“Wow, you have your own brother taking care of you? That’s nice.”
“You know how it is in small towns. This hospital is small, so he’s probably the only attending doctor tonight. He likes being on call. Says he likes being the expert.” She smiled, pleased that Spencer was working tonight. He was very good at respecting her privacy, too. She peeked out through the break in the curtain to see if she could catch sight of him.
That was when she noticed her mother standing in the hallway crying.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nate left shortly after Lauren’s mother arrived. He texted his brother that he’d be home in another hour, but then hopped into his truck and headed toward the college.
It was as if some gravitational pull had brought him there. He needed to know what, if anything, Ryan Ramsay had found at the frats.
Were the guys from the boat involved? There’d been five of them, including the ones Lauren and Mallory had recognized—Miller, Hutton, and Brooks. Still, wouldn’t Lauren have IDed their familiar voices?
He pulled into the college’s main parking lot with his truck and then climbed out and locked the door. Since Tristan was attending classes, he’d purchased a sticker for his truck, too. He’d had no idea how handy it would prove to be.
He noticed Ryan and Jake’s cruisers at the front of the lot, so with any luck they’d run into each other. The college campus was set up as a rectangle, with the dorms on the outside of the quadrangle.
The college had been part of the city of Summerhill for decades, and it was always growing. In the past ten years, they’d expanded the library that Lauren loved and built two new academic buildings, one for health science and one for education.
He moved toward the center of campus before veering left, toward where the older dorms were located. Lo and behold, Ryan Ramsay was headed straight for him.
“Did you find anything, Ramsay?” Nate wished he had a couple of guys in handcuffs.
Ryan shook his head. “Not much partying tonight. First day of classes after a holiday weekend, plenty of hangovers, some of the students are just returning to campus. The two frats I visited were quiet.”
“Did you see any of our friends from the boat?”
“Yeah, Dominic and Randy are in the Gamma Delta frat, but they were watching football.”
“What does your gut tell you?” Nate asked.
Ryan sighed. “My gut tells me it’s a fraternity that’s pissed about the group she runs, especially since seven guys came at her at once. Lauren arranges self-defense classes for the women who come to her, and she’s also helped assault victims seek out legal counsel through the Center her friend runs. If a frat gets associated with rape and sexual violence, it could get kicked off campus. Should be easy to find the guys if I’m right. The college only has three or four frats.”
“That makes sense. I hope you find them, though if I do, I’ll beat the bastards. Seven to one? That’s pretty bad.”
Ryan replied, “I know. I’m too emotionally involved in this. Poor Lauren. This is the third time she’s been attacked. Thanks for staying with her, by the way. How did Lorraine take it?”
“She was crying when she came in, but I think it was because of how Lauren looked. I helped her wash up, but just her face and hands. Her hair was still a mess, and you can’t hide the mud in her hair. Once Lauren spoke to her, she calmed down. The good thing was that the pain medicine they gave her almost put her to sleep. Her mother said she’d spend the night there. Spencer found Lauren a private room with a lounge chair Lorraine could sleep in.”
“Thanks again. I’ll see you later.”
“Keep me posted, Ramsay. I want those bastards. It was pretty hard finding her like that. She’s pretty special.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, fighting the urge to turn them into fists.
Nate headed back to his truck, his mind on a pair of blue eyes full of pain as he pulled out of the lot and headed home. He pulled into his driveway and noticed Sam’s truck was missing. He checked to see if he’d received any texts about his brothers leaving. Nothing.
Once inside, he found Sam sitting on the couch. It was after one a.m. “Where’s Tristan?”
“He went to get something to eat. Do you want anything? Text him if you do. You might still catch him.”
“What the hell? Why is he out this late? Doesn’t he have an eight o’clock class?”
“I don’t know.” Sam cranked his head around. “What’s your problem? I thought we agreed to give the kid a little more leeway. It’s not Tristan’s fault if that girl turned you down.”
He couldn’t stop himself from shouting. “No girl turned me down. Tristan better not be cutting classes tomorrow. He got a scholarship, but we’re paying part of his tuition.”
The door opened and Tristan sauntered in, tossing the keys on the table before he closed the door. He dropped a bag of food and two sodas on the coffee table. “Hey, Nate. How was the girl?”
“Aren’t you going to class in the morning?”
Tristan smirked and said, “No. Why?”
Nate wanted to choke him. “You will go to class, or I’ll kick your ass.”
Tristan had the balls to ignore him. He just sat on the couch and pulled his burger out of the bag as if Nate hadn’t said anything.
“Why the hell aren’t you going?” Nate bellowed.
Tristan clenched his jaw and said, “Chill, brother. I don’t have any classes in the morning.”
Nate felt like an asshole. He sighed as he moved around to sit in the chair facing the couch. Collapsed into it and ran his hand through his hair. “Sorry about that. I just want you to do well.” Why was he constantly flipping off the handle with his own brother? What was wrong with him? Sam was right. Tristan was a good kid.
“So do I, and I will, but not because you harass me about it. It’ll be because I want Mom to be proud of me.”
“I want Mom to be proud of you, too. You know how hard it was for me, being there, watching her die…”
“It wasn’t your fault she died, Nate. Your shrink tells you that all the time.”
“What the hell happened tonight?” Sam asked, chewing on the fries Tristan had bought. His eyes bored into him, seeing more than Nate would like. “I can tell something did.”
He sat up, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I’ve been to a lot of fires, seen death, but this bothered me like nothing else.”
“What?” Tristan asked through a mouthful of food.
“I found Lauren after she’d been beaten by a gang of seven guys, maybe from one of the frats at school.”
“Holy shit,” Sam said. “Sorry for my comment earlier.”
Tristan shook his head in disgust. “If that’s what the frats do for fun, I guess I’m glad I passed on rush. That’s sick.”
“I’m sorry for how I treated both of you,” Nate said. “It wasn’t right.” He scratched his head, promising himself he’d channel his anger better in the future. His brothers meant everything to him, but his baggage kept getting in the way. The awful memory of losing his mother. The moment Mandy had screamed at him and walked out of his life.
He had to leave all of that behind and focus on the present moment. On protecting the people who were currently in his life.
Lauren, a voice in his head whispered, you should have been there for Lauren.
***
Lauren sat in her room for two days after the fateful night at the library. She’d come home from the hospital the following day to a worried household. Her stepfather hovered over her, as did her mother, and she just wanted them all to stop. One of her classmates shared notes and assignments with her, so at least she had something to do.
Ryan had asked her countless questions, trying to trigger any new memories, but to no avail. To her dismay, the photos she’d taken hadn’t revealed anything. They were all a blurry mess. She’d been given a prescription for painkillers, and while she tried not to take them, they did ease her pain. The kicks that had
connected with her hip had caused the most problems. Her pelvis and hip area had swelled beyond recognition, causing her to limp, though she did her best to hide it around others. She had to take a pill before she slept, or she’d lie awake all night in pain.
She wasn’t just angry at the event itself, but at the fact that the fools had left her with reminders of it. As soon as she moved a muscle in bed, she was reminded of the attack, and she hated it.
But something else niggled at the back of her mind. These men clearly want her to back down for a reason, which meant they’d either hurt women or were planning to continue hurting women. She closed the door to her room and bent down with a groan, reaching under her bed for the lock box she’d retrieved from the burned building. She opened it carefully and pulled out the chart, closing her eyes and saying a quick prayer of thanks that it hadn’t been lost to the fire.
She sat at her desk and unfolded the document, careful not to tear it at the creases, flattening it so she could read it again. As soon as she determined it was still legible, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She’d started the chart after her rape, writing down all the details of the attack and categorizing everything: time of year, time of day of the attack, location of the attack, and personal characteristics of the attacker. Then she’d started the support group, and she’d begun collecting the same sort of information about the attacks made on the other women, although some of the information had been shared with her confidentially.
She took out her pen and carefully added the details of her latest attack, filling in all the details she recalled. There were times she considered giving the chart to her brother Ryan, but she’d feel like she was betraying the victims’ trust. Moreover, she knew enough about the rules of privacy from the medical people in her family to know that she’d be in trouble if she relayed some of the information she’d received without permission.
Still, she continued to keep track of the details in the hopes the chart would be useful one day. Ideally, it would help her identify and catch at least some of the predators who’d hurt women. Maybe even pick up on a pattern. Ryan and Jake had other tools they could use. She only had the victims. When she had something more solid to go on, something she knew she could legally pass along, she’d talk to her stepbrothers.
Not yet. The chart was so special that she’d entered much of the information on an Excel sheet and saved it to a flash drive, needing a backup, but the electronic version wasn’t as complete as the physical chart.
The sound of wheels scraping across the asphalt caught her attention. She hurried over to the window. To her surprise, the newcomer looked like Nate Patterson, her savior. She’d have to go down and thank him again.
Then she’d claim fatigue or pain and return to her room where she was safe…
Part of her wanted things to be different. She hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be encased in his arms, or to be kissed, however briefly, by his soft lips.
Folding the paper with the utmost care, she returned it to the lock box and placed it under her bed.
Her mother’s voice carried up the stairs. “Lauren, Nate is here to see you.” It was impossible to ignore the hope in her mother’s voice—hope she’d come down, hope that she and Nate would develop some sort of a normal relationship, hope that Lauren would not go over the edge again.
She was trying—she really was. She’d gone to class today without any repercussions. Of course, despite her best efforts to cover her bruises with make-up, her professor had noticed and called her forward at the end of class.
The woman had offered her extra time for assignments, but she’d insisted she’d be able to handle everything.
“I’ll be right there, Mom.”
She put everything back in its place, then glanced at her reflection in the mirror. A long sigh escaped her lips. The bruising on the side of her head was still evident.
What did it matter? Nate had already seen her looking much worse.
She made her way down the staircase slowly, just to ease the pain in her hip. Fortunately, her mother and stepfather were on the enclosed sun porch with Nate. She could hear their conversation clearly.
“We were about to eat, Nate. Why don’t you stay for dinner? Have a nice home-cooked meal. I made one of Lauren’s favorites—macaroni and cheese. I know it’s not the healthiest, but I decided she deserved something special tonight. Three and Cait will also be joining us. Oh—” she said with a laugh. “That’s what Ryan’s dad calls him. Same name, you know. And Paige will be there, of course.” Paige, the youngest Ramsay daughter, was in her senior year of high school.
Lauren sighed, silently cursing her mother for issuing the invitation. She wasn’t ready for company yet. How could she sit through an entire meal with Nate Patterson and his gorgeous eyes and his physique that begged to be touched? How could she ignore the strange push-pull she felt whenever she was in his presence?
Forcing a smile on her face, she made her way through the kitchen and into the porch off the back, her favorite room. The sun was still out and the lake looked so calm and flat, it seemed like a person could walk across the surface and never fall in.
As soon as she stepped into the doorway, Nate hurried over to her side, offering his hand to help her step down onto the porch.
“Your hip is still bothering you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied, wondering why he would recall such a small detail from the short time he was in the hospital with her. She took his hand and landed awkwardly, but Nate kept his smile.
As if reading her mind, he explained, “I spoke with Ryan yesterday. He told me it was the worst of your injuries.”
Her mother spoke right up. “I insist you stay, Nate. I’m sure a strong man like you could use a home-cooked meal. If we have any left, I can send some home to your brothers. Do you all like macaroni and cheese?”
“We sure do. It was one of my mother’s best meals. Tristan would try to eat it all.”
“Well, good then. It’s settled. It’s a smaller group tonight, so we’ll eat out here on the porch.” She glanced over his head to speak to her husband. “Ryan, would you mind helping me in the kitchen, please? Lauren, settle down at the table, dear. The food will be ready in few moments. Nate will help prop your leg if you need help, I’m certain.”
Lauren smiled at her mother and said, “Sure.” Her attempts to set them up couldn’t be more obvious, but she didn’t have it in her to be mad. Her mother only wanted the best for her.
Once they were alone, she said, “Nate, thank you for all you did for me the other night. I can’t thank you enough. Again.”
His gray gaze warmed her, making her feel comfortable and at peace. “I’m only sorry I didn’t arrive sooner.”
She moved into a chair with his assistance, and he took the seat across from her. “You did more than you needed to. You stayed longer than necessary.” She dropped her gaze, remembering how she’d sat in his lap while wearing nothing more than a hospital gown. Her face blushed at the thought. “Thank you for warming me up.”
Being the gallant gentleman he was, he did not make an issue of it. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll be fine. It will take a few days. I made it to class today for the first time this week, so that’s a good thing.”
Her mother came in with a hot casserole dish full of steaming macaroni, setting it on a hot plate. Her husband set down a large wooden salad bowl before hurrying back to the kitchen, returning with salad dressing and a large loaf of fresh bread. The table had already been set for six, and an extra place setting was added for Nate.
Lauren’s mom fussed over her guest like she always did. “Now I didn’t bake this bread myself. I bought it at the local bakery, but it’s delicious. Three told us he’d be a bit late, so let’s dig in!”
Lauren’s stepdad helped her mother into a chair before he sat down and said a quick prayer. They’d just begun passing the food around the table when Ryan and Cait came in through the back d
oor, Paige right behind them.
Cait said, “Ryan heard it was mac and cheese night, so here we are.”
“Lorraine, you make the best mac and cheese ever,” Ryan added.
They all settled in at the table and passed the food around, chattering about everything and nothing. Paige told them about her teachers and all her classes, something Nate was able to interact with her about since Tristan had just graduated.
Lauren was pleased the others had joined them. Now she could actually sneak off to her room after dinner without offending Nate. It wasn’t until the end of the meal that Nate posed a question to Ryan. “Any ideas yet?”
Ryan gave a pointed look at Lauren before he said, “We have some leads, but nothing solid yet.” He changed the conversation immediately afterward.
Lauren breathed a sigh of relief. The topic had been started and ended.
Ten minutes more and she’d be alone in her room.
CHAPTER NINE
Nate could tell exactly what Lauren had planned. Sure enough, she excused herself as soon as possible. “I think I’ll go rest if you don’t mind, Mom.”
“Dinner was wonderful, but I’m a little tired.” She pushed away from the table and headed toward the stairs.
Nate noticed the disappointment and the worry that crossed her mother’s face, but she made no move to stop her. No one did.
She’d told him she feared she would retreat into herself after the attack, that she’d stop taking chances. He couldn’t let her do that to herself. Not again.
He followed her to the doorway leading to the kitchen and said, “Here, allow me to help you.” After he ushered her up the single step and into the kitchen, he continued to escort her to the staircase in the front room.
Lauren turned to him and said, “Thank you again for your kindness, Nate. I hope to see you soon.” She took a step toward the staircase, but he stepped in front of her, barring her from taking the first step. “What are you doing?” she asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
“I’m not going to let you do it,” he whispered, wanting to keep their conversation as private as he could.
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