Chapter 4
4
H eath’s hands were cold as ice as he pushed through the door of the sheriff’s department and stormed to his desk. He shoved his palms in his jacket pockets, but the soft lining did nothing to warm his skin.
The anger boiling inside him was a different story. Heat consumed him as his pulse raced, his aching heart pounding against his chest.
Dammit, of all the women for him to stumble across with a broken-down vehicle, it had to be Clara Parson.
Sitting at his desk, he drew in a deep breath. Clara and her kids were safe for the night. Now he could dig deeper into Mitch’s parole details and figure out how to keep the asshole away from her for good.
The sound of booted footsteps lifted his head. Owen Wells wove through the empty desks toward him. Stubble lined his jawline, and his sandy brown hair was cut short. Bags hung under his hazel eyes, showcasing a long day. “You find the woman?”
Heath swiveled in his chair to face Owen. “Yeah. Turns out it was Clara Parson and her two kids.”
“Surprised they were out this late,” Owen said. “Everything okay?”
“Mitch just got out of jail, and he’s already paid her a couple of visits. Once at work, and once at home.” A fresh wave of anger washed over him. “She had me take her and the kids to the shelter over in Pine Valley. She looked terrified.”
Owen crossed his arms over his chest. “Everyone who knows Mitch got out early was worried this would happen. I’d hoped he’d be smart enough to keep his nose clean. Doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case.”
Sighing, Heath scrubbed the fatigue from his face. His course whiskers scratched his palms. “We all need to keep watch on this. My gut tells me Mitch won’t let this go. I’m not sure how far he’ll take things, but if the past is any indication, the guy has no problem taking them too far.”
His thoughts wandered back to his mother. To his father, who’d done whatever he could to make her life hell until they’d finally broken free.
“What was wrong with the car?” Owen asked, regaining his attention.
“Not sure. I planned to check it out myself. Maybe have it towed to my place so I could mess with it before she’s forced to hire a mechanic. Money’s probably tight if she went to the shelter. It’s the least I can do.”
Owen’s eyes narrowed, and Heath struggled not to squirm. “Why’s that?”
He clenched his jaw, not wanting to convey too much. He’d worked for the sheriff’s department for the past four years, and in that time had created a good-enough relationship with Owen. But that didn’t mean he wanted to expose all the ugliness from his past.
His mom had moved them to Water’s Edge after finally leaving his father. The fresh start had been exactly what they’d both needed. Heath had decided long ago that the life they’d fled was no one else’s business, and he planned to keep it that way.
“She has plenty on her plate. The last thing she needs is to make arrangements to get her car towed and fixed. And if she’s going to stand a chance at staying away from Mitch, she’ll need a vehicle. Hell, I don’t even know if I can fix it or not. But might as well try.”
“Let me know if you need a hand,” Owen said. “My brother and I used to help our pappy fix all kinds of shit at his place when we were younger. I know Tommy wouldn’t mind pitching in.”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Keep me posted. Head on home when you’re finished with your report. We shouldn’t need you anymore tonight. Salt’s finally down on the slick roads. Hopefully the accident earlier is the only one we have to worry about. Thanks for helping.” Owen returned to his office.
Heath watched him disappear behind the closed door then returned his attention to his computer. He shoved aside all thoughts of Clara, her kids, and the abusive asshole she was trying to escape. Making quick work of the details of their encounter, he shut down the computer and headed outside.
His car was parked in the lot behind the building. Once inside, he turned over the engine and sat, his mind venturing to Clara. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, deciding what to do next. He’d already called and paid for the tow truck—her vehicle would be waiting at his place when he returned home. But the thought of heading to an empty house to stew over his tumultuous emotions sounded like as much fun as wiping out on a patch of black ice.
Only one person could talk him off his emotional edge, even if she’d be annoyed to see him again.
But this time, she’d welcome him back into her home once she saw the look on his face. His mom might complain about wanting her independence, but nothing was more important than making sure he was all right.
And after driving Clara and her children to Safe Haven Women’s Shelter, he was pretty damn far from all right. Intuition told him tonight was only the beginning, because if he knew one thing, it was that Mitch Parson wouldn’t let Clara just walk away.
And no way in hell he’d stand by and watch her or her kids continue to be bullied.
* * *
The morning sun peeked into the pretty little room and covered the bed Clara shared with both of her children. Her exhausted body begged her to keep her eyes shut and hide away from the world as long as possible, but the constant buzzing beside her bed insisted she meet the day.
Not wanting to wake the children, she unwrapped Avery’s arm from around her stomach and plucked her phone from the nightstand without touching Davey. Mitch’s name on the screen sent her heart to her throat.
Why was he calling? Why hadn’t she thought to block his number?
Her hands shook and terror constricted her chest. She hated how her body reacted to just the sight of his name. Hesitation hovered her finger over the screen. Should she press the little red button to ignore the call or let it ring through? Which would make him angrier?
She smothered a humorless laugh. Who was she kidding? No amount of thinking or analyzing could diffuse Mitch’s temper. There wasn’t a correct colored wire to snip to disable this bomb.
No matter what button on the screen she pressed.
The buzzing stopped and Mitch’s name disappeared. The vise tightening her lungs loosened for a second before a text message came through. She shouldn’t read it. Nothing he said mattered. Best to not even allow his words into her head.
“Mama?” Davey rubbed his fists over his eyes and yawned.
“Hi baby,” she whispered, placing her phone back on the stand without opening the message. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
The whispering caused Avery to stir, and she rolled onto her back, stretching her arms high above her head. Dark curls stuck to her cheeks and a little groan came through her parted lips.
Davey’s eyes flew wide. “She’s not happy. She hates mornings. I hope she doesn’t cry.”
Clara kissed the top of Davey’s head. After months without his father, Davey was still frightened that any misbehavior from him or his sister would cause trouble. “It’s okay if she does. No one here will get upset if your sister makes some noise. Well, at least no one besides us. We don’t want to hear her scream, do we?” She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue, enticing a round of giggles from her son.
“Davey’s loud,” Avery whined and curled onto her side.
“No, Davey’s awake and ready to get out of this bed. Just like me.” She tickled Avery’s sides until her shrill cries turned into bouts of laughter.
“Mama!” Avery squealed, gasping for breath and her grin growing from cheek to cheek. “No more.”
She scooped her daughter into a hug and kissed her forehead. “How about we head to the kitchen? I need some coffee.”
The kids scurried off the bed and she helped them dress for the day and brush their teeth before making herself presentable. The hour was still early, but if things around the shelter were the same as the last time she was here, Mrs. Collins would already be awake with hours of work behind her. And even if she wasn’t around, it was made clear early on that the people staying at the shelter should view it as their home during their stay.
As she ushered the kids into the hallway, her phone rang again.
“I’ll get it, Mama!” Davey ran back into the room and lunged across the bed for the phone, answering the call before she could tell him to leave it alone.
“You good for nothing, bitch!” Mitch’s hard voice screeched from the speaker.
Davey dropped the phone and ran to hide behind Clara’s legs.
Tears filled Avery’s wide eyes.
“You think you can run and hide? I will track your worthless ass down and make you pay for this. I promise you, you will regret crossing me.”
Terror paralyzed her, stealing her ability to move, to walk, to storm to the abandoned phone and shut off the screaming. Silence the anger and violence hurled at her and her children.
Footsteps padded down the hall, and Mrs. Collins rushed into the room and found the source of the yelling on the tousled bedding. She quickly ended the call. “Well, that’s not how any of us want to wake up, is it?”
Clara’s heart beat so hard against her breastbone, she swore it was about to burst through the skin. “Thank you,” she said, clearing the fear from her throat.
“You’re welcome, and I’m sorry I didn’t think of getting you a different phone last night. When you get downstairs, I’ll have one ready for you. You can do whatever you like with this one,” Mrs. Collins said, waving the phone in the air. “But I’d suggest keeping it off. No need to make it easy for certain people to reach you.”
Pasting on a smile, Clara tipped her chin. No matter what she did, Mitch would always find a way to get to her.
Mrs. Collins wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Clara melted against her. She’d spent so many years having to be tough, locking up her emotions and true reactions to situations. Her life was spent tiptoeing around a minefield with no one to lean on. No one to support her.
Tears stung her eyes, the moisture leaking down her cheeks. She sniffed, not wanting the kids to see her upset.
“Why don’t you take a minute while I start breakfast? You and the kids are the only ones here right now. Elsie should arrive shortly, and I’m sure Jimmy will be with her. We’ll take care of things as long as you need. Maybe you can take a warm bath or snuggle up with a good book. Just enjoy your morning.”
Clara drew in a shuddering breath, wishing she could do exactly what Mrs. Collins suggested. But there wasn’t time. At least not yet. Wiping her eyes, she pulled out of Mrs. Collins’ motherly embrace. “Could you watch the children while I call Lulu. I’m supposed to work this afternoon. I’d like to see if she can spare me for a day or two while things calm down.”
“Absolutely. Okay.” Mrs. Collins clapped her hands together twice and grinned down at the still-scared kids. “Who wants to help me bake muffins?”
“Me!” Davey said, untangling himself from his mother’s legs.
Avery hung back, reaching up for Clara’s hand.
Clara crouched to eye level with her daughter. “You don’t have to help, honey. Do you want to stay with Mama?”
Avery nodded.
“Sounds good,” Mrs. Collins said. “We’ll see you downstairs when you’re ready.”
Davey skipped to Mrs. Collins side and held her hand all the way out the room.
“All right, little lady.” Clara anchored her fists on her hips. “What would you like to do while your brother helps make breakfast?”
Avery’s bottom lip puffed forward. Her gaze drifted toward the window, and she ran across the room to look outside. “Snow!”
Clara smiled at the small specks of snow floating in the morning sky. She opened the window and inhaled a deep breath of cool air. “Should we go outside and get a better look?”
Avery beamed and held out her arms to be picked up.
She scooped Avery into her arms and was careful of her footing as she walked down the stairs. Not planning on being outside long, she skipped the coats and stepped into the cool, morning air.
“Mama, look.” Avery pointed at a charred mound of material at the top of the steps.
She set Avery down. “Stay there, baby.” She took tentative steps toward the mystery item until she recognized the burnt and tattered fabric, the familiar blue and white spots of Davey’s beloved blanket making a gasp catch in her throat.
Mitch didn’t need to track her down. Apparently, he’d already found her.