by Jill Sanders
“I kicked out and caught him under the chin. His head snapped back, but he kept coming at me. Calling me a tease and a slut. I fought and when he shoved me down again, face down into the seat, as he…” She shook her head. “My knuckles banged against something heavy.” She looked down at the hammer. “I remember wrapping my fingers around the hammer. Twisting, as you did to me the other day… He’d helped me pick it out, the hammer, in the store. I couldn’t leave without buying it, since I didn’t want to blow our cover.” She looked back into his eyes and he could see that by talking, she was coming out of the worst of the shock a little. “I just… kept swinging.” She closed her eyes. “I couldn’t stop myself.”
He cried as he held onto her until he heard the police cruiser and ambulance arrive.
Chapter 19
Mia’s head was killing her. She knew the drill—rape kits, physical exam—even though, technically, she hadn’t been raped She’d seen it often enough over the years. Skin scrapings under her fingernails, blood work, everything. The hospital didn’t miss a beat.
It was totally humiliating, but she kept telling herself it was necessary. They could charge her with murder, so she had to cooperate completely. She needed proof of everything.
Her clothes were cut from her body, her head stitched up, photographs of her wounds and bruises were taken.
By the time she was finally allowed to wash Jonah’s dried blood from her bruised body, she knew she couldn’t hold on much longer.
Brian insisted that someone be with her the entire time and since the McGowans were all there, she requested that it be Dylan. She was thankful when the woman agreed to it.
“Do you need any help?” Dylan asked as Mia peeled off the hospital gown in the bathroom in the private hospital room. It stuck to the dried blood, tugging her skin as she removed it, which almost had her in tears.
She hadn’t cried. Even after telling her story three times and being examined, she hadn’t cried. But now, as the cotton stuck to the caked blood covering her breasts, she felt her eyes sting.
“Hey.” Dylan was there, wrapping her arms around her gently. “You’re okay,” she said, holding on to Mia as she cried. “That bastard is never going to hurt you again.”
Her knees buckled and she was thankful Dylan was stronger than she looked and was able to hold them both upright.
“I… never cry,” she said between sobs.
“You deserve to today, sweetie,” Dylan said easily.
“I’m getting you… dirty.” She thought about the blood getting on Dylan’s shirt and jeans and tried to pull away.
“It’s okay, it’s too dry to get on me.” She smiled down at her clothes. “Here, let me help you.”
Mia stood still as Dylan gently tugged the cotton away from her body. When she stood in front of her completely naked, Dylan walked over and turned on the shower.
“Brian brought your shampoo and things.” She pulled a container from a large duffle bag. Her bag. She hadn’t even noticed it there. She’d been too preoccupied with getting the blood off her skin.
More tears threatened to surface, so she stepped under the warm water and started scrubbing her skin using the hospital’s washcloth and her own soap. She scrubbed until her skin was almost raw. Then she washed her hair four times, until she was sure there wasn’t a speck of blood left anywhere on her entire body.
“Are you doing okay?” Dylan called into her.
“Yes,” she answered. “Thank you.” She stepped out of the shower. Dylan held up a towel for her.
“Later, after I’ve had this kid”—Dylan rubbed her small belly— “we are so going to work out together. I’m super jealous of your abs.”
Mia didn’t think it was possible to laugh so soon after… everything. But when a burst of laughter escaped her, she rushed over and hugged Dylan.
“Thank you, I needed that.” She held onto the woman. “Thank you for being here… for helping me. For letting me cry all over you.” She pulled back and, suddenly, Brian’s words drifted over her. What he’d said to her when he’d found her on the road.
“Oh my god.” She shook her head.
“What?” Dylan asked, suddenly concerned.
“Brian told me that he loves me.” She felt her heart skip slightly.
Dylan smiled. “Wow.” She touched Mia’s shoulders. “We could all tell by the way he looks at you.”
She shook her head again. “No, it’s… I’m not… I don’t deserve it.”
“Sure, you do,” she said, handing her a pile of her clothes that Brian must have brought from their place.
Tugging on the yoga sweats, tank top, and oversized sweater, she thought about it. “I’ve never had anyone say those words to me before.”
“Never?” Dylan asked with a slight frown.
“No.” She sat down on the small bench beside Dylan.
“What about your mother?” Dylan asked.
“Least of all her.” She leaned back against the wall and sighed.
“What about boyfriends?”
Mia glanced at her. “My longest relationship was two nights, before… Brian.”
“Wow.” Dylan whistled. “And here I was thinking I’d been screwed up.” She chuckled and took Mia’s hand.
“The McGowan men have a way of getting into your heart. I didn’t know Brian before… He left town shortly before I arrived, but from what Addy has told me, she always believed he had a good heart.”
“Yes,” she agreed, “he does.” She knew that to be true, one hundred percent.
“Then what’s the deal?” Dylan asked.
“I… don’t know if I know how to love someone,” Mia admitted.
Just then there was a knock on the door.
“Is everything okay in there?” Brian called through the thick door.
“Yes, almost done,” Dylan answered.
“We have food,” Brian called back.
Dylan squeezed Mia’s hand. “Loving someone is the easiest part.” She leaned closer and kissed Mia’s cheek. “All you have to do is be yourself; the rest will fall into place.” She stood up. “Now, this baby heard food.” She rubbed her tummy and smiled.
It was nice, being surrounded by a large family who had all crowded into her small hospital room to eat burgers and show their support for her. Rea and Tom stuck by her side and had even brought her flowers, which sat next to a large bouquet that Brian had gotten for her.
Because of the head wound, she was kept at the hospital overnight. When the nurses tried to kick Brian out later that night, he said a few choice curses, causing Tom to step in and tell the nurses that they should allow him to stay, for protection.
Coming from an officer of the law, the nurses gave up and allowed him to sleep in the chair beside her bed.
Halfway through the night, she felt Brian crawl into bed with her. It felt so right being held by him that she realized that Dylan had been right. It was so easy being loved and loving someone. She didn’t even know when it had happened. All that mattered now was that it had. She was in love.
By morning, all the aches and pains were making themselves known. She’d been injured before on a case, but nothing this… personal before.
She was pretty sure that Jonah’s attack had nothing to do with him pushing drugs in Haven. At least from what she’d seen in the man’s eyes. It had been pure lust she’d seen as he… She tried not to think about what he’d done, what he’d almost done to her.
This was the first time in her life that she’d felt unsafe, physically, even though she’d been shot at, attacked, and even had a knife held to her throat once.
“How are you feeling?” Brian’s arms wrapped tighter around her. She tensed as pain shot through her ribs. “Sorry.” His hold on her released. “You’re hurting.”
“Some.” He climbed out of the bed and pushed the button for the nurse.
“I don’t need…” she started to argue, but the look he gave her stopped her.
Shifting a litt
le, she realized just how bad she was hurting as her body came awake. She was pretty sure that all she needed was a couple of aspirin and some orange juice. Maybe a large blueberry muffin and some eggs. She realized suddenly that she was very hungry.
“I could eat,” she told him before the nurse entered.
“So could I. Let’s see what they have. They should let you leave soon.” He glanced at his watch and then ran his hands over his face as if trying to wake himself up.
“You’re tired.” She hit the button and had the head of the bed rising just as the nurse walked in.
“Morning.” It was the same nurse that had taken care of her all night, checking her vitals.
“Morning,” Brian answered. “She’s hurting today,” he said, not giving Mia time to ask for some aspirin.
The woman smiled and held up a little container of pills. “I figured as much.” She handed Mia the container.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Well, we’ll start with some aspirin. If that doesn’t work…”
“It’s perfect,” Mia answered with a smile. She reached for her water container.
Brian stepped in and handed her the container. She swallowed down the pills.
“I’ll go see about getting you some breakfast, if you’re up to it,” the nurse said cheerfully.
“Yes, please.”
The woman turned to Brian. “Would you like something as well?”
“If you can manage it.” He nodded. “Thanks, Alice.”
“You’re welcome.” She started to go. “Oh, Tom is here, and your mother.”
“Thanks, I’ll step out and talk to them.”
Alice turned and left the room.
“I keep forgetting you know everyone in town.” She settled back against the bed.
“I went to school with her sister, Mary.” He sat on the chair beside her. “I think they had a crush on me at one point.” He shrugged.
“I bet you left a trail of broken hearts behind you.” She smiled at him.
He chuckled. “Remember.” He pointed to his chest. “Overweight bully.”
“Still, I’ve seen the pictures. You were cute before you turned hot.” She smiled as he moved closer and took her hand.
“I’d love to see pictures of when you were a kid.” He lifted her bruised hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. His eyes turned sad when he noticed the rawness of her skin.
“We’ll need to talk about… things.” She sighed. “Have you called Carter yet?”
He rested his forehead against her hand. “Yes.”
“And?” she asked when he didn’t continue.
“Later.” He looked up. “Let me go find out what Tom knows and see about getting us some coffee that doesn’t taste like it was made twenty years ago.” He stood up, then leaned over her and kissed her lips softly. “I love you.”
She stopped him from moving away by taking his hand. “Brian, I love you too. Whatever happens, at this moment, know that.”
His smile was quick, and he returned to kiss her once more. “Be back in a few.”
She nodded and, after she was alone in the room, decided to try and make it to the bathroom to freshen up. The shower last night had cleaned her skin of all the blood, leaving her skin raw and dry.
Looking into the bag Brian had brought for her, she was happy to find her bottle of lotion and skin creams, along with her hairbrush and her makeup bag.
By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt a little more alive.
Stepping out, she noticed that Rea was sitting in the chair Brian had been in earlier.
“Morning.” She smiled at her and motioned to a coffee cup. “We brought you some fresh coffee.”
“Perfect.” She sat on the edge of the bed close to Rea. “What’s the news?” she asked, after taking a sip of the hot coffee.
Rea’s eyes moved to the door as if she was unsure if she should tell Mia herself.
“Rea.” She reached over and touched her hand. “I need to know so Brian doesn’t see my response. Something tells me it will really affect him watching how I react to whatever it is you know.”
Rea nodded and moved forward.
“They… found another body this morning at first light. She wasn’t far from where they found your rental car and… Jonah.”
Mia frowned. “Another body?” She shook her head.
“A woman’s body. It had been there sometime, a few weeks, maybe a month.” She closed her eyes. “They’re looking at missing persons to find a match, but… the line of thinking is… You weren’t the first woman Jonah had taken up there to…” Rea’s eyes filled with tears and she quickly dashed them away.
“Serial rapist and murderer?” She leaned back, feeling her head go light. She’d walked right into the man’s trap. She’d rolled her window down to talk to someone she shouldn’t have trusted. Everything in her gut had told her to steer clear, but the job had come first.
So, she had been right, what had happened with Jonah had nothing to do with their case. If she hadn’t followed Charlie into the store, she wouldn’t have put herself in danger. She wouldn’t have had to kill a man. She could have been killed herself.
Just then, the door opened, and Brian walked in, carrying a large tray of food.
Mia tried to quickly recover, not wanting him to see what the news had done to her.
“Hey.” Brian’s eyes ran over her and she knew instantly that she hadn’t hidden all the emotions. “Mom?” He set the tray down and moved over to her side, gathering her into his arms. “I thought you were going to let me tell her?”
“She asked.” Rea sighed. “I thought it would be less of a blow coming from another woman.”
“It was,” Mia said, wiping the few tears from her face. She had to be strong now. It was over, she was alive. “I’m fine, really.” She leaned back. “I need food, then you can tell me everything you know.” She scooted up onto the bed and reached for the tray.
While she ate, Brian filled her in on what the police had found.
The woman’s body had been discovered a few yards from the old train station building, a building that hadn’t even been on Brian’s radar, since most of it had fallen in back when he’d been in high school.
“It’s nothing more than a pile of rubble at this point,” he told her.
“At one time, it was the center of Haven,” Rea said. “After the fire that burned the entire town down in the early nineteen hundreds, it was the only building left standing, and the town was moved further down into the valley. Away from the old train tracks.”
“Are they sure the woman was one of Jonah’s victims?” She’d finished the tray of food and was feeling tired again. She knew her body needed time to recover and planned on spending the day in bed with Brian at the house. But, until they released her, she was stuck there.
“No, the coroner will let Tom know his findings as soon as he can,” Rea added. “And I’ll keep you two posted.” She stood up and glanced towards the door. “I’d better…”
“Thank you, for the coffee.” Mia moved to get up, but Rea stopped her.
“Stay put, I’ll be back later. I think they were talking about releasing you soon. I’ll just go check for you.” Her eyes moved to Brian’s.
“Thanks, Mom,” he said, moving closer to Mia.
When they were alone, she closed her eyes and felt her chest tighten as the weight of the situation hit her full force. “God, I was so stupid.”
“Hey.” He took her hand and she felt the bed dip as he sat beside her. “No, you were just doing your job. You can’t always spot a psychopath. You didn’t do anything to cause this. It’s not your fault.”
“I should have known. If I hadn’t…” Her mind clicked into gear finally, causing her to sit up. “Shit, we lost our chance to find out who Jonah’s supplier was.”
“We still have Charlie,” Brian suggested.
“Right. Still, from the way Jonah was talking to him, I doubt that the ki
d knows a heck of a lot.”
“No.” Brian sighed. “He didn’t strike me as the kind that would. From what you said, he owes someone else in town some pills that he can never collect from Jonah.”
“Think we can watch him and find out who he gets them from?” she suggested.
Brian grew silent as he was deep in thought. “I can visit him, ask for another hit? Tell him I’m desperate since you were attacked?”
She started to shake her head, thinking it was too risky, but then realized that was their job. To put themselves in danger to save others.
“Fine, but later.” She reached for him. “Today, as soon as they let me go, we’re going to spend our time in bed, watching TV and eating junk food.” She felt him chuckle as she laid her head against his chest.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 20
They spent the day just as she had wanted. She’d been released a few hours after breakfast. They had swung by the Dancing Moose and he’d run inside and had gotten them lunch and an entire French silk pie for later. He knew they still had a carton of ice cream in the freezer as well as a bag of cookies and some popcorn. Figuring that was enough junk food for them both, he drove back to the house.
Since their rental car was now part of an official investigation, the rental company had sent over another car. He’d requested a Jeep, since he didn’t want Mia to have problems with another SUV.
He’d driven a few Jeeps and was impressed with this one, thinking that once he returned to Helena he’d invest in one for himself.
For some reason, as he lay there holding Mia as she slept through the old holiday movie, he thought about Gail’s offer.
He’d skimmed over the offer she’d left with Mia. He didn’t know why, but she had offered to sell it to them just under market value and even offered to carry the loan for the first few years until they settled in Haven.
It was a good deal, almost too good of one. Suddenly, he realized she’d made it because he was, at least in her eyes, family. The McGowans took care of their own. It had been, at one point, his major contention with the family.
He was still exploring his feelings about being included in the pack.
