Tomahawk Read Free Page B

I went through the laundry room and pulled out the only matching socks that I could find.  I walked over to her and got on my knees.  “Here let me see your foot.” 
    She looked down at me and put her hand out.  “I can do it myself.”
    “I know that you can do it yourself.  But since I’m already down here, I’ll just put them on for you.”
    She still had her hand out.  “I got it.  Thank you.”  I put the socks in her hand and pulled two plates out for the both of us.  I tried to comment on the food, but she just chewed. 
    Taking her plate to the sink she turned, “Where do you want me to sleep?”
    Grabbing my plate and following suit.  “I guess you can sleep in my bed and I can sleep on the couch.”
    She leaned back on the counter and shook her head.  “You never did get that spare room taken care of, did you?”
    I smirked, she remembered.  I had been planning to gut out that room for ages now.  That room was filled with everything from my military and college days.  It looked like a frat house had kicked it all weekend.  Everything was in there, but a bed.  “Never got around to it.”
    “This is a bad idea. I’ll take the couch.”
    “Tony, please don’t be a goof.  I sleep on the couch more than my bed anyway.”  Yeah, ever since I don’t have anyone to sleep with in it.  “I insist, please.  Get some rest.”
    “Sure.”  She walked around me and started to make her way up the stairs.  I caught her arm to tell her goodnight and she snatched away from me.  “Don’t.”
    I threw both my hands up in surrender.  “Tony, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”
    “And stop calling me that.  Stop calling me Tony. My name is Tonya.  I’ve always hated it.”
    “Again, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you didn’t like it.  I thought...”  I didn’t have anything to say to her.  I was being my regular pushy self.
    Tonya didn’t even wait for me to reply. She was already making her way up the stairs.  I was almost relieved.  All that time pushing her away from me, it worked.  I hated myself for it.  All I could do was watch her limp up the stairs.
    I looked over at the microwave clock it was 3:48 am.  No better time than the present. I reached into my cell phone.  “Hey, lady.  What you doing?”
    The woman on the other end of the line answered,  “Trying to sleep. What you want?”
    “I need you. And I need you in the worst way.”
    I could hear her curse under her breath.  “I’ll be there in a second. Bye, Vic.”
    “And don’t forget our toys.”
    I ended the call and walked upstairs. I decided to take a shower before my girl came over.  I pushed the door open and caught a glance of Tonya getting into the shower.  I’d rather get hit by a car.  Just from the one leg that I saw, which was black and blue.  Balancing on one foot she dragged the other one into the tub which was caked with mud.
    Once upon a time, she and I would take showers together before we’d go to work.  That was our meeting room.  She would tell me about her day. I would let her know mine.  If she would say she had to go to her place, I would make up something so she would come straight home here to me.
    Tonya had the habit of humming in the shower.  I told her that that was her mating call for me to come in with her.  She would laugh, but now I just heard sobs coming from the shower.  Even with the shower going full blast, I heard her little mouse cries she made that made my lip jump.  Whoever did this to her,  the man that broke her, will wish he'd never laid eyes on her.  There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to kill someone in the near future.  It wasn't the first time that some unlucky bastard had crossed me and paid with his ass for it.  I would kill thousands for her.
    The doorbell rang and I turned the knob to close the bathroom door without alarming Tonya.  Standing in my doorway was Melissa carrying two large briefcases.  "Baby, you need a better