Molly laughed out of sheer nervousness. “I don’t know how to use a gun.”
“I do,” he said darkly. “We’ll move into the farmhouse and get ourselves a big bathtub so I can fit in it with you.”
Molly wiped the moisture from her face. “I know you’re lying to make me feel better, but it really is working. Thanks. I can’t even picture a bathtub that big.”
She could tell Liam was speaking through gritted teeth. “I’m not lying, Molly. I’ll make sure you have a good life. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you that orange grove.”
Unable to hold back the sob of hope that she never gave credence to, Molly covered her mouth to stifle the offense. There were more fists on the door now, and Molly knew Liam would not get there in time. “Liam? I love you.” With that, she hung up the phone just as her bedroom door broke off its hinges. She braced herself, holding onto the hangers and praying her makeshift lock would hold.
Chapter Ten
DiNatali Justice
“Ah!” Gina and some guy bellowed. Molly did not even smile at the booby trap she always kept her room armed with. A blue ink pack was rigged to a pressure point on her ceiling. If the lock was set and then broken, the ink pelted the intruder. She had used this on more than one occasion when Kyle thought it would be funny to read her diary to his friends in junior high. After a few blasts of ink to the face, he knew better by now.
Six pairs of footsteps burst into her room, running to the window and looking out into the night. Steph gave the report while Gina shrieked in horror at her stained face and clothes. “Little bitch jumped. Her car’s still here, though, so she can’t have gotten far. Entitled slut. Thinks because Liam’s a fool for her, she can act all superior.” Steph’s words were like poison the others begged for more of. “This is her little fortress? Trash it. Let her scream like a whore for him somewhere else.”
Molly heard cackles as things all around her crashed and smashed to the ground. Whoever the guy was who also got shot with the ink from the second door did not know her, but being blasted in the face enraged him against her all the same. Molly heard her dresser crash to the ground. It’s just stuff. It’s fine. I would’ve had to get new things anyway. No way Kyle’s parents would have let me take the bedroom furniture. It’s fine.
Kyle’s voice sounded from the hallway. He was high as a kite, a giggle coming at the end of every sentence. “What? No, she didn’t jump. Can barely walk. She’s in the closet.” He stumbled through the ensuing chaos to the closet and pulled, the alcohol making his grip weak. “Molly Bear! Come on out, little sis!” He giggled again, as if she was being led into her own surprise party.
“This? This is the bitch that blued my face?” The man who broke down her door did not sound pleased. “Get out of the way, Kyle.”
Molly panicked at the height the man’s voice was coming from. He was big, and whatever malevolence he had planned would be no doubt unpleasant. She prayed the hangers would hold as he pulled. So they’ll beat me up, she said to herself, trying to be brave. It’ll hurt for a little while, and then it’ll heal. No big deal. Liam’s coming. Liam’s coming.
The hangers stretched as they were put to the ultimate test, and Molly buried herself behind a thick jacket to shield herself from the metal snap that was only seconds away.
The hanger broke as the closet door was flung open, and the metal flew out like it had been shot from a gun, snapping the blue man across the chest, igniting a pain-filled howl.
She was dragged from the closet, over bits of furniture that were so broken, some were unrecognizable. A shoe found its way to her ribs, then another, and three others. Molly curled in a ball and shielded her face with her hands. Help me, Liam.
No sooner did she think his name, did Liam, Nate and Jess come bounding up the stairs. “Molly!” Liam called, throwing punches as he made his way through the rubble.
Nate and Liam pummeled and socked, not bothering to get names or make idle threats. Jess made her fist at home on Gina’s indigo face, making up for years of her flirting with whatever guy Jess was interested in.
The room slowly cleared and the freeloaders fled as Liam took out the brunt of his anger on Kyle. He beat the man within an inch of his life, stopping only when Nate grabbed his brother around the waist and shoved him aside. “Stop, Liam! You kill him, and you can never see Molly again. Prison. Is that what you want? He’s unconscious already.”
Liam was shaking with rage, so he did not dare get too near Molly. Jess, though not having engaged in a relationship with her brother since high school, knew what he needed. She knelt by Molly’s head and stroked her hair for him. “Don’t move, Molly. Do you think anything’s broken?”
Molly sobbed silently into her fists, aching with terror, pain and embarrassment. She heard Jess asking her questions, but she could not find her voice. Nate slowly lifted the hem of her shirt to check her ribs, but she kept her arms banded firmly around her waist.
“I’m not trying to look at anything I shouldn’t, Little Luco. I was just going to see if your ribs are broken.”
Still, Molly would not move. It hurt too badly to lift her arms.
Liam’s voice was trembling with barely controlled wrath. “Jess, Nate, can you pack up her stuff? Everything. I mean it. She’s never coming back here again.”
The two made quick work of extracting Molly’s clothes from the pile of kindling that used to be her dresser. Nate dragged the unconscious Kyle to his room, got out garbage bags from the kitchen and stuffed them full of her belongings. Jess raided the bathroom and collected books and study tools around Molly’s trashed room, hoping she was not missing anything in the clutter.
Molly motioned for Nate to get her a pen. “This is a pretty good reason to lose your voice, I guess.” He pulled a pen out of his pocket and fished around for a piece of paper on the floor that did not look too important. Molly scribbled down the combination to the safe and pointed him toward the closet.
Nate emptied the safe and pulled out the few items hanging from her closet, along with her overnight duffel, and shoved it all into the large black plastic bags. He was somber, knowing there was nothing that could fix this situation.
Liam was still shaking in the center of the room, unwilling to budge, lest his hands give in to more rage. The one thing that finally moved him forward was a trickle of Molly’s blood he had not noticed before, sliding from her lip to the carpet.
Without knowing how he got there, Liam was kneeling at her side, checking her ribs and wiping the blood from her mouth. She began to sob under his tender touch, but Liam shook his head. “Shh. I think this one might be broken. Won’t know for sure until we get it x-rayed. Try not to breathe too hard; it’ll hurt worse if you do.” He located her pillow, shook off the debris and slid it under her head. “Just rest for a minute, if you can. Be still while we get you moved out. Is there anything else you need? We got your clothes, books and the stuff from your desk.”
“Cleaned out your safe,” Nate added, trekking back up from his father’s car, where he and Jess were depositing all of her worldly possessions.
Molly shook her head slowly, her neck hurting worse than she anticipated.
“Alright. Nate? You and Jess take Molly’s stuff to Mom and Dad’s. I’m driving her to the hospital.”
No! Molly mouthed. Go be with your mom.
Liam brushed her black hair away from her face. “I was home when you called me. Dad wanted to be alone with Mom when she passed.” He checked her neck to make sure she could be moved. “What’s your next excuse?” he teased. The ribbing was a much needed release from the tension that had exploded out of him onto Kyle.
Nate came back up to help Liam move her without causing more damage. Her body was small and felt too fragile to be treated with such violence as she had been subjected to. Nate leaned the passenger’s seat of her car all the way back, helped her in and buckled her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Hang in there, Little Luco. Give the house one last look, kiddo. Yo
u’re never coming back here again.”
Chapter Eleven
The Truth Comes Out
Dr. Hamilton did not normally work the ER, but made an exception when Liam requested he be brought in to consult. The doctor’s face went stony when he saw the extent of the damage. “Who? Please tell me you know.”
Liam nodded. “Her brother Kyle and his friends. Call the cops so we can give a full police report.” He looked down at Molly, who stared vacantly at the curtain from her supine position on the ER bed. “He can’t be allowed near her ever again.”
“Agreed. I’ve confronted her about her injuries before, but she clams up and won’t tell me anything useful. Won’t even let us treat her.” He met Liam’s gaze with a stern look on his face. “Are you taking care of it?”
Liam sized up the doctor and began to truly appreciate the man. “Yes. She’s coming home with me, and she won’t be in to work for a while. Do I need to call anyone for her?”
“No. I’ll take care of it. She’s freelance, so she can just request to be put back on the rotation when she’s ready.” Dr. Hamilton turned to the patient, who had her eyes open, but was unresponsive. “Molly? Molly Luco? Can you hear me?”
Liam watched every move as Dr. Hamilton checked Molly’s vitals and then continued to her wounds. A gown was put on her and she was wheeled to different rooms for various examinations, but Molly was not aware of any of it. She did not move until the police came to ask her questions. A flicker of life reentered her eyes, and she mouthed to Liam for a pen and paper.
She began to write down everything her adopted family had done to her, from childhood up until that very night. The physical abuse that was rarely spoken of was given a voice on paper that night, and for once, Molly did not shy away from the truth. She did not even care that Liam was reading over her shoulder, or what all this would mean in the long run.
She was on her third sheet of paper when she finally finished, breathing out a gust of life that ached her ribs, but mended her soul. Liam’s hand on her back was reassuring, and when she passed the last sheet over to the police officer, she slumped into his arms, sobbing silently into his shirt.
Two broken ribs, a sprained ankle, contusion to the head and a broken spirit were what Molly went home with when the sun finally came out. Liam wheeled her to her car and buckled her in, taking her to the nearest hotel that did not make his skin crawl. He rented a room for them for the rest of the week, grateful to be rid of her brother and that wretched house.
He laid Molly on the clean bed and sat next to her, looking out the window at the morning coming to life just outside. The room was beige with navy blue accents, but most importantly, it had a double lock. “Get some sleep, honey. It’s been a long night. You’re safe now.” He ran his fingers through her black hair and sighed with relief when she closed her eyes and nodded. It was the most she’d been able to communicate with him in a while, and he took it as if it was a love sonnet.
She trusted him, and that went a long way to solidify the decision that had already been churning in his gut since the first time they kissed.
Part three
Chapter One
Funeral
Since she had time to prepare for her death, Mrs. DiNatali was very specific in the way she wanted to be laid to rest. She was cremated, for she did not want her children to see her body looking other than it was, and have that burned in their memory. Her favorite poems were read, Jess belted out the song her mother sang to her as a child, and by the end of it, there was not a dry eye in the room.
Molly Luco remained in her seat throughout the entire thing, not standing in line to greet the family. She was technically not breaking her doctor’s orders, since she was sitting in a chair, though she knew Dr. Hamilton’s preference was for her to rest and recuperate in a bed, and not a funeral home. She had a difficult time moving on her own, so after the home was emptied and everything settled with the funeral director, Liam helped her to her feet. Every step she took was jarring, but she kept her face composed as they walked with careful steps to the parking lot.
Liam was a beast of a man, but as soon as he got into the driver’s seat of her green sedan, he broke down and wept. Molly did her best to hold him over the median, but with two broken ribs, she feared she was not offering much comfort. He wept into her shoulder-length hair, not knowing how he survived without her quiet tranquility just three weeks ago.
They had not discussed their future since her brother’s friends attacked her, but their connection could not be denied. As the DiNatali family mourned the loss of their beloved matriarch, they drew a modicum of comfort at watching Molly slowly pull Liam out of his shell of distance.
When Liam finally composed himself enough to drive, Molly spoke up. “You can drop me at the hotel and then go be with your family.”
“No. You go where I go.”
Molly shook her head. “No, Liam. It’s family only. You guys deserve a few hours together without me horning in on your every conversation. Go be with your dad. See what he needs. You’ve already gone above and beyond taking care of me. Now go be with your family.”
Liam wanted to argue, but knew she was right. “Fine, but I’ll only be gone a few hours, okay? I’ll bring you dinner when I come back.”
“We’ve still got takeout in the mini fridge. Stay with your dad. Get to know your sister’s kids. I’ll be fine.” When Liam did not answer, Molly pressed on, reaching out and resting her hand on his knee. “Kyle’s still locked up. We’ll get the conviction. You can’t keep worrying like this.”
“I won’t feel better until the trial happens, and we win.”
“You know that could take months, if not years. Doctor Hamilton’s got all my x-rays, and he’s already sent them to my lawyer. He even said he’d be willing to testify that many of my injuries were from childhood stuff, since all my old injuries match the police report I turned in.”
The lawyer who took her case did the entire thing pro bono, since Molly had interpreted for his clients on numerous occasions, and worked above and beyond to keep his clients calm under pressure. She also agreed to interpret for his next deaf client free of charge.
“But your aunt and uncle. They’ll get away with everything because of the statute of limitations.”
Molly shrugged. “It is what it is. They’re in the Keys still. Even though they know Kyle’s being held until trial, they’re sunbathing in Florida. I’m guessing that’s where they’ll stay. I gotta tell you, that’s fine by me.”
“They should be charged with domestic violence, and you know it. At least no time was wasted getting those restraining orders against Gina.”
“Yeah. Hard to argue when your face is blue.” Molly sniggered. “I designed that ink. It won’t come off for another month, if then.” She took in Liam’s rigid posture and etched frown. “It’s alright, Liam. It’s over. We won.”
Liam gripped the steering wheel. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m just all turned around right now. It’s been a day.”
“Understandable.”
“Kyle isn’t the only one who attacked you, you know. Gina and all them sent you to the hospital. Don’t open the door for anyone but me.”
Molly was quiet for a moment. “But what if the lottery I’ve never bought a ticket for sends someone over to tell me I’ve won thirty million dollars?”
Liam’s hard expression thawed a little. “Fine. But don’t open it for a penny less.”
“Deal.”
He parked the car and helped Molly up to the room, babying her to the point of stalling. “I’m just waiting until they bring you more towels.”
“Liar,” she chided him. “You’re afraid to face the whole thing. Rip off the Band-Aid, sweetheart. It’ll be good for you.”
“You know? I’ve always hated that saying. I’ve seen bandages ripped off prematurely, and they just gush blood everywhere.” He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, frowning when she pushed him off.
“You
can’t use me as an excuse to hide from this. I won’t let you. I’ve got a restraining order on Gina, and you even gave photos of Gina, Kitty and Steph to the concierge so they can’t get past the front desk. The door’s double locked, and I promise to be a boring shut-in until you get back.” She kicked her good leg at him. “Now, go. There’s a show coming on that I need to see. Like, really need to see, and you would hate it. It’s all kinds of Dawson’s Creek-OC-Kardashian girliness.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better about leaving you, and I gotta say, that’s not going to happen.”
Molly waved off his concern. “Go spend time getting to know Warren. He needs you to like him, so really make an effort this time. And Nate didn’t crack one inappropriate joke all day. That’s gotta be painful for him. And Jess needs you. Go. Send my love.”
He leaned over the bed and kissed her, knowing he would miss the home he found in her. He despised any amount of distance that came between them, and knew he’d been a little overbearing since she’d come home from the ER.
When Liam finally left, Molly bolted the door shut, just in case. She flipped on her laptop and went to the freelance online site for interpreters she was contracted through. She looked at the list and found a Skyping appointment that was available, so she signed up for it and sat up, trying to make herself look as professional as possible. She translated for four hours straight, trying to make up some of the time she lost by being injured and then helping out Liam’s family as his mother passed. There was no way she would be able to afford more than one solar panel at this rate, which was nowhere near what she needed for her master plan. The money she had in the trust fund was life insurance money from her parents when they passed over two decades ago. That would cover the orange grove she had her heart set on, but nothing more.
Unraveling Molly Page 13