by Liz Bradford
“This is my house, not yours. I just let you live here.” Patrick’s face changed. The calm, even if irritated, demeanor vanished and was replaced with the “other” Patrick. One eye widened more than the other as his lips grew tight and his nostrils flared. “Did you have sex with that mongrel in my bed?”
Jocelyn’s pulse raced and breath quickened. She took a step back, but there wasn’t any farther to go. She was already up against the dresser.
“You did!” Curse words flew in her direction, but he didn’t approach her. “Who was it, Jocelyn? Who’s the slimeball that had the nerve to sleep with my wife in my bed? I want to know. Now!”
Her hands started to tremble. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. Tell me!” Patrick’s ears turned red.
She shook her head.
“That’s it. You have to get out.” He reached into the closet and pulled her clothes out and threw them on the floor, one handful after another, until all her hang-up clothes were lying in a heap. He moved toward her in a fury.
She couldn’t move. He shoved her out of the way. Then he swiped his arm along the top of the dresser, sending all of her things to the floor. They landed with a crash as several items, including a bottle of perfume, shattered. The scent of jasmine attacked her nose. The picture of the two of them with Gavin and Nikki lay shattered at her feet.
Her heart was as shattered as the glass.
Patrick kept talking, but she couldn’t listen. His insults and profanity were the last thing she wanted to let into her heart. He stormed across the small hallway into the spare bedroom. She had moved most of Patrick’s things out to make space for the baby.
“What the heck? What’s all this crap doing in here?” He grabbed the bouncy seat she had bought at the thrift store and threw it down the stairs.
“Patrick, don’t!” She stepped into the doorway of the spare room after he walked back in.
“You don’t need this nonsense.” He picked up a box of baby clothes Amelia had given her and dumped it on the floor and then chucked the cardboard box at her head.
She backed into the hallway. She should call someone.
He picked up a board from the crib that Becca had brought over last week, since Dani had climbed out so they didn’t need it anymore. She put her hands up to stop him from throwing it down the stairs.
“Please don’t!”
“I want all this crap out of my house. I never wanted children. And I sure as heck don’t want some other guy’s!”
His words cut, smashing her heart into nothing. “Never?”
“No. How stupid are you? Did you really think I wanted kids? There’s a reason I had a vasectomy in my twenties.”
“What? You told me… you told me you had an injury in Iraq.”
“I did, but that’s not why I couldn’t have kids. You’re such an idiot.”
Her whole body shook. He had lied to her. They had gone through years of “trying,” or so she thought. She clenched her fists. Her cheeks grew warm and hot tears pooled in her eyes. She should leave, but she couldn’t make her body move.
Patrick came back out of the room with another board.
She stood her ground this time. “Stop!”
He said nothing. He raised the board and hit her in the shoulder with it. Pain radiated up and down her left arm. She reached for the board, but he yanked it away and tossed it down the stairs. She grabbed for him as he went to get more of the crib. She couldn’t let him ruin her friends’ things.
“Get your hands off of me.” He smacked her arms, then reached up and slapped her cheek. “Now get your crap and get out of my house!”
“No!”
“That’s it! I said get out!”
He grabbed her shoulders with a tight grip. Pain shot through them. He lifted her, and her feet left the floor slightly. His fingers dug in between her muscles and bones. Before she could try to fight him, his fingers loosened. But as he let go, he shoved her. She stepped back, hoping to catch herself, but the landing wasn’t there. By the time her foot hit the first step she was falling.
She reached for the rail, but her fingers slipped. Jesus, save me! Instinctively she curled up. Her back hit the stairs, and her feet went over her head. Once her feet came back down toward the ground, she was able to turn to the side and barely avoided the board from the crib that was sticking up on the stairs. But she couldn’t stop her momentum. She hit the wall with her right side and fell down the remaining two stairs that turned toward the front door.
She lay there next to the bouncy seat and quickly assessed her injuries. Had she broken anything? No. Everything seemed to want to move, but the pain in her back and legs was nauseating.
Her breath caught in her throat. Patrick came storming down the stairs. “This ends now. I’ll be right back.”
Get out now! She struggled to push herself off the floor. But she had to. Move, Jocelyn!
The back door slammed. Patrick was outside.
She stumbled to the couch where she had left her bag when she got home earlier. She slung it over her shoulder, ignoring the painful screams from her arm. She grabbed her keys off the end table and slipped on her tennis shoes by the front door. As quietly as possible, she eased open the front door, then screen door.
Blast it! Patrick had parked right behind her. At least she had backed in. She slipped around the corner of the house. She didn’t see Patrick, but she could hear him in the garage behind the house. Sliding into her old Jeep Cherokee, she checked the rearview mirror and started the engine. Patrick appeared immediately.
Please don’t have a gun, please don’t have a gun! It didn’t matter if he did, she had to try to get away. She backed up a little and then gunned it right over the hostas she had planted along the edge of the driveway last month. She turned down the street and was tempted to sigh in relief, but she glanced in the mirror. He was following her!
CHAPTER NINE
Gavin glanced at his watch. Almost five. Maybe he should head home and catch a shower before meeting Jocelyn at Adam’s for dinner. He’d been racking his brain all week to figure out what she wanted to tell him, but he couldn’t come up with anything rational. His stomach was a mess trying to guess. He needed to stop and wait for tonight’s conversation. God, I could use a little help here. Can You give me a clue? Or at least calm my nerves.
He hadn’t been this anxious since the night he found out Nikki was in the hospital. She hadn’t thought to call him. Jocelyn had. He shook his head at the memory. He did not want to think about that right now.
“Listen up, y’all.” The captain’s voice cut into Gavin’s thoughts and jerked him back into the squad room. “We still have work to do, and y’all have done a superb job, as always, working tirelessly. I hate to say it, but we don’t know if or when we’ll get a call that there’s been another shooting. Good chance this guy’s not done. Palmer and Riley are working tomorrow, and I expect that if they need help, they’ll call any or all of you if they need you. But for today, go home already.”
He couldn’t argue with that. “Sounds like a plan to me.” All the detectives stood from their desks and made let’s-get-of-here noises.
“And get some sl—”
Gavin’s phone rang. All eyes turned to him. “Sorry.”
Captain Baker smiled at him.
Gavin pulled his phone off his belt and checked the caller ID as he silenced it. Jocelyn? His pulse pounded. He brought the phone to his ear while giving Adam a concerned look. His nerves chewed at his stomach. “Hello.”
“Gavin, help.” More words came across the phone, but he couldn’t distinguish them.
“Jocelyn, slow down. What’s wrong?”
“Patrick. He’s after me!”
“Wait, what? What do you mean Patrick’s after you?” Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him, but he held Adam’s gaze.
“He’s following me. He pushed me down the stairs. Said he was going to end this.”
“He pushed you down the stairs.” He repeated mo
re for the sake of his coworkers than anything. “Where are you?”
“I’m driving down Center.”
“Come here. We’ll keep you safe.” He turned toward the door.
“Okay. I’m almost there. Oh, the light turned yellow.”
“Go through!”
“I did. Oh good, he had to stop behind another car.”
“I’ll meet you in the parking lot. Stay on the phone until you see me.” Gavin smashed through the door and into the lobby.
“Okay.” She grew quiet. “Gavin, I’m scared.”
“I know.” He pushed through the front doors to the police station and walked down the steps. Dark clouds were rolling in and covering the drooping sun. The ominous skies added to his anxiety.
When he saw her pull into the parking lot, his heart jumped. He met her at one of the visitor parking spots along the front of the building.
“Hey.” He opened the car door for her.
“Hi.” She turned to let her feet out of the car and moaned.
Becca appeared by their side. “I’ll get your bag. You guys get inside.”
Jocelyn nodded and slid out of the car and nearly fell into Gavin’s arms. He reached out and steadied her and then wrapped his arm around her waist to help her move.
They were halfway down the sidewalk when a car sped into the parking lot.
“It’s him!” Her voice shook.
Gavin tightened his arm around her and kept moving toward the station.
The car came straight toward them but stopped abruptly. Patrick jumped out, leaving the door hanging wide open. “I wasn’t done talking to you, Jocelyn!”
Gavin kept himself between her and Patrick. Giant raindrops fell one by one around them.
“Wait a minute.” The crazy in Patrick’s eyes increased as they widened and went lopsided. “It was you! Wasn’t it? You’re the dog who knocked up my wife, aren’t you?”
“What?” Gavin’s brain tripped on Patrick’s words. Could it be? He looked at Jocelyn. Her wide eyes and the fear they held told him Patrick was right. The whole world stopped. He pulled his arm from around Jocelyn and put himself entirely in front of her.
“It is! You b—”
Boom! At the force of Patrick’s fist colliding with his face, Gavin’s head snapped back.
Gavin lifted his hands, palms facing Patrick. “Look, man, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? It’s a little late for that.” Patrick’s fist flew toward Gavin again, but this time Gavin saw it coming and was able to deflect it.
Gavin grabbed Patrick’s wrist and pushed him back, but Patrick thrashed at him. Gavin continued to block his advances without throwing a punch. His blood boiled, and he wanted to hit back, but he knew better. Patrick had always accused Gavin of being an emotionless robot, but it wasn’t that he lacked emotion, he just had a tight grip on the reigns.
Jared and Captain Baker stepped in and pulled Patrick back. Adam put his hand on Gavin’s shoulder, steadying him. Gavin’s whole body was shaking. He looked over at Jocelyn, but Becca and Amelia were ushering her inside.
Jared yanked Patrick around and slapped cuffs on him, and Captain Baker Mirandized him. The captain took him toward the building, and Jared moved Patrick’s car. Gavin stood there, frozen in time and space. What had he done? His heart felt as if it had turned to lead. The rain fell steadily now, soaking his shirt. Thunder cracked.
“Riley, let’s go inside.” Adam squeezed his shoulder.
His eyes focused on Adam. They didn’t say a word as they walked into the building.
“Let’s go to the conference room.”
After entering the squad room, Gavin glanced in the captain’s office. His eyes connected with Jocelyn’s. The sadness in hers ripped at his heart. Everything from the last three months suddenly made sense. But why hadn’t she told him?
“You can talk to her in a bit. Let the ladies take her statement. You need to make one too.”
Gavin’s lungs were tight. Once in the conference room, he leaned over and put his hands on his knees. “You knew?”
“Yeah.”
“Wait, did you know it was my baby before I even told you about the affair?”
Adam nodded. “What I can’t figure out is how you didn’t know. You’re a good detective. Didn’t you have an inkling?”
Gavin took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Guess I didn’t want to think it was true. I had already assumed she and Patrick had gotten back together.” He paced the room. “I’m such an idiot.” He turned back toward Adam. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Beats me, man, that’s between you, Jocelyn, and God. But—”
“And what about Patrick? I could…” Gavin’s face heated up.
Jared walked into the conference room before Gavin could continue. “You all right, Riley?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. How’s Jocelyn?”
“Not sure. Becca was taking her statement. Sounds like she’s pressing charges.”
“Good. She should.”
Captain Baker entered the room. “As should you.”
“I should? I deserved that punch, Captain.”
“Deserved or not, I don’t stand for my detectives being assaulted.”
Adam chimed in. “Two felonies. Please put him away for a long time.”
“Two? Assaulting a pregnant woman is a felony, but that was nothin’ more than a punch.”
“On a police officer,” Adam said. “That makes it a felony.”
“Jamison’s right.” Captain Baker nodded.
Good. If only it was enough to put him away for life.
“Also,” the captain continued, “I’m going to have the sergeant take over the case against Patrick, including the first report.”
Becca came into the conference room and handed him an ice pack. “Thought you could use this. Are you okay?”
“My face is sore, but that’ll heal.”
She stepped closer. “Other than the physical?”
He shrugged.
Becca squeezed his arm. “Jocelyn needs to go to the hospital, but she won’t go without you.”
His spirit lifted a little. “Yeah? Okay.”
Jared handed him a notepad and pen. “It’d be best if you would write your statement before you go because once you leave here, you should be able to focus on her.”
Gavin took the pad and pen and sat at the table. He wrote as fast as he could, while trying to give the greatest detail possible. Once he was done, he handed the statement and icepack back to Becca and took off to find Jocelyn.
His fears started to rise. What if the baby was hurt? That fall down the stairs could have really injured the little one… His mind wandered to the story of David and Bathsheba. David had sinned and as a result the child was taken. What if that happened to them? Gavin wasn’t sure he could handle that. His stomach was tied in knots. Jesus, please let the baby be okay!
His heart pounded as he turned into the captain’s office.
Jocelyn sat on the couch with Amelia. She looked up at him with sad eyes. “Gavin.”
“Hey.” His throat constricted and prevented him from saying more. What should he say? All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, but how could he? The slight upturn to her eyebrows and the way her lips were parted told him she felt the same way. But now wasn’t the time. “Let’s get you to the hospital.” He walked over to her. Amelia helped her up off the couch.
Jocelyn limped toward him. He reached out to her, unable to hold back. She wrapped her arm around his waist, and he did the same. The warmth of her body against his sent his heart into a tailspin, but he kept his head in the game. They had to get her to the hospital.
As she sat on the edge of the bed and waited for instructions from the nurse, Jocelyn groaned. Gavin stood halfway across the room. He had been a rock as the ER nurse fussed over her and stuck her in a wheelchair and rushed her up to OB. And now he stood beside her waiting to hear his baby’s heartbeat. A rock, emotionally and physica
lly, and also as quiet as one, having said hardly five words since they left the station.
“Detective,” the nurse said as she turned to Jocelyn with the monitor, “you can wait in the hall.”
Gavin’s face went blank.
Jocelyn put her hand up. “No, it’s okay. He’s the baby’s father.”
His smile came back.
The nurse’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, I didn’t realize. Then of course you can stay. Jocelyn, tell me what happened and where you’re hurting. You fell down the stairs?”
“I fell backward down the stairs. They’re carpeted, thankfully. Hit my back, then my right side”—she motioned to her shoulder and arm—“on the wall. He hit my left arm with a board too. My right ankle hurts some, I think I twisted it funny when I was falling. It’s all a blur.”
“Did you hit your head at all?”
“I don’t think so. I do have a touch of a headache though.”
“Okay, let’s get you into a hospital gown. I’ll help you. I’ll assess your injuries as much as I can while you change.”
“We’ll need to photograph them too.”
Gavin snickered. “Always the forensic photographer.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I can’t help it.”
“Well, we won’t do that right now. Right now I want to focus on being sure that you and baby are okay.”
With the nurse’s help, Jocelyn changed into the hospital gown. Gavin was chivalrous and turned to avert his eyes. Although she was pretty sure she was going to have him take the pictures later. Mike might be back in town, but she didn’t want him to see her undressed.
The nurse helped Jocelyn lay back in the bed and covered her legs with the blanket before telling Gavin he should grab the chair.
He pulled it over next to the bed, and Jocelyn smiled at him.
“All right,” the nurse said, “let’s find that little one. This may be a little cold.”
At the coldness of the goop on the monitor, Jocelyn’s muscles tightened but relaxed as the nurse held it against her belly. No heartbeat. The nurse moved it. Nothing. Jocelyn’s pulse pounded. Had the fall been more than the baby could handle?
The nurse set the monitor piece aside and put her hands on Jocelyn’s belly. “Let’s see where baby is. May just be turned in a different way. Have you felt the baby kick much since the fall?”
