Three years into my marriage and I was well accustomed to the verbal abuse Michael used to throw my way. For some reason, I never thought to fight back. I don’t know why but I never did. As a lawyer, I could have put him in his place, but I never thought about it. There was something taboo in the thought of going against my husband.
For this reason, as my career raised in status so too did the violence that Michael incurred on me. By the end of our fifth year together he wasn’t just verbally abusing me, but physically abusing me as well. He was smart to keep the violence to parts of my body I could hide with clothing.
He would bruise my arms and then force me to wear a long-sleeved shirts, even in the summer. I became very good at coming up with excuses. It seemed no one would ever notice my silent pleas for help that I was slowly dropping. It seemed like no one cared about me.
What I didn’t know was that I was close to my breaking point.
Chapter 2
One day, I remember it was a cold day in the middle of December. Everyone around me seemed jolly from the Christmas joy running around, but I was miserable. I felt unwanted and hurt.
If I had a bad day at work I had nowhere to run to because if I went home Michael would just make my life a living hell. To be frank, I was not very happy, but what was I supposed to do? Like so many other women who were going through what I was going through I put a smile on my face and tried to act like nothing was wrong.
It was my day off and I was home alone cooking dinner. I had never been a very good cook. I could get by, but I was never a world-class chief like some of my friends. Either way, I was decent.
Michael never came home for dinner. I assumed he was working late on some case. Eventually, around midnight he came home and he came home with a vengeance. He was angry, very angry, and I was the one to feel that wrath.
By that time, I was already in bed, with a book in my hands. I was enjoying my time alone, a little slice of peacefulness in my otherwise dark and dreary days.
Michael suddenly rushed into the room. He was like a violent storm raining down on my Eden. I didn’t have time to react before he snatched the book out of my hands and threw it away. He roughly pulled me out of bed.
I whimpered in pain as he did this, as his hands wrapped around my arms like a vice grip. He was hurting me, but like always, I didn’t find myself capable of fighting back. I don’t know what came over me every time he got abusive, but it was like I was some other person: a damsel in distress who could do nothing but sit back and take his abuse.
And that’s exactly what I did that night. He was angry at so many different things. He was angry at work. He was angry at the city for giving him a parking ticket. He was angry at me for leaving him a crappy dinner. All of this hatred was concentrated into his fists which now rained down upon me.
Unlike all the other times, he didn’t seem to care where the blows fell he just wanted to use me as a human punching bag. So he continued to punch and punch until I was nothing more than a sobbing mess on the ground.
When his anger had finally settled down he gave me one last kick and left the room. Michael had never been that violent before and it scared me. I no longer knew what he was capable of. I heard the front door close and his car start and after a few minutes I knew he was gone. I knew I had to do something. I knew I couldn’t keep living my life like this.
Chapter 3
With shaky hands, I finally did what I should have done at the beginning of his abuse. I dialed 911 and told them about my abusive relationship. It was hard to admit that I had allowed myself to fall into it, that I hadn’t asked for help sooner but the 911 dispatcher sounded sympathetic and I was grateful for that. She assured me that two police officers would be on their way and that I should stay put for the time being. I did as I was told, praying Michael wouldn’t come back before the police arrived.
******
Sean and Carter sat in their police cruiser together. It had been a slow day. They had been inactive for the past hour and while they were glad the city was peaceful they were getting anxious for some action. Suddenly a new assignment came in.
Carter sighed when he heard that the assignment dealt with domestic abuse. He hated low-life men who hit on women. To him, they were the scum of the earth who picked on women just to prove their dominance. It was sickening.
“C’mon we have to save this poor girl, there’s no telling what kind of condition she could be in.” Sean’s voice was full of compassion. He was sincerely worried for this woman and prayed that she was okay. Carter nodded and flipped on their police siren.
Sean put the car into gear and shot off toward the given address. He hoped they would reach the residence before the husband returned. He hoped to get the woman to safety before anything messy happened. With this thought coursing through his mind his grip of the steering wheel tightened and he accelerated just a little bit more.
******
I remember sitting there. I was hugging my knees and reciting prayers I hadn’t said since I was a little girl. I thought of my mother and father then. Were they looking down at me from Heaven? I wasn’t sure, but I seriously doubted there was a God then. If there was, why would he have let Michael abuse me? Had I deserved it?
As I evaluated my life in this way a part of me started to blame myself for the whole thing. Maybe it was my fault Michael was so angry. Maybe I was a bad wife and I had caused this to happen. I bit my lip and started to cry as the image of myself became bleaker and bleaker. I hugged my knees tighter.
I jumped suddenly when there was a knock on the door. I was upstairs, but the hard knock was easy to hear.
“This is the police. Please open up.” The loud, gruff voice sounded through my home and with shaky limbs I got up. As I walked downstairs, I passed a mirror. I could see bruises already starting to form on my face and grimaced. I wouldn’t be able to go to work for a while.
“This is the police! Open up or we will be forced to break down this door!” The gruff voice called out again.
“I…I’m… coming!” I tried to yell out, but I felt like my voice was nothing more than a whisper. I managed to reach the door before they broke it down.
The two cops looked down at me and I could see pity in their eyes. The dark-eyed one suddenly took me into his arms and whispered, “Oh you poor thing… c’mon let’s take care of you okay? Do you have any serious injuries?” His voice was sweet and compassionate. I liked him already.
I nodded and allowed him to lead me into the living room. I didn’t like that they were going to keep me in the house. I wanted to leave. What if Michael came back? What would happen then? I was afraid, but I tried to stay calm as the officers looked me over for any major injuries. They found none.
The dark-eyed cop sat down with me as the blue-eyed one disappeared into the house. I didn’t know what he was going to do, but I figured it was a part of his job and let him be. I looked at the dark-eyed cop now as he offered me a warm smile. I wanted to take his smile and wrap it around my abused body, but I couldn’t.
“I am Officer Sean O’Riley, may I ask you some questions?” He asked, looking at me. I nodded.
“Good. Thank you. First off, who did this to you?” I hesitated, but I knew I had to be honest. I had already called the cops. I had already condemned my husband. There was no point in defending him any longer. I had to think of myself and my own happiness for once.
“M…my husband.”
“And is this the first time he has done this to you?” Sean asked after writing down my answer. I shook my head. “How long has it been going on for?” I thought back.
“About a year at the earliest… but it’s been six months since he has gotten physical with me…” My voice was low and depressed. I didn’t like admitting this. I felt ashamed I had let it go on for so long but when I looked into his warm eyes I was gratified to see he wasn’t judging me at all, instead he seemed to only sympathize with me. I started to trust him.
“And what happened toni
ght?” I recounted the night’s events as best I could. It had been blurry, but I managed to give him something he could work with. A few more minutes passed as he asked me a few more minor questions.
“One last question: Where is your husband now?” I looked at him and thought for a moment.
“I…I’m not really sure… If I had to make a guess… I would say he is at the bar… he goes there when he is angry…” I picked at my nails in nervousness. A part of me didn’t want to rat out my husband, but another part of me wanted to see him rot in hell.
Sean nodded before grabbing one of the blankets on the couch and draping it over my shoulders. “Anything I can do for you?” He asked, a kind look on his face. I took a moment now to look at him. He looked Irish with his dark eyes, his dark hair, and his pale skin. He had long hair that was wavy and full. It looked soft to the touch and a part of me wanted to run my fingers through it. He was definitely attractive. I wondered if he had a family of his own and if they were worried about him, working as an officer.
I shook my head and we continued to sit there.
“By the way, I never caught your name miss.”
“B…Brooklyn.” I smiled softly at him and he smiled back.
“I like that.”
At that moment, his partner came back with an ice pack and a cup of tea. I hadn’t heard him in the kitchen. He was quiet. I was grateful, however, when I felt the warm cup of tea in my hands. As I sipped the warm liquid he gently placed the ice pack on my temple, where I had received my most serious blow. I winced a little.
“I’m sorry… I know it must hurt, but it will keep down the swelling.” His voice was gruff and more masculine than his partner’s.
“Brooklyn, this is Officer Carter Mathews, he has been my partner for eight years now.” Carter smiled down at me. He seemed to be a gentle giant and I smiled back.
“The house is clear, let’s just get her out of here.” Carter looked serious as he looked at Sean. His partner nodded, about to get up when there was a fumbling at the door.
Chapter 4
Michael was drunkenly trying to open up the front door. Sean and Carter moved quickly once they heard the noise. Sean grabbed me and placed me behind him protectively, as he hid in the corner of the living room, out of sight. Carter, on the other hand, grabbed his gun from his belt and walked slowly toward the door.
I was a little scared they would shoot Michael, but I was too frightened to do anything but hold on to Sean, who was doing his best to keep me calm. Once Carter disappeared from sight, I strained my ears to try and hear was going on.
I could hear Carter heading for the door. I could hear Michael fumbling with the lock. I held my breath and the moment seemed to last an eternity. Finally, the door opened and Michael stumbled inside.
He quickly came face to face with Officer Mathews. Michael was a little shell shocked when he saw the well-built officer standing in his home. In his drunken state he had completely forgotten about the wife he had beaten a few hours ago.
I strained to hear something, but there wasn’t a sound to be heard. The two men stared at each other for a moment before Carter stepped into action. In an instant, Michael was pinned against the wall, with his hands handcuffed behind his back.
“You are under arrest for the domestic abuse you have bestowed upon your wife. Anything you say will be used against you.”
“Who told you that? That whore? She is a lying whore! You can’t believe her! I am innocent!” Carter pressed him firmly into the wall. He really hated scum like this. “Tell it to the judge,” Carter said simply.
I then heard the front door open and close again. Carter must have brought Michael outside to their cop car. I was relieved. I started to cry as I realized what had just happened. I was finally free.
Chapter 5
After that night, my whole life changed. Sean brought me to the police station where I explained my situation. As it stood I was going to lose everything. Everything was in Michael’s name and I owned nothing. I didn’t own the car, or the house, or even my wages since everything was in Michael’s name. I was bound to end up on the streets.
Sean and Carter pitied me and although it was unprofessional, they offered me to let me stay at their home. They lived together and had a pretty nice home in a suburb close to where I used to live.
I soon found myself feeling right at home and they were amazing people to live with. They helped me get back on my feet and gave me a sense of security that bad men like Michael wouldn’t hurt me anymore. For a long time in my life, I was happy. They promised I could stay with them until the trial was over.
******
The trial seemed to last forever. Even though the two men promised it would be quick, it lasted a long time. Michael had connections with some of the best lawyers in town, and so did I and it was a very long and trying battle, but in the end I won.
The day the trial ended, I was excited. Michael would finally be punished for everything he had ever done to me. As he rotted away in prison he would get what he deserved.
This was six months after the initial arrest and I had gotten very close to Officer O’Riley and Officer Mathews during this time. So when I came home I was excited to tell them the good news. They hadn’t been able to attend the trial since they were at work but when I walked in the door it was the first thing they asked.
I told them about Michael’s sentence and about how they would compensate me for all damages Michael had caused me. The men were ecstatic. It was time to celebrate.
So we opened up a bottle of champagne and drank to the start of my new life. Now, let me just admit one thing. When I drink, I tend to be very open with my feelings. Otherwise, I tend to keep them hidden so when we spent the night drinking, I started to become very open.
“I can’t thank you guys enough…” My speech was not yet slurred, but it was clear I was intoxicated. I still had my state of mind, I was a little more liberal with my feelings and body.
“Don’t mention it,” Carter said, looking at me. Sean smiled and nodded.
“No… but seriously… you guys opened up your home to me. That’s really sweet… I mean it… I want to thank you guys…” Before I knew that was happening I was leaning toward Sean. Our lips collided into a passionate kiss and to my surprise Sean kissed me back.
He eventually let me go and looked into my eyes with a smile. I got up and sat in Carter’s lap. “I didn’t forget about you!” I said with a giggle before kissing Carter on the lips. He was a little stiffer than Sean, but he still kissed me back before long.
“W…would it be awkward if I said that I find both of you incredibly attractive?” My cheeks burned a bright red as I admitted this. I could feel the embarrassment course through my veins. Why would I say something like that? I felt like an idiot.
Sean, who was more intoxicated than his lumberjack, blue eyed, roommate giggled suddenly. “I find you attractive too Brook! You are very beautiful… and Carter does too!” He seemed very excited to be telling me this and I smiled happily.
“R… Really? You mean it?” Carter looked at me and nodded with a serious look on his face. Carter usually had a serious look on his face, it was just how he was.
******
Before I knew it, we had all migrated from the living room into Sean’s room. He had the biggest bed and it seemed appropriate now as all three of us plopped down on the bed. Carter wrapped his arms around me protectively as Sean played with my hair.
“Are you sure you want to do this sweetheart?” Sean looked into my eyes, searching for an answer. I nodded immediately. I didn’t just find the officers attractive, I also found them incredibly sweet, sincere, and kind. I knew, at that moment that I loved them and that I wanted them.
“I do, people have threesomes all the time right?” Sean giggled and nodded.
“Carter and I always end up liking the same girl. This is the first time the girl has been willing to be with both of us!” I then felt Carter gently kiss my neck. I co
uld feel the shivers run down my spine. It was strange how he was such a brute of a man, but he seemed now to be such a sweet lover.
“Of course, you two definitely work better as a pair.” I said honestly and the two men chuckled. “So are we just going to stare at each other all day or…?”
It was interesting how the confidence I always had in the courtroom now came out whenever I was around the officers. Something about them would bring out the true me and I loved it.
I gently pulled Carter’s arms off me and rolled over onto Sean when I kissed him quickly. I looked over at Carter and said, “If you take off your clothes for me big guy, I’ll give you a treat.” I winked at him and I saw his cheeks redden in surprise. I watched as he started to undress before I turned my attention back to Sean. I kissed him again as Carter undressed.
ROMANCE: BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: Completely Obsessed (Bad boy Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult and College Contemporary Romance) Page 49