Chapter Six
CHAPTER SIX
MADISON
Sitting with my new friends, listening to them rib each other, is nice. It makes me miss my sister, though. These women all have a bond that I will never truly be a part of. At least, not as the little kids’ teacher. I’m in my own head when I hear Carter’s next question, sobering me up completely.
“If I take this job, will it bring any scrutiny or news people?”
I look at him as he finishes the question, wondering why he would care.
“Well, obviously, you would be the talk of the town. I’m sure the Facebook group will go nuts over King Carter, the hero of baseball, returning to coach at his alma mater,” Davis tells him. “Would that be a problem?”
“Sounding a little jealous there, Davis,” Ranger chuckles. This man is having too much fun with everyone’s discomfort tonight.
“Fuck off.”
“I don’t know, would it?” Carter asks, looking at me and ignoring the jokesters.
I can’t move my eyes from him. “If I need to call?—”
“No,” he quickly cuts me off. “If that’s even a danger, I won’t do it.”
Finally able to look away, I shake my head. “Carter, you can’t put your life on hold because of me. If I need to pull back from all this,” I wave my hand around, “I can if it means you can do this.”
“What the fuck? Why would you need to do that?” Lottie asks.
“I don’t think anybody in town will care that you two are friends,” Trish adds. “We all live and work with each other around here. It’s not unheard of.”
“It’s not the people in town I’m worried about,” I quietly say before I can stop myself.
“Madison,” Ranger calls her name, his snark from earlier gone. “I think it’s time. Let them in.”
Elle gives me an encouraging nod, and I look at Carter. He solemnly nods his head in agreement.
“What’s going on? What do you guys know that we don’t?” Trish asks, frustrated. I’ve learned that she likes to be in the know.
I take a deep breath. “I know Carter.”
“Of course you do. You’ve been hanging out with us for months.”
“No, I’ve known Carter for years.”
“What’s that?”
“My sister is married to a teammate of his from the Sails.”
“How come we didn’t know this?” Lottie asks, looking at Carter instead of me.
“Because I was never supposed to be here, and anyone who knows me still doesn’t technically know I am.”
“Care to explain a little more?” Tiny asks, but he’s not angry. Curious, maybe?
“My real name is Zoe Daniels. I was involved with a man…”
I look at Carter for help.
“Who beat the shit out of her. More than once. Threatened to blackmail her and ruin her life if she left, or hurt her family. All the wonderful abusive shit fuckers like that usually pull.”
“Oh my God, sweetheart.” Trish reaches over the table and clasps my hand. “I’m so sorry. Can you tell us more? Only if you want to.”
“He…he recorded me in our home. And threatened if I ever left that he would post it everywhere. There were videos of me in the shower, on the toilet, getting dressed in the closet. The bed.”
“Fucking asshole,” Tiny spits out.
“Yeah, I realized that too late.”
“Can I ask when you finally got the courage to call the number?”
I remember the day he gave me the number that would finally save my life. He tried to get me to leave that night, but I couldn’t do it. There were so many people who relied on me, and I couldn’t just disappear on them. Looking back, I was a fool. I wish I had.
“What number?” Trish asks.
“I called Tiny, and he gave me ANON’s number,” Carter tells her.
Tiny’s head snaps up, a look of realization on his face. “This is why?”
Ignoring Tiny’s question, Davis turns to me. “Daniel took care of you?”
“He did. We worked out a plan, and it took a little while, and a visit to the ER, but I got out of there and that asshole no longer has anything to blackmail me with. He put me in touch with a couple of his guys.”
“Would one of them happen to be a guy everyone calls Joker?” Tiny asks.
“Yeah, him and a guy named Nate. They did some hacker level shit and wiped all the technology in the house. Do you know him?”
Davis laughs. “That’s my fucking brother-in-law. Ginny is his wife.”
“How is this world so fucking small?” I laugh nervously. “Do I need to apologize to your sister for anything her husband might have seen on those videos?”
Everybody laughs at that.
“I can promise all of these guys have seen way worse than anything you did,” Lottie assures me. Trish nods her agreement.
“Why did it take you so long, Mads?” Carter asks, a demand in his question. The look on his face says he’s not angry, but worried. Maybe even afraid. For me?
“I had to protect the people around me. I needed to know that if I walked away, they would be safe. My family, the families I worked with at the time, my employees. They all relied on me, and the thought of letting them down because I wasn’t strong enough or smart enough to get out wasn’t something I could live with.”
“You are always enough,” he tells me, making my heart stutter. “What happened, Madison?”
“He put me in the hospital. Broke a couple of ribs and…other stuff.”
Carter kneels in front of me, taking my hand. “I’m so fucking sorry that happened to you. And I’m really fucking glad you got away.”
“Thanks,” I whisper, tears welling in my eyes.
“We’re all glad you got away.” Trish smiles at me. “And all of us have had some horrific trauma the last few years, so we’re here for you.”
“With drinks.” Elle raises her glass, trying to lighten the mood.
“Trauma bonding through beverages?” I smile at them.
“And food,” Lottie offers. “Speaking of,” Lottie turns her head, “men, where’s the meat?”
Tension broken, the women laugh, the guys grunt, and Davis, Ranger, and Tiny make a show of strutting to the grill. Carter doesn’t move.
“I’m okay,” I assure him.
“Your sister misses you, and she’s worried sick something’s happened. Why did you cut her off?”
I suck in a breath. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, Carter. Harder even than leaving. But it’s to keep her safe.”
“I think you can bring her in now, don’t you? At least call and let her know you’re okay?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask. Also, I’m taking you home tonight. Need to know you make it there safe, especially if you’re—what did you call it? Trauma bonding with beverages?”
I laugh and graciously accept his offer. Without another word, he stands and does his own walk to the grill with a little shake of his ass, trying to lighten the mood. Elle hands me a mixed drink of unknown concoction, and I relish in the knowledge that Carter won’t let anything happen to me tonight, that I am surrounded by new friends, and that this new life I’m living might just work out.