Chapter 3
Vatos
Violet's POV
After Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl left to go save Merle from Atlanta, things had continued rather casually back at camp. I was helping the women do laundry down at the quarry lake. Wearing nothing more than ripped up blue jean shorts and a black v-neck shirt, I could feel Ed's eyes violate me across the distance between the bank and the truck where he sat smoking like usual.
Mom, Jacqui, Andrea and Amy were all chatting about what they missed. I chose not to say anything because of Ed's gaze never once leaving my backside. Andrea sighed as she spoke up after Jacqui.
"I miss my vibrator," she stated honestly.
My mouth drops, as well as the flannel shirt I was washing. There was a moment of silence; I saw Mom glance at her awful husband in anxiety and depression. She then looked at Andrea, giving a tiny smile.
"Me too," Mom admits.
"MOM! OH MY GOD!" I cry out, splashing her lightly with a handful of water.
All the females laugh and splash back at me. It was a small war that didn't last long before they all howled in laughter at my soaked appearance. My hair fell in my face as I pushed as much of the blonde behind my ears.
Ed suddenly got up, puffing on his cigarette while openly checking out Jacqui's rear.
"What's so funny?" he asked gruffly.
"Nothing, Ed," Andrea sighed giving me an irritated face. "Just swapping old war stories."
Ed glanced at Jacqui, Amy, then me, "You should focus more on your work. This ain't a comedy club."
"Go suck a walker's dick, Ed," I hissed venomously.
"Really now?" he glared at me.
"Yeah," agreed Andrea, standing up to examine Ed in disgust. "You know, you complain about how your clothes get washed. Well, feel free to do it yourself!"
She threw a blue shirt at Ed, which made him drop his cigarette, and he curled his lip as he threw it back at Andrea making her cry out. I saw red tint my vision as I bolted out of the water. My fist rounded a strong hit on Ed's jaw.
He stumbled back, holding his busted lip. His eyes dilated in wrath and he gritted his teeth while seizing hold of my throat. All the ladies behind me cried out, clamoring in panicked shouts, and some even crying as they tried to rip his fist off my neck.
Ed back handed me repeatedly, busting open my lip repeatedly, bruising my cheek, and no doubt about it causing black to swell around my eye. Suddenly, I was pulled back by the women while Ed got dragged by his collar. I watched as Shane threw Ed onto the ground, put his boots on each side of Ed's fat body, and held one fist in his shirt.
Shane repeatedly pounded into my Mom's husband's face. I saw blood dribble on the sand from Ed's mouth and nose and cheek. And there was no sign of stopping in Shane's face.
"Stop it!" shouted the women repeatedly.
Andrea and Mom held onto me tightly, Mom now wailing out Ed's name and pleas, and Andrea screaming for Shane to stop before he killed Ed. I didn't say a word, not giving a rat's ass whether Shane killed him. Finally, Shane leaned back slightly to catch his breath.
"If I see you lay your hand on your wife, your daughters or anyone else in this group," Shane grabbed Ed's face forcing the fat man to look him in the eye. "I won't stop. Do you understand me? Do you understand!"
I heard Ed slur a muffled 'yes'. Shane dropped the man, stepping a foot from Ed, and looked at me still panting. I held his gaze and inclined my head respectfully.
"Violet," Shane put his hands on his hips, looking down while Mom knelt down next to her injured husband, sobbing out sorry's. "C'mon. Let's go back to camp and get you cleaned up."
I didn't argue as I walked away from the women over to the dark eyed man. He sent a last glower at Ed before we both set off towards camp.
"Thank you, Shane," I spoke up after a moment as we neared camp through the woodlands, my voice raspy and hoarse from the swelling on my throat.
He furrowed his eyebrows at me, moving a large branch for me to walk under, "For what?"
"For saving me," I met his eyes, which caused him to inhale sharply with surprise. "I don't care if the others say you attacked him unnecessarily or without rights. The only thing that matters to me is that you saved my ass from getting any more injuries than I already do."
"It was nothin'," he smiles at me. His eyes clocked my face for a minute as he paused seeming as if he wanted to say something.
"Is there something on my face?" I joke and touch the side of my face where Ed hit me. "Ouch. Bad idea."
I flinched away from the gentle brush of my fingers over the wounds. His eyebrows furrow together in concern. I allow the older male to step closer to me, his hands tenderly feeling around the swollen flesh, and tilting my head so he could see the full damage.
"Your neck is bruised," he comments with a dark expression. "So is your eye. You got two cuts on your bottom lip, and your cheek is gonna be a nasty color by tonight."
"Not the worst I've had done to me," I shrug carelessly.
Shane looks like a bomb about to erupt.
"Sorry fucking bastard," he grumbled under his breath. His eyes meet mine as he left one hand on my unharmed cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner, Vi. I should've ran the moment I saw him reach for you."
"It's not your fault," I brush off his guilt and smile. "I don't care that I got a few little cuts. They'll be gone in a few days."
"Still. . ." he sighed and leaned in closer.
I stopped breathing, eyes wide as Shane shut his, and unable to move my body despite how my mind screamed for me to. He put his hand on the base of my back, pulling me flush to his chest, and slammed his lips onto mine. For a second, we didn't move a muscle.
Then Shane started to move his lips against mine, sliding his hand from my cheek into my hair. He tightened his hand into the locks where I could feel it but didn't hurt me. His body molded against my numb one.
I felt something press on the area of my stomach. His reaction to kissing me seemed to snap me from the trance of horror. I used both hands to push his shoulders hard enough that he nearly fell backwards.
Tears fell down my cheeks as I ran towards camp and away from the confused man.