Out of Control by Mary Connealy Page B

baby would sleep through this first sign of her mother having a backbone. It might be noisy.
    â€œWe aren’t living out here anymore, Wendell.”
    â€œShut up.” He slashed his cigar at her. He was still favoring his right hand. “I’m the head of this house, and I say we’re staying, and that’s final.”
    â€œNo, I will not shut up, and what you say is not final.” Her words froze him in his tracks.
    Fear made her heart pump fast.
    â€œWhat did you just say to me?” Wendell turned to look at her, his eyes blazing. He hadn’t ever hit her, but then she’d never challenged him before.
    His rage had been awakened by his annoyance at Julia, but he was fine with taking his temper out on his wife. Then Audra looked closer. He didn’t look right. His eyes almost . . . almost . . . glittered. His skin had a dry, flushed look to it. He seemed ever so slightly . . . mad. Audra wondered if he would come at her with his fists, but she wasn’t backing down no matter what he did.
    â€œI’m leaving here as soon as we get Julia back.” She could have waited. Picked a moment when he was calm. But he was never truly calm, so she forged on. “We’re moving to town. If that doesn’t suit you, we’ll go back to Houston.”
    â€œYou’re not going anywhere.” He threw his cigar on the floor and stomped as if he wished it were her neck. Then he stepped right up to her face.
    â€œYes, I am.” She smelled his fetid breath. She noticed a rotten egg smell that was worse even than usual. “I’m going even if I have to walk the whole way carrying a baby. I am done with this place, and we’ll be coming to town to take a stagecoach, so there’ll be no more keeping us a secret.”
    â€œThere’s no stagecoach in Rawhide.” He sneered the words, calling her stupid.
    â€œThen I’ll get a ride on a freight wagon.” She felt strong as her temper rose.
    â€œNo wife of mine is gonna talk to me that way.” Wendell caught her arm and jerked her forward so she slammed into his chest. He made a soft grunt, as if the collision had hurt, and for a second his hold on her arm shifted, almost as if he was using her for balance. Then he was steady again, and she wondered if she’d imagined it.
    Even though they were close in size, she didn’t fool herself that she was stronger. A man’s strength would best her if it came to a fight. But she had twice the brainpower Wendell had, so she used that.
    â€œYou’ve got one wife, and she is going to talk to you this way. We should never have come to a place so dangerous we couldn’t live in town with you. You should have found a better place to settle.”
    She saw his eyes narrow and his teeth bare. But she didn’t back down even though everything in her wanted to. It had finally come. Life and death. Audra was choosing life, and that meant leaving this place.
    â€œIf Julia was here, I’d go away with her right now in the night.” She yanked her arm free and was surprised Wendell’s grip broke. Well, she could only hope her mild little effort to not be pushed around bothered him a bit. “And if she dies, I’ll leave on my own. And I will raise your children to know that their father is a fool .”
    Wendell shoved her with his left hand. She stumbled back and slammed into the wall. Her head hit so hard her knees gave out. As she began to sink, Wendell reached out his right hand, checked himself, and with his left caught her braid and held her on her feet, nearly tearing her hair out. He dragged her forward until their noses almost met. His eyes were blazing, and so close to him she felt heat coming off him in waves. He was feverish.
    â€œYou’ll mind me, woman.” He shook her by the hair so hard her teeth knocked together.
    The pain cleared her head of worry for the old coot. “I will not