Read Online Come Sunday Morning by Terry E. Hill - Free Book Online Page B

cleavage. Today was no exception. “Sammy, are you okay? I came as soon as I got your message. Is he still here? Did he hurt you, honey?”
    Samantha collapsed sobbing into Sandra’s arms. The silk robe draped off her bare shoulder. “Oh, Sandra,” she cried. “I thought he was going to kill me. I’ve never seen him like that before.”
    â€œWhere is Etta?” Sandra asked.
    â€œI don’t know. As usual she disappeared after Hezekiah left.”
    â€œStop crying, honey, and tell me what happened.”
    Sandra led her to the living-room sofa. As Sandra sat, she saw drops of blood on Samantha’s face.
    â€œOh my God, Samantha. You’re bleeding. What did that son-of-a-bitch do to you?”
    Samantha wiped the blood from her cheek with a shaking hand.
    â€œThis isn’t my blood. It’s Hezekiah’s. I confronted him about having another affair. We got into an argument and he went berserk. He attacked me. He jumped on top of me, choking me, and I scratched his face.” She began to sob again. “It was horrible, Sandra. I swear he was trying to kill me.”
    Sandra retrieved a hand towel from a powder room off the entry hall and handed it to Samantha.
    â€œAll right, honey, it’s over now. Everything is going to be fine. That cheating bastard will get what’s coming to him one day, I promise you. When are you going to wise up and leave that asshole?”
    The question registered slowly. I won’t have to leave him, Samantha thought. Soon Hezekiah Cleaveland would be out of her life for good. She would be free from the man whom she now loathed. A smile, ever so slight, crept across her blood-smeared face.
    The telephone on a side table rang and Samantha jumped. “I don’t want to answer that. It might be him. Would you get it, Sandra?”
    â€œHello,” Sandra said calmly. “Cleaveland residence.”
    â€œWho is this?” Hezekiah growled from the rear of the limousine.
    â€œOh, hello, Hezekiah. This is Sandra. Samantha can’t come to the phone right now. She’s busy wiping your blood off her face.”
    Sandra sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. Her face contorted into that of an attorney preparing for a fierce courtroom battle.
    As Dino maneuvered the winding hills away from the Cleaveland estate, Hezekiah pressed the button to raise the window that separated the rear cabin of the car from the driver’s section. He put the phone on speaker and calmly replied, “Don’t start with me this morning, Sandra. I’m not in the mood. Put her on the phone.”
    â€œHezekiah, do you need a building to fall on you to realize how much you’re hurting Samantha?”
    â€œThis is none of your business. This is between me and my wife.”
    â€œIt becomes my business when you hurt someone I love. If you’re not careful, she might accidentally talk to the media about how you physically assaulted your loving wife and have been cheating on her since the day you married. You’d be a laughingstock, the butt of every joke on late-night talk shows.”
    There was a brief pause; then, “Are you threatening me? It all makes sense to me now. You’re a lesbian. I always thought you were after Samantha, but I never figured you’d stoop this low. You would encourage her to do something stupid so you could run to her rescue and…”
    Sandra put her hand over the mouthpiece and whispered to Samantha, “He’s saying he’s going to kick my ass the next time he sees me.”
    Hezekiah continued on the other end. “Does she know, Sandra? Have you told Samantha you’re in love with her yet?”
    Sandra looked stunned for a brief moment, and then whispered again to Samantha, “He’s saying you’re lying and that he never touched you. He said you attacked him.”
    â€œWell, I’ve got news for you,” Hezekiah continued. “Samantha likes