by Sadie Haller
“Good luck. We’ll have a family dinner when you get back.
By the time I get home, I’m livid. I’ve had time to think about everything I’d just heard about Katie’s husband.
I find Georgia in the living room reading a book. She looks up when I walk in. “Hey. You’re home early. How was your day?”
“I’ve had better. Look, I think you should reconsider coming to Toronto with me.”
“I go back to work this week, and I want to move back into my apartment and get it organized.”
“Damn it, Georgia, there’s a fucking wife-beating cop out there who is convinced you’re responsible for the destruction of his marital bliss. It’s not safe for you.”
“How do you know he’s a cop?”
“A conversation your dad was having with my mom about his friend’s daughter being missing and how her poor husband has cut back his shifts so he can search for his wife. Do you want to know how they found out? Katie’s husband came to their house this afternoon asking if they’d seen her. It sure as fuck didn’t take much to connect the dots.”
“You didn’t say anything to my dad or your mom about what I do, did you?”
“No. But only because I thought it might put them in a bad spot. I think if your dad knew, he’d be really proud of you.”
“Yeah, dream on. There is nothing on the planet I could do that would make my father proud of me.”
“Because you don’t give him a fucking chance to be. You let him go on thinking the worst of you. He’s not as bad as you think. He didn’t lose his shit when I told him and Mom about us.”
“You what?” Georgia yells as she shoots up from her seat. “You told them? Without talking to me first?”
“They were going to find out sooner or later,” I point out. It annoys me that she’s deflecting away from the issue, but I rein in my irritation before steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. “You’re constantly putting yourself in danger. It has to stop. Two days in Toronto, where you can relax and enjoy a mini-break from looking over your shoulder.”
“No. You don’t get to dictate how I live my life. You’ve already interfered enough. Have a great time in Canada, I’m going fucking home right now.” She jumps up from the couch and grabs her shoes and coat from the closet.
“Georgia, can we talk about this? If you really feel that strongly about not going with me, would you please reconsider going back to your apartment. At least until I get back?
“No. I’m done. I shouldn’t have stayed here as long as I did. I knew it was a mistake to get involved.” And with that she storms out.
My instinct is to go after her. But I know from experience, getting up in her face—and that’s how she’d interpret me going after her—would just make her pull further away. I need to trust that she’s going to make it back to her apartment. She’ll be safe there, now that all the new security protocols are in place.
42
Georgia
When I get to my apartment, I throw my overnight bag on the floor and head to the living room.
I don’t even bother to detour through the kitchen for a glass. I just start pounding the vodka straight from the bottle I picked up on my way home.
Fuck Heath.
I’m so sick of men trying to dictate my life.
I flop on the sofa, and as I reach for the remote, there’s knock on my door.
Heath.
I didn’t walk out to be manipulative. That’s not how I roll, but the fact that he’s come after me makes me believe it’s possible that he cares. That he understands who I am and wants to find a way to move forward and work things out.
Overwhelmed with a ridiculous happiness, I race to the door and fling it open. There’s no time to process the fist flying toward my face before my head explodes in pain.
The next thing I know, I’m on my belly with a knee pressed hard into my back.
When I feel the tightening around my wrists, I take as big a breath as I can manage and try to scream.
As soon as I open my mouth, a wad of cloth is shoved inside, and before I get a chance to spit it out, there’s a wide piece of tape covering to my face from ear to ear.
He leans down. “I bet you didn’t think I’d figure out it was you who took Katie away from me.” My skin crawls as his hot breath slithers over it.
I try to buck and kick my legs, but with his weight on top of me, I can’t get any leverage. Then he spins around, grabs my ankles, and binds them, the sound of duct tape peeling away from the roll with every wrap.
“Oh, I figured it out right quick. Who do you think arranged that new look for your apartment? God, you’re a dumb cunt. And the new doorman…nice try, but he was more than eager to help out a cop investigating your break-in. Happy to call and let me know you were home—that’s how I got here so soon. I’ve been waiting for you to fuck up. I even talked to your dad, in case you said something to them. Thing is, I didn’t factor in the knight in shining fucking armor showing up and whisking you away.”
Please Heath, I need you.
I focus on calming down and slowing my breathing.
“You’re going to pay for what you did, bitch. And I’m going to take great pleasure in completely fucking you up.” His voice is low, disturbingly controlled, and absolutely terrifying.
Please Heath. I’m sorry I was an idiot. Please just come anyway. I love you. I don’t want to die without you knowing that.
Using his foot, Jim pushes me onto my side, winds up, and boots me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. It takes a moment for me to register the pain.
My knees immediately draw up to my chest, and when I can’t suck any air in through my mouth, I feel like I’m suffocating and start to panic.
He kneels down and grabs me by the hair, pulling my head back, forcing me to look at him.
“I knew you were a troublemaker the minute I met you. And I made sure Katie stayed well away from you. My marriage was perfectly fine until you came along, you interfering bitch. Katie’s a masochist. She loves pain. Gets off on it. Begs for it. The more pain, the better. I’ve been patient, but I’m tired of waiting. I need to blow off steam, and if I can’t use my little pain-pig, you’ll have to take her place. Don’t worry, you won’t be getting the pleasure of my dick. I don’t know where your skanky ass has been. Besides, I have a girl to take care of that for me.”
He back-hands me across the face and slams my forehead on the floor so hard my vision starts to fade.
I’m still struggling to find some breath when pain shoots through my lower back. Every woman I’ve ever picked up for Amy’s House flashes through my mind, and no matter how much I thought I understood what they went through, I’m only now beginning to get an idea.
43
Heath
I can’t go to Toronto without trying to work things out with Georgia. I hate the way she stomped out. But I also hate that I pushed her to that point when I’d promised to stop pushing.
I force myself to give her an hour to calm down some before I head over to her place, but the minutes drag by and the waiting is making me stir crazy. Ten minutes after she leaves, I call Grant. Because I’m second- and third-guessing myself on this.
“Heath, what’s up?”
“I need to talk. Have you got a few minutes?”
“Georgia trouble?”
“Do I have any other kind?”
“Not anymore, it seems. What happened?”
“We had a fight She stormed out ten minutes ago, and it’s killing me to give her the space she needs. She pissed off a cop and she’s out there, alone. I’m worried about her safety. The thing is, it was my concern over her safety that caused the fight in the first place. What if something happens?”
“What does your gut say?”
“Get the fuck over to her apartment.”
“Then why are you on the phone with—”
I disconnect the call and haul ass out the door.
On the way, I buy some flower
s. Corny, but rarely a mistake.
I nod to Jeff at the security desk as I enter the building, and he nods back. I press the button to call the elevator, but something doesn’t feel right. I bust through the door to the stairs and take the steps two at a time at a dead run.
I knock on Georgia’s apartment door and wait a minute. Fuck it. I pull out my key and let myself in. I’ll beg her forgiveness later if there’s nothing wrong.
Her bound and bloody body is the first thing I see when I walk through the door and I feel sick.
Dropping the flowers, I rush over to her and the only relief I feel is that I can see her breathing. Shallow, but breathing.
I dial 9-1-1 for an ambulance as I pull the tape off her mouth. I’m afraid I’m not very gentle. I just want her to be able to breathe.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know how I’m going to make this up to you, but I will. I promise. And you know I’m always good for a promise.”
She moans and starts to move.
“Stay still. I know you hurt, but I need you to stay still until the paramedics arrive.
I call down to the security desk. “Jeff, I’ve got an ambulance on its way. Georgia has been attacked.”
“What? That can’t be. The only person to go up, besides you, was the detective who wanted to talk to her about the break-in.”
“When was he here?”
“He left about fifteen minutes before you got here.”
“If you see him again, you call me immediately, and don’t let him in the building. Tell him you’ve been told he needs a warrant—that ought to slow him down.”
“He hurt Ms. Black?”
“I’m pretty sure it was him. Make sure you save all the security footage from the last two days to be safe. The police are probably going to want it. I need to make some calls and deal with Georgia. Ambulance should be here soon.”
“I’ll keep the elevator down here until they arrive.”
“Thanks.”
I’m not usually one to ask a favor of a friend, but for Georgia I make an exception and call Alasdair.
By the third ring, I’m frantically trying to come up with an alternate plan.
“What’s up, Heath?”
“I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything, as long as it won’t brand me a traitor.”
“No time for jokes. I need you to find me some clean Queens cops who can be trusted to go after one of their own.”
“Consider it done. Text me the details and I’ll have them contact you.”
“Thanks, man.” I hear movement in the hall and look up to see the paramedics have arrived. I motion them in. “Gotta go. Ambulance is here.”
“I took the tape off her face and removed the cloth from her mouth so she could breathe,” I tell them, “but I have no idea the extent of her injuries, so I didn’t remove her restraints or the duct tape.”
I stand off to the side and watch the paramedics work on Georgia, answering their questions as best I can.
As soon as I get into my car and on the road behind the ambulance, I call my mom. As much as I don’t want to be the one to spring the news on her, I figure it’s better for her to tell George what’s happened.
“I need you and George to get to St. Mary’s. Georgia has been attacked, and she’s in bad shape.”
“Oh no. We’ll meet you there as soon as we can.”
The drive to the hospital is interminable, and I spend it reviewing everything that happened today, and what I could and should have done differently to avoid this.
When I get to the ER, they won’t let me in to see Georgia. Family only. Ten minutes later, George and my mom come flying through the doors. My mom pulls me into her arms. “How is she? Where is she? Is she going to be okay?”
“I don’t know. They’re saying family only.”
George heads out of the waiting room, presumably to find someone in charge. He’s back a couple minutes later with a doctor in tow.
“She’s sedated. She’s got a concussion, and a bruised kidney, which caused some internal bleeding, and some broken ribs, in addition to a number of relatively minor injuries. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but she’s remarkably lucky. We’re going to keep her in until she’s stable and we’re sure we’ve got the internal bleeding stopped.”
I go grab coffees and join my mom and George in the waiting room. “What did she do to get herself beat up like that?” George asks me.
“She rescued Katie Miller from her piece of shit husband.”
“What? How?”
“That’s her job. When women call the organization she works for, Georgia is one of the people who helps them get out and to a safe place. That’s why she wasn’t at the wedding. She was getting Katie to a safe place.”
“Oh my God, what a brave young woman she is,” my mom says with her hand over her heart.
“So, it was that shit-stain, Jim, who attacked my Georgie?”
Georgie? That’s new. And coming from her dad, I like it. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is. Things are in the works about getting him taken into custody.”
“How long have you known what she does?”
“A little over a week, I guess. But it wasn’t until I was at your place today and you were talking about Katie’s situation that I realized Georgia was going to be in that bastard’s crosshairs. Unfortunately, I went home with that knowledge and got heavy-handed with her. If I hadn’t…maybe we wouldn’t have had the fight, and she wouldn’t have gone to her apartment—”
My mom pats my shoulder. “And there is absolutely nothing you can do about what’s already happened. It’s what you do moving forward that counts.”
I nod in agreement, but I’m not convinced. I fucked up royally, and Georgia paid the price.
44
Georgia
I claw my way out of the dark fog. Bright light stings my eyes as I slowly lift my lids.
“Oh Georgie, thank God.”
I can’t remember the last time I’d been called Georgie, and I hardly recognize the man sitting at the edge of my bed, stroking my hand as my father.
I’ve never seen him looking anything less than put together. Dapper, even. Yet here he is, hair looking like it’s never seen a comb, no jacket or tie, his shirt partially untucked and the top two buttons undone. And facial scruff.
But, it’s the tear that escapes the corner of his eye and slides down the side of his face that’s the real shock. I’ve never seen him this emotional. Not even when my mom died. My father has always been a manly man. Never show weakness.
“I thought I’d lost you. Would never get a chance to—” He drops his head and holds my hand to his cheek.
I don’t know how to deal with this.
No, I just can’t deal with any of this right now. I close my eyes and let myself slide back into oblivion.
When I next wake up, my father is still sitting next to me, still stroking my hand. I have no idea how long he’s been there. But it makes me feel funny inside.
“Sweetheart, I’m so, so sorry. I’ve been a shitty father, and you deserve better, so much better. I don’t have a good excuse.”
My eyes start to drift shut, and I struggle to stay awake because I fear this is just a dream.
“Georgie, don’t fight it. You need your rest. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you wake up. I promise.”
I give in to the blackness again. The sound of hushed voices seeps through the thick fog inside my head.
I turn my head to see Frances and Heath standing by the door.
45
Heath
My mom meets me at the door when I return with tears in her eyes. “She woke up briefly. That’s a good sign, I’m sure. George is a wreck. He’s completely devastated and torn apart with guilt.”
Clenching my jaw, I hold back all the things I feel about this man right now because my mom doesn’t need to hear them.
“He’s not looking for sympathy, Heath. And
he’s doing a bang-up job of beating himself up. I just thought you need to know that he understands the extent to which he’s fucked up in his relationship with Georgia.”
Hearing my mom drop an F-bomb makes my breath catch. I can count the number of times I’ve heard that word cross her lips on one hand and not even need all the fingers.
As I walk through the door, I see she’s awake and I let out a small sigh of relief.
“Hey you,” I say as I walk toward her bed. Georgia looks over at me, and her face lights up despite the swelling and bruises.
I hold out one of the cups to George. “I got you some coffee.”
“Thanks,” he says as he gets up from his seat next to the bed and takes the cup from me. “I’ll leave you two alone for a bit. I could use a leg stretch along with the coffee.”
I take his seat and stroke the back of Georgia’s hand with my fingers. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I won’t ask how you’re feeling, because I think it’s pretty obvious.”
“Did they catch him?”
“Yeah. There’s security footage of him in the lobby, the elevator, and the hallway which shows him entering and leaving your apartment.” I don’t tell her you can also see his arm wind up for the punch before he goes in and the cocky swagger he has when he leaves. She doesn’t need that. “So, there’s no question he was there. I’ve been assured there’s plenty of forensic evidence to prove he was the one to assault you. The dumbass must have thought he wouldn’t get nailed. He made no effort to eliminate evidence.”
“Good. That means Katie will be safe.”
I nod but remain silent. Just because Miller is behind bars, that doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t have buds in blue on the lookout for Katie. I make a mental note to talk to Georgia when she’s feeling better about moving Katie somewhere out of the way for a while. My first thought is to send her to Dair. He’s the lowest profile of us all, and the most well-equipped to keep her safe.