Chapter Seventeen
Iclosed the door to Oliver’s bedroom and let out a huge sigh of relief. That kid was a master negotiator. Technically, it could be considered my fault, since I found it really hard to tell him no when he asked for one more story. Gwendalyn had been the one putting him to bed recently with this new case, so I never minded a couple extra books. That meant more snuggles.
Looking down at my watch, I noticed the time–nearly ten. I was mentally kicking myself for the fight with Gwendalyn. Maybe trying to tell her what to do was a bad idea, but when she said the name of that bar, something inside me snapped. My instincts were telling me something bad was about to happen and I had no control of the situation. Hell, I didn’t even know when she would be home. Oscurità mia was screaming at me to go to that bar and drag her home if need be. The only thing I knew was I needed her to be safe.
Walking to the kitchen, I pulled a beer out of the fridge, taking a swig of it before pulling out my phone. Drafting an email to the tech guy at work who owed me a favor, I would figure out a way to track her phone and give myself some peace of mind. You were still an asshole, though. Exhaling, I took another drink, debating if I should pull out something stronger. This was going to be a long night of self-hatred and I might as well do it while drinking the good stuff.
Just then, my phone vibrated in my hand, Gwendalyn’s name flashed on the screen as an incoming call. Maybe the universe was giving me a chance to make things right.
“Gwendalyn?” The line was quiet, and it crossed my mind that this was more than likely a butt dial. My heart sank at the thought that she didn’t intentionally call me, but I didn’t hang up right away, listening closely for any sign that Gwendalyn was on the other end. I just wanted to hear her voice. Instead, the voice I heard had me running to grab my gun and badge before I sprinted across my lawn to Katie’s house.
“There’s no reason we can’t have a little fun…”
Katie saw the panicked look in my eyes and was putting on her shoes to head to my house before I could get a word out. I broke numerous traffic laws racing across town to get to the bar. Pulling into the parking lot, I spotted her car in the back of the lot and slowed down as I drove back to it, scanning the shadows for her. When I spotted her unmoving body laying on the concrete next to her car, all rational thought went out the window and I barely put my truck in park before I ran to her.
I kneeled next to her, her head fell to the side, and her eyes were glazed over, not seeing what was in front of her. Whoever did this, I would find them. Pulling out my phone, I called for an ambulance. Blood caked her hair, and I scanned her body for signs of any other injuries. Her pants had been pulled down, and I shrugged off my jacket while I talked to the dispatcher. Not wanting to risk moving her and causing further harm, I draped it over her legs, fury coursing through my veins as I pictured someone touching Gwendalyn. My hand rested on her cheek, needing her to know it was me.
“I’ve got you, luce mia. You’re safe,” I whispered, her eyes drifting shut and my chest tightened.
My brain was going through worse case scenarios as I sat with her, waiting for the ambulance that I swore I called hours ago. My body ached to wrap her in my arms, to protect her when I knew it was my fault she was in this position. The sound of the ambulance approaching pulled me from my thoughts and I moved out of the paramedics’ way when they rushed over. As they worked on her, I moved my truck to an empty spot, having stopped in the middle of the lot.
Everything that followed happened in slow motion. In the ambulance, I sat at the end of the gurney on the way to the hospital, my hand resting on her ankle while I rubbed it with my thumb. I felt useless, but needed to be touching her, needed her to know I was with her. The steady rise and fall of her chest was all I could focus on, and it gave me hope that she was okay.
We arrived at the hospital sooner than I realized, a trauma team rushing her back to a room while I got directed to a waiting area. I paced the length of the room so many times I lost count. I watched the minutes turn into hours until a nurse came to update me, saying they had moved her to a room. Now I sat next to her bed, watching as she slept with my fingers laced through hers. I needed her to wake up.
It didn’t take too long for a doctor to stop by and update me on what they had found. After examining her head, they found a sizable gash on the back of her head. A CT scan had discovered there were no major complications. They had stitched up the wound and were hoping for minimal scarring. There was bruising on her abdomen and along her legs, too.
Because she was currently unconscious, there was no way to tell for sure the full extent of her injuries and they weren’t able to collect evidence of assault until she woke up to consent. But the doctor was hopeful for no permanent damage from the head wound. They would give her a few hours to hopefully wake up on her own while they ran her bloodwork and they could discuss options at that time. He said as long as everything checked out after that, she could rest at home.
Pulling a chair next to the bed, I collapsed into it, gathering Gwendalyn’s hand in mine. She looked peaceful. I wanted to protect her from what came next, the questioning and the decisions. She would have never been put in this position to begin with if I had been able to protect her, to keep her safe.
The adrenaline drained from my body as I watched over her. A nurse came in at one point and checked her vitals, but I paid her no mind. My only focus was Gwendalyn, waiting for her eyes to open. Time passed slowly and my arm rested on the mattress. I squeezed her hand, willing her to wake up, while the steady beep of her heart rate filled the room.