Men of Honor Eric, page 10
She made some sort of noise in her throat that sounded like a teakettle just before the boil and started to charge. Two things happened at once. I placed myself between her and Tyler, and there was a loud noise from somewhere near the door and then a roar. “JANINE!”
She stopped midstride, and all of us looked in the direction to see a very pissed off Eric standing there.
Justine
“Baby, you okay?” Eric addressed me, and all I could do is nod my head, yes. You’d think Janine would have enough sense to keep her yap shut after the way he said her name just now, plus the fact that all the women in the room were now solidly invested in the unfolding drama, but nope.
“I’m the mother of your child, and you’re asking this…this…bitch if she’s okay?”
“Uh-oh, the crazy train has left the station.” That was Janelle’s take on the situation. I didn’t dare take my eyes off of Janine to look back at Janelle to shush her. Her words would only exasperate the situation, which she didn't seem to care too much about.
It was almost like being caught in the middle of something not quite real. One of those things you hear other people talking about that you laugh at while inwardly thinking it can’t possibly be real. No one can be that far removed from reality, can they?
Eric didn’t even look at her as he made his way to me. I started to smile to let him know I was okay, but then his eyes widened, and his pupils flashed. “Who the fuck hit you? Did she…?” He turned as if to go after Janine, and pandemonium broke out. I tried to grab him to stop him from doing something that would get him in trouble, but Samantha and Janelle pulled me out of the way while Tyler and his friend, I think his name is Paul, were pushing Eric back.
“Get the fuck out of here, Janine.” Oh no! That was Tyler. As much as I detest his mother, it broke my heart to have put him in this position. This was my fault. I shouldn’t have come here today. What was I thinking? His next words only made me feel worst.
“No, dad, don’t go near her, that’s what she wants. Go take care of Justine; she needs you. Dad, look at me; she’s not worth it. She wasn’t worth it then; she’s not worth it now. You’ve already got the best thing she had to offer, that’s me.” Janelle was the only one who laughed at his facetiousness. I was feeling too raw to find humor in anything.
“That’s right, Tyler, you tell him. Come on, Eric, let’s go get our girl some ice for her face.” Janelle tried to quell the coming storm.
“Ladies, sorry about this little interruption. Why don’t you all follow me to the clubroom?” Samantha seemed unphased by it all.
“Wait, this is my meeting.” Janine tried to go after Samantha, who was leading the other women who seemed only too pleased to get out of the room. I heard one of them exclaim over the fact that only the crème de la crème ever gets to enter the clubroom, whatever that is.
“This was your meeting. After the conversation I’m about to have with my husband when I get home, I doubt you’d ever be allowed to cross these doors again.” When she reached the door, Samantha turned back to me, “I’ll call you sometime this week to set up a lunch date. Janelle, I’ll catch you later.” This little byplay seemed to give Eric enough time to calm down, and he allowed me to turn him away from Janine, who was bawling like someone had gutted her.
“Tyler, let’s go.” I reached for him with my free hand, and that seemed to be the last straw for Janine. I’m not sure I know what to call the sound she made, but the look on her face I can only deem as psychotic. I expected to see spit flying from her lips any second. She was not looking her best.
Tyler seemed to be her target, but as far as I’m concerned, he’d suffered enough at her hands as it is. I was not about to let this sweet boy who’d come to my rescue face anymore regret in the future because of something he did today. Eric seemed to be of the same mind, and the two of us moved at the same time to protect our son. I got there first.
My hand hurt like the fires of hell, but nothing ever felt as good as my fist connecting with her stupid face. That satisfying crunch, which meant that her nose was broken, was music to my ears. She started screeching about the cops and suing, and to add insult to injury; Paul held up his phone where he’d recorded the whole thing.
I’m not sure what Samantha said to whoever was in charge, but a man and a woman came into the room and asked if we were okay and was full of apologies while offering us everything but the building. I thought for sure they’d be kicking us out. Janine was offered an ambulance, which she colorfully refused before she was asked to vacate the premises.
That just started a whole new round of screeching, and Tyler, who seemed not to be phased by the fact that this was the woman who’d birthed him, asked if there was a petting zoo on site as it seemed they’d lost an animal of some sort. Janelle hooted, which only acerbated the situation, and I didn’t have the heart to tell Tyler to behave.
Eric wasn’t talking; I only realized it when we reached the parking lot. “Keys!” He hissed the word at me, and I opened my purse and dug them out. He took them and threw them to Janelle. “Drive back to the office and pick up your car. I’ll have someone bring it back to the house, leave the keys in the wheel.”
“Woot, this day just keeps getting better and better.” Janelle snagged the keys in midair and did a little jig on her way to the car. “Tyler, I’ll see you at home. Paul, I want a copy of that.” Eric told the boys as they started to walk away.
“Yes, sir,” Paul answered. Eric’s voice was gruff, but his hand was gentle when he took mine.
I wasn’t sure what was going on with him because he wasn’t saying anything, and I couldn’t read this new expression of his. He was being so tender with me when he opened the car door for me and seated me inside before belting me in.
When he climbed into the driver’s seat, he started the car still wordlessly, and then he made this strange sound, almost as if he were strangling before pulling me over the seat into his lap. He held me tight enough to crack a rib, but I didn’t complain because I felt the way his body shook as if coming down from something. I’d scared him, I think.
He pulled back and cupped my cheek, and my breath hitched at the look in his eyes. “Does it hurt?” I shook my head no, too choked up to speak. “Why did you come here, baby? Do you know what I have to do to her now for putting hands on you?” I started shaking my head wildly as fear crept up my throat.
I’ve always sensed an underlying energy in Eric when it comes to the people he loves. It’s nothing he’s ever said, and not even a look, nothing I can put my finger on. But always, I’ve felt this thing in him, like now, almost like a wild animal just before it springs into action. Like he’s coiled, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
I’d lost sight of that in the last few months since he’s been so laid back and happy since the wedding, and maybe I’d convinced myself that it was just my imagination. Now looking at him, I knew I was right before, the cool-headed easing going man I fell in love with can also be this person who was looking at me with someone’s death in his eyes. What am I going to do?
“Eric, no, you can’t. You can’t do anything to her. She didn’t hurt me; please listen to me.” He was shaking his head no as he seemed to look right through me. Ice cold!
“Do you really think I would let her get away with what she did?”
“Eric, it’s not that serious, listen to me.” Now I was the one cupping his cheeks and holding his face in place so I could look into his eyes.
“If you get into trouble, what’s going to happen to our baby?” I was catching at straws, but hey, every little bit helps.
“Baby?” His eyes flashed again; only this time, there was something soft in them as he looked from my eyes to my stomach. I took his hand and led it there, hoping that his belief in his prowess would snap him out of whatever this was. He shifted on the seat, bringing me even closer to him as he hugged us both, his words. “I forgot. So she hit my pregnant wife.” Oh shit!
TYLER
“Yo, Ty, where are we going? I thought we were going back to your place?”
“I have to go see Janine’s husband first.”
“What? Why?” I thought you hated that guy.”
“Dad’s gonna kill her ass if I don’t get her dumb ass the hell out of this town at least for a little while.”
“Seriously? You can’t be serious. He’s put up with her shit for all these years.”
“Yeah, that was before, when she was just fucking with him. I’ve seen that look on his face only once, and that was a long time ago when she screwed me over. I had to pretend to be sick unto death to get his attention off of her. Besides, if she’d hit my woman, she wouldn’t be long for this world either.”
“You’re in a fucked up position, bro.”
“No, I’m not. I’m not saving her for her. I’m saving her for him. I don’t want her blood on his hands. She’s been pushing the envelope for years, but she finally went too far.” In more ways than one! I’d had a long talk with Justine’s ex, Lora’s dad when I called to give him the address to my PO Box since he wasn’t allowed to know our home address.
I had to threaten him, but I got some good information out of him in the end. That’s how I learned that Janine was trying to cover all the bases. If the beat down she was planning didn’t work, her next point of attack was character assassination, both mother and daughter. She and his wife had a whole list of shit planned against Lora and Justine.
I’d gone to the country club to expose her in secret, just a little meet between her and I with the information I had, but Justine had thrown a wrench in that shit. Now I’m going to use the information to save her worthless ass life because I don’t want my dad sitting in a jail cell because of her.
As for Lora’s dad, he knows better than to ever show his face around here again. Once I told him to keep his bitch wife away from Lora, and her mother or she’d come up missing, he got the picture. I did use my dad’s money to threaten him, but what’s the point of having that shit if you can’t put it to good use?
I pulled up outside Janine’s mansion and buzzed the intercom at the gate. I had no doubt her husband would let me in once he knew it was me because he’s been doing his best for the last few years to play the role of stepdad, something he will never be to me.
“Let’s make this shit quick. I need to get back to the school to pick up Lora.”
“I’m sure someone would give her a ride if we’re not back in time.” Paul looked at his watch as we were playing it close.
“I don’t want anyone else driving her.” I ignored the look he gave me as I drove through the gate.
Eric
Since Justine seemed freaked out by my train of thought, I decided it was best to divert her attention, so as soon as we got home, I dragged her upstairs to our bed. It was only when I had us both naked in two minutes flat and was balls deep inside her in three that I realized how pissed I really was. It was the first time I’d ever been rough with her. Her yelp of shock and pain brought me back to my senses, and I would love to say that I pulled my shit together and eased up on her; I didn’t.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?” Her pussy was still throbbing around my cock from the way I’d slammed into her, and this time it seemed more like a throb of pain than pleasure. I pulled out, lifted her ass in my hands, and gave her my mouth. It’s the only concession I was willing to make. Now, as she writhed against my mouth and fucked herself on my tongue, the sounds she made were filled with pleasure.
As soon as she came in my mouth, I reared up and slammed my cock back home, holding still to let her get used to my extra thickness. It felt like my anger had made my cock just that much harder for some reason, and her tight pussy, which struggles to take my meat on a good day, was having a time of it. When I looked into her eyes and saw the sheen of tears, there is when I realized that I was pissed at her and the fact that she’d put herself in danger.
Not only that, I was scared shitless for her, and that fear was making me irrational. I didn’t say a word to her as I deep fucked her over and over with our eyes locked. I twisted my hip and went in deeper, trying to skewer her to the bed. When my eyes landed on that fucking mark on her cheek, I acknowledged that that was the basis for my anger, the fact that she’d put herself in a position to be hurt by my ex; my almost certainly dead ex.
No, I’m not going to think about that bitch while I’m inside my wife. Justine reached up and cupped my cheek, and it was like a switch was turned off inside my head. My body shook with remorse and guilt as I pulled her into my chest, now it was my eyes that filled with moisture. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, baby, forgive me.”
“No, Eric, this wasn’t your fault.”
She tried pulling my head back to look at me, but I wrapped my arms even tighter around her until there was no space between us as I rocked into her, burying my cock to the hilt. I eased up on the deep strokes and changed to a grinding motion, which was more like stirring her insides with my dick than fucking but just as effective.
It wasn’t long before her pussy started juicing again, and she was clutching at me with her arms and legs as she tried to get me to fuck her harder. I pulled out and pushed her onto her hands and knees in the classic doggie position. I felt bad when I saw how red her pussy was, so I took pity on her and ate her out from behind while stroking my leaking cock to keep him in check. He was not in as nice a mood as I now was.
She sighed and cooed at the feel of my tongue soothing her bruised insides before I pulled my head from her snatch, grabbed her ass cheeks hard enough to lift her knees off the bed, and eased my cock into her cunt nice and slow. The sight of her pussy stretched around my cock, the plump lips filled with blood as they strained to take me, helped bring me all the way down.
This is my woman; she’s safe here with me; everything else can wait. I still needed to pound out my frustration and fear, though, so her pussy still got a workout. But from the way she screamed and carried on, I’m guessing it wasn’t that bad. I don’t know how many times she came, but I know it was a lot from the state of the sheets when I finally pulled out after offloading inside her. She’d also either fainted or fallen asleep after her last orgasm because she was out cold when I pulled out of her belly where I’d been for the last ten minutes of our fuck.
I pulled the sheet up over her and headed for the shower to wash off. I could hear the staff downstairs when I headed down to my office, only now remembering that they were here. Shit, they must’ve heard her screaming. It’s a wonder they didn’t call the cops. Now that I had that out of my system, now that I had resealed the bond and made sure that my woman was okay and was now safely tucked away in my bed, I turned my mind to other things.
I called the guy I had following Janine, and he answered on the first ring. “Yeah, boss!”
“Where is she? You still have eyes on her?”
“Yeah, she went home, but there’s something you should know. Your boy was at her place.”
“You don’t say.” I’m not too worried about my kid; he handled himself well today. I have to remember to reward him for protecting his stepmom.
“Yeah, not sure what all went on in there, but he went in and came out in less than ten minutes. I couldn’t see him, but from the way he drove, I’d say he was okay.”
“Where’s my kid now?”
“He headed back to the high school. I didn’t think she was going to leave the house again anytime soon, so I followed him. I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I tailed him to be on the safe side.”
“You did good; I’ll see you tomorrow; you’re off the job for now. If I need you in the future, I’ll let you know.”
“Sure thing, boss.” We hung up, and I sat in silence, contemplating my next move. I’m guessing Tyler had gone to her house with the information he’d collected the night before. No doubt he’d gone to the country club for the same reason, but Justine had beaten him there.
I still have no idea what she was doing there. Had she gone there to confront Janine? Is that what she and Janelle had been up to? If so, I have to tread carefully. I have to let her know that I’m not pissed that she felt brave enough to stand up for herself, but that I’m mad as fuck that someone hit her. It’s been years since I’ve felt this level of anger at anyone, and once again, it’s Janine.
If I didn’t already have it in for her after that story, Tyler told about her splashing him in the rain; this shit would’ve pushed me over the edge. As it stands, I have to figure out a way to get her the fuck out of my life, our lives.
Justine was still asleep when I ran back upstairs to check on her, so I kissed her warm cheek and left. The kids will be home soon, and what I had to do shouldn’t take that long. I grabbed a folder from my desk and went out to the car, knowing that what I was about to do should’ve been done a long time ago.
I’d held off on doing anything with the information I had in my hands because at the end of the day, as much as Janine had fucked us both over, she was still the mother of my child. I’ve lived by a certain creed all my life, and though it was sometimes hard to uphold in the face of Janine’s bullshit, I did a good job if I do say so myself.
Today she’d crossed every fucking line there is. I might’ve let the fact that she dragged my wife’s ex and his hag here to stir up shit slide, but putting hands on Justine sealed her fucking fate. I can’t kill her, Tyler and Justine might suspect that shit. Though the thought of running her off the road, one dark lonely night hold lots of appeal. But I can do the next best thing.
I got to Janine and the asshole’s place in less than ten minutes. I wasn’t worried about being let in because he’s been on some shit these last few years since the zeroes in my bank account surpassed his. I guess he’d forgotten how he used to laugh at me and my son with Janine when the two of them first fucked us over.
