Justice For Abby

Author:Cate Beauman [Beauman, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-04-09T14:00:00+00:00

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Jerrod sat at the kitchen table with a full plate in front of him but didn’t bother to pick up his fork. His stomach ached and his head throbbed. He didn’t have an appetite for beef brisket and scalloped potatoes no matter how many times his mother eyed him across the table.

He pushed his meal away and rested his forehead in his hands, rubbing at his pounding temples. Abby was home and out of harm’s way, but overall, today had sucked ass. From a security standpoint, everything turned out a-fucking-okay, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that Abby had rushed to her room crying and his mother kept shaking her head in disapproval.

Sighing, he squeezed the back of his neck, regretting the way he’d handled the entire afternoon. Protocol had flown out the window when he heard the loud blast of music and Abby’s laughter in the driveway. His relief had been huge when he’d rushed around the house and spotted her safe—so had his anger. He shouldn’t have shouted; he definitely shouldn’t have grabbed her arm when she told him to back off, but she shouldn’t have left.

“You need to eat,” Mom said quietly. “It will help with your headache.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Mom set down her fork, her mouth firm with displeasure. “I imagine not.”

He barely suppressed a groan as he rubbed at his chin. He’d been waiting for her verbal ass kicking since she glared at him in the driveway. “Mom—”

“I’m disappointed, Jerrod. I didn’t raise my men to treat women the way you treated Abby today.”

“Mom—” he tried again.

“I know your father was hard. I know we don’t show much affection, but land sakes, Jerrod, what happened to my sweet son?”

He squirmed in his chair as he had when he’d been a boy. No one brought on a bought of guilt and shame they way his mother could. “I overreacted.”

“You had no right to come down on her the way you did.”

“I agree, but—”

“I don’t want excuses.” She pointed her finger as her voice grew even sterner. “I heard my son being a horse’s ass. I saw you grabbing that tiny little thing. You’re not too old for a firm hand to the butt, sir.”

He looked down at the table, trying not to smile despite the lecture. He was twenty-eight and outweighed his mother by a good hundred pounds, yet he had no doubt mom would make good on her threat. “No, ma’am.”

“So, what do you have to say for yourself?”

He met her gaze. “I acted like a jerk, and I’ll apologize to you and Abby for that, but this whole situation isn’t as simple as it seems.”

She crossed her arms. “I’ll take an explanation.”

He studied his mother’s strong, steady eyes, debating how much he should tell her. “Abby’s not Ethan’s office manager. She’s in hiding.”

Her eyes softened with concern as she folded her hands on the table. “What’s she hiding from?”

“I can’t give you all the details, but she’s in trouble.” He sat up further in his seat.

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