by Anna Scott
Chapter 2
Shaking myself, coming back to reality, I stormed up to her front door and noticed flowers and a note on the porch. So angry, I wondered who the fuck had brought them to her, was she seeing someone?
I sure as hell hadn’t committed to her, but was furious that the little hellcat was getting attention from some other asshole. After we’d fucked that one and only time, she’d fallen asleep.
I slipped out the next morning, feeling like a dick, but had to get to work. Since then, she’d barely spoken to me. Even last night, nothing had happened, well, not much. I should have left a note, woken her, something, but I didn’t.
She lay in my arms all night and I slept like a baby for the first time in what felt like forever. Neither of us had tried for more. Since she’d passed out on the way, I knew she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make that kind of decision. I’d wanted to coax her, this morning.
All I’d wanted was to slip between her creamy white thighs and bury myself inside her. I loved morning sex, all sleepy and relaxed, but by the time I woke; she’d been gone. Was this some kind of payback? I’d tried to call her, to see her several times since that first night, to no avail. She avoided me and now, looking down at those fucking flowers, I thought that maybe I knew why.
I hit the doorbell and waited. After a couple of minutes, my curiosity got the better of me. I let the flowers be, but plucked up the note and read.
H-
Best watch yourself, baby. I’m always here. I know where you go, you fucking slut.
The hand that was holding the note started to shake, either in fear or rage, I wasn’t sure. Turning my head slightly, side to side, I scanned the street which appeared empty of people, but that old truck caught my attention again. Pulling out my cell, I made note of the license plate and continued my perusal. I didn’t see anything else outside of the ordinary.
Pressing the doorbell again, I waited impatiently for Hope. She parked in the garage, so I couldn’t be sure that she was here, but it was much too early for her to be at work unless an emergency had happened.
The door swung open to reveal an irritated and wet Hope. Wrapped in a large white towel, clearly she’d been in the shower. Her eyes blazed with anger.
“What do you want?” She spat at me, but my own anxiety was much too strong to allow her to stand in the open like this. A shadow obscured her in the dark confines of the house, but I didn’t want anyone to see her like this.
“What the fuck is this?” I asked, furiously shaking the note at her. “And those?” pointing down at the roses on her porch.
I watched closely, reading her reaction. The shock was prevalent as she looked down at them, but fear quickly took over. I didn’t wait for her answer, her face told me all I needed to know.
She knew something, and it was all bad. Moving into the doorway, I crowded her back, shielding her from view, grabbed the door and closed it, turning to carefully lock it and inspect the quality of her first line of defense.
The door was a decent one, the locks, however, were shit. They were the standard ones that came with the house, they hadn’t been upgraded or probably even changed. That was going to be fixed, today.
Turning back to face her, I needed some damn answers, and I wanted them immediately.
“Start talking, Hope.”
Shaking her head, she turned and began to walk to her bedroom.
“Stop,” my commanding bark was like a whip in the room. Her body instinctively halted, no movement was visible. “Tell me.”
“I need to get dressed. I have an early appointment.”
“I need to know what the fuck is going on.” Voice cold, fury evident, I would get the answers I needed, she would tell me about the fucking note.
Now, coming back to my right mind, I realized my error in touching the thing, in allowing Hope to touch it. Our guys would be able to distinguish the prints, but hopefully we hadn’t damaged any.
“I don’t know anything.” Her evasion was obvious. The tremor in her voice gave it all away. That certainly didn’t help my mood, but I wasn’t sure I’d get much out of her, I had to try.
Following after her as she walked into her room, I leaned up against the doorframe, positioning myself in such a way that it was obvious she wasn’t going anywhere unless I allowed it. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared her down, waiting. Eventually, she’d cave, she would, I was sure of it.
“Hope, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” Finally breaking the silence after several interminable minutes, I’d been watching her get dressed, watched her avoid eye contact with me. I knew that in her job, counseling women and children at the shelter, she must have some danger from angry exes, but this note seemed personal.
“There’s nothing to do, I’m fine, I’ll be just fine.” I could see her shoulders begin to shake. She was facing away from me, peering out the window; sightlessly gazing over the stillness of her backyard. Hope’s voice was resolute, though, determined. I didn’t know if she was trying to convince me, or herself.
Something drew me to her side; I needed to touch her, to hold her. I needed to comfort her and show her that I’d protect her. I couldn’t fail her, I’d failed Dylan and now Nolan, but I wouldn’t fail Hope.
Pressing into her back, I wrapped my arms around her. She jumped, almost like she’d forgotten that I was in still in the room. Leaning down, I spoke quietly into her ear.
“Shhh, sweetheart. I’m here, nothing is going to happen to you.” Obviously I wouldn’t be able to use my normal interrogation techniques to get Hope to spill, so I needed to improvise.
It wasn’t long before she pulled away from me, gave me the briefest of kisses on the cheek and moved to her bathroom to finish getting ready.
She needed time, she didn’t trust me enough yet to share what was going on with her, I wondered briefly if Luke knew. I didn’t text him, though I should have, but I hesitated since, he was probably still pissed about the night before.
Hope reemerged, beautiful as ever, and I had the inappropriate thought of pushing her against the wall again and destroying all her efforts. In truth, she was absolute perfection all the time, though timid right now, she was still radiant. She had apparently donned her work persona.
“Let me drive you.” The statement wasn’t so much a request as it was a demand and I allowed my tone to portray that.
I watched as Hope straightened her shoulders and pulled some imaginary shield of strength around her body. I was mesmerized by her, by her willpower and ability to move forward without falling apart. I knew that I could learn a lot from this woman.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m okay.” Voice tight and firm, I could hear her need to be in control. That was a need I knew all too well.
It wasn’t in my nature to capitulate, but I found myself doing just that, with stipulations of course.
“Fine, but before I go to work today, I want to improve your security here. Can I do that, at least?” Obviously I’d put in a lot more than she probably anticipated.
“My security is fine, I have motion lights at each corner, additional locks on each window and exterior door.”
“Please, let me do something. I can’t fail another person in my life right now.” Saying way more than I’d intended, her sharp eyes came up to meet mine and I could see the questions swimming in her head.
“I’ll admit, I am a bit nervous, so if you insist, go ahead and do that. What do you need from me?” Thankfully, she didn’t ask what I had planned, but I could tell that she wanted to.
“Can I have a key for today? I won’t go into work until three this afternoon, so I have all day, I’d like to focus on this and get it done.”
Nodding in agreement, she moved down the hall, retrieved the spare key from a key hook that was intelligently placed behind a picture frame. She was a very smart woman, I’d need to remember that, she wasn’t the standard badge bunny I was used to.
A few minutes of tense silence passed
before Hope left. My nerves were on high alert, but I tamped it down, called a buddy of mine and we got to work on Hope’s house.
Chapter 3
Hope
Punching the button on my steering wheel to accept the call ringing through the car’s speakers; I waited to see how my day could be messed up even more.
I’d left Jake’s house early this morning, knowing if I didn’t, we’d fall into bed again. The last thing I needed right now was another indiscriminate one-night or –morning stand.
Jake was an amazing guy, we had a ton of chemistry and he was awesome in the sack. The thing was, neither of us was in a position right now to start something up and I wasn’t the type of girl who had casual sex.
After getting up, I’d called a cab, gotten dressed and slipped out. I needed to get home and get ready for work anyway. There hadn’t been time for the heart-to-heart talk I didn’t want to have or any sex.
I had a feeling Jake would be irritated about my disappearing act, but I hadn’t done it to be rude, I’d just needed to go.
“Hello;” croaking into the phone, fear coursed through my body. As soon as I’d read the note in Jake’s shaking hand, I knew bad things were coming.
Tim wouldn’t be calling me, that wasn’t his style, but leaving notes on my door and flowers too, was definitely something he’d do. We’d broken up four years ago, I hadn’t heard anything from him in at least two, but with Tim, who knew what would set him off.
“Hope, how close are you?” Sherry, the director of Freedom House, the shelter for abused women and children, was on the line. It was unusual for her to call unless there was an emergency. In my line of work, emergencies weren’t uncommon.
“I’m about ten minutes away. Is everything all right?” Waiting on the line for her response, I began to mentally flick through my clients. I wondered if someone had a setback or if I had a new client who needed my immediate attention.
At Freedom House, we prided ourselves in caring for the whole woman or child, regardless of the situation. We helped them in all aspects of their lives. When someone was desperate enough to need our services, they usually needed to reinvent themselves wholly. An amazing team was available to help, pro-bono attorneys, financial experts, job coaches and counselors.
“It’s Vanessa Johnstone. She was attacked last night, she’s just come back here from the hospital, but she is really struggling.”
Pressing down harder on the gas pedal, I promised I’d be there as quickly as possible. There was something about Vanessa, a special connection I felt that was unexplainable.
I shouldn’t allow myself to form personal feelings for clients, I knew that, but I saw something in her, the haunted eyes, the resigned demeanor, she reminded me of who I used to be.
Being raised as the middle child of George and Elaine Lewis, I was constantly reminded that I would never measure up. My younger brother Christian had been perfect, just because he’d been born a boy. My older sister Faith was perfect, still was. Faith had the perfect husband and two perfect sons. My father raised us with his staunch moral code and my mother submitted to anything my father dictated.
Sadly, my younger brother died in a car accident when he was only seventeen. He’d been out with friends, he was drunk and drove into a tree, killing him instantly. My father’s already harsh and unfeeling manner had only gotten worse after the loss of his favorite child.
As soon as I could, I’d gotten out. Thankfully, winning several scholarships, I went to Ole’ Miss, instead of the University of Texas as my dad had wanted. I loved it there, had found my place in the world. Most importantly, I’d gotten out from under my father’s iron control and learned that I loved to help people.
I’d also met Tim there. Tim Johnson was my boyfriend for three years. Things were good in the beginning, he was sweet, overly solicitous and kind. Not long into the relationship, though, his mannerisms changed, slowly.
Looking back, I could pinpoint the changes, could see the man for what he truly was; a controlling jerk – much like my father. Our relationship had ended one horrifying night, I hated thinking about it, but sometimes, seeing the people I helped now, brought me back to that dark time.
In the sitting area just outside my office, I found Tina, one of the local victim’s advocates, sitting with Vanessa. They were speaking in hushed tones, and Vanessa was visibly shaken. I could see the bruises and abrasions on her body, but it was the injuries I couldn’t see that worried me the most. The emotional damage that abuse did was far reaching and lasted for years; sometimes for life.
After settling myself in the office, I went back to invite Vanessa in. Tina had seen me walk in and was expecting me to return. With a troubled smile, she shook my hand, we exchanged a quick greeting, and I ushered Vanessa into my office.
Once behind the closed doors, I sat near enough that I could be a comfort if Vanessa needed, but far enough not to crowd her or cause her stress.
Vanessa had escaped her abusive husband almost six weeks ago; coming in one night after being assisted by the doctor in the emergency room. She’d been able to slip out a back door and into a waiting car before her husband was the wiser.
Vanessa explained what had happened yesterday; she had a job interview and before heading back wanted to grab a coffee. She’d run into her husband. It seemed like the meeting was a fluke though I didn’t believe in coincidence. He didn’t work in that part of the city and shouldn’t have been there at that time.
He’d grabbed her so quickly and roughly right there on the street that she was too afraid to call out for help. He’d gotten her around the corner and into a secluded alleyway before anyone was the wiser.
Thankfully he’d been interrupted by a Good Samaritan before he could do any serious physical damage. Vanessa’s emotional state was my biggest concern. She was now afraid to go out, worried that she’d run into him again. He’d shouted some horrible accusations at her, just hearing some of the words he’d spoken caused my brain to relive similar experiences in my own past.
The hour with her ran long, which wasn’t unusual in that type of situation and we scheduled appointments for each day that week. I wouldn’t force her to stay the entire hour, if she was doing better, but wanted to touch bases with her just in case.
Clients came in back to back after that, I didn’t have a minute to breathe until after four. I always kept windows in my schedule for emergencies like the one with Vanessa, or drop-ins when someone was struggling and needed my help.
With the craziness of the day, I’d skipped lunch, hadn’t checked my phone and had almost forgotten about the creepy note on my porch that morning. There was no doubt in my mind that it was from Tim. He was the only one who would do that.
Grabbing the cell from my top desk drawer, I skimmed through the missed calls and texts. Most were from Jake, checking that I arrived safely, letting me know he was finished with the security upgrade and finally asking me to check in with him when I had a chance.
Every one of my friends knew how my days often went crazy, so I didn’t expect any serious worry in his voice. The message from Aurora surprised me though. Jake must have said something to Luke and Luke had obviously told Aurora. She sounded worried.
Hitting the button to call her, I looked up, as the door to my office opened. I ended the call before she answered.
Missy stood there, hesitantly. She was a sweet girl, just fifteen, staying here with her mother. They’d escaped the abuse of her father just over three months ago. Missy struggled with her weight and her self-esteem, but I could see the light beginning to enter her eyes, finally.
Standing to greet the young girl, I moved around my desk to join her in the sitting area. She preferred the bright yellow armchair that Aurora had found for me. She had called it the sunshine chair, telling me that my clients would have to feel better just by looking at it. She wasn’t wrong, many people found strength in it.
My office was a strange mix since I dealt with children ranging from the very yo
ung to teenage, as well as adult women. I had two sitting areas and a play area for the little ones. Generally, with younger children, they were better able to express themselves if they played while we talked.
Missy’s difficulty today, occupied me until after six. I wouldn’t ever leave a client if they didn’t feel comfortable with our session ending. Sometimes they had to pause and come back later in the day, but I would always stay late if they needed me. Missy had just needed to talk.
Finally driving toward my house, I remembered Aurora’s earlier message and retrieved my phone to call her back. She expressed her worry for me, extended an invitation for me to stay with them for a while and offered to come stay with me since I’d resisted.
I promised her that I would come if I didn’t feel safe, but that Jake had increased the security on my house today, so I was sure I’d be all right at home. She was assuaged for now. Hanging up as I pulled into my garage, I made a point to look around for anything suspicious and glanced extra-long at my front porch. Nothing.
As always, I let the garage door close completely before I left my car. The house was quiet, of course, no one was here. I found a note from Jake on the counter giving me all the details.
He’d installed security cameras on the outside of my house, put in a more sensitive alarm system and changed the locks on all my outside doors. Grabbing my phone once again, I sent a quick text, thanking him for the work, asking what I owed him and apologizing for not getting back to him earlier.
This day from hell was done, I wanted to eat, veg out in front of the TV and go to bed early.
Some hours later, I’d started dozing, but the ringing phone next to me on the couch jerked me awake. News, sports highlights were blaring on the TV.