The Embrace Series: Romantic Suspense Box Set

by Dana Mason

  He glanced at her with an amused expression. “It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it.” He turned back to face the road. “Ali had an affair.”

  The opposite of what she’d thought. Her heart thudded hard in her chest at the reminder of her own broken relationship. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Mark. It must have been hard for you.”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “She joined a law firm in San Francisco. That’s when we started to grow apart. She met Carl while working on a case for the State of California.”

  “Carl?”

  “Her current husband,” Mark said.

  “And of course she had to kick you while you were down and marry the guy.”

  He gave her a sideways grin. “Of course.”

  They grew quiet. Sarah didn’t know what to say and needed to give herself a moment to slow her angered pulse. She understood more than she wanted to, but she didn’t understand why he was okay with it, so relaxed about his wife hurting him. Sarah wondered how many times Kevin had cheated on her before she had finally caught him. How different would her life have been if she hadn’t caught him? Would her baby have lived and been raised, at least in part, by a monster?

  Mark’s story just proved to her that being alone was the way to go. Love wasn’t worth the heartache it brought. Of course it was the good people who got hurt, not the cheaters. Even though he acted like he was over the divorce—over her—it was perfectly clear on his face that his ex-wife had truly hurt him.

  At least being single meant you could do what you wanted without someone trying to control your life. Why fall in love, why marry, why live together if it was just going to turn out sour in the end? Between her relationship with Kevin and her mother’s numerous failed relationships, she’d learned firsthand putting that much faith in someone just wasn’t worth it.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he asked when she failed to look away from him. “You’re staring at me like I’m a woman in men’s clothes.”

  “Oh, sorry—you just surprised me. I don’t meet many people who are so open about their past.”

  “I don’t mind talking about it, why would I? I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of.”

  She tried not to hear a double meaning in what he said. How would he know anything about her shame?

  “How long have you and Ali been divorced?”

  “About three years.”

  “So...” She grimaced. “How did you take it when you found out about the affair? You must have been devastated.”

  “I tried to work things out, but she didn’t want to. Until then, we seemed pretty solid.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I had to be strong for Jamie. He’s the real victim. We agreed not to put him through a fight.”

  “So you get him, what, a couple days a week?”

  “We rotate weeks. This is my week, but he’s at camp.”

  “You won’t get him next week, either?”

  “I’ll see him for a while on Friday before he goes back to Ali’s.”

  “Sorry,” she said, unable to articulate anything else. He seemed so civil when he talked about his ex-wife. Most couples were awful to each other after a divorce, but Mark had somehow managed to push all of that aside for his son.

  “It’s a daily struggle, but we manage.”

  Mark pulled into a parking lot next to a large warehouse.

  “Where are we?” Sarah asked, sitting up in her seat to look around.

  “This is Summors Security. Do you mind? I need to take care of a couple of quick things.”

  “Ah, okay,” she said, staring out at the tall warehouse.

  “This will only take a few minutes.” He climbed out and opened her door.

  “I’ll stay here.” She focused on her hands, not meeting his gaze.

  “Why, is something wrong?”

  “I jus...I’ll wait.” She glanced up at him. “I don’t mind waiting.”

  He watched her for a second before realization softened his face. “Right...I guess you don’t want to face a curious crowd.”

  “Do the people you work with know what happened?”

  “Not everything, but since I installed your system and it’s being monitored—actually, I can do this later.”

  When he started to close the door, she stopped him.

  “No, go. I already feel bad enough for pulling you away to drive me around—”

  “Don’t.”

  The sharp tone of his voice made her look into his eyes.

  “Don’t do that. I want to help you.”

  She tried to give him a reassuring smile. The intensity he showed when it came to her comfort and her safety was extreme to the point of making her uncomfortable. She was not used to people caring about her like that.

  “I won’t if you go in there and do what you need to do and leave me here.”

  “I walked out with the gym keys when I came to get you and they’ll need them while I’m out today.” Mark surveyed the parking lot. “It’ll only be a minute, if you need anything, call my cell. Oh, shit—forgot. Your phone is gone. Okay—honk the horn and I’ll come right out.”

  “Yeah, I will. Honestly, don’t worry about me. Hurry up or we’ll be late for my appointment.”

  He took a few steps back, searching her face with his eyes. What he saw must have convinced him she’d be okay, because he finally turned and hurried into the building.

  She smiled, wishing she could be annoyed with him, but the concern he showed made it difficult to be mad for long.

  Mark came out ten minutes later, jogging toward his truck. “Sorry about that.”

  She waved away his apology. “Not a problem.”

  “I have a present for you.”

  His bright eyes made her smile. “What do you mean?”

  He pulled a little, black cell phone out of his pocket.

  “Here, it’s one of our business phones. You can use it until you get a new one.” He handed her the phone and a small piece of paper with a phone number on it.

  “You’re giving me a cell phone?”

  “A loaner. It’s not safe for you to be without a phone, and we have an inventory of phones for our field agents.” He gave her a hesitant look. “Is that okay?”

  Sarah felt a pang of guilt when she remembered the way she’d reacted to the alarm system. “It’s okay.” She looked at the phone. “I guess I should get a new one soon.”

  “Well, in the meantime, problem solved. I programmed my numbers and emergency numbers into the speed dial.” He started the truck and drove out of the parking lot.

  She opened the phone and reviewed the speed dial.

  “What a thoughtful thing to do. Thank you.” Incredibly thoughtful actually, wow.

  “You’re welcome. Now, let’s get to your appointment.”

  Chapter Eight

  As Sarah stood in the lobby of the doctor’s office, she tried to ignore her anxiety and convince herself that everything would be fine, but she was losing the argument.

  She hoped for some last minute reprieve, maybe a fire alarm or sudden earthquake—anything to get out of this appointment. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became.

  Unable to sit still any longer, she walked toward the glass door leading to a small garden courtyard that separated her doctor’s office from the neighboring one. She opened the door and forced herself to inhale as much fresh air as possible. The air burned her lungs and caught in her throat.

  She kicked her way through the fallen leaves to sit on the park bench under a large, sycamore tree. Overgrown clematis climbed the exterior walls. She held her eyes closed and tried to focus on the scent, hoping it would calm her nerves.

  When she opened her eyes, they focused on the crushed leaves under Mark’s feet.

  “What’s going on in your head right now that’s freaking you out?”

  “I’m not freaking out.”

  “Hate to disappoint you, but you’re a terrible actress.”

  She closed her eyes
again and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to go through an examination.”

  “I’m sure he’s just going to check your injuries.”

  She lifted her eyes and saw his tightly knitted brow. She straightened and shook her head to push back the emotions. “I’ll be fine. I just really hate doctors.”

  “I guess that explains your preoccupation earlier. Do you need a few more minutes or are you ready to go inside?”

  She nodded jerkily. “I’m ready.”

  “Need an arm?” He held out his elbow for her to take.

  She lowered her eyes and considered taking it, but before she could respond, the nurse stuck her head out and called for her.

  The scent of ammonia and rubbing alcohol turned her stomach as she followed the nurse down the hall past the tiny sterile rooms. She swallowed hard and stepped into her own tiny room.

  The nurse pulled out a sheet and gown for her. “Please remove your clothes. You can leave your bra and underwear on.”

  “Why...why do I need to remove my clothes?” Sarah asked.

  The nurse flipped a page in the chart and said, “It says here you sustained injuries to your lower back. Dr. Davidson will need to take a look. It’s easier if your jeans aren’t in the way. Would you prefer to—”

  “No, that’s fine, I don’t mind.” Sarah said, feeling a little foolish now for asking. “Thank you.”

  When the door closed behind the nurse, she took a deep breath and murmured, “Okay, man-up, Sarah.”

  She removed her sling and the rest of her clothes, focusing on what she needed to do and not what came next. She slipped into the gown, leaving the back open, crawled up on the exam table, and covered the lower half of her body with the sheet.

  Mark leaned against the wall in the waiting room. When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he pulled it out and flipped it open. “Hello.”

  “It’s Brian.”

  “Hey, Bri, what’s up?”

  “I got a report back on the note Jennings found in her mailbox. No prints except yours and hers. We got his DNA off the envelope, it matches the DNA from the crime scene, but it’s not in our system.”

  Mark’s heart rate picked up. “Well, check this out. She didn’t actually get a hold of her brother. She’s been alone the last two nights.”

  “What? You’re kiddin’ me. How do you even know that?”

  “I’m with her right now. She needed a ride to an appointment.”

  “Well, shit. I can’t force her to get help. I guess she’s on her own.”

  “No, she’s not. I’ll stay with her.”

  “Careful, bro. Don’t get in too deep.”

  Mark ran his hand through his hair. “Too late. I can’t let anything happen to her. I feel responsible.”

  Brian laughed. “Typical pansy-ass shit, Mark. You’re a piece of work, you know that? Maybe your hovering is why she lied about her brother.”

  “Fuck you, Brian.” He glanced around at the other people in the waiting room and lowered his voice. “I’m here because she asked me for help.”

  “Yeah, sure you are.”

  “Why haven’t you caught this guy yet?”

  Brian scoffed. “Oh, I will, don’t worry about that.”

  “You think she’s safe home alone?” Mark cleared his throat. “What are the chances he’ll make good on his threat?”

  “No, I don’t think she’s safe home alone. I already made that clear to her.”

  “Then how can I leave her alone? What if something happens?”

  “I don’t know, man. I’ll up the patrols in her neighborhood.”

  Mark didn’t respond. He couldn’t help but worry about her. She still seemed so fragile.

  “Talk to her, Mark. Make sure she’s making these decisions fully informed.”

  “Right, talk to you later.” Mark closed his phone and took a seat to wait for Sarah.

  The nurse stepped back into the exam room, followed by Dr. Davidson. The doctor stepped forward and reached to shake her hand. “Hello, Sarah. It’s good to see you again. Too bad it’s under these circumstances.”

  “Hi,” she said before pressing her lips together in a fake smile.

  “It’s been a rough couple of days for you, and I don’t want to make things worse. This is Helen. She can stay if you prefer to have a nurse present?”

  When Sarah didn’t respond, he said, “Okay, if at any time you get uncomfortable, tell me to stop.”

  He talked slowly in that pitying, kindergarten tone people used when they felt sorry for you.

  She straightened her back and looked him in the eye. The last thing she wanted from anyone was pity. “I’m fine, and I don’t need Helen to stay. I’m perfectly comfortable talking to you alone.”

  “Okay.” He turned and nodded to Helen as she let herself out. “I read the emergency room report and I don’t want you to have to relive everything, but I have to say, you did an incredible job protecting yourself. Hopefully he’ll think twice before he hurts anyone else.”

  Dr. Davidson gave her a half-smile and nodded at her shoulder. “Let’s have a look at that shoulder.”

  He slowly pulled her gown down to get a good look at it. A yellow ring had developed around the edges of the huge bruise, and Sarah wondered if it would ever completely disappear.

  “You need to start physical therapy. This type of injury usually takes a long time to heal. I expect your recovery to go a bit faster since you’re in such good shape. Are you still going to the gym regularly?”

  “Yes, about four times a week and I run four to five times a week. At least until this week.”

  “Well it’s a good thing. I’d bet your workout regimen had a lot to do with your ability to kick the crap out of that jerk.”

  His smile was a mix of sympathy and awe as he eased the gown back up over her shoulder.

  “Can you roll over? I need to examine the abrasions on your lower back.”

  With the doctors’ help, she rolled onto her stomach.

  “Do you know how you got these abrasions?”

  Her pulse spiked. “He knocked me unconscious, pulled me into the bushes, dragging me by my left arm...on concrete and gravel, and dislocating my arm.”

  “But you were unconscious, so the police must have told you.”

  She nodded, praying he didn’t ask for more details. She remembered just enough to know that she only wanted to forget. Not that she could forget—every time she rolled over in bed, her shoulder throbbed, and every time she stepped into a hot shower, the massive scratches and abrasions burned with a vengeance.

  “Well, if you keep using this ointment, they’ll heal with little scarring.”

  With a large cotton swab, he dabbed at the burning scratches down her back. His gentle touch to the area gave her a sense of vertigo, the injuries, yet again, reminding her of what she’d been through. She closed her eyes and willed herself to take a deep breath and push back the nausea.

  “I’ll give you a prescription so you can apply this at home. We can’t do much about the bruising, but I have to insist you get some rest. No working out for a while—no hiking, no swimming, no running. You’ll be off work for at least a month.”

  She scoffed. “A month. Why? It’s only my arm. I can still work.”

  No way was she sitting around the house for a full month with nothing to do.

  “Rest,” he emphasized. “None of it until you're completely healed.” He helped her sit back up. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “I’m having trouble figuring out what happened after the attack.”

  “Hmm.” Dr. Davidson flipped through her chart.

  “Some things have slowly returned, but very little.”

  “Do you have overwhelming feelings of guilt?”

  “No.”

  “Do you feel reckless or impulsive?”

  She shook her head. “No, not at all.”

  “Have you considered hurting yourself?” he asked.

  “No,” she said,
taken aback by the question.

  “Nightmares?”

  Sarah’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve had nightmares.”

  “Are you excessively fearful of things?”

  Sarah lowered her eyes feeling self-conscious now. “Not excessively.”

  But enough to keep her from getting a good night’s sleep.

  The doctor shook his head. “You don’t have Post Traumatic Stress, although trauma can cause this sporadic memory loss. Usually it’s the event that’s forgotten, but sometimes the after events are just as traumatic. Having your shoulder reset, giving your statement to the police...” He closed her chart. “I don’t think it’s permanent. You will probably remember in stages as your stress level returns to normal.”

  Just what she needed, slow and steady reminders flashing in her head in stages. “The sooner I get my life back to normal the better.”

  “I agree. I am concerned about your weight loss and high blood pressure. You’ve lost ten pounds since your last appointment”—he looked at her chart—“two months ago. You’re usually healthy as a horse, but this incident has taken a toll on you.” He stared at her intently. “You should join a support group or see a counselor.”

  “No.” She shook her head. No way. She’d get through it on her own, just like she’d gotten through everything else in her life. “I don’t need that. I just need to get on with my life.”

  He pulled a pamphlet from the chart and said, “Take this in case you change your mind. There are a lot of services for sexual assault victims. This hotline will connect you to victim support groups in the area. I’ll leave it alone for now. But I want to see you back here in a couple of weeks with fuller cheeks and a healthy blood pressure, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Stop at the desk on your way out to get your prescription and a follow-up appointment time. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, take things easy until then.”

  Chapter Nine

  When Mark pulled into her driveway, she lifted her head off the back of the seat and wished to be anywhere but home. Restless to her core, she could hardly stand herself. She’d never spent this much time sitting around on her ass doing nothing, and to think, an entire month of nothing but the same.