Craig stepped up to me and practically touched his nose to mine. “If I wanted you dead, you would be. Don’t ever forget that.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. I looked back to the bedroom and decided to get him on a different topic, one I was immensely curious about. “How did you two hook up?” I nodded toward the bedroom.
“When the news came to get the truth about what happened that day, she was there.” He sat back on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. “We’ve kept in touch.”
I reluctantly sat next to him. “She’s talked to you for the past four years?”
Craig picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels. “She’s in love with me, but there’s enough of me to go around.” He reached over and patted my head. “I know you girls get jealous easily, but you’ll learn to like each other.”
It was worse than I thought with Deb. I finally understood why she hated me so much. She was in love with the monster I put away. I wondered how she felt about him now that he’d brought her to my bed and had already hit her.
Deb slowly walked out of the bedroom fully dressed, and blood was still trickling down the side of her head. I got up and Deb took a step back. “I just want to help stop the bleeding.”
“I’m leaving. I’ll go to my doc—” Deb stopped as Craig stormed to her.
He grabbed her arms and shook her. “You’re not leaving! No one is going to leave me ever again!”
I put my hand on Craig’s arm and spoke softly. “Craig, let me take her to the bathroom to stop the bleeding and bandage it up. I’ll talk to her.”
He let her go and turned to me. “I’m watching you, bitch. Don’t think I’m falling for this act of yours.” He went back to the television.
I turned to Deb and glared at her. I motioned for the bathroom and she rolled her eyes, but walked there anyway. The second I closed the door, I went off on her. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I slammed the lid down and set her on the stool. I continued to slam supplies around as I went on with my rant. “You’ve been writing letters to a man that killed his own baby by shoving his pregnant girlfriend down the stairs and kicking her as she lay at the bottom of those stairs in severe pain.”
Deb flinched as I probably used a little too much force to clean up her wound. I backed away and took a deep breath to try to calm myself as best I could. “I’m sorry. I will try to do this as painlessly as possible.”
“I deserve it.” Deb barely whispered as the tears started. I continued to clean the wound without comforting her. “Did he hurt Dennis?”
I backed up and sat on the edge of the tub. “I don’t know. He has his keys. I know he went home early to sleep after being up all night with you.” It wasn’t fair to make her feel worse, but she didn’t really deserve my sympathy if she did anything to cause Dennis to get hurt.
“How are we going to get out of this?” She looked up, and I saw the panic in her eyes.
“Just shut up and let me do all the talking.” I put the bandage on her head after she agreed.
“I tried to call for help, but he must have taken the battery out of my cell phone. I didn’t see a phone in the bedroom.”
“I had one in there. He must have taken it.” I started to open the door.
“Wait!” She waited until I turned to look at her. “I really don’t care what happens to me. I just need to make sure Dennis is okay.”
“It’s nice to know you can think of someone besides yourself for once.” I felt bad when she looked down. I sighed. “Look, he’s not going to kill us.” She looked up at me surprised. “If we do what he says and don’t argue with him, we’ll be fine.”
Chapter 22
We played house for several hours. Deb and I cooked for him and barely managed to force down the dinner ourselves. After dinner, he wanted us to watch television together. He made several immature comments about us making a sandwich and him being the meat. I thought for sure Deb was going to comment back and set him off, but she kept her mouth shut for once.
She was quiet until I dozed off next to Craig. Their talking woke me, but I kept my head down so I could listen to their conversation. “Is it true that your girlfriend before Drew killed herself?”
I didn’t understand why Deb would bring up such a touchy topic. I understood that she was curious, but it was not the time or place to ask these things. She could have asked after he was safely tucked away in prison again. I still couldn’t believe she’d kept in contact with him all these years.
Craig still hadn’t answered, so Deb continued. “I was trying to tell my brother what Drew is really like and—”
“What’s Drew really like?” I felt Craig turn towards Deb. I didn’t know if I should get up and stop it or if I should let her get herself out of the hole she dug. “Come on, Deb, tell me what she’s like.”
“Well, she let you go to prison. I was afraid of what she would do to my brother.” This seemed to calm Craig and he sat back again. “Anyway, I was showing him the interview where you said she cheated on you, and she walked in. She tried to make you sound horrible and said you were so horrible that your girlfriend before her killed herself to get away from you.”
Craig lunged at her, and I could hear her choking. I shot up. “Craig! Stop it. She’s just a stupid bitch who doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.” I kept trying to pry him off her.
He finally let go and turned his anger towards me. “Why would you tell her that?”
I started backing up. “I was angry when I saw you trying to tell the world I cheated on you with Tony. You made me fuck Tony. I wanted nothing to do with it!” I thought that if I yelled loud enough, maybe the neighbors in this apartment building would come to my aid as the first ones had.
He grabbed my arms. “You loved every minute of it and don’t you deny it.” He let go. “Sally is nobody’s business. You had no right to tell her that.”
“So it’s true.” Deb just wouldn’t learn, but to both of our surprise, he didn’t go after her.
Craig plopped himself in the chair and leaned forward putting his face in his hands. “She did leave me, but not to get away from me. I made her get an abortion, and she couldn’t handle it.” He looked up. “But you two are going to get your tubes tied so we don’t have to worry about any of that shit again.”
I sat on the sofa. This would kill Mark if he knew. I jumped when he yelled. “Enough of this shit. One of you two needs to put me back in my good mood.” Craig got up and started coming over to me.
“Why not me?” We both looked at Deb as she sat there pouting. I couldn’t believe her.
Craig chuckled and shrugged when he looked at me. “You’re out of commission anyway, but you’re still coming with us.” He grabbed my arm.
“I don’t want to watch the two of you.” I wrenched my arm free.
“Well as much as I would love to, I just don’t trust you out here by yourself.”
“Then we stay out here and she can go to the bedroom. She can’t leave without you seeing her.” Deb walked up and put her arms around him. That’s all the encouragement that he needed.
I went to the bedroom and was only allowed to partially close the door. I couldn’t make it to the window without him seeing me, but I could search for that phone he unplugged. It was hard to search quietly and quickly. I really didn’t want to listen to anything they were doing, but it was helpful to know how much time I had. I finally found it in the back of the closet.
“What the fuck are you doing in there?” Craig was yelling, and I thought he was about to come check on me.
I flung my shirt off and stepped in the doorway. “I’m changing my fucking clothes if that’s all right with you. I’ve been in that suit all day!” I slammed the door to make my point and to give myself a little more privacy. I pulled a t-shirt over my head and went back to the task at hand.
I quickly plugged the phone in and dialed what I hoped I remembered off the card Detective Jonahs gave me. The second he answered
, I whispered, “Craig. My apartment. Hurry.”
I dropped the phone when I heard the front door crash open and Deb scream. I ran out to see Dennis and Craig fighting. It looked as if Dennis had already taken a beating and was struggling to keep up with Craig. Mark came running in and immediately took over beating Craig. Dennis collapsed when he realized Mark had it under control.
I ran to Dennis to make sure he was going to be okay. I couldn’t contain my tears. Part of me was so relieved that he was okay, and the other part was devastated that he was hurting so much. I saw Deb out of the corner of my eye, watching us. She had just put her shirt on and couldn’t stop staring. I thought she was going to make a comment when she started to walk over, but she bent down and picked up the gun.
“Deb.” I watched as she walked over and put it to Craig’s head. I stood up. “Deb, he’s not worth it.”
“He’ll get out again and he’ll come back.” She spoke as if she were in a daze. Mark backed up.
“You’ve got that right. You’re mine now, bitch.” Craig had to mumble from the beating Mark had given him, so it didn’t come out as forcefully as he wanted it to.
Deb started yelling. “I gave up my marriage for you!”
“You didn’t love him anyway.”
“You’re right, but I could have found someone better instead of waiting on your sorry ass.” She pressed the gun harder into his head.
“Deb, don’t.” I started to walk towards her, but Mark held me back.
“You want him alive?” Deb’s voice started to shake.
“No, but I don’t want you to kill him.”
“You’ll have nothing if you kill me. You think your husband will take you back? He already has another girlfriend!”
“I don’t want him and I don’t want you!” Deb’s hand started shaking.
“Good luck finding someone willing to put up with your constant whining and lack of skills in the sack!”
Mark and I jumped as the shot went off and Craig crumpled to the floor. I stood there stunned, helpless, and not sure what to do. Deb had just killed Craig. I couldn’t take my eyes of off the body that lay there motionless. I was in complete shock, so when she raised her hand again, all I could do was blink. I knew she was getting ready to shoot again; I couldn’t comprehend what my eyes were seeing.
Mark suddenly lunged for Deb and grabbed her hand as another shot rang out. My attention snapped to them at the sound of the gunshot just as Mark took the gun from Deb. She fell to her knees sobbing. “Why did you do that?”
Mark had tears in his eyes as he looked at Dennis. “I did that for him. Not being able to save your sister when she tries to kill herself is a guilt he doesn’t need. I don’t want to see him go through what I went through.” Mark unloaded the gun as the police entered my apartment.
I glanced over to the kitchen and saw the hole in the shutters from the stray bullet.
~*~
I wanted to ride with Dennis to the hospital, but the police wouldn’t let me leave until our statements had been taken. Mark told the police that Deb saved his life by shooting Craig while they were fighting. I was stunned that he lied, but readily agreed with him. I didn’t want Dennis’s family to go through any more than what I’d already put them through. Deb had enough she needed to work through without adding prison to it.
I still wasn’t sure that she completely understood what she’d done and what Mark was doing for her. He saved her life twice that night. Deb went to my bedroom when they still wouldn’t let her go. She couldn’t stand to look at Craig’s body anymore. I couldn’t stand to look at it, either. I went to my bedroom to check on Deb while Mark was giving his friend all the information about what happened.
She was curled up on the bed crying. Yes, she was going to have a long road ahead of her. I just hoped she let her family in this time to help. I slowly sat next to her on the bed, but didn’t comfort her. “Just say it,” she said.
I looked at her. “What do you want me to say, Deb?”
She sat up against the headboard. “I know you want to rub it in. I know you want to say how right you were about him and how stupid I was to trust him.”
She was right. I did want to say that, but I decided to be the bigger person. This was not a situation anyone should want to gloat about. “Actually, I just want to know why you agreed to sleep with him that last time.”
“Oh.” She pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest. “I just kept thinking about how much Dennis loves you and how it would kill him if Craig touched you again. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Even though it wasn’t for my benefit, I was still grateful. “Thank you.”
I didn’t want to be in the room with Craig’s body, but I couldn’t take the hatred for me that Deb had rolling off her. I started to get up. “Drew?” I sat back down, but didn’t say anything. “Why is Mark protecting me?”
“It was his sister that killed herself because of Craig.” I looked at her. “Don’t fuck up the second chance he’s giving you.” I didn’t allow her to respond. I just walked out.
~*~
We were finally able to leave, and Mark took Deb and me to the hospital. Detective Jonahs told me I couldn’t get back into the apartment until they gave the okay, and I told him I never wanted to go back in there again.
Terri came running towards us when she saw us at the end of the hall. She hugged Mark and me at the same time, and Deb stood off to the side a little uncomfortable. If she weren’t such a bitch, people would want to hug her, too. Terri looked Mark over, but really he wasn’t hurt at all. Dennis already had done major damage to Craig before Mark got there.
“What were you thinking?” Terri started scolding Mark the second she knew he was okay.
“We were thinking Drew needed help.”
Terri turned her eyes to me. “Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “Nothing that Joseph can’t help with.” I looked at Deb. “She needs to be seen, though.”
“I’m fine.” Deb crossed her arms.
Gloria came around the corner. “Deb! Deb!”
The second Deb heard Gloria she put her back against the wall and covered her face as she cried. She struggled a little when Gloria tried to hold her, but finally gave in and clung to her mother. Gloria walked her with Terri to an exam area and made sure she was looked at.
Terri said that Dennis was resting behind the next curtain over and told me to be careful with him. She knew I would want to touch him, but warned that he was in a lot of pain. We pulled the curtain back as the doctor was looking at a few of his injuries.
Dennis lay there looking lifeless and limp. He was covered in bruises and welts, and parts of him were swelling. His hands especially looked bad. Tears were streaming down my face, but I tried my best to not make a sound. I didn’t want Dennis to hear how upset I was. I touched the one place it looked safe to touch—his forearm. I closed my eyes when he didn’t acknowledge me.
“We’re keeping him pretty sedated. Don’t be alarmed if he doesn’t respond for a while.” The doctor held out his hand. “You must be Drew. Terri told me you’d be coming soon.”
I shook his hand as he led me out to the hall to discuss Dennis and his condition. “I know it looks really bad, but he will recover. We are just waiting on a few tests for internal injuries, but really I think he’s going to be just fine. We’ll want to keep him for a few days, though.”
I nodded, still unable to speak. Mark took over for me. “Thank you, Doctor.” Mark reached out his hand.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself.” He shook Mark’s hand. “Dr. Turling.”
I saw the recognition flash in Mark’s eyes as he crushed the doctor’s hand. I turned to Mark. “Mark, stop.”
The doctor dropped to his knees in pain. Mark bent down and whispered in his ear while still clutching his hand. “If you ever touch my wife again, I will kill you.” There was a snap before Mark let go.
The doctor got up, pulled his hand t
o his chest, and quickly walked away. The surrounding doctors and nurses all applauded, which caught Mark by surprise. Terri came out to see what was going on.
Everyone quieted down and went back to work except for Donna, the one nurse who had been Terri’s friend throughout the whole ordeal. “Your hunky husband here just put the love doctor in his place, baby.” She walked by Terri and bumped hips with her. “I think he broke the man’s hand doing it.” The way Terri smiled at Mark with him just shrugging like Joe Cool told me that the red boots would be coming out again really soon.
~*~
Peggy went back into work at the center while I was off with Dennis. He didn’t really need me to be with him, but I needed to be with him. I was sure the nurses were taking good care of him, but I just couldn’t leave his side.
“It’s okay if you want to sleep in your bed, you know.” It was the third night, and I had to admit the little pullout chair wasn’t getting any more comfortable.
“Don’t you mean our bed?” I shot him a teasing look. “Unless I’m too much trouble for you and you’ve decided to take back your offer of me moving in with you.”
Dennis smiled as best he could. “Of course I meant our bed. It must be the concussion.” He pointed to his head. Dennis didn’t remember a lot about that day. I know Craig had caught him by surprise and had managed to tie him up in his living room. That was where he received his first beating. I wasn’t sure how Dennis got out of it, but he managed to free himself and call Mark for help.
He didn’t remember my apartment at all—including what Deb did. I wasn’t going to keep it from him, but I wasn’t telling him until we got home, which I hoped would be in just one more day. I was a little surprised that Deb hadn’t been in to see him yet. Just as I thought that, she walked in with Rachael.
I folded up the reclining chair and stood. “Hi.”
Rachael did her Rachael jog over to me and hugged me. “Do you want to get some coffee?” The look Rachael gave me told me it wasn’t really a question.
I smiled my understanding. “Coffee would be great.”
Striving for Normal (Striving Series) Page 27
