Love Me Gently (Deer Creek #1)

Eleven

Cole

Now

* * *

It was after two in the morning when I reached Atlanta and pulled into the hospital parking lot. True to my mom’s word, she and my dad were there in ten minutes—the benefit of living in a small town close to family. They’d always been willing to drop whatever they needed in order to help out. I left them with instructions on getting the girls to school, reminding my mom about the grocery store field trip form—to which she had the same response I had—and telling them to call Marie in the morning to let her know what was going on.

My next calls were to the chief and Eddy, both answering their phones and telling me to go. Chief told me to check in when I got back.

Thank goodness for good coworkers and an understanding boss.

I had no idea what I was walking into. I’d had almost six hours to allow my imagination to run away from me. Considering I’d been a police officer for eight years, I’d seen enough that I had to force my mind from thinking the worst.

The worst hadn’t happened. She was hospitalized, not in the morgue, and I reminded myself of that truth while I headed straight for the doors.

I’d added Valerie’s number to my personal phone and shot her a text letting her know I was on my way, and before I reached the elevator banks, I sent her another one.

Me: What floor and room?

Her text bubble appeared like she’d been staring at her phone, waiting for me. Which meant she’d clocked the ETA I sent her once my GPS calculated the fastest route. Good. I was starting to like this woman.

Valerie: 417. Give me a few minutes. Need to get rid of Jonathan.

Like I was going to stand around and wait.

I headed up to the fourth floor, and when I saw the signs for the hall that would take me to Trina’s room, my pulse slowed and all the rage I was feeling on the drive started to cool. I was here now and could see her. Since I didn’t quite know what I was walking into, I turned toward the waiting room and took a seat in a secluded corner, grabbing a magazine and ducked my head in case anyone Trina might know walked by. My ball cap was pulled low, and my clothes were bland. All the things I’d needed to be unrecognizable. Might have been overkill, but as far as I was concerned, her husband had deep pockets. Who knew who he had on his side in the hospital. Depending on what came next, no one would be able to describe my features. Or who the man was who snuck into his wife’s hospital room.

My phone buzzed and I opened the text.

Valerie: I’m with her. Convinced Jonathan to get me some coffee in the cafeteria.

Me: In waiting room. Be right there.

I stood and wandered close to the elevators.

I’d seen numerous photos of Jonathan Wolf. More in the last five weeks since my trip to Atlanta. Footsteps thumped on the floor, and I moved to the coffee and water station in the waiting room. It allowed me to peek at the elevator banks out of the corner of my eyes and there he was.

It was the middle of the night and the man was dressed like he was prepared to head to a boardroom. Dark, navy suit, so dark it was almost black, but the dark brown shoes on his feet gave it away. The man had a gold watch and perfectly styled hair.

He didn’t pay me any attention as he pressed the elevator button harder than necessary, and as he waited, he pulled out his phone. The screen lit up and then he was texting someone. He was completely at ease. No hint of distress tightening his eyes or features. No pursed lips or stressed jaw. Nothing to indicate he was the least bit upset about his wife being in the hospital.

Text sent, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and shook out his wrist, and that was when I saw it—a smear of something dark, staining his wrist beneath his watch, the outer edge of his hand.

Blood. Had to be.

I swallowed thickly, fighting down the urge to get some of his blood on my fists, and turned back to the water machine. Cup filled, I took a sip and slowly turned.

The elevators dinged, and as the doors opened, Jonathan strolled into them like absolutely nothing was wrong in his world.

And perhaps that was true. Who would go against him? Who could fight him?

People in Atlanta might not be able to…

But I sure as hell could.

I reached the door and turned the knob. I’d had hours to prepare myself to see Trina. Hours to imagine the worst and hours to imagine the swelling and whatever else I’d find. Considering I had no idea how much time I’d have with her, I didn’t hesitate.

As soon as the door opened, Valerie jumped to her feet, faced the door, and stood at Trina’s side. She moved to stand as Trina’s protector, and the way she stood barely gave me a glance at Trina.

But what I saw was enough. Her bottom half was covered beneath a blanket, one side much bulkier than it should have been. IVs were placed in the backs of both of her hands and an oxygen monitor was pinched to one finger. Both hands were visible and resting on her stomach.

“Hey,”

I said to Valerie, and tipped my chin up.

“You’re here,”

she breathed out, and it sounded like relief. “He’ll be back soon.”

I already knew that. I also knew she hadn’t moved.

“You going to let me see her?”

“It’s bad,”

she whispered, and her chin trembled as she said it. She had mascara streaks beneath her eyes and a rumpled, deep red blouse. A thick collar hung down from her collarbones and I imagined it’d once been tied into a bow of some sort at her throat. “He hurt her. So bad.”

I swallowed the knot twisting my throat and nodded. “Move, Valerie. Let me see her.”

Her hand drifted off Trina’s arm as she stepped back and as I caught my first glimpse of Trina’s face, the world spun and came to an abrupt stop.

Her face was mangled.

I closed my eyes, drew in a breath to keep me in that room and not racing down to the cafeteria and when I opened them again, Valerie’s gaze was frozen on me. “Damage. Tell me all of it.”

“Bruised ribs. Doctors don’t think the cheekbone is fractured but won’t know for sure until the swelling goes down. He did something to her leg, it’s braced but I’m not completely sure if it’s the knee or what, but…”

“That’s enough,”

I said, and forced my tone to gentle. “I get it.”

“He’s a monster.”

He was worse than that, much worse.

I stepped toward Trina and reached out, brushing the backs of my fingers down her arm. “Has she been awake?”

“She’s sedated. She hit her head and has some swelling.”

“She didn’t hit anything,”

I grunted.

“I know. I know, Mr. Paxton, but —”

“Cole—”

“Cole. I know that, but somehow, she hit her head on something.”

I couldn’t stop staring at Trina’s face. She wasn’t recognizable. Her hair, which was stuck to her temples and had clearly been washed which didn’t work because blood still remained, was the only thing about her I could identify.

“And how exactly am I supposed to help her?”

She was in a hospital, hooked to monitors and clearly unable to walk. I’d do anything for her, but this seemed impossible.

“She has to get out of here. They won’t…he said it was a home invasion. Sent cops to his home and everything so I don’t know if he did it this time or someone else. But as soon as I got here, he asked me about you and showed me your business card. Demanded I tell him how she got that.”

“What’d you say?”

“I said I had no idea what he was talking about, but the cops didn’t find anything at his home. And he said he’d just come home from a meeting with Kip.”

“Your husband is his alibi?”

My brows arched and I couldn’t hide my pointed tone.

If she was surprised I’d looked into them, she didn’t show it. Perhaps because the world knew her as well. Daughter to a famous actor and actress, one of the few celebrity couples who’d been married for over thirty-five years, their romance and marriage were inspirational. Valerie, their only child, met and fell in love with a professional football player while in Los Angeles before being traded to Georgia. It was there he met Jonathan, but it was Kip’s family that helped fund his buy-in when they became General Manager and Assistant GM. Kip’s family, generations prior, started a small bank in Savannah, Georgia, that now had branches all over the Southeast.

“Kip despises Jonathan,”

Valerie leaned in and whispered. Like we were being recorded. Like someone would hear her outside. “He’s wanted to leave for years, but I’m the only person Katrina’s allowed to spend time with. He tried to talk to Jonathan once.”

She glanced at Trina, sniffed, and came back to me. “It didn’t go well.”

“He stayed so you could be there for Trina.”

“It took years for her to admit what was going on. And that was four years ago.”

I closed my eyes at the revelation. How long had this been going on? They’d been together now for a decade. Had she been abused that long? The thought made my stomach roll with disgust and unbearable pain for her.

“What happens now? What do you need from me?”

If I could, I’d throw Trina in my arms and carry her out. There was no way I could move her, though.

“Cops can’t do anything until she wakes up. Get her side of the story. Katrina would need to press charges.”

She chewed her bottom lip.

I could surmise what she wasn’t saying. “You don’t think she will.”

“She never has before.”

“Right.”

Of course she hadn’t. She couldn’t. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Minutes had gone by. I wanted to pull up a chair, protect Trina, and beat Jonathan so badly when he returned that he’d be in a bed just like Trina or worse, but this wasn’t the time. “Again, what do you need from me?”

“You’ll help her?”

“I’ll do whatever I need to do.”

“Okay. Good.”

She breathed out and nodded. “Kip has a plan, actually. I told him about you. He’s not certain, to be honest, if he can trust you.”

“Then tell your husband I’ve loved Trina since she was fourteen years old and not a damn thing has changed.”

Tears burned her eyes. We both glanced down at Trina, but I couldn’t look at her too long. She was too damaged. She’d hate that I was seeing her like this.

“Tomorrow,”

Valerie whispered. “I can get Jonathan to let me stay tonight. Kip has a meeting planned for him…or is planning on calling an emergency meeting in the morning. We can get her transport, but we need somewhere for her to go.”

She handed me a card with an address. A time. Nothing else. “What’s this?”

“Meet us there. You have a hotel room? I’d offer you a bed at our house, but if Jonathan finds out…”

“I’ll sleep in my truck if I have to.”

I packed for days considering I had no idea what I was walking into, but I’d try to get a hotel for the night.

“Okay then. Tomorrow.”

“Give me a minute with her.”

“If Jonathan comes…”

“Then you’ll have to handle that. One minute. Alone.”

“Okay.”

She walked toward me and set her trembling hand on my shoulder. “Please. I need her safe from him, and I don’t think she has the fight left in her to do it herself. Please tell me she’ll be safe with you.”

“She lets me take her home, and I can guarantee she’ll be in the safest place in the world for her.”

Valerie must have seen the truth flaring in my eyes because she nodded once, squeezed my shoulder, and let go. Once the door clicked shut behind her, I turned back to Trina and got close to her ear.

“You told me you didn’t go by Trina anymore, but I don’t care because that’s who you are and who you’ve always been. I don’t know who that monster has made you into, but we’re going to get you safe. Get you someplace warm so you can heal. You have my word, Trina. I’ll take care of you.”

My hand had drifted to hers and her fingers flinched. I glanced down, squeezed her hand back and her fingers tightened around mine.

“You can hear me, I know you can, honey, but right now you gotta pretend I wasn’t here. Valerie and I will get you safe. We’ll get you back to all the people who love you and can help you, okay?”

Her head fell to the side, so she was facing me. Her eyes fluttered like she was trying to open them, but I didn’t want her to wake and see me.

Hearing me could be bad enough if she mumbled something while Jonathan was there.

“I love you, Trina.”

I leaned down and gave the softest lip brush to her forehead. It was one of the few areas of her face that hadn’t been destroyed. “Swear to God, I kept my word. I don’t hate you, couldn’t keep doing it, and I still love you. We’ll get you through this.”

Me. My parents. Hers when she was ready.

She was never going to be alone again with that monster.

I’d make sure of it.

The door opened and I twisted to see Valerie peeking her head in. “Just saw the elevators open. Get out.”

“Tomorrow.”

I dropped Trina’s hand and hurried to the door.

“Tomorrow,”

Valerie promised.

I turned left down the hall instead of right and ducked into an alcove where there were snack machines and hospital coffee machines. Other items lined the shelves, like a pantry for those who were visiting.

But I didn’t stay hidden.

As soon as I heard a masculine rumble, I peeked my head around the corner. Jonathan’s back was to me as he handed his coffee to Valerie. She flashed me wide eyes as Jonathan entered Trina’s room.

“Go,”

she mouthed, eyes flicking from the door that was still open to me.

I went. I did it quickly, wishing things could be different.

I did it with a heaviness in my soul.

That man had beaten my Trina beyond recognition, and that was only the damage I could see.

What else had he done to her?