“Ah shit!” Johnathan curses as Mitzy starts to growl. “Call your fucking rat off, James.”
“No. Not until you take it back,” James says firmly.
“Um, they’re not going to kill each other, are they?” Amanda asks when we reach the upper landing and hear Johnathan let out another angry roar.
Beth and I both pause for a moment, looking at each other.
We both know it’s definitely a possibility…
I mean, I wouldn’t put it past either of them after what I just saw.
But we shake our heads for Amanda.
Smiling at Amanda, Beth makes a dismissive motion with her hand. “They should be fine.”
“Yeah, I made James agree that he wouldn’t kill Johnathan in front of Charlie,” I add.
“Did you?” Beth asks me with an amused smirk.
I nod my head, my own smirk curving my lips.
“That was smart.” Beth giggles at me then looks to Amanda. “We’re good.”
“Okay…” Amanda drawls out, looking at us both like we’ve suddenly turned into a couple of weirdos. Then she sighs and shakes her head. “Whatever.”
Taking a step to the side, she lets me take the lead.
Walking in front, I lead them up to James’s bedroom, thinking it will give us the most privacy until I hear them both gasp.
“Oh my god, what happened here?” Beth asks as she peeks into the room.
Shit. I totally forgot about the little fight James and I had before they got here.
The floor is covered in clothes, mostly my thongs, and half my toiletries are spilled on the bed.
I cringe. “Uh… it’s a funny story actually…”
Grabbing me by the shoulders, Beth turns me to face her and looks me hard in the eyes. “Sophia, I’m serious this time. Are you okay? Is everything okay?”
Amanda whips a switchblade out of nowhere and waves it around menacingly. “Yeah, do I need to cut his fucking balls off?”
Beth and I both look at her in shock.
Out of the three of us, Amanda has changed the most since we were kidnapped and sold by the Russians. Probably because she endured the most during our captivity.
I never saw what happened to her when we were separated.
What they did to her.
What was so bad that all she could do was cry and fall into an unresponsive stupor whenever one of the men tried to touch her…
And I don’t know all the gory details, but through Beth, I know enough to make me sick.
Sick to the very depths of my soul.
The friend standing in front of me now, the chick dressed all in black with all her glossy brown hair chopped off above her ears, waving a switchblade around with every intention of using it, is not the same girl that was grabbed that night with me. That sweet girl is gone, replaced by a woman that’s harder and stronger.
For better or worse.
“I’ll do it,” Amanda says, looking me dead in the eyes. Her eyes hard and shimmering with old, repressed rage. “Just tell me yes and it’s done.”
And I know she would.
There’s no doubt in my mind she’d chop James’s balls off for me if I asked.
Hell, she’d probably do it even if I didn’t ask for the fun of it.
“It’s not what you’re thinking…” I say softly.
“Then what is it?” she part asks, part demands, both of her brows lifting and her jaw tightening. “Because I still don’t understand what the fuck is going on. Or why the fuck Johnathan let him take you. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
I glance at Beth, seeking a little help.
But she just looks at me as if she’d like to know too.
Unfortunately, I have no fucking clue what is going on or what any of this is. If they would have asked me two days ago, I would have told them that James was forcing his presence on me. That he was kidnapping me. That he was harassing me.
But today?
Today… fuck, I don’t even know what is going on today. Not after last night or this morning.
All I know is that I don’t completely hate him, and I believe he is being sincere with me.
Sincere when he says he wants to protect me and take care of me.
Something more is going on with what happened with my father. After all the stuff James showed me yesterday, I know something is going on.
And I need his help to figure it out.
Not knowing what to tell them, besides what James keeps saying to me, I simply say, “He’s keeping me safe.”
Amanda frowns and repeats, “Safe?”
I nod my head and sigh.
“What is he keeping you safe from?” Amanda asks.
When my face falls at the thought of trying to explain it, Beth glances sharply at Amanda.
Unspoken words pass between them. Words I can only guess at.
But whatever it is, Amanda gives her own sigh a second later and nods her head. Then she turns her attention back to me. “So he’s not hurting you? Just to be clear?”
I shake my head and feel my cheeks warming with heat. “No, he’s not hurting me.”
Not in the way she’s asking, at least.
Amanda scowls as if she’s not entirely convinced. “You’re sure?”
“Amanda,” Beth says sharply and frowns at her.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’m just worried,” Amanda says and throws her hands up in front of her.
“Don’t be sorry, it’s fine. Really. I would be worried too if it was happening to either of you. Thank you for looking out for me,” I say, looking between them.