"You almost here? I'll come down."
"Be there in less than five."
"See you soon."
"Love you baby doll."
"Love you too."
She hung up. Fuck, did she just say what I think she did?
I guess the big ass grin on my face said she did. Damn, that one went straight to the heart.
Shit, why the fuck did I feel like doing handsprings?
Only because it's the best moment of your life! Now I couldn't wait to get to her, get my hands on her.
It no longer mattered what affect his being here had on her. Those three words had sealed the deal. She's mine.
Chapter 13
When I pulled up, the Spalding men were waiting for me, all of them, including the chief. I hope I didn't need back up for this.
They didn't even let me get out the Rover under my own steam; Jus and Matt held my door as I climbed down.
"You talk to that fuck?"
"Only to say hello before I realized who he was."
"He comes anywhere near her he's fucked."
"Matt...."
"No Chase, you only know half the story, the way I see it it's up to her to tell you everything that happened, that's between you two, but he comes near my baby sister! HE, IS, FUCKED."
"What the fuck Matt, what did he do to her?" I looked from one to the other of them but no one was talking. I got a very bad feeling in my gut and all I could think about was seeing her.
Realistically I knew she was okay, but something about the way they were acting was sending up red flags.
I thought I knew all there was to know; she'd caught him in bed with her intern, her bed that she never shared with him, so the significance of the betrayal was two fold. Now to hear that there was more, no fucking way.
"Like I said, that's her story to tell..."
"Fuck that shit." I stepped towards him in anger.
"Okay boys, calm down and let's be rational about this." Chief got between us.
"Guys...what's going on?"
She'd come outside without any of us hearing the door open.
"Shit, were we planning to tell her this shit?" Jus whispered the question under his breath.
"I think that's best Jus, don't you? You know if she finds out any other way there'd be hell to pay." I kept my eyes on her as I answered him.
"Yeah, but she's liable to go after him herself and we don't want that."
"It's my job to see that doesn't happen."
"Good luck with that."
Another Spalding male heard from. "Thanks Derrick." My voice dripped with sarcasm.
If the situation were about anyone or anything else it would be funny. The Spalding men could be such hard asses, until it came to their women. But this was about my Shania, and I could find no humor in any of it.
Sean still hadn't been heard from, I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not, he tended to be a stealthy bastard.
I left the huddle and walked towards her, she looked unsure as to whether she should smile or frown.
I smiled first just to put her at ease, but I hated having to bring even his name up to her.
"What's going on Donovan, what's everyone so angry about?"
"Who's angry?" I gave her a quick flash of a grin to throw her off the scent while I came up with the right words.
"Pssh, I know my brothers and my dad, their body language is screaming battle stations."
"Let's go inside and talk."
"Why? Tell me, what's going on."
"Inside baby, come on."
I took her elbow and led her back inside, the others held back to give us some time alone.
"You want something to drink, or...something?"
"No sweetheart lets sit down." I could tell I was making her nervous, but I didn’t want to just blurt this shit out.
I watched her for a while before speaking. I wanted to do this right, there were two things at work here, one her asshole ex was in town, and two her asshole ex was in town and if he got anywhere near her I was seriously going to fuck him up; my problem was how to let her know these two things.
"Donovan...? You wanna tell me what's going on?" Now she was rubbing her legs together and biting her lip. Sure signs of nervousness.
"Come here." I held out my hand for her to join me on the high backed hair I was sitting on.
When she was settled in my lap, I kissed her hair and hugged her close.
There was no other way around it, so I just went ahead and said it all at once.
"Dorian Carter is one of the agents in town to work on the case of the guy we found in the water."
I felt her body take the hit, it was a quick jolt but it was there nonetheless. She made to get off my lap, but I wasn't letting go.
"Where're you going baby?"
"He's here, right now?" She looked around as if expecting to see him walk through the door any second, there was fear in her eyes.
What the fuck? This is not the reaction of a woman who was cheated on, anger yes, but fear, hell no.
"Talk to me princess, what's going on?" My heart was starting to knock the hell out of my chest and that feeling that had started with her brothers had intensified.
She looked at me without saying a word.
"I can't talk about that right now, I just...can't, I need to get out of here."
"What are you talking about, you're not going anywhere, what the...what did he do to you?"
"Not now Donovan, please, maybe I'll tell you sometime, in fact I think if we're going to make this work, take it any farther, then I will have to tell you, but not now, please.
Just know that I can't be anywhere around that man. I don't want to see him. I know how his mind works; he came here for a reason. I can only surmise that that reason is me.”
I don't know why he would believe that I would want anything to do with him after the way things ended between us, but the bare thought of him being anywhere near me makes me feel ill."
"He won't get anywhere near you sweetheart, he'll have to go through not only me but your brothers and the chief."
I had to get to the bottom of this shit, I didn't like where my mind was going. If I found out he had hurt her in any way I was really gonna have to hurt that fuck.
"Listen, you're my girl aren't you?"
"It would appear so." She gave me a little half smile, not good enough.
"So do you think I'm such a wimp that I would let some other dude mess with what's mine?"
I tried to temper my words so she wouldn't hear the seriousness behind them, but she was not fooled. I should've known better, it seemed we were very attuned to each other.
"Donovan, don't do anything stupid okay. I don't want you getting into trouble, he's not worth it, and I'm depending on you to keep my brothers in check."
"No can do sweetheart, not on this, not when it comes to you, ask me for anything else but not that. If he steps out of line he'll get what's coming to him."
I'd had all intentions on keeping the boys under control until this new development. I won't push her, but I needed to know what the hell was going on, I couldn't protect her otherwise.
"On to better things, how're you doing baby, apart from him who should remain nameless being here?"
"I'm doing pretty good, you?"
What I was about to say could possibly get me a knee to the nuts, but I would protect what's mine at all cost, even if it meant having her pissed at me.
"Never better, I've got my woman in my arms finally, nothing can be better, one thing though. For the next little while, unless you're with me or one of your brothers you don't go anywhere alone."
She opened her mouth to argue but I cut her off.
"It's not up for debate love."
"How come I never saw this side of you before, you do know what century this is right?"
"You never had cause to see this side of me, because my woman wasn't threatened before, now she is, that pisses me off, and since you refuse to tell me what
that threat entails, this is the best I can do.
You don't go anywhere alone, you hear me?"
I squeezed her side to get her to answer.
"I'll think about it...."
"Princess, look at me."
She looked at me. I'm sure the look on my face convinced her of just how serious I was. I've never sworn in front of her, not intentionally anyway, but this situation called for some harsh words. If she was gonna do this with me, then she had to know all sides of me, not just the easy going guy, but the hard ass that I could be when I needed to.
"I'm not fucking around. If you disobey me on this, there will be repercussions. I love you yes, but this is who I am, my woman minds me.
If I tell you not to do something, then I expect you to know that I have only your best interest at heart. I'm not doing this to control you, just the situation. Now give me your mouth so I can go do what I gotta do to get this fucker outta my town as soon as possible."
I stole a kiss as I heard the men coming in. I guess they figured we'd had enough alone time for now.
Matt led the charge so to speak, as they filed into the room.
"Donovan tell you what's going on?"
She nodded her head yes as she took in their hard faces.
"Good, he talk to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean did he lay down the law for your hard headed ass, or do I have to play big brother. I figured I'd leave that up to him seeing as how you two got something going, but..."
"Cavemen...dad." She turned to her dad for help, but I could’ve told her that was a lost cause.
"Uh-uh little girl, I'm with the boys on this one. You mind Donovan and let them handle this guy, don't make me and your mother worry unnecessarily."
Good one chief, bring out the big guns. Whereas she might have no qualms about trying to get around me, or her brothers, she would never do anything to cause her mom undue worry.
She sent a glare around the room before climbing off my lap and huffing out of the room.
"She tell you about Carter?
"Jus..."
"Fuck that Matt, did she tell you or not?"
It was probably a shit thing to do, I should probably wait for her to tell me herself, but I needed to know. In order to take care of her, I needed to know what I was dealing with.
"Not yet, she said she needs time, or something to that effect, but I need one of you to talk so I know what the fuck I’m dealing with here."
There was a shift in the atmosphere, like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I looked around at all of them and they were all wearing the same expression, anger and grief.
I braced myself, for what, I had no idea, but something told me it wasn't going be good.
"That fucker tried to rape my sister, almost succeeded too, if not for her quick thinking and the self defense classes we gave her when she was younger.
She didn't press charges, too ashamed, just wanted it to go away; that was her choice. Me, I would've put the fucker in the ground, barring that send him up the river, but it was her choice so I respect that."
I felt something in me go solid, go ice cold and then flashed to hot in the space of a second. How I stayed standing was anybody's guess, but when I moved I had one intention.
"Donovan come back here...you boys get him, don't let him leave here like that."
I barely heard the chief through the roaring in my ears, or the bickering that broke out between the Spalding boys. I felt hands on me but nothing registered.
Then I saw her, she was coming back to the room, she took one look at my face, then to her brothers.
I couldn't stop looking at her, so fucking perfect and that son of a bitch had tried...
"What's going on guys?" She looked to Justin as I made my way across the room to her.
"He knows, I told him, I thought he had a right to know what he was dealing with."
I took her shoulders in my hands not sure I should be touching her right now with all the rage boiling inside me.
I looked into her eyes as I gave her my words.
"He's dead."
"Oh no, Donovan..."
Chapter 14
The look in her eyes tore at me, and I dragged her away from her family, through the back door, onto the patio and to the grass beyond.
It didn't matter that we weren't together when this happened; that we hadn't declared ourselves to each other.
All that mattered was that she had been violated. Had he succeeded in his attempt, I think I would've walked into the station and put a bullet in him.
In fact I was already thinking of ways to send him home in a body bag. And to think I’d come here to try to keep the Spalding boys out of trouble.
Put it away Chase, now's not the time, this isn't abut you, it's about her. Her new boyfriend had just learned some disturbing news about her past relationship. News that she obviously didn't want to share, imagine how she feels right now.
I took a deep breath as I clasped her behind her neck with both hands, drawing her closer, bringing her head into my chest.
"Tell me what to do for you."
She wrapped her arms around me finally, and I felt some of the tension leave me, as I tried to hold myself in check.
"There's nothing you need to do Donovan, this happened a while ago. I handled it, it's all good. Please, just leave it alone, he's not worth it baby, please."
I closed my eyes trying my hardest to rein in the anger that threatened to overtake me. It hurt like a son of a bitch; she’d been hurt and I hadn’t been there. I kept imagining the young girl, so full of life and laughter, at the mercy of that fuck.
For her sake, I’ll keep it together here and now, but no matter what, he wasn’t leaving here without getting a taste of my anger. I don’t know how or when, but he’s going to pay for causing her even one moment of fear.
"Why didn't you tell me baby? Just tell me that much." Was she ashamed? I hope not, she had nothing to be ashamed of, she’d done nothing more than trust the wrong asshole, but I was going to more than make up for everything he’d done wrong.
"I couldn't, it was just so stupid; I was so stupid. I almost married this person and he had that in him, some investigative reporter I am huh."
She tried to make a joke to ease the situation, but it wasn't going to work this time.
"There's no fault in you, this was all on him, I don't ever want to hear you say that again. And you were never in danger of marrying him, I would never have let that happen."
I wasn't sure before, but I was now. I knew I would've found a way to stop that fucking wedding if it killed me.
I felt partly to blame for what had happened to her. If I had been a man I would’ve gone after what’s mine and she never would’ve been at the mercy of someone like him.
How deeply scarred is she from this I wonder? How do I erase it and him from her mind forever, and was that even possible?
I'm a cop-I've seen rape-I've seen the destruction to the victims, and sometimes, if we're lucky, the demise of the monsters who carried out the crime.
People say rape isn't about the sex, that it's about control, that's bullshit. It's about both, with a whole lot of other fuckery thrown in for good measure.
I also know that any asshole that would do such a thing was pure evil. There're plenty of other ways to exert control over someone without perpetrating that violation on them.
The fact that someone attempted to do that to her, filled me with violence.
I couldn't help myself, I had to kiss her; maybe by sealing our love for each other I could erase the visions from my head. I needed something, because I was drowning here.
Her sweet tongue in my mouth went a long way to soothing me, and when I felt her hand in my back, a calmness descended.
I eased out of the kiss, but kept my arms around her. I had a lot to do; suddenly this case took on a whole new meaning for me. Before I was willing to let the Feds take over, no questions asked, but my mind was go
ing in ten different directions with these new developments.
I hated coincidence, didn't trust that shit, not even a little bit. So I had more on my plate now than an hour ago. Now I had to figure out what this Boyd Riley’s job had been in the bureau, and what he was doing in my jurisdiction. Or whether the body ended up here from somewhere else.
I would have to talk to the crime scene guys and the other investigators to see what they had; but I was pretty sure the body hadn't drifted here from somewhere else, the water conditions between the time he went missing and the time we found him didn't support that.
Which meant he was most likely killed here, and the only one who would know to use that particular location on the Cove would be a local, shit.
I needed to find out from Shania how much she had shared with Carter about our hometown, because I didn't trust his raping ass any farther than I could spit him.
When I left the station, he was just a cheating asshole. Now he was a cheating raping asshole, pond sucking scum. Who had ties, though I hate to say it, to my hometown.
I don't want to ask her anything right now though; she'd just learned that her attacker was here. I'll let that information settle before I ask her any more questions that might or might not mean she'd given a killer information that led to him using our backyard as a dumping ground.
Because there was no doubt in my mind that whatever went on here, he was in the middle of it.
I'm hoping the fucker is involved. I wouldn't mind putting him away for good. After I beat the shit out of him.
My mind was going in too many directions at once, and I knew I needed to settle down so I could take care of this.
I had no doubt that he would try to see her, so that was my first priority’ seeing that he didn’t get anywhere near her. Then I had to figure what part he played in this mess.
"I have to go princess, you sure you're gonna be okay?"
She nodded her head before burying it in my chest. I gave her one last tight squeeze before walking away. If I stayed there any longer, I wouldn't leave and I had a lot to do.
After a quick word with the Spalding men, who were congregated in the den looking all kinds of pissed off, I promised to be back after work, then I headed out.
The Homecoming Page 6
