Drunken Love

Chapter Nineteen

Nineteen

I stare at my father my heart hammering in my chest and my hands tremble at the thought of him invading the Williams' home. I feel Matt's steady hand gently touch my arm as he steps close behind me and I turn my head to glance at him seeing the anger in his eyes.

"Did you tell him where we were?" He asks in a harsh tone that I hardly even recognize and he turns to Jeremy holding me close to him in a protective way.

"What? No, I'd never do that to Vic!" Jeremy says and shakes his head holding up his hands up in innocence.

"Then why is he here?" Matt halfway yells and steps around me towards Jeremy as my brother steps back grabbing his shirt. I quickly grab Matt's arm and place my hands on both their chests looking at my husband.

"Stop." I say quietly and Matt takes a deep breath taking my hand. "Jeremy wouldn't do that and anger only makes this worse."

Matt kisses my head and pulls me close to him.

"I suppose the blame is on me." My dad says and we turn to look at him Matt moving back with me as he starts to walk to us. "I have an app that not only tracks Jeremy's phone but lets me read his messages, record his calls and look at his pictures. So, naturally I was curious when he got a phone call from a New York number that claims to be my little Vicky's husband."

"Don't call me that!" I hiss and a pang of sadness washes over me at my mother's nickname for me.

"And I was even more shocked to learn that the marriage was real by the picture Jeremy got of the certificate." He says and looks at me frowning like he did when I've done something wrong. "You weren't even going to call your old man to tell him the news? That's not very nice, Vicky."

"You are one sick son of—" Jeremy yells but is interrupted by my father's hard back hand and it knocks him to the floor.

"Jeremy!" I gasp and break away from Matt to go to my brother as he sits up shaking his head. I look up at my dad and frown my voice heavy with emotion. "Why are you here? To meet Matt or to torture me again for finally finding happiness?"

"You look just like your mother..." My dad says as he reaches towards my face and I back up knowing that when he starts to talk about me looking my mom things are going to turn ugly.

"Don't touch her!" Matt yells and I feel his hand come around my waist pulling me back to the safety of his arms.

"You took her from me so why should you get to be happy with someone?" My dad continues unfazed by Matt's yells and I shake my head feeling like this is one of my nightmares.

"She didn't take your wife from you." Matt says and gently pulls me behind him.

"What are you doing?" I ask Matt and grip his arm frowning when I see Jeremy get up to stand protectively by us.

"Maybe we can talk to him reasonably." Matt answers quietly and I shake my head.

"He doesn't do reasonable." I say knowing that every attempt to talk things out only ended in horrible bruises and cuts.

"Mr. Evans, I really think you should leave." Henry says walking up slowly to my father and I quickly move to grab his arm with Jeremy behind me.

"Don't, just don't." I say and my father-in-law looks at me concerned making tears come to my eyes as I take a second to look past him at the other family members watching in horror. My heart aches at the thought of any of them being hurt by my dad and I swallow back a sob. "Just protect them for me, please."

"Victoria..." Henry says in the same gentle tone that Matt uses when he talks me and leans close to kiss my cheek but the moment his lips touch my cheek a familiar strong grip grabs my hair to yank me back.