“They’re taking him down to county jail.” My gaze snapped to hers. “He assaulted someone and—”
“Knox.” I sniffled, trying with all my might to keep my control, but it was no use. My lips trembled and tears streamed down my face. “He…he…”
The woman nodded. “I know.” She slid her gaze to the side, bit down on her bottom lip, then stared back at me. “We need to get you to the hospital. Is it okay if I take you?”
I inhaled a deep breath and turned my head to look at my open apartment door. The room was completely empty apart from me and Jenette, and although she didn’t make me feel safe in the way Asher did, I thought I’d be okay with her. But I couldn’t get my muscles to work. My body refused to move.
“I…” I closed my eyes, trying to imagine Asher’s face so I’d have the inspiration to get up. Maybe just the thought of him would give me the strength I needed. “I…I’m scared.”
“You’ll be safe with me,” Jenette whispered, and I opened my eyes to look at her. “I promise.” She glanced at my legs, then back at my face. “Let’s get your jeans pulled up and then we can slowly go to my car, okay?” I wanted to tell her it wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. All I needed was for Asher to be beside me. All I wanted was for him to wrap me in his arms and tell me he was there no matter what. All I needed was—
“You can take your time.” She tilted her head to the side. “As long as it takes you.”
I pulled in a deep breath and winced from the pain in my chest. I wasn’t sure whether it was physical or mental, but I knew something wasn’t right. Counting to ten didn’t work, and neither did pretending Asher was right beside me. I was scared I’d never get out of this apartment. The apartment which was now full of bad memories. No. Bad wasn’t the right word. Awful. Catastrophic. Unforgettable. Those were the right words to describe what this apartment was now.
My heart hammered in my chest as I slowly moved onto my knees, and I choked on a sob when I looked down and saw smeared blood on my inner thighs. “I…I can’t.” I shook my head and squeezed my eyes closed. I was afraid I’d fall apart, and I knew if I did, I’d never be able to put myself back together again. I’d been through so much, but nothing—nothing—compared to this.
“Let me help you,” I heard Jenette say, and all I could do was nod. I couldn’t open my eyes because I was petrified what else I would see. “I’m going to take hold of your hands and help you into a standing position, okay?”
I bit down on my bottom lip and just about managed to give her a small nod. I shivered as her palm met mine, and every fiber of my being wanted to snap my hand away from hers, but she was trying to help me. She was trying to get me out of this apartment, and that was exactly what I wanted.
“That’s it, Elodie.” She pulled on my hands and my muscles finally came to life. I swayed right and left as I stood on shaky feet, but I was no longer on the floor. I could run away from her, from this, from what had happened. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen. I couldn’t go the rest of my life running from Knox.
“I’m going to pull your jeans up now.”
I held my breath as she pulled them over my hips, and my hands whipped out to stop her. “I…I can do it now,” I murmured, but I still didn’t open my eyes. I kept them squeezed shut as I fiddled for the button and zip, then did them up. My head pounded with each little move I made, but it was nothing compared to the stinging between my legs.
“Let’s get you out of here and to the hospital, yeah?” Jenette said.
I took another breath, trying to prepare myself. “Okay.”
“Want me to lead you out?”
I shook my head and slowly opened my eyes, trying not to concentrate on anything in the apartment. But it was no use because my gaze slid right to the floor where Knox had held me down, where he’d taken what he wanted and not cared about the pain he’d caused in the process. He’d said he was trying to teach me a lesson, and I wasn’t sure whether he’d achieved what he wanted to or not, but I knew I’d never be the same again.
Tears flowed down my cheeks and dripped off my chin as I stood frozen to the spot, almost able to see the shadow of what Knox had done. Stains littered the rug, and from the dark color, I could tell it was blood. My blood. His blood. Asher’s blood.
“Elodie?” I looked at Jenette out of the corner of my eyes, not able to give her my full attention. “Are you ready?”
Was I ready? I had no idea, but what I did know was I could never step foot in here again. It was meant to be my safe place. The home I’d never had. Knox hadn’t just ripped away the last piece of me.
He’d stolen all of this too.
ASHER
I didn’t take my gaze off the back of the ambulance as the paramedics loaded the fucker into the back. He started to stir as they pushed him inside, and I yanked on my cuffed wrists causing the metal to dig into my flesh, wishing I could get to him. But reality was that I couldn’t. I was sitting in the back of a police car going nowhere but county jail.
Fuck.
I should have been able to curb my temper. I should have been able to pull him off and then help Elodie. But I hadn’t. I’d lost it. Lost every ounce of rational thinking. But I wouldn’t regret it. I would never be sorry for what I did to that piece of shit. He deserved it, and much more.
The front door of the car opened, and two officers slipped inside. A metal grid sat between the front and back seats to protect them, and I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. I wasn’t a dangerous person. Well, not unless you hurt the people I cared most about and then all bets were off. I was the protector, the Marine who had fought for his country and took pride in doing so. Now I was nothing but a criminal in their eyes. I gritted my teeth as I stared at the back of their heads, and although I didn’t want to hear what they were talking about, I couldn’t help it in the small, confined space.
“Jenette’s getting the girl out to take her over to med,” one of them said, and I shuffled forward at his words.
“We gotta wait, then?” the second officer who was in the driver’s seat huffed out.
“Nah. The other unit is here now. They’re gonna take pics of the scene.”
I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to go yet. I needed to see Elodie. I needed to make sure she was okay. I needed—fuck! I couldn’t do a damn thing now that I was inside this car, and I felt as helpless as I did the day we lost four members of our team. I hadn’t been able to save them either. And now…now Elodie was going to have to handle this alone because I’d been too damn stupid to keep my cool.
I bounced my leg up and down, needing them to move faster. If they wanted to leave, then why the hell hadn’t we already? I’d never been arrested before, but I knew as soon as I was booked, I’d get a phone call. A phone call I had every intention of using. But first, I had to get to the goddamn jail, and these two were dragging ass, thinking we had all the time in the world, but I didn’t—Elodie didn’t.
Finally, they started the car and I let out a breath of relief. I turned my head to keep my attention on the store as long as possible, but there was no movement by the time we got to the corner, and then we were out of sight and there was nothing else I could do but wait. I was leaving Elodie behind, and my stomach bottomed out at the thought. I’d promised her she’d be safe. I’d made sure she knew she could rely on me. But none of it mattered now. I should have walked her inside—I always walked her inside. Fuck. Why the hell didn’t I walk her inside?
“Hey! Keep it down back there,” one of the officers spat at me, and I wanted to throw my words back at him and kick up a fuss, but I knew it wouldn’t help. All they saw was a man they hadn’t been able to control inside that apartment. They didn’t know who I was and the things I stood for. I could have told them everything. Told them how I’d come back to find my store broken into and that piece of shit on top of Elodie. But I didn’t, because they didn’t need to know. My dad may have worked for the good side, but even he had warned
me about talking to beat cops. I knew what I needed to do and what I had to wait for, but until then, I had to stay silent.
They pulled up around the back of the county jail and drove right up to a metal door. My heart beat out of my chest, but I exuded calm. Show one thing and feel another. It was a talent I’d learned in the Marines, and one which would come in useful now.
One officer pulled open the back door, and I shuffled to the edge until his hand grasped my bicep. He dug his fingers in, most probably trying to show some kind of power over me, but the bite of pain was nothing compared to what I’d seen tonight—it paled in comparison.
The metal door clicked open and we all walked inside. The scent of bleach mixed with damp blasted my nostrils. Banging echoed from several doors, shouts mixing in with the cacophony of sounds and smells, but all the while, I kept my head held high and my face a mask no one could penetrate.
I didn’t talk as they booked me in, only to answer questions and state who I was. I made sure to keep my wits about me while I was out in the open and exposed, and then finally, the woman behind the desk stood and pulled some keys off her belt. She nodded at the officers, a silent command that she would take it from here, and then the cuffs around my wrists clicked and the cool metal disappeared. I stretched my fingers out and brought my hands around to my front.
“You can make your phone call in there.” She hobbled from behind the counter and moved toward one of the doors lining the back wall. Each room was jam packed, and she led me to the last one—the quietest one. “Phones are attached to the wall.” She unlocked the door and held it open for me, and I stepped inside, staring around at the benches full of people.
I screwed up my nose at the rank smell of sweaty bodies. A few of them were coming down off a high, and one was throwing up in the corner, adding to the stench. The door slammed shut behind me, and I winced at the sound of the lock turning. I was stuck in here with all these men. Men who had been arrested for god knows what. It would have been easy for me to say I wasn’t like them, but we all had our reasons for doing what we did, no matter how valid they were.
Several gazes landed on me, and I could feel the burn of them, but I kept my eyes forward and my jaw locked. Now wasn’t the time to show weakness, not in front of anyone in this room. I stretched out my fingers again and relished in the sting of the cuts on my knuckles, then pushed my shoulders back. I had one mission inside this room, and that was to make my phone call. I gritted my teeth and sauntered through the people scattered around and made my way over to the phones. A couple of people murmured as I moved past them, but I didn’t make eye contact with anyone. My guard was up because I was in unknown territory.
I picked up the receiver of the first phone and it came off completely, the wire unattached. So, I moved over to the next phone and tried not to show my relief as it seemed to be working. The dial tone sounded as I placed it next to my ear, and I quickly punched in the numbers to my dad’s cell, said my name so he knew I was calling, and turned my back so I could see the entire room.
It rang several times, and just as I thought it was going to go to voicemail, Dad’s gruff voice answered. “Hello?”
“Dad.” I let out a breath, relieved I got ahold of him.
“Asher?” I could almost imagine the frown on his face. “Why are you calling from county jail?”
“I got arrested.” I ground my teeth together, trying to wade through all of my thoughts. I wanted to tell him everything, but there was something more important he needed to do first. “I need you to go to Elodie.”
“Elodie?” I heard movement and the echo of Mom’s voice. “Why? What’s happened?”
“I…” I scrubbed my hand over my face, trying not to see the memory of her on the floor in the apartment, but it was impossible. All I could see were her empty eyes and that fucker on top of her. “There’s a lot you don’t know but…fuck.” I clenched my fist causing fresh blood to drip from one of the cuts. “I dropped her back at the apartment, and Jax asked me to come help him with Al. And I…” I inhaled a breath, trying to keep my cool. I needed to stick to the facts. Give Dad just enough to make him understand what happened. “I got an alert on my cell that my store had been broken into and…and…when I got there I…”
“Take your time, son,” Dad said, but I could clearly hear the tone of his voice. He wanted me to tell him what was going on, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get the words out. It wasn’t my place to tell them what had happened to Elodie, but she needed someone. She needed help. And I couldn’t be that help right then.
“When I got there, I…her ex-boyfriend, he was…he…” I wanted to squeeze my eyes closed and pretend I wasn’t here, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t look vulnerable to any other man in this room, so I kept my face a mask no one could see through. “He was raping her, Dad.” I slammed my hand on the wall, needing something to get the frustration out of me. “He fuckin’ raped her.”
“Fuck,” he whispered. “And I’m guessing that’s why you’re in jail right now?”
“You bet your ass it is.” I shuffled my feet on the floor. “But no one is with Elodie. I don’t even know where she is, Dad. But she needs—”
“We got it, son. We’ve got her.” His voice was the same as it always was, but there was an edge to it I hadn’t heard in years, not since he was active in the DEA. “I’ll get in touch with some connections and find out where she is. But, son?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not gonna get in front of a judge until at least Monday.”
I ran my hand through my hair and pulled on it. “I know.” My stomach dropped, and I hated that I wouldn’t be able to see Elodie until then—I hoped. “That’s why I need you to take care of Elodie for me, Dad. She...she hasn’t had the best of times. Her ex was abusive, and her mom doesn’t give a shit other than to get high and—”
“Brody? What’s going on?” Mom’s voice was clearer now, and my breaths became heavier. Mom would know what to do. She’d know how to help Elodie while I couldn’t.
“Go get dressed, Lola. We need to head out,” Dad replied to her. “Keep your guard up in there, Asher,” Dad told me. “And your head down.”
“I will.” I gazed over everyone in the room. “Just make sure you get to Elodie. She…she needs you.”
“Call me as soon as you can and I’ll update you,” he gritted out.
“I will.” I paused, trying to make sense of everything that had happened from the time we’d left their house only an hour ago. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Don’t need to thank me, son.”
“I know.” I swallowed, trying to keep a lid on all of my emotions. “I’ll speak to you later.” I didn’t wait for his reply because I knew I had to get off the line. If I didn’t, I’d expose myself to a room full of men who I had no doubt were listening in on every word of my side of the conversation. I placed the receiver back on the handset and took a breath, wishing I hadn’t when the acrid smell of vomit burned my nostrils. “Fuck.” I was stuck in here with nowhere to go, but at least Elodie would be looked after, and right now, that was all that mattered.
Chapter Two
ELODIE
Time passed in chunks. The cool night air hit me in the face, and I shivered, then warmth was surrounding me, and the sound of a car engine lulled me into a false sense of security. People talked, the police radio pinged, and my gaze couldn’t focus on any single thing. We drove by stores and then a gas station, the roads darkened and lightened as more streetlights came into view, and then the car pulled up outside of the emergency room. The large red sign above the door was a beacon—a warning that once I’d passed that point, there would be no turning back.
I had no idea what time it was because I wasn’t sure how much time had passed by, but I knew it was still the same night. The same night I’d met Asher’s parents. The same night Knox had come into my apartment. The same night he’d—
“We can sit here until you’re ready,” a soft voice said, and
I turned my head toward it. My eyes blurred in and out as I tried to focus on the face, but it felt like minutes until it became clear. Jenette. The police officer from the apartment. It was just me and her in the police car. Her in the front, and me in the back. I wasn’t sure what I should have said to her, so instead of saying something, I kept silent. Words were useless at this point. She couldn’t help me. No one could help me.
I shouldn’t have agreed to come here. I should have stayed at the apartment and let time pass. I should have told myself it didn’t happen and tried to carry on as normal. I’d have been okay in the end, right?
“I can see the wheels turning in your head,” Jenette said softly. “I know it’s difficult, but once the rap—” She paused, stumbling on the word. “Testing. Once the testing is done, and the evidence is gathered, you’ll be able to go home and start healing.”
Home. I wasn’t even sure I had a home now. The thought of going back to the apartment filled me with so much fear my body physically jerked at the notion. I shook my head at my earlier thoughts. I wouldn’t have been able to just get over it. This wasn’t a slap or hair pull, or even a black eye. This was so much worse than anything I’d ever experienced, and I was afraid I was shutting down. Scared I’d never be the same. Terrified to get out of this car and—
Several beeps rang out and Jenette shuffled in her seat. I tried to keep my attention focused on her because at least then I’d have something to occupy my mind and keep the memories at bay. She pulled something out of her pocket and frowned down at it, and then the beeping stopped. But it was only a couple of seconds until it started back up again.
Her gaze flicked back to me and then to whatever she was holding, and finally the noise stopped again, but this time she held it to her ear and questioned, “Hello?” Her eyes widened and she sat up straighter, and I was fascinated with her reaction to whoever was on the other end of the line.
Deep Burn: (Asher & Elodie: Easton Family Saga) (Burned Duet Book 2) Page 2
