Montana Skies

Chapter 1. Anaconda

       Like predator and prey, Jax stared me down. It was like Satan possessed him.

I cringed away from him. I knew what came next. "Please, Jax," I begged him. I stumbled back. "Don't–"

Jax's fist collided with my jaw.

Pain shot through my mouth. My body slammed into the door, and I crumbled to the floor. Blood filled my mouth, and tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I bet you're fucking sorry now, aren't you?!" Jax shouted. He hovered over me. His face inched closer to mine.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry, Jax," I stuttered and sobbed. My hand cupped the side of my face. I wasn't sure why I apologized. I didn't do anything wrong.

We had gone to the grocery store, and my supervisor Martin saw me. Martin smiled at me and asked me how my week vacation was going. Jax was under the impression that something was going on between Martin and me, which wasn't true. Another guy couldn't so much as look at me without making Jax think I was messing around.

Moving to Los Angeles was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I was raised in Montana, on a ranch. My Aunt Helen brought me up. Helen couldn't have kids. Her husband, Arnold, died when I was seventeen. A bull trampled him.

Arnold was a good man. When he found out that Helen couldn't have kids, he didn't leave. I was eleven months old when I landed on their doorstep. I was an only child.

Jax had spit on my face and stormed down the hallway of our small apartment. Jax slammed our bedroom door shut.

I was in too much pain to get off the floor. I stayed there and cried. A week ago, Jax had broken four of my ribs, and they hadn't healed all the way. Pain seared through my ribs. The entire room spun as I gasped for air.

I need to get up. My son can't see me like this–I thought to myself. I stood and stumbled my way to the bathroom.

My reflection was horrible. I was pale. I could see the bruises even beneath all of the makeup. My long hair was tangled and damp from blood and tears. I ran the faucet and grabbed a washcloth. I wiped my face, which was full of makeup to cover the old bruising. Both my eyes were black. My lips were swelled up twice their average size. My jaw had bruises on both sides.

Jax knocked on the bathroom door.

I gasped and dropped the towel. My eyebrows knitted together as I stared at the mascara covered washcloth.

"Dallas, come on, honey. Come to bed," Jax said softly. "I'm sorry, okay?" This is what it was always like. Jax would be crazy one minute and sweet the next.

I sighed and opened the door. I smiled slightly at him and pecked him on the lips. "Do you mind if I shower first?" I asked politely.

"Sure, go ahead," he said. Jax kissed me on the lips again.

"Thanks," I said.

Jax nodded and turned around. He walked across the hall.

I closed the door. I knew I had to hurry, so I stripped down quickly. The rest of my body looked just as bad, if not worse than my face.

Usually, the hot water relaxed me, but my body was so bruised and sore that the water irritated my skin. I turned the water to a cooler temperature.

Once I finished, I got out, wrapped a towel around me, and walked across the hall.

Jax's muffled snores filled the room. He had been up for four days straight doing meth with his buddies. I knew he was not waking up anytime soon. Quietly, I got dressed and got in bed beside him to make sure he was asleep.