by Gow, Kailin
Dee Dee opened the door before we could knock. “Dear heaven, what’s happened?” she asked, pulling the two of us inside and shutting the door.
“Dad caught us,” I replied in my raspy voice.
“He beat her,” Six said, sounding strained.
“Set her on the couch. I’m getting my camera,” she said.
“For what?” I asked.
“To take pictures,” Six replied. “It’s more proof against your dad. Are you okay with that?”
I nodded. “But what about you? He hurt you, too.
Six snorted lightly. “I hardly think anyone is going to want pictures of my swollen nuts, sweetheart. Besides, I have several witnesses to his actions against me. Plus, I did throw the first punch.”
Dee Dee reappeared, holding a digital camera.
“Dad said he was going to the courthouse to see a judge. He told me he’s going to make your life hell and take you apart piece by piece—that you’d hate the day you ever laid eyes on me.”
“Sweetheart, he can try, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“Don’t underestimate him,” Dee Dee warned. “He has lots of people in his pocket.”
“So, where do we go from here then, if we can’t trust the law?” I asked, fear creeping higher inside me.
“Do you trust me?” Dee Dee asked, and we both nodded. “Good. We’re going to park Six’s car in my garage for the time being. Then I’m going to take the two of you to a motel somewhere. I’m going to check in, with cash, hopefully, then I’ll give the key to you two, so no one will see you. I want you to lay low and let me take care of the rest until I tell you it’s okay.”
“But how will we get food and clothes? And we got rid of our cell phones, too,” I told her.
“Don’t worry. I can take care of all of that. No one will be thinking to look at me. They’ll think you ran off together. They’ll be putting an APB out on Six’s car. If you don’t go anywhere, no one can see you. There’s those extended stay places that you can book up to a month at a time, so you won’t even have to worry about things like maid service. Trust me. It’ll be okay.”
“But Six has a job.”
“Brooklyn,” Six interrupted, turning my chin toward him. “None of that matters right now. Only being safe. It’ll all work out.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “Okay.” Fresh tears overwhelmed me. “I just don’t ever want to see my dad, again.”
“The monster,” Six said quietly, glancing at Dee Dee. “That’s what Tommy used to call him.”
Dee Dee nodded shortly. “I know. And he was right. Scott Hall is a monster.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Six
“You know when I said I wanted to have you in my bed every night, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Carefully, I stretched out gently beside Brooklyn on the hotel bed, not wanting to jostle things and hurt her even more.
“I guess that’s the plus side to all of this. At least we got put in a suite. It’s like our own little one bedroom apartment,” she replied with a soft smile as she lay there staring at me.
Anger stabbed me in the gut. “Your lips are swollen on this one side, too.” It seemed the longer she sat, the worse her bruises and swelling got. I wish I could take you to the doctor.”
“I’ll be all right. I’m just sore.”
“Dee Dee was smart to leave the camera here. I’m going to need to take more pictures of you.” Ever so lightly, I ran my thumb over her bottom lip.
“Do I look that bad?” she asked.
“Pretty bad, but even bruises can’t hide how gorgeous you are.”
She laughed. “What are you smoking and can I have some?”
I chuckled, leaning forward and lightly pressed my lips to her forehead. “I’m not smoking anything—I’m just high on you, sweetheart.”
She laughed harder. “That was so lame, but I liked it anyway. If I didn’t hurt so bad right now, I’d jump your bones.”
“And if my balls didn’t feel like they’d been crushed by a steamroller, I’d let you.” I smiled widely. “You and I are quite the pair, aren’t we?”
“It’s sad, isn’t it? We finally have a place all to ourselves and we’ve been reduced to staring at one another.” Sighing heavily, she slipped one of her hands into mine.
“I can think of a lot worse things to do than stare at you. But, that being said, I hope we both heal, quickly.”
“If you’d known this is where we were going to end up on the night I walked into Leathers, would you still have asked me out?” Eyes locked with mine, she watched me intently.
“Some things are worth going through the ringer for, and you’re definitely one of those things. Why? Would you have?”
Surprisingly, she shook her head. “I don’t think I would’ve done anything if I’d known it would end up hurting you.”
I snorted. “You’re banged up way worse than me, sweetheart. I promise you, I’m going to get through this just fine. You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“As long as I have you, I’ll be okay.” Shifting, slightly, she groaned. “I swear. I hurt so badly right now. And I think I have some slivers in my back from the door.”
“Let me check.” Sitting up, I watched as she gingerly rolled over onto her stomach. Immediately, I noted small blood spots and tears in her shirt. I lifted it carefully, bending to examine her skin. “Yep, I can see at least three and they’re pretty good sized, too. I think I can get them out without tweezers if you don’t mind me trying.”
“I don’t mind. I just want them gone.”
Gritting my teeth every time she flinched or hissed, I found myself wanting to beat Scott to a pulp more and more. How any man could treat his child this way was beyond me. It made me wonder if he’d ever beat his wife, too. Perhaps she could be convinced to come forward, as well, if she had.
“There,” I said, finally, after what seemed like hours of torturing her. “I think that’s all of them.”
“Thank you. It feels better, already.”
“I’m going to go draw you a hot bath, now. I think it would do wonders for your muscles to be able to soak in there for a while. Sound good?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Maybe I’ll sit out here with the ice bucket between my legs while you’re in there.” I grinned when she laughed, but that was followed immediately by a groan. “It hurts to laugh where he kicked me in the stomach.”
Clenching my fists, I got up and went into the bathroom, the desire to punch my fist through something overwhelming me. This was all my fault. If I’d just kept my dick in my pants until she was eighteen, this wouldn’t have even been an issue. Granted, I was pretty sure Scott wouldn’t have been any happier about it; but legally, he wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Of course, it didn’t really appear that he cared that much about the law at the moment.
While I loved knowing that she was here safely with me, I hated the circumstances that brought us here. I hated seeing her in pain, and I was going to do my damnedest to make sure she was comfortable.
Turning on the water, I tested it with my hand, adjusting the temperature, but keeping it on the hotter side. The warmer the water, the more her muscles would relax. I left it running and walked back into the bedroom.
“Let me help you into the bathroom. I hope you like really warm baths. I kept it pretty hot. I thought it would relax your muscles more.” Scooping her up, I carried her into the bathroom.
“I can walk on my own, you know. I’m not an invalid.” Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek. Carefully, I set her on her feet.
“I guess I feel the need to make things up to you. None of this would’ve happened had I stuck to the original plan and not slept with you until you were eighteen.”
“If we had stuck to the original plan,” she replied, stressing the “we.” “As I recall, I was the one who asked you to sleep with me.”
“I could’ve said no.”
“Could you have
?” Staring at me, she smiled.
I laughed. “It would’ve been really hard, but I’d like to think I could be man enough to say no.”
“And what about the next time?”
Sighing heavily, I knew it would’ve been a loosing battle. “Fine. I admit it. You drive me so crazy I can’t control myself when you’re around. Is that what you want to hear?” Grabbing the hem of her shirt, I lifted it over her head, before reaching around to unhook her bra. “That every time I get near you I turn into a giant raging hormone?”
“I love when you exaggerate to make me feel better.”
Taking her hand, I brought it to the front of my jeans, rubbing it against my zipper. “Does this feel like an exaggeration to you?” I asked.
“Oh,” she said, her eyes going wide with surprise. “I thought you were feeling a little…incapacitated down there.”
“I am,” I replied as I began helping her remove her shorts. “Trust me when I say this isn’t feeling very good. I’m seriously considering icing it while you’re in here to see if that’ll help with some of the swelling.”
“Do it; if you think it will help. Hopefully Dee Dee will be back with the over-the-counter painkillers you asked her for, soon. We could both use some, I think.” Holding my hand, she stepped into the tub. I helped her sit down and she sighed. “Thank you for this. I can feel my muscles relaxing already.”
“Anything else I can get you? A glass of water, maybe?”
“No. I’m good. Go ice yourself and listen for Dee Dee.”
“Call me if you need me to help you reheat the water.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine, go take care of yourself. I insist.”
“See. Already trying to get rid of me,” I teased.
“Never. I just don’t want you to be in pain. I love you.”
Winking at her, I left the room. “I love you, too,” I called back to her.
Making my way into the kitchen, I opened the freezer, happy to find an icemaker there. I began searching through cupboards and drawers, finding some garbage bags under the sink. Grabbing one, I dumped all the ice in the freezer into it and twisted it closed.
“Doing okay in there?” I asked as I passed the bathroom, again.
“Shh. I’m sleeping,” she replied, and I laughed. “Good. Holler if you need me.”
Settling onto the bed, I placed the ice between my legs, knowing this wasn’t going to feel comfortable. I grabbed the remote and flicked on the television, hoping to take my mind off things.
Flipping through the channels, I stopped in shock when I saw my face on the news. It was the picture from my driver’s license. I quickly turned up the volume.
“We remind you, if you see this man, please do not approach him. He’s considered armed and dangerous. A statewide manhunt remains in effect at this time. Again, if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Mayor Scott Hall’s daughter, please inform authorities.” A picture of Brooklyn flashed on the scene. “Brooklyn Hall was kidnapped from her home by an intruder after her father was assaulted in his office.” The screen switched to a live shot of the woman standing in front of the mayor’s house, which was taped off and surrounded by multiple police cars. “We’re waiting still for an official statement from the mayor’s staff. Until then, officials are asking for the public to please keep an eye out for a red Jaguar, license number….”
Brooklyn appeared in the doorway, a towel wrapped around her. “Six. I overheard. I’m so sorry you’ve been dragged into all of this. I never thought things would ever go this far.”
Patting the spot on the bed next to me, I sighed as she joined me. I wrapped my arm around her and she leaned her head against my chest. “None of this is your fault. I’d do it all again if it means knowing you’re safe. That’s all that matters to me.”
“But at what cost? Sullying your reputation? Causing you to lose your jobs? People hear crap like this and they never give those accused another chance.” Her raspy voice grew more panicked.
“Hey. Hey,” I said, rubbing my hand up and down her arm. “Don’t get freaked out. The truth is going to come out, sweetheart. And when it does, the whole world is going to know what a creep your dad is. We’re going to beat this. Both of us, you hear me?”
“I’m just scared.” She snuggled closer and I stared at her bruised hands and wrist. Her knuckles where split open from banging against the door and she had bruises on one of her wrists from where he’d dragged her.
“Don’t be scared.” I didn’t care what I had to do, but I’d fight to my last breath to keep her safe. “I’ll never leave you,” I added.
***
It was after midnight when the knock came on the door. Immediately, I disentangled myself from Brooklyn and went into the small living area, glancing out the peephole to see Dee Dee standing on the other side with bags in her arms. I quickly opened the door, letting her slip inside, taking some of the plastic bags from her and following her into the kitchen, setting them on the table.
“Sorry I took so long,” she said, “I wanted to make sure no one was watching. I even dropped in to check on Scott and make sure he was “okay.” That man is a piece of work. I got the whole song and dance about the ‘break in’ and how Brooklyn was ‘kidnapped,’ too.” She made air quotations after each of the words. “How’s Brooklyn doing?”
“She finally fell asleep,” I told her. “She’s pretty freaked out about the whole manhunt thing, though. She’s also worried about her mom. While she’s not concerned about worrying her dad, she is about her mom.”
Dee Dee began unpacking the bags as she spoke. “Helen is still in the hospital. For now, she’s unaware of what’s happened. They’re letting her sleep now, as she recovers, and they’ll tell her tomorrow. I hate to see her scared over all this, too, but we need to handle this right.”
Grabbing some of the food she’d unpacked, I started putting things away in the cupboard and the fridge. “And how exactly is this going to go?”
“First,” she paused, glancing through several bags before reaching into one. “I got you a prepaid phone.” She put it out on the table. “I needed to be able to reach you and have the number be untraceable. I got one for me, as well, so there’s no way our calls can be traced. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue, but better safe than sorry.”
“Thanks,” I said. “That makes me feel a little better, knowing we can reach you.”
“Regarding the plan I have, it isn’t much, but here it is. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Scott has people in his pocket. He’s friends with judges, police officers, lawyers—the works. I’m not saying they’re all corrupt, but I am saying some of them are. I just don’t know whom to trust. If the two of you had called 911 instead of coming to me, I have no doubt he would’ve been able to twist things to his favor. He’d have Brooklyn, and you’d be sitting in a jail cell right now.”
“So, where does that leave us?” I asked, feeling my frustration growing.
“My brother, the attorney, in Arizona, is aware of the situation and is putting out feelers for me, trying to help me find someone I can take this information to. I told him what you overheard about Tommy and I sent him the pictures we took, yesterday. If anything happens to me, you have another person who can corroborate your story. I’m trying to cover all the bases, here.”
“Thank you. I appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“Brooklyn is like a daughter to me. Tommy used to joke that she was more my kid than she ever was Scott’s.”
“Did he ever hit you?” I asked, needing to know.
She shook her head. “He got rough with me a couple times, grabbing me by the arm and things like that, but he never hit me. He knew I had family I could go to for help.”
“I asked because I wondered about Helen. I thought maybe she would testify to it if she knew her daughter was in danger. Brooklyn says she stays in her room when she’s home, because they fight so much.”
She shook her hea
d. “I have no idea. I’ve never really been around Helen that much. But I know Scott wants her to look like the perfect wife in the perfect family. I can’t see him putting any bruises on her for fear it might start rumors, which could hurt his image.”
Sinking into one of the chairs at the table, I sighed. “That makes sense, I guess. I just want all his dirty secrets aired so there’s no chance of him ever getting out of jail. I don’t want him to ever be able to hurt Brooklyn, again.”
She smiled, patting me on the shoulder. “You’re good for her. I’m glad she has you to take care of her.”
“I love her,” I said looking up at her. “It’s killing me to see her go through this.”
“You worry about keeping her safe, here. I’ll do my best to get things into the proper hands out there. But whatever you do, don’t go outside or stand in the windows or anything like that. Your faces have been plastered everywhere.”
A wry chuckled escaped me. “Yeah, I’m being painted as the criminal of the century right now, and Scott’s the heroic dad who tried to save his daughter. People hate me and the sympathy factor has just gone through the roof for the ‘poor’ mayor.”
Dee Dee rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to hand it to Rhonda. She’s good at her job.”
“I used to think Brooklyn was exaggerating her skills. I see, now, I was wrong. She wasn’t.”
“Don’t worry. We’re going to get this all taken care of. Trust me. When it’s all finished, you’re going to be the hero of the century and Scott will be the criminal.” She pointed to several bags. “Those are some clothes for the two of you. They aren’t fancy, mostly gym shorts and t-shirts for you, and leggings and t-shirts for Brooklyn. I didn’t know exact sizes, but I wanted you both to be comfortable.”
“No worries. Those sound perfect. The only fine dining the two of us will be doing is in this kitchen. There’s no reason for us to be dressing up. Thanks for the food.”
“That bag over there has ibuprofen and Tylenol, plus shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant. There’s also some disposable razors. I hope I got everything you might need.”