Wicked Beat

Chapter 23

Eric’s chest was so tight he was going to suffocate. He punched the accelerator and drifted around a corner with skidding tires. From nowhere, a little black dog darted in front of his car. Gritting his teeth, Eric slammed on his brakes and slid to a screeching halt. Heart hammering, he peered over the hood, afraid of what he’d see. The dog trotted unharmed onto the sidewalk with its tail between its legs and ears drawn back, eyeing the car warily.

Eric released a breath of relief and eased forward at a speed more reasonable for a residential area. Why was he so pissed off? And so hurt? And why had he kicked Rebekah out of his car? Had he really broken up with her? Ten minutes ago, he’d told her mother that he wasn’t stepping aside for Isaac. Isn’t that what he’d just done?

Stepped aside for Isaac?

“Fuck,” he growled. He had to go back. Eric drove around the block and headed to the house. Rebekah was still standing in front, but she wasn’t alone. Isaac was holding her securely in his arms, one hand smoothing her silky hair. Isaac caught sight of Eric and grinned. He tilted Rebekah’s head back and kissed her deeply. The middle finger Isaac extended in Eric’s direction behind Rebekah’s back was more provocation than Eric could handle.

Eric was out of the car and crossing the yard in a heartbeat.

He wrenched Rebekah away from Isaac’s lips. Her tear-streaked, startled face scarcely had time to register before Eric’s fist was flying.

It connected with Isaac’s nose, knocking him flat on his ass. Eric’s satisfaction was short-lived. Rebekah dropped to her knees beside Isaac, who had both hands cupped over his nose, trying to clear his vision by forcing his eyes open and closed several times.

“Oh my God,” Rebekah cried. “Are you okay, Isaac?”

“Get up, you fucking pansy,” Eric said. “I’m not done kicking your ass yet.”

Isaac didn’t get up, but Rebekah leapt to her feet and turned on Eric, spitting mad. “What in the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“He was kissing you.”

“So that gives you a right to punch him?”

Uh, duh. “Well… yeah.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You need to leave.”

“But I came back for you.”

“Leave!”

“Call the cops,” Isaac said, climbing to his feet and brushing off the seat of his slacks. His perfect nose was still perfect, though swollen. Not even bleeding. “He’s obviously unstable.”

“I’ll fuckin’ show you unstable,” Eric said. Before he could throw another punch, Rebekah stepped between them.

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if expecting him to actually hit her.

After a tense moment, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath. “I asked you to leave, Eric. I’m not sure who you are right now, and you’re scaring me.”

Scaring her? Eric immediately relaxed his stance. “Rebekah?”

He’d never hurt her. Not for anything. She had to know that.

“Good-bye, Eric. You need to cool off before you do something you regret.” She grabbed Isaac by the sleeve and pulled him into the house, leaving Eric alone on the front lawn.

Eric stood there, oscillating between anger and anguish. It took him several minutes to notice that his unattended car was rolling down the street.

Rebekah watched Eric chase his car down the road. He caught it, climbed inside, and sped off.

“Is he gone?” Isaac asked.

She nodded, the tears she’d been holding in check flowing freely now.

“Good riddance.”

“Why did you kiss me, Isaac?”

“I think that’s fairly obvious, angel,” he murmured. He cupped her face and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. “I love you.”

That was the last thing she wanted to hear at the moment. “Isaac.”

“Will you marry me?”

She stared at him in disbelief. Marry him? Was he serious?