by Marie Force
“She didn’t say, but she’s in rough shape. Her face was all red like she’d been crying, and it seemed like she was in pain or something. When we landed, she cried out from the impact. I tried to talk her into letting me take her to the clinic, but she insisted I drop her at the hotel.”
A red haze of rage blinded Owen as Slim’s words registered. He knew what must’ve happened, because it’d happened before.
Laura came up to him and rested her hand on his back. “Is everything okay?”
“We need to go.” Owen’s calm tone belied the uproar going on inside him. “My mom is here.”
“Did you know she was coming?”
He shook his head, not trusting himself to say anything more. Crossing the room, he put his guitar in the case and closed the latches with fumbling fingers. He was aware of Laura saying good-bye to the others, but he focused on breathing through the rage. He could only imagine what must’ve happened this time. Had she finally left him? Owen refused to entertain a hope that had been dashed so often in the past.
“Yo, O, are you okay?” Evan asked quietly. He crouched next to Owen and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Did you hear what Slim said?”
“Yeah.” Evan was the only person on the island who knew the truth about Owen’s upbringing with the rigid army general who’d beaten the crap out of his wife and children every chance he’d gotten. “What can I do for you?”
Owen didn’t know what he wanted. He was tempted to run and hide the way he’d done as a young child when his father’s rages would overtake him. Owen had run away and hidden until he was old enough to get between his father and the victim of choice. Running and hiding wasn’t an option with his mother possibly hurt and waiting for him in town.
Evan seemed to sense Owen’s indecision. “I’ll give you and Laura a ride home, and we’ll see what’s up, okay?”
“Thanks, Ev.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
Evan smoothed the way with the others for a quick escape.
Owen settled Laura in the front seat of her car, stashed his guitar in the trunk and took the backseat, thankful for Evan’s offer to drive. Owen had no idea what to expect when they got to the hotel, and the sick feeling in his stomach brought back memories he’d run from his entire adult life. Images ran through his mind like a horror movie, snippets from the past he’d tried so hard to forget. Sometimes he suspected the reason he’d kept moving from one place to another was because he was afraid of what would happen if he ever stood still for too long.
Laura turned in her seat and extended a hand to him.
He closed his cold hand around her much warmer one and held on. “There are things I should tell you… Things you should know…” He wondered if she’d be angry that he hadn’t told her before now.
Evan glanced at the rearview mirror and met Owen’s gaze.
“The most important thing right now is whatever your mom needs,” Laura said. “Don’t worry about me, okay?”
He gave a small nod, loving her for understanding.
“Whatever it is, I’ll be right there with you,” she added.
“Me, too,” Evan said.
Owen’s throat tightened. How could he tell his two closest friends that he didn’t want them there? He didn’t want them to see what his father had done to his mother. He didn’t want them to know. But he could hardly send them away when neither of them would think of leaving him.
They weren’t like the transient people he’d encountered growing up in the military who were quick to turn the other way at any sign of trouble, especially in the family of a high-ranking officer. These people truly cared about him, and they wouldn’t let him go through this alone.
He wanted to thank them for their support, but he couldn’t seem to form the words. They’d left the porch light on, which was how Owen saw her sitting on the front stairs, leaning against the rail. “Stop.”
When the car slowed, Owen jumped out and jogged the last two blocks to the hotel. “Mom?” Her chin-length blonde hair hid her face, so he couldn’t tell if she was asleep or unconscious.
Mindful of her injuries, he rested a hand carefully on her shoulder. “Mom.”
Her puffy blue eyes opened and immediately filled with tears when she saw him.
“What’re you doing out here?”
“The hide-a-key was missing.”
Crap, Owen thought, remembering that they’d taken it with them. “What happened?”
She waved a hand, weary with defeat. “You know.”
“Do you need a doctor?” He was aware of Evan and Laura standing behind him, waiting to hear what they could do to help.
“I don’t know.”
“Can you stand up?”
“I think so.” But when she tried, her cries tore at Owen’s guts.
“Evan, go get David Lawrence. Hurry.”
Laura materialized on the other size of his mother, and between the two of them, they managed to get her inside. Of course, none of her injuries were visible, because his father had learned a long time ago to avoid faces, lest someone discover their family’s dirty secret.
“How did you travel all the way from Virginia in this condition?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“I wanted to be here, at the hotel. I wanted to see you.” She broke down into sobs that shattered his heart. He would kill that son of a bitch for doing this to her. He should’ve killed him years ago and spared them all the nightmare he’d inflicted upon them. Choking back the rage, because it wasn’t what his mother needed and it certainly didn’t change anything, he tried to stay focused on getting her settled on his bed.
Laura found a throw blanket and helped him cover her.
“Laura, this is my mom, Sarah. Mom, this is Laura McCarthy. She’s my…” Owen didn’t know what word would be appropriate. He looked to Laura for guidance.
“I’m his girlfriend,” Laura said with a loving smile that filled him with gratitude.
Sarah looked up at him, the pain making her eyes heavy. “You never said…”
“I hadn’t gotten around to telling you, but I was going to. Soon. Laura is the manager Gran hired to get the hotel open again.”
“Oh, Mother mentioned you.”
“I’m a big fan of your mother’s,” Laura said, speaking as if they were meeting at a cocktail party rather than in the aftermath of violence. In that moment, he appreciated her more than he ever had before. “I’m looking forward to meeting her in person.” She tucked the blanket around his mother’s feet. “Is there anything I can get for you, Mrs. Lawry? Some water or tea maybe?”
“No, thank you, honey. I’d like to close my eyes for a minute. I’m so tired.”
“You rest, Mom,” Owen said, bending to kiss her forehead. “The doctor will be here soon to fix you up.”
Sarah released a deep breath and was asleep within seconds.
Laura took Owen’s hand and led him into the sitting room. Turning, she put her arms around him and held on tight.
Woodenly, Owen returned the embrace, even as his mind raced with questions and worries and rage. Always lurking right below the surface was the rage he’d fought so hard against. It would’ve been so easy to become like his father. Choosing the alternate path had been a lifelong struggle. In the past, he wouldn’t have allowed anyone to touch or comfort him. Allowing Laura into his nightmare seemed as natural as breathing, even though he was so ashamed, too. He’d lived with the shame almost as long as he’d lived with the fear and pain.
“What can I do for you?” she asked after a long moment.
“Just this,” he said, tightening his hold on her. “I can’t figure how she managed to get here from Virginia when she can barely move.”
“She was fueled by determination.”
He held on to her until they heard the main door swing open.
Evan rushed into the sitting room with David Lawrence following him.
“Thank you so much for coming, David.”
The island’s only doctor shook Owen’s hand. “No problem. Evan said you suspect domestic abuse?”
Gritting his teeth, Owen nodded.
“You understand that I’m a mandatory reporter,” David said, “meaning that if I suspect a crime has been committed, I’m required to report it to the proper authorities.”
Laura’s hand on Owen’s back propped him up in more ways than one.
Owen had lost count of the many times the authorities had tried to intervene on behalf of Sarah Lawry and her children. Each and every time, they’d been steamrolled by the general. Not this time, Owen decided. This time would be different. “I understand.” He gestured for David to follow him. “She’s in here.”
David asked Owen to leave him alone with Sarah.
Owen hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Again, Laura took his hand and drew him out of the room. “It’s okay,” she said. “Let him examine her and see what she needs.”
He reluctantly allowed Laura to lead him back to the sitting room.
She urged him to sit next to her on the love seat and never let go of his hand.
Evan took one of the chairs.
Owen appreciated that neither of them said a word while they waited a long time for David to emerge from the bedroom. When the door opened, Owen jumped up. “Is she okay?”
“She will be, but it’ll take some time. She gave me permission to tell you that among a litany of other bruises, she has severely injured ribs. Tomorrow, I’d like to have her come in for an X-ray. Until we know if any of the ribs are broken, she needs to take it very easy. With broken ribs, there’s a danger of piercing a lung. I wanted to take her in tonight, but she refused.”
Owen forced himself to meet and hold David’s steady gaze when he wanted to look away. Even at thirty-three, he was still embarrassed by the nightmare of his family. “Did she say how her ribs came to be injured?”
“She said her husband punched and kicked her.” His tone lacked judgment or condemnation, though Owen wouldn’t have blamed him for either.
Owen’s entire body pulsed with tension at the confirmation of what he’d already known.
“I need to call Blaine,” David said.
“Does she know you’re doing that?”
David nodded. “I explained what would happen. Blaine will report the incident to the authorities in Virginia, who will arrest her husband. We’ll document her injuries, and Blaine will take the report.”
Owen tried to imagine his father being arrested in Virginia and the fury that would unleash. He shuddered at the thought. “She may change her mind about pressing charges in the morning,” Owen said, his voice faltering.
Once again, Laura’s hand on his back and her steady presence gave him the courage to proceed.
“That’s the pattern,” Owen added.
“So it’s happened before?” David asked.
Owen nodded. Too many times to count.
“Because there was no sign of a head injury, I gave her a shot for the pain that should ensure that she sleeps through the night. I’ll see her at the clinic in the morning.”
Of course there was no head injury, Owen thought. The general was strategic about where he aimed his blows so no one would ever know they were there. “Thank you, David. Send me the bill.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to help.” He handed Owen a card. “My cell number is on there. Call if you need me during the night.”
Overwhelmed by the support, Owen said, “I appreciate that.”
Evan walked David out and returned a minute later.
“Is there anything I can do, O?” Evan asked.
“Go on home,” Owen said. “Thanks for your help.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind hanging out.”
“There’s nothing you can do.”
“Take my car, Ev,” Laura said. “I’ll get it tomorrow.”
“No worries,” Evan said. “I can walk. It’s not far to the pharmacy.” He crossed the room to give Owen a hug and then turned to hug his cousin. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” Owen said.
When they were alone, Owen glanced at Laura, knowing he should at least try to explain.
“Not tonight,” she said firmly. “Not ever, if you don’t want to.”
The sudden surge of tears took him by surprise. He would’ve thought he’d exhausted his lifetime supply many years ago.
She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight until he had expended decades’ worth of grief and helpless rage. And then she urged him to stretch out on the sofa and snuggled up to him.
Embarrassed to have broken down in front of her, he rubbed his face as bone-deep weariness set in. “You should go up to bed. You need your rest.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“I have to stay down here in case she needs me.”
“I know.”
“Laura—”
She rested a finger on his lips. “Shh. I’m not leaving you alone. Not now, not ever. Close your eyes and try to get some rest.”
“I’m nothing like him. I’d never—”
“Owen! My God, do you honestly think you have to tell me that?”
“I wanted you to know because of the baby.”
“Owen, please…”
The brush of her lips against his neck registered at the same moment he felt new dampness on his face. He hated that he’d made her cry.
“You could never hurt me or the baby,” she said softly. “Never.”
“I’m sorry to drag you into this. I didn’t want you to know.”
She turned his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I love you. I love everything about you. Everything.” Her sweet, gentle kiss was nearly his undoing. “Close your eyes. It’s okay. I’m here, and I love you. Always.”
Owen closed his eyes and tried to relax. Wrapped in her love, he was able to quiet his mind and sleep.
Chapter 21
Grace was asleep when Evan got home. Sitting in the dark for a long time, he downed two beers before he felt calm enough to crawl into bed beside her. He lay awake for a long time, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to process everything that had happened. Filled with tension, he’d about given up on sleep when Grace turned over and snuggled up to him.
Evan put his arm around her and drew her in close, taking comfort from her presence.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“I don’t get it.”
“What, honey?”
“How a guy can beat the shit out of the woman he supposedly loves.”
“Oh no. Owen’s mom?”
Evan nodded. “Apparently, it’s been going on for years with her—and the kids when they lived at home. Owen grew up in the midst of a nightmare.”
“Did you know about it when you guys were younger?”
“He only told me recently.”
“Poor Owen. He’s such a nice guy.”
“How does a man do that to the people he loves? I’ll never understand it.”
Grace’s lips were soft and sweet on his chest as she kissed her way to his lips. “You can’t understand because Big Mac McCarthy was your father, and he raised you and your brothers along with Joe and Luke to be the kind of men who worship the women they love.”
“I’m ashamed to admit that I never knew how truly lucky I was to grow up the way I did until recently. Knowing what Owen went through, and you and Stephanie and Maddie… We were so very blessed.”
“Yes, you were, and now some very lucky women are benefitting from the most excellent way Big Mac McCarthy raised his boys.”
He could feel her smile in the dark as she continued to rain kisses upon his face.
“I want to help Owen, but I don’t know how.”
“Be there for him. That’s all you can do. Take your cues from him.”
She was right, as usual. “Owen’s not interested in the recording studio,” Evan said as he arranged her on top of him and closed hi
s eyes, absorbed in her sweet love. He had no idea how he’d ever survived without her.
Focusing her attention on his eyelids and then the tip of his nose, she said, “You don’t need him to do it. I have no doubt you can make a huge success of it all by yourself.”
He ran his hands over the silky skin on her back. Until he met her, he hadn’t known skin could be so soft. “You have such faith in me, Grace. It humbles me. It truly does.”
“There’s nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to it,” she said as her lips finally reached his mouth.
Anchoring her with his hand buried in her hair, he devoured her with his lips and tongue.
Shifting her hips ever so slightly, she nudged at his erect cock and sank down on him, making him gasp from the pleasure that zinged through him. For someone so new at sex and love, she was damned good at it.
“Love you so much, Gracie,” he said, his voice raspy as he fought a losing battle against the seductive movements of her hips.
She bent over him, sending her hair cascading over his face in a silky rain shower. “I love you more.”
Gripping her hips, he rolled them over in a smooth move that took her by surprise. “Not possible,” he said as he thrust into her with increasing urgency.
She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight for the ride. “Let’s call this one a draw.”
“You got it, baby.”
Laura woke to the sound of quiet moaning. At some point, Owen had arranged her so she was sleeping on top of him with his arms wrapped tightly around her.
Moving carefully so as not to disturb him, she worked her way free of his embrace.
He muttered in his sleep but didn’t wake up.
She smoothed a hand over his hair and kissed his forehead before she went to check on Sarah.
With the light from the hallway to guide her, Laura approached the bed. “Sarah?” When Owen’s mother didn’t answer, Laura realized she was murmuring and weeping in her sleep. Heartbroken for her, Laura took a tissue from the box on the bedside table and wiped the tears from Sarah’s cheeks.
Owen came into the room a few minutes later. “Is she okay?”
“I thought she was awake, but she’s dreaming.”
