“Matt…,” I say breathlessly, feeling slightly shaky.
“There is no way Tess would let you even walk into….”
“I need to.” I say loudly, so loudly he stays quiet. “I need...I need normal….Matt...I’m no good for him…I’m not good for anyone. Matt. Please,” I plead with him, trying to control the anxiety bubbling up to the surface. Every centimeter of my body hurts and it’s all being mixed up with the panic that is suddenly surging through me at the idea of Parker seeing me in the light. Last night had been okay, because it had been dark. “I want to gain some control, everything is a freaking mess….”
“Babe…,” he says and his eyes are softer than they were a second ago. Soft with pity and as much as I hate it, I’d use it to get what I needed.
“Please, Matt… Hide me away. I just need a couple of days to recuperate. The girls need to get back into the swing of things, they need to stop worrying... just take me….”
“Take you where?” The deep voice interrupts me and my eyes immediately go to the bedroom door.
Parker is standing at the doorway, a brown paper bag in one hand, a large drink in the other. He’s dressed in a soft gray button-up dress shirt that he’d already rolled the sleeves up his strong forearms. It’s untucked and falling onto light faded jeans and on his feet are black leather work boots. His hair was slightly undone, like he’d been running his fingers through his hair making the tips curl more than it normally did, and there’s only one thing running through my poor demented brain.
He looks so damn good.
“Nowhere Stone, calm your boxer briefs.” Matt says saving me from myself.
I look up at Matt, hoping that he can somehow see my silent plea for him to at least think about me hiding away at his house, but if he does see it, he doesn’t let in on it. Instead he walks away from me, grabbing the bags from Parker and out of my room.
“Hey.” I say glancing away from him back to the window, letting my gaze fall onto the blue sky.
“Hey...how are you feeling?” He asks, his deep voice soothing me.
“Fine.”
“Fine?” He asks standing at the doorway. One leg over the other, he’s the picture of cool.
“Yes. I’m fine. Don’t I look fine?” I snap at him bitchily. I glance at him, his jaw twitching slightly.
“Ell…
“Don’t. Don’t call me that. Look, I get what you’re doing here, okay. Seriously... it’s not needed.” I snap at him. I don’t need his pity. I don’t want it. He’d want to make this right, staying with me, making me latch tight onto him and one day, one day he’d wake up and realize he messed up. He’d realize he deserved better.
“What is it you think I’m doing?” He asks and I turn to look at him fully.
His long, strong body is leaning in the doorway; his legs are crossed over the each other, his hands stretch across his chest. He looks… relaxed, like he isn’t going anywhere. The idea of me kicking him out is going in one ear and out the other. It makes the shred of hope that sparked earlier brightens kindling its fire.
“You feel guilty. You feel like you have something to make up to me. You don’t. Your grandfather’s a nut case. It’s okay. Shit happens. No damage done. Not really.” Taking a deep breath to try to take the knot away from my throat, I continue. “The bruises will fade, the cuts will scab up and fall off. My ribs will heal. I’m fine.” I tell him, not letting myself look at him completely. If I do, all I’ll want is to fall into his arms.
“What about what we had going before all this shit? Does that count for anything?” He asks, his voice starting to sound a little frustrated.
“I lied to you. I didn’t tell you the truth. If I had, all that we had going before, wouldn’t have happened. I need…,” swallowing hard, the words tasting bitter in my mouth, “I need you to leave.”
“Angel….” I hear him start walking towards me and I turn to look at him and he sees something in my eyes that stops him.
I’m cracking. I can feel it. Shit! Fuck! Fuckity fuck! I’m cracking in front of him and I can’t stop cracking. Not even if I had a freaking gun to my head right now, would I be able to stop it.
“Please. Leave. I don’t want you here.” I tell him my voice straining with unshed emotion. I hurt everywhere.
Everything that happened to me somehow rising to the surface... too close! The walls are suddenly closing in on me. Panic sweeps over me so fast that I can’t breathe. I’m tired. So damn tired, but if I close my eyes, I know what my mind will see. I know I’ll see it all happening again, unfolding in front of me. I’ll live it all again and again. I’ll see him. I’ll see what they...!
“Angel…,” Parker’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts but the panic and anxiety bubble over.
“GET OUT!” I yell, something breaking deep inside of me.
Flashes of the creepy guard’s body over mine, his hand at my throat, touching my body run through my mind. “GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!” I scream, my voice, a tone I don’t even recognize as my own. It’s like I have no control over my body. Falling onto my knees, not able to see, blinded by the relentless tears that come out of nowhere, like a busted dam. I feel Parker move, immediately falling on his own knees, pulling me into his body, bringing me to his lap and I hit his chest over and over. I don’t want to, but I can’t help it. I hit his chest, my body aches, my chest hurts, my hearts racing all while I finish cracking, shattering all over the floor.
“LEAVE! DON’T YOU GET IT?” I yell my voice is hoarse and strained.
“Tell me. Tell me what I’m supposed to get!” His arms are around me, his voice is serious but calm, he urges me to talk.
“I’m so broken. I’m nothing! You said it yourself. You told me yourself. They… what he did… LEAVE! LEAVE….MATT! MATT!” I scream hitting Parker’s hard chest and he just sits there taking it.
His arms stay gently around me and he is so gentle that I stop. I stop completely. My hands in fists in front of his body completely still. My entire being frozen, until I am not. The moment I’m not, is ugly. It’s nothing but tears and deep soul wrenching sobs. All I can do is cry in his arms, my face in his neck because he pulls me close into his warmth. He does this for a while. He’s my rock until I find the strength to talk.
“There’s no way you could really care about me, Park. A guy like you…,” I sniffle shaking my head that feels too heavy as I lean it on his chest. “A guy like you deserves better. Someone not dirtied by the past. Definitely not me… I’m nothing,” his hand in my hair, my face at the base of his neck.
His warm body gently rocking makes my eyes heavy and I breathe him in. He smells like his soap and Parker. No cologne.
Parker
“You should walk away from me.” She says and I can’t find my voice. “You should be running.”
My hand in her silky hair, shushing her, trying to comfort her anyway I can without words. I look up and see Matt standing in the doorway, his eyes on the ground, and hands in fists at his sides.
He cares about her. I’m not stupid. I’m a guy and I see the way he looks at her. But she’s mine. He’d known her for a long time. It wasn’t my fault that he’d sat with his thumb up his ass waiting for a sign. I watch as his gaze goes up to mine, his eyes are red and glassy, just like mine probably are. He tips his chin, leaving the room.
“I can’t, baby.” I tell her and I genuinely know that there is no way in hell that I can ever make myself walk away. I love her.
After a bit of silence, I feel her lift her hand to the buttons on my dress shirt.
“Why?” She asks in a whisper sniffling, resting her warm head on my chest.
“Because you’re mine and you will always be mine. No matter what,” I confidently tell her and she nods her body relaxes slightly into mine. We sit that way for a while. Our breathing is starting to even out. She has her face on my chest, a hand around my waist.
“I’m tired.” She says, breaking the silence.
“I have a gr
eat bed at my place. You can sleep there.” I tell her smiling and she looks at me. It hurts to look at her so bruised up and cautious.
“Park…?” Dark clouds make her eyes even darker.
“I’ll stay in the guest room.” I say hoping she will give in and agree but she shakes her head.
“That wouldn’t be right….”
“The girls will have rooms to stay over if they want to and it’s closer to your shop.”
“My shop?” she asks, some of the clouds clearing away from her eyes. I would do anything to have them fucking disappear. One day soon, those clouds will be nothing but an ugly memory.
“I know you. You're going to want to go in. I don’t like it, but as long as you give yourself two more days to rest, I’ll go with you at night.”
“Really?” she sniffles. Her eyes are not really meeting mine. Not in a way that makes me feel like she is avoiding looking at me, more like she is in deep thought.
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” She agrees easily, surprising me when she buries her head into my neck.
We sit in silence, but I know she isn’t asleep. Her body’s tense and her breathing isn’t slow and steady like it is when she sleeps.
“Parker...I’m...I’m sorry for hitting you… and freaking out. I shouldn’t have....” She mumbles out and my throat tightens. My girl was so fucking strong and sweet. If hitting me right now helps her not hold shit in, I’d be her punching bag anytime.
“Want to talk about it?” I ask my hold on her growing tighter.
“Not right now...you’re sure the creepy guy….?”
“He’s not breathing anymore.” I growl, my jaw clenching. She’s scared. That asshole hurt her and she’s scared.
“The other guard he …”
“He’s undercover police, angel. He’s the one who got to you.” I feel her shiver against me and I hold her tight. Breathing in deep I try to find the courage in me to ask, what I know her girls and everyone else has been afraid to ask. “Ellie… Tyler Thorne, the undercover cop, he said your … your clothes were ripped apart. He covered you up with his jacket. Do you remember that?” I ask her and she nods but stays silent.
“I remember everything,” she whispers not looking at me and I hold her close.
“You didn’t let the doctors at the emergency room check….”
“Park….”
“Umm guys?” Matt interrupts and we both look at him, “The police are here.”
“Park?” She asks me worry clear in her dark eyes.
“Shhh... give me a second to find out what they want, okay angel? Matt stay with her,” I tell him as I stand lifting her in my arms. I sit her down in her old recliner, tucking the orange knit blanket around her.
Walking into her living room, I see Tyler Thorne and a tall leggy brunette in a brown leather jacket and black slacks.
“You cannot be here…,” I hiss at him. My angel had just broken down, I didn’t want him reminding her of god only knows what.
“Stone.” He growls.
“Mr. Stone?” The brunette asks and I nod. “I'm Detective Tania Monroe,” she extends her hand and I shake it.
“How can I help you?” I ask seriously, glancing back at the room my girl is in.
“I need to take Miss Del Rio’s Statement, Mr. Stone.”
“Why is he here?” I ask, gritting my teeth.
“He….”
“I wanted to check on her. I’m not an asshole, Stone.” Thorne spits out and I look at him.
“Then, where the fuck were you? Huh?” I growl, taking a step closer. Anger filling me up, as pissed as I am at Thornton, I’m more pissed at myself.
“Mr. Stone, Agent Thorne can wait outside if you feel like it will be an issue for Miss Del Rio.”
“I’m fine.” I hear Liz’s voice and I turn to watch her walk slowly, leaning her body into Matt’s. She is still in my grey hoodie and her black yoga pants and fuzzy yellow socks.
“Miss Del Rio?” The detective asks and my angel nods.
“Liz. Please call me Liz.”
“Liz, I’m Detective Tania Monroe. I came….”
“To take my statement, I heard.” She’s leaning on Matt, leaning most of her body on his. It’s clear she’s in a lot of pain. “Do you mind if we sit?” She asks the detective and I walk to her, Matt hands her off to me.
“Not at all,” The detective says. Liz immediately leans on me, giving me some of her weight as she walks slowly towards the couch. Her eyes only meet that of the detective who is now sitting in front of her.
“Do you mind if I record this?” The detective asks and Liz shakes her head.
“Not at all,” Her hand is clammy in mine, but she holds on tight. So tight, it’s as if she’s afraid that I’ll leave. I make a mental note to work on that. To make her realize I’m never going to leave her side again.
“How do we do this?” She asks the detective and I feel my chest puff up with pride. My angel had been through a nightmare, but here she is facing the aftermath head on.
“First, do you mind Agent Thorne being here?” Liz quickly glances at him, her forehead shining with perspiration and she swallows hard.
“No,” she shakes her head. “I mean, I’m okay with him here… just if he can stay over there.” Thorne was on the other end of the living room. She needed space from who she’d thought was bad. I understand it.
“Okay.”
“I can go,” Thorne says shaking his head. Liz’s head comes up, her eyes bravely meet his.
“I… I just…I’m fine if you want to stay, I just don’t want to be crowded is all.” Her voice is soft and Thornton’s serious gaze on her softens, he tips his head, not saying a word.
“Miss Del Rio, do you remember what happened?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me what you remember?”
She takes a deep breath, “I walked out to get a drink for one of the patrons at a bachelor party. I wasn’t paying attention. I saw Matt on the floor and umm Marco, Duke’s guard was there. He grabbed me and injected me with something… I tried to fight but whatever he gave me, hit me fast...Then nothing until I woke up.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. It was a room, cold like a basement. He’d put a ...a pillowcase of some sort over my head… He was in there when I woke up, we exchanged words and he left or at least I think he did. Then someone came in.” She swallows looking away. Not at any of us. Liz focused her eyes on the carpet in front of her.
“He was wearing cologne.” She says softly her hand slipping out of mine, “I thought… I thought it was Parker.”
“Why?” Detective Monroe asks.
“It was his cologne.” She whispers and I feel like a fucking failure. I’d failed her. “I thought… I thought he’d found me.”
“Miss Del Rio, if you want it can just be us….”
“It’s okay,” Liz says quickly, tightening her grip on my hand.
“Okay.”
“He came over to me… and when I said Parker’s name he laughed. He took the cover off and it was Duke, umm, Judge Keates. He… he touched my shoulder and I flinched and he didn’t like that.”
“What did he do?”
“He wanted me to look at him, but I wouldn’t. So he hit me a couple of times on the face. When that didn’t work, he sucker punched my sides and knocked the wind out of me. He grabbed my face and ripped the straps of my nightie. He beat me up… both of them.”
“Liz?” Detective Monroe held Liz’s hand. “You okay? Need a break?”
“No. Umm…Duke was insistent on having me look at him after every time he hit me. He hit hard and I ended up on the floor. He let Marco kick me. They yelled things. I tried to fight, but they were too strong….” Her eyes closed.
“Angel....” I squeeze her hand she doesn’t have to do this. I know now what she’s seeing with her eyes closed and I don’t want that for her. I want to take it all away.
“Duke was angry, I don’t know w
hy but his eyes were dead. He told me I was nothing and that Marco could have me. Marco picked me up, my body was against a wall , his hands on my throat, his hands… his gross hands were all over me…,” her voice cracked, one solitary tear escaped from her closed eyes as my blood boils at what they did. “That’s when Agent Thornton came in….”
Detective Monroe looked torn between wanting to keep things professional and at the same time hold Liz to comfort her.
“We have Agent Thorne’s statement, but I need to ask, what happened then?” Detective Monroe asked kindly, her voice soft.
“I…I was out of it. I remember hoping they wouldn’t pass me around...I heard yelling and I closed my eyes. Everything hurt by then. I heard more yelling but Marco was still choking me, his face not looking at me. I started to see black spots and then I heard a gunshot and I felt like I was falling onto the floor. I opened my eyes and saw Agent Thorne handcuffing Duke, and I saw Marco bleeding next to me.” She opens her eyes and she looks so fucking lost it kills me. It kills me that I hadn’t been able to keep her safe.
“You okay?” The detective asks kindly.
“Yeah... sure,” Liz says, not looking at anyone. The tension in the room is thick.
“Liz… Judge Duke Keates is going to jail for a very long time. Marco Belfort is dead. He can’t hurt you.”
Liz looked up at the detective her eyes completely empty of emotion and I want to just take her away from everything. My brave angel finishes up answering questions about Duke and what had happened before that night. Detective Monroe treated her with care, and gave Liz, her card in case she needed her in the future. Matt walked them out, deciding that he would answer questions out of Liz’s space.
I am alone with her for the first time in too long, I don’t know what to do or how to act with her. She’d just had to repeat everything that had happened. She’d thought that I’d been there. Duke had put on my cologne to give her hope and then to crush it away. The sick bastard, I should have saved her. I should have been able to keep her safe, but I hadn’t.
I failed her.
“It wasn’t your fault.” She says resting her body into mine, as if she could read my thoughts.
Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2) Page 34
