by Marla Monroe
“I’ll cut your throat if you don’t be still. All you whores are the same. They fight. Then they love it when I fuck them. You won’t be any different. Now be still so I don’t have to hurt you,” he said with a menacing growl.
All Libby could think about was her baby and protecting it. She whimpered then drew in air and screamed. He slapped his hand over her mouth with a solid sting.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Before she knew what he was going to do, he tore off her panties and stuffed them into her mouth. A new level of fear had her heart nearly punching its way out of her chest. Where were the police? The lady on the phone said they were on their way.
“Don’t even try to pull those out or I’ll cut you real slow,” he said, holding the knife at her neck and pricking the skin so that she felt a trickle of blood run down her skin.
He shoved her gown up. Libby could see the shadows of his face from the nightlight she had in the room to help her navigate when she needed the bathroom. He looked huge, and his features appeared craggy in the dim light. Again every nightmare of her youth scrolled before her eyes but with adult fears now. She had to protect her baby. If going along with him would prevent him from hurting the glorious new life inside her, she’d do it. Somehow, she’d do it.
He grabbed her breast and squeezed painfully, Libby screamed behind the gag then tried pushing him off. He retaliated by nicking her throat with the sharp tip of the knife again. This time it felt worse. She gasped then gagged with the material in her mouth.
Finally the sounds of sirens reached her ears. It wasn’t until they drew nearer that the man realized they were probably heading to her building.
“You called the cops, didn’t you? I’ll make you pay for that,” he yelled just before he buried the knife into her chest.
Chapter Seven
Levi groaned and rolled over to grab the phone off the bedside table. It rang insistently until he finally managed to answer it and croak out a hello.
“Levi?” The feminine voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it in his sleepy haze.
“Yeah?”
“This is Janice. I’m Libby’s friend. Do you remember me?” she asked.
“Um, yeah.” Then fear heated his blood, and he sat up. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Libby?”
“I’m at the hospital. Someone broke in and attacked her. She’s in surgery. I knew you needed to know.”
“What hospital? We’re on our way.” He listened as she gave him the name and general direction to the surgical waiting room.
Levi wasn’t even sure if he said bye before he hit End and dropped the phone on the bed to pull on his jeans and grab a shirt before banging on his brother’s door and sticking his head in.
“Wake the fuck up, Devin. Libby’s hurt. We’ve got to get to the hospital.” He didn’t wait on his brother to get up. Instead, Levi pulled on the T-shirt and started lacing up his work boots while he waited on his brother to dress, as well.
“What the hell happened?” Devin demanded when he joined Levi in the living room to finish putting on his boots.
“Someone broke in on Libby, and she’s in surgery right now. I don’t know anything else. Her friend Janice called me. I guess Libby gave her our number at some point. I don’t know, she might have gotten it from Libby’s phone. All I know for sure is that she’s hurt.”
“I’m ready, let’s go.” Devin strode across the room toward the door.
It took them nearly thirty minutes to make it to the hospital where Libby was possibly fighting for her life. Levi felt his gut churning worse than the water beneath a waterfall. He felt sick then anxious as they walked into the surgical waiting room to find Janice and her fiancé sitting in one corner.
“What happened?” he demanded as soon as they reached the couple.
“From what the policeman said, someone broke in and she called the police then hid in a closet. The man found her there and pulled her out. She fought him evidently because she had a couple of small nicks on her neck from a knife. They think that once he heard the sirens he panicked and stabbed her before getting away.”
“He stabbed her?” Devin yelled. He stabbed her and he got away?”
“Hold it down, man,” Levi said, clapping his brother on the shoulder.
“That bastard is still out there.” Devin pulled at his hair.
“Libby is the most important thing right now, man,” Levi reminded him.
“Where did he stab her?” Levi asked.
“In the chest, but I don’t know where or how serious it is. They said the surgeon would be out once they finished and let us know how she’s doing,” Janice told them.
“Did they know she’s pregnant?” Devin asked.
“Yes. I made sure they knew as soon as I found out what was happening. They called me because I’m listed as her contact in her medical records. They said they’d contact her obstetrician to check her over, as well.” Janice burrowed into her fiancé’s arms.
“I knew she needed to move in with us. This settles it,” Devin said. “We’re moving her in as soon as she’s able to come home. I’m not letting her spend another night alone.”
“I doubt she’ll put up much of a fight after this,” Janice told them. “She was already thinking about it after we looked at the last apartment.”
Levi sighed in relief. He didn’t want Devin’s overbearing personality to push her away when he demanded she move in. He hoped he could convince his brother to let him do the talking. When Devin’s emotions were running high, he tended to steamroll over anyone in his way. Levi didn’t want Libby to change her mind thinking that living with them would mean losing herself.
Another thirty minutes went by before the door opened and a tall man dressed in surgical scrubs walked into the room. He looked around and called out, “Libby Randle’s family?”
They all stood and walked over to the man.
“That’s us,” Devin said.
“She’s out of surgery and stable. The knife nicked her pericardium but missed all the major organs. As long as she doesn’t end up with pericarditis from an infection she should be fine. The nicks on her neck were all minor and didn’t require stitches. She’s a very lucky young woman,” he said.
“When can we see her?” Levi asked.
“She’s in recovery right now. Then she’s going to spend at least one night in ICU to be sure she’s stable enough to go to a room. Once she’s settled into the unit the nurses will allow you to see her for five minutes, two at a time. She needs rest, so don’t try and wake her up.”
“What about the baby?” Devin asked.
“The baby is fine. Her obstetrician will check her closer in the morning, but all indications is that the baby didn’t suffer any injury or loss of blood or oxygen. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about there. The only worry right now is infection.” The surgeon asked if there were any further questions then nodded and turned away.
Once they were alone again, Janice broke down and cried in her man’s arms while Devin and Levi relaxed for the first time since they’d heard.
“I’m going to get coffee for everyone. I’ll be back,” Devin said.
Levi nodded. They could all use some, he was sure. It was going to be a long night. He checked his phone and cursed. It was already nearly two in the morning. They’d have to rearrange their plans for the next day. The crew could handle things for one day. They were only a phone call away should the crew run up on something they needed direction from them.
When Devin returned with coffee for all of them, Levi finally set down and sipped the barely palatable liquid. If nothing else it would help clear his brain. He still couldn’t believe their Libby had been attacked. She lived on the second floor on an inside hall. Why had the bastard chosen her apartment of all the ones in the building? Why not a first-floor apartment? It ate at him that he hadn’t been there to protect her.
“I can see your mind cranking
“I worry about how she’s going to come out of this,” Levi admitted. “Things like this change a person. What if she’s so frightened she won’t want to stay alone? One of us will need to spend the day with her there at the house. I think we can manage that with some juggling of projects.”
“Our girl isn’t weak. She’ll be fine. You’ll see,” Devin told him.
After thirty minutes or so a nurse walked into the room and called for them. She said that Libby was resting and that two of them could go back at a time for five minutes.
“Don’t try and wake her up. She needs the rest right now. She’ll wake up tomorrow, and you can talk to her then. Right now the best thing she can have is a healing sleep. Please wash your hands at the station indicated before you go inside. We don’t want any chance that she ends up with an infection.”
“You two should go first,” Janice said.
“Thanks,” Levi told her.
He and Devin followed the nurse to the back, stopping at the handwashing station and scrubbing their hands well. They didn’t want to be the cause of anything that would keep her in the hospital any longer than was necessary.
Levi’s first look at their woman nearly took him to his knees. She was hooked up to machines that beeped and whirled. Her already pale skin seemed paper thin and white against the pale blue sheets. He was afraid to touch her but took his brother’s cue and clutched her hand while Devin grasped the other one.
“She’s so pale,” Devin whispered across her.
“I know. All these machines hooked up to her make her look like she’s on death’s door. I don’t like this, man.” Levi couldn’t stop looking at them.
Five minutes were over quicker than they’d have liked. They each kissed her on the cheek then returned to the waiting room so that Janice could go back. When she returned, she was crying. She buried her face into her fiancé’s chest, choking as she tried to speak.
“She looks so tiny and helpless in that bed. I can’t stand to see her like that,” she finally got out.
“She’s strong. She’ll be fine in no time,” Levi told her. “We’re going to be sure she’s safe from now on.” He struggled with the knowledge that they’d nearly lost her.
“I don’t like it that the bastard got away. He’ll just do it to someone else,” Devin said.
“The cops said that she saw his face and will be able to identify him when he’s caught,” Janice told them.
Levi and Devin exchanged looks. That would put her in even more danger. The bastard would realize she could identify him and might want to finish the job he’d started on her. No fucking way, Levi thought.
I’ll kill the fucker myself if he comes anywhere close to our woman.
When he caught his brother’s eyes, he saw the same grim determination there. They wouldn’t let her out of their sight. Hopefully the man wouldn’t know where she’d gone when she disappeared from her apartment. Until then, one of them would stay with her at the hospital until she was released to keep her safe.
* * * *
Libby woke to find herself in a hospital room, the smells alerting her to it before she actually opened her eyes. Her first thought was the baby. Her eyes whipped open, and she felt her belly, only slightly comforted that she still had a little bump there.
“She’s awake, Levi.” Devin’s husky voice had her jerking her head to the side to see the handsome man stand and cross over to her.
“Honey, how do you feel? Are you in any pain?” Levi asked from the other side of her.
“What about the baby? Is the baby okay?” she asked in a choked voice.
“The baby is fine, and so are you,” Levi soothed.
“You gave us a scare though. Are you in any pain?” Devin asked again.
“Not really. My chest hurts a little bit but not enough to take anything. Did they catch him? The man who attacked me?” she asked.
“No. They didn’t. They’re hoping you can give them an idea of what he looks like. He’s done this in the past, but the victims didn’t live to give a description of him,” Devin said.
“Oh…my…God. He was going to kill me?” Libby felt waves of fear rush over her at the knowledge that she’d barely escaped with her life.
“You’re safe now, babe,” Devin said. “We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Do you feel up to talking to the policeman now? They’ve been posted outside your room waiting for you to wake up,” Levi said.
“Yes. I want him caught before he hurts someone else,” she assured him.
Swirling emotions sent her pulse throbbing in her veins and in her throat. She felt as if she were on a merry-go-round and too afraid to jump off.
Devin walked across the room to speak to someone just outside the door. When he returned, a policeman accompanied him to her bed.
“Ma’am. How are you feeling?” the man asked.
“I’m okay. Sore and a little anxious, but I’m alive,” she admitted.
“Can you tell me exactly what happened from the beginning?” he asked.
Libby recounted the entire incident up until she’d passed out when he’d stabbed her. She couldn’t even remember the pain of it, just that she’d known that was what he’d done. Thank God for small favors. Remembering that pain might have been too much for her to take.
“Do you think that if we got a sketch artist in you could give him a description of the man?” the policeman asked.
“I can try. Honestly, it was so dark even with the night light that I’m not sure I can help, but I’m willing to try,” she said.
“Good. I’ll have someone out this afternoon if that’s okay.”
“That would be fine. I’m not going anywhere,” she quipped.
Once the policeman had gone, Devin took her hand and pulled it to his lips. “Do you need anything, babe?”
“Some water would be great. My mouth is dry,” she said.
He held her cup up, and she sipped through the straw. Libby groaned when she shifted in bed to reach the straw. Now she could tell she’d been stabbed in the chest. Pain radiated from the area.
“Are you okay? Do you need the nurse?” Levi asked, reaching for her hand.
“No. I just moved too fast. I’m fine.” The two men were going to smother her with their attention if she didn’t get them to relax.
“I think I need a nap, guys,” she said.
“That’s a good idea. Your obstetrician came by earlier and assured us that the baby is fine. He said he’d be back later this afternoon to check on you,” Levi told her.
“Good. Wake me up if I’m asleep. I want to talk to him this time,” she said. She needed to hear it with her own ears that the baby was fine and nothing had affected it.
The guys scooted chairs closer to her bed and each took one hand in theirs while she struggled to relax and catch a little sleep. Unfortunately, that wasn’t as easy as she’d expected it to be. All she could think about was those harrowing minutes when she’d been fighting for her life in her apartment. If she hadn’t had enough presence of thought to call 911 as soon as she’d heard the noise, she’d have been just as dead as the other victims.
Reliving the event over and over kept her awake and trembling. Even with the two men holding her hands, Libby couldn’t stop the shakes from taking over.
“What is it, babe? You’re shaking like a leaf,” Devin said, leaning toward her.
“I can’t stop thinking about what happened. It just keeps replaying in my head over and over.”
Levi leaned forward, as well. “Don’t worry about it ever happening again, hon. We’re moving you in with us, and you’ll be safe. We have the best security system you can get, and one of us will always be with you in case you need something.”
“But you have to work. You can’t babysit me all day every day, guys,” she protested.
“Sure we can. We own our own business. We can do anything we want to do. We’ll take turns working and staying home with you. There’s plenty of work we can do from the house, so we won’t be slacking off entirely,” Devin said with a wicked grin. “Plus, we’ll get to spend time with you.”
She couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed over her face. The thought of spending more time with them brightened the otherwise dim day for her. Still, she hated that they were altering their lives for her. They had worked too hard to start their business and had it really prospering for them now. She didn’t want to derail their vision.
“I’ll be fine in the house without one of you always being there. You can both still work without worrying about me. I’m not even going to fight you about moving in with you. I probably should have already done it, but I’m so afraid of losing myself if I let you take over everything.” Libby smoothed the wrinkles from the covers, avoiding their eyes.
Devin reached over and lifted her chin with two fingers until she had no choice but to look him in the eyes.
“We won’t smother you, Libby. We’ll be there if you need us and make sure you’re safe and healthy, but we won’t try and boss you around all the time. Not unless it’s for your health or safety. I promise.” Devin leaned over and brushed her lips with a gentle kiss.
“Your happiness is the most important thing to us besides keeping you healthy and safe, Libby,” Levi said. “If we come on too strong, just tell us. Get our attention and make sure we know that we need to back off. We’re hardheaded, but we’ll listen to you.”
Libby couldn’t help but laugh. “Hardheaded is putting it lightly.”
Devin frowned. “I’m not hardheaded.”
She and Levi both huffed out a breath and coughed at that. Devin scowled at them. Libby couldn’t help the giggle escaping, but it turned into a groan as it jarred her wound.
“Easy, babe. Don’t move around like that and hurt yourself.” Devin pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Try to get some rest until that sketch artist shows up.”
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