22. Shep
22
SHEP
The moment I stepped out of the early morning sunlight and into the old farmhouse, I was greeted by Anson’s amused voice. “Did you down a dozen 5-hour Energy shots and work all night?”
I understood the question. Thea and I had made more progress in a few hours last night than Anson and I had made the two days prior. Partially because I could move quicker now that I knew where the plumbing and electrical wires were. And partly because Thea had taken to demo like a natural.
A grin tugged at my lips as a memory slid through me. Thea, hair tied up in a bun, huge goggles and mask on, covered in drywall dust, and yelling something completely nonsensical as she slammed the sledgehammer into a wall.
“Dude, are you okay? Are you having a stroke?” Anson snapped his fingers in front of my face.
I shoved his hand out of my way. “You should be happy there’s this much progress. ”
“I am, but I figured something shitty happened that sent you angry-demoing. But you’re all smiley. Something I haven’t seen you be in months.”
Since before Rhodes was taken . That was what he didn’t say.
I scrubbed a hand over my stubbled cheek. “I brought Thea here last night. She needed to let off some steam. A few hours later, no more wall.”
Anson was quiet for a long moment. “You asked her about Brendan Boseman.”
Just hearing his name out loud had that fiery snake of rage flaring back to life. “Yeah, I asked her.”
Anson simply waited. That was one of his gifts. He knew the power behind silence.
But I was also used to it. Had gotten accustomed to his broody ass since he’d come to work for me a few years ago. So, I met his stare and pulled out my wallet. Pawing through it, I tugged a one-dollar bill free and handed it to him.
“Not going to do a striptease for you because you flashed me a single.”
I flipped him off. “I want to hire you.”
“Uh, Shep, I already work for you. Have for years now.”
I shook my head. “Your shrink half. That means whatever is said between us is held in confidence, right?”
Anson stiffened, instantly on alert. “I’m not a psychologist anymore, and I never really practiced beyond school.”
“Doesn’t mean you aren’t still bound by the same privilege.”
His eyes narrowed. “Well, even if my license hadn’t lapsed, that confidentiality only stays in place as long I don’t think someone is a danger to themselves or others.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Unless Brendan fucking Boseman was his patient.
Anson was quiet for a long moment, and then he lifted the bill, making a show of shoving it into his pocket. “All right, confidentiality in place. But you know you could’ve just asked for that.”
Sure, I could’ve. But Rhodes was friends with Thea. She cared about her, and Anson knew it. He’d likely be tempted to share tidbits if I didn’t make certain he understood how important it was for him not to betray this confidence.
“Thea was with Brendan for years,” I began.
“Abuser?” Anson asked, not missing a trick.
“Yes. But not in the way you think.” Then I unloaded. I tried to keep things as vague as possible, knowing that Thea wouldn’t want me to share all of it. But I was desperate and didn’t have the first clue how worried I should be or what precautions we needed to take. And I knew Anson would have those answers.
The longer I talked, the more thunderous his expression grew. He began pacing, his fingers tapping out a beat on his thigh. When I finally stopped, he stilled and turned back to me.
“What do you think?”
“I think this is seriously fucked, and I’d like to remove Brendan’s balls from his body.”
“Gee, thanks for your professional opinion, Dr. Hunt.”
He sighed and squeezed the back of his neck. “I can’t diagnose someone without seeing or treating them.”
“But?” I asked, sensing there was more.
“Sounds like he has a lot of the markers of someone with a personality disorder. Huge swings in how they view others, going from idealizing to devaluing, especially in romantic relationships. They sometimes exhibit reckless behavior like the drinking and drug abuse Thea mentioned.”
“What does that mean for Thea now?” I asked, my voice tight.
Anson shook his head. “Maybe nothing. People live with these disorders every day. There are plenty of treatment options. But the fact that she felt she had to completely disappear after ending the relationship? That concerns me. Suggests there’s more.”
I knew there was more. Without a shadow of a doubt. “I can’t push to find out what that more is.”
“No, you absolutely cannot. She can only tell you what she’s willing to. But given Brendan’s behavior, there’s a level of obsession.”
“Meaning?” I pressed .
Anson’s eyes locked with mine. “The target for his obsession was removed from his orbit. If he hasn’t found a new one to replace her, he’s been stewing for years.”
Nothing about that sounded good. “And if he finds out where she is?”
“If Brendan realizes her location now, things could potentially become violent, even though they weren’t in the past.”
“How do we help her?” I could barely get the words out.
“I’m not sure there’s much we can do other than help her heal,” Anson said quietly. “Her opening up to you is a massive step. The fact that she’s let Sutton and Rhodes in to a certain degree is another good sign. She needs to move back into life, but at her own pace. All you can do is encourage that.”
The tightness in my throat made it hard to swallow, let alone speak, but I finally managed to get words out. “I won’t let him hurt her.”
Anson’s eyes met mine. “We don’t always have that control. But we can do our best to help her stay safe.”
The hell we didn’t. I’d already failed one person I cared about. I wasn’t about to do the same with Thea.