22. Sparrow
I know I should have already opened up to King about what happened with Chad, but I was enjoying our time together, and didn’t want to dampen it. There was always something in the back of my mind when I was with Chad, something that didn’t feel right. Dumbly, I told myself I was feeling that way because he wasn’t King. That I would feel like that with anyone but the one I thought about late at night.
“I woke up a week later. Skye and Cam rushed here, what happened during that time, Cam would have to tell you.” Looking up, I find Cam looking at me and slowly nod my head.
Clearing his throat, Cam takes over. “Skye got a call, and it was Telle. He told the dispatcher he needed his aunt and hung up on them. I was able to get through to the chief there and they held the kids at the precinct until we could get to town.”
I was so confused when I woke up in that hospital bed, with Skye crying next to me. Any remaining good parts of me died at the hand of Chad. I no longer trusted any men that I didn’t already know, even then, Cam was the only one I would talk to.
I take over the story and try to wrap this up. I want to get back to the kids and forget that today happened. When Cam called to tell me about the break-in, my stomach immediately dropped, and I had to run to the bathroom. I know this is Chad, and I think I led him right to me. I had Cam file a restraining order, which must have been a flashing red beacon right to me.
“Chad was sentenced to only ten years, but if he’s out, he only served three. Cam was able to help me with suing the police department because I had started making copies of the restraining orders. I won the case, and once I got through physical therapy, the kids and I moved to a new apartment.”
Once my hospital bills were paid, moving fees were spent, the meager remains were put into savings accounts for Loch and Telle. I'm thankful I won the case, but I wish I was able to put more away for the kids.
Kicking the gravel, I try to compose myself. To say that I don’t like talking about that time of my life is an understatement. I went to therapy after the attack, but it never seemed to help. Now that I’m a little older and not recovering I think it never worked because I honestly should have gotten therapy for my whole life. Yes, the attack was a major catalyst, but my younger years didn’t help me out any.
I had stepped away from King, but he pulls me back over to him. “I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, Bird,” he says as his throat cracks with emotion.
King and I have a lot to work through, even though we're in a good place. He carries a lot of guilt for breaking up with me, while I’ve carried anger at that for years. I blamed him for the things I had to do to care for our kids. But I’ve never stopped loving him, I couldn’t.
“Let’s get this done and get the kids.” King stares into my eyes, and I can see the anger swirling with love. I have no doubt that this man loves me with every fiber of his being. Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges, but he was always like that. Now he just has more muscles and tattoos.
“Whatever you say, Bird.” Spinning around, King takes my hand and leads me back up the porch. Stopping at the door, he looks down at me. “You don’t have to go in here. Me and the guys can take a look and see what needs to be done, and you can go sit in the truck.”
I know King doesn’t want me to step foot in the house. He tried everything short of bribery to get me to stay home with the kids, but I had to see the damage with my own eyes.
“I’ll be fine, King. I need to see.” Reluctantly, King nods and leads us inside. Letting out a gasp, I stop short, River running into the back of me.
The couch, once my bed, is now torn to shreds. The coffee table is in pieces next to it. The T.V. appears as though a bat was taken to it. “Watch where you step, Bird,” King tells me. River is at my side, I suppose just in case someone jumps out of the shadows. I try to be as strong as possible, but the possibility of Chad being here has set me on edge, and I’m glad that I have the Bluff brothers at my side.
On the way to the kitchen, I take in the walls that look like they received the same treatment as the T.V. Most of the kitchen cabinets are hanging off their hinges. Turning around I notice that Ace and Cam aren’t behind us, but a moment later they come from down the hall.
“Spare, I think you should wait in the truck,” Cam tells me. Ace is behind me, face reddened. Looking between the men that I’ve never known to be scared easily, I turn back to King.
“I’ll go sit in the truck, I’m really sorry about the house. I’ll pay for the damages.” Not waiting for a response, I turn and make my way out of the house. Just with a quick walk through, and not in the whole house, the damage is going to be many thousand dollars worth. I don’t have that kind of money, but I’ll figure it out.
“Spare, wait up!” Turning, I find River jogging after me. I don’t know if he drew the short straw or if he volunteered to get out of the house. He has a lot of triggers, due to how they grew up, the state of the house could have triggered him.
He catches up to me and starts cracking his knuckles. That’s his way of saying, without words, that he’s uncomfortable. “You know no one is mad at you, right? This isn’t your fault.”
Rolling my eyes, I look out into the yard. I was excited for the kids to have all this space. They’ve never had a yard, something that I let upset me often. They’ve never had their own swing set or sandbox, but they have never once complained.
“Still hard-headed,” River mutters.
“I led him here, Riv. I should have never filed the restraining order.” I finally say.
“We don't know that. We aren’t going to let anything happen to you.” Between the Bluff brothers and Cam, these men make a solid wall of muscle.
But muscles can be stabbed.
Muscles can be shot.
“Maybe I should’ve let him finish me off. Skye would have gotten the kids, she would’ve brought them up here and King would have realized who they were. Then he wouldn’t be up here. You guys could be hurt because of me.” Clenching my hands tightly, I can feel my nails dig into my palms.
“I’m going to act like I didn’t hear that. If he would have killed you, you wouldn’t have found King again. The kids would have had to grow up without their mother. We need you here, sis.”
The rest of the guys come out of the house before I get a chance to respond. Reaching out to River’s hand, I give it a squeeze while I wait on King to reach me. I know River is right, but Chad is never going to stop. I don’t know what makes me so important to the man, but I keep holding out hope that he will lose interest.
King reaches me and even though he tries to paint a smile on his handsome face, I can see right through it. As much as I love that he wants to protect me, I really would just like to know how bad the rest of the house was.
“Let’s go get the kids, Bird.” He helps me into the lifted truck, and with a nod of his head towards the other men, he drives us away from the house.
After less than twenty-four hours, I’m about to lose my patience. The guys have been in and out, whispering as they go, and I’ve had it. This has to do with me, but they won’t tell me anything. The kids just went to stay the night at Skye and Cam’s, something that if the kids wouldn’t have given me puppy dog eyes, wouldn’t be happening.
Finding Ace and King sitting in the kitchen, they stop speaking when I enter the room.
That’s it.
“Okay, you guys are starting to piss me off. You need to tell me what you are talking about.”“Bird—” King slowly says, but I cut him off because he isn’t going to talk his way out of this.
“No! This has to do with me, and I have a right to know.” I can feel my face start to heat. “I’ve already gone through hell because of this man, and I need to know what you guys are thinking.”
“Come sit down, Bird.”
This can’t be good if King is telling me to sit down. Slowly, I walk to the island and sit down on the stool next to him.
“Okay, I’m sitting. What is it?” Looking between the brothers, I can’t make out the emotion splayed across their faces.
“Dad and Cam had a thought, so they went to the auto body shop because they hadn’t brought it to the junk yard yet,” Ace tells me slowly, while staring at King.
“Okay? And what did they find?”
King swivels my chair so I’m looking at him. “There were two trackers hidden on the car. That’s why he keeps finding you.”
Trackers on the car. Chad always knew where I was at, I never stood a chance. My kids were always in harm’s way, and I had no idea. This man abused his power as a police officer to turn my life into hell. And he’s still doing it.
“Trackers,” I whisper as I stumble off of the stool. “I think I’m going to go lie down.” Not waiting for them to answer me, I quickly exit the kitchen and make my way to King’s room.
Not bothering to turn on the light, I throw the blankets back and crawl into bed, pulling the covers back over me. I should have just let King and Ace have their little pow wow and minded my own business.
This is what I get for demanding information.
The door slowly opens, and I hear it latch a moment later. “Bird.” The bed dips and a moment later, King pulls me into his arms.
“Please hold me, King,” I weakly say. My brain is telling me that since Chad has already found me, I should just give up. Rot here in this bed, letting the world pass me by. I don’t need to leave the house; I work from home. King can get the groceries.
“I’ll do whatever you need, Bird. Always,” King says before kissing my temple and wrapping me tighter in his arms.