55. Ben
BEN
The police interview takes forever. They go over and over the details, trying to make sure they get the story straight.
Jolie’s voice is raspy and weak as she answers all their questions.
I’m getting more pissed off the longer they take.
She’s been through trauma, and I need to get her the hell out of here!
The EMTs gave her a quick once-over and decided she was well enough for the interview. Now they’re just waiting for it to be over before taking her to the hospital.
That time is now, dammit! This officer needs to wrap it up.
Jolie sniffs. “I know I shouldn’t have broken in, and I’m sorry about that,” she says, yet again. “I was just desperate. I didn’t know what else to do.”
The policeman nods calmly, scribbling things down while two other officers escort Kieran away in cuffs. His head is hung low, his curls covering his face.
Jolie tenses beside me when he walks into view. I put a protective arm around her shoulders and glare at the asshole’s back.
“Is the drive okay?” Jolie asks. “Did you find it? It’s file…
um…” She squeezes her eyes shut. “It’s file 2…
um, 219.” Her lips part, a shudder running through her.
“All the videos are in there.” Tears start tracking down her face, and my insides clench when she whispers, “Mine included. I watched some of it, but I didn’t watch any of the others.
I just saw the little icons and…” Her voice shakes, and she sucks in a quick breath.
“It’s okay, Miss Carmichael,” the officer assures her. “You can leave this with us now.”
“But I obtained it illegally. Is that going to affect the case?”
“I can’t say for sure.” His gaze softens. “But don’t worry. We’ll do everything we can to look after you.”
Relief floods me, and Jolie’s eyes fill with a fresh batch of tears as she nods and whispers, “Thank you, Officer.”
“Right.” He flips his notebook shut. “Now it’s time to take you to the hospital. You need to get checked over properly, and we’re also going to need photos of your injuries. I’m sorry about that, but we have to collect all evidence. I’m assuming you want to press assault charges.”
“Yes,” I answer before Jolie can say anything. She flinches, and I press my lips to her forehead. “It’s going to be okay, baby.”
The officer nods. “Let’s get you down to the ambulance.”
I cradle her against me as we take the elevator downstairs, then walk out into the rain. It pelts our skin, and I try to shield Jolie from it as best I can as we climb into the back of the ambulance.
“We’ll follow you there!” Caroline calls after us, and all I can do is raise my hand in acknowledgment.
I kind of don’t care what they do. I just have to be there for Jolie.
When we get to the hospital, she’s wheeled into a private examination room. Thankfully, they let me stay with her.
As we wait for the doctor, I reply to texts from Jimmy and Mac.
Me: Sorry I bailed. Jolie was assaulted. I’m at the hospital with her.
I get a plethora of replies—lots of questions I don’t have the energy to answer right now. New texts pop up from Sawyer, Darian, and Charli as they get the news, but I ignore them all.
I just want to hold Jolie’s hand and drink her in. Every time my gaze brushes over the bruises on her body, my insides flare with a mixture of anger and fear. I could have lost her tonight.
Shit, that asshole could have killed her.
When they start taking photos of the various bruises on her body, I’m seconds away from losing my shit.
The red mark on her cheek, which I didn’t initially notice, has started to swell and puff up beneath her eye.
He fucking punched her. He threw her around like a rag doll, and now her skin is blotched and tender.
Each mark on her body is like a blow to my chest.
Fuck.
I want to kill him for what he did to her.
My eyes burn, my throat swelling as this examination takes for-fucking-ever.
But in the end, the doctor clears Jolie to go home.
“It’s important someone stays with her throughout the night,” she says.
“I will,” I assure her.
She nods at me, then gives me some care instructions. Jolie has a mild concussion, and the doctor wants me to monitor her for a variety of symptoms that could indicate things are worse than they think.
I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight anyway, so it’s easy to agree to watch over her.
“Okay then. You guys can get going.” She smiles at Jolie.
“You take it easy over the next few days, okay? Your body has been through a lot, and you need to give it a chance to heal. I can write you a note to exempt you from classes for the start of next week. I want you to have at least three days off to let yourself recover, then just see how you feel. Listen to your body and contact us immediately if you start to feel worse, okay?”
Jolie nods, her smile tumultuous.
I run my hand gently down her back before helping her get dressed, then lead her out to the entrance where we find a bunch of people waiting for us.
The second Caroline spots her cousin, she jumps out of her chair and rushes over. Casey is hot on her heels, along with Ethan and his little girlfriend.
“Careful,” I warn as Caroline pulls Jolie into a hug. “She’s got bruises everywhere.”
The thought makes Caroline whimper, her eyes filling with tears as she pulls back to check on Jolie.
I look past Casey and see my teammates moving forward. All of my roommates are here, and I give them a grateful smile when they step up to check on us.
“What the fuck happened, man?” Darian asks the second Caroline and Jolie move away to deal with the medical bill.
I keep an eye on my girl as they talk to the receptionist. Caroline’s on the phone, no doubt fielding questions from Jolie’s parents.
Shit. She still has so much more to deal with. I need to get her back to my place. All she needs right now is a soft bed, warmth, protection. We can deal with the rest of it when she’s feeling better.
I briefly explain what went down, and Darian is furious with Kieran. He sawyer, and Charli start making plans to end the guy while Jimmy calmly reminds them that he’s currently in police custody.
“He better not get off on a fucking technicality,” Mac growls. “I know people who can deal with shitheads like him.”
Jimmy gives him a skeptical frown. “What? You got an assassin on speed dial or something?”
“I might!” he snaps, then looks across the room at Jolie. She’s so skinny and fragile right now. Casey has his hand on her back, softly whispering something to her while Caroline talks on the phone. She rests his head against his shoulder, and I move to take his place.
Fuck that. I want to be the one comforting my woman.
My team follows me over, and we stand in a big clump until the bill is finalized and Caroline assures her aunt and uncle, “She’s fine. Really. I’m taking good care of her. She’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
Jolie’s expression crumples at the idea.
I don’t know exactly what Caroline’s told them, but catching the tail end of the conversation, I’m guessing she’s been overly vague on the details.
“It’s up to you how much you tell them, baby,” I assure her as we start to head for the door.
She nods but doesn’t say anything, and I hold her close as we step out into the cold night air.
It’s nearly four in the morning, and the rain has finally stopped. The air is damp and cool, the concrete wet beneath our shoes.
“Come on, sweetie. You can stay with us at the pool house. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”
I shake my head. “She’s coming home with me.”
“What?” Caroline balks. “No, she’s not. You’re not her family. She’s my responsibility.”
“Excuse me?” Darian steps forward, looking highly offended. “She is so family. She’s Ben’s woman, which makes her our sister, and you can fuck right off with that responsibility shit. She’s an adult now and can be responsible for herself.”
Caroline lets out an indignant scoff, her eyebrows dipping into a sharp frown. Casey moves in to scowl at Darian while my teammates form a quick semicircle around the couple.
“Okay, you guys…”
“I think we need to take a breath here.”
Ethan and Jimmy both try to bring a little calm into the situation as I pull Jolie aside and crouch low to whisper, “Where do you want to go, baby?”
She immediately snuggles in against me, her words muffled by my sweater as she rasps, “I just want to be with you.”
I pull back to smile down at her. Gently cupping her cheek, I softly promise, “I won’t leave your side. Not until you’re ready, okay?”
She nods, her glassy gaze filling with relief under the parking lot lights. “Thank you,” she mouths, and I lean down to kiss her.
Immediately rising to her toes, Jolie turns the kiss into more than the light peck I intended, clinging to me desperately and drinking from what strength I can offer.
I hold her gently, not wanting to hurt her, and don’t pull away until Casey mutters, “How the fuck are we supposed to get used to this?”
Jolie whips her head to look at them, quietly croaking, “I don’t give a shit if you never get used to it.”
I can’t help a snorting laugh as Caroline gasps.
“Oh my gosh, did you just swear? What is happening to you?” She then points an accusing finger at me. “You’re a bad influence on her.”
Jolie giggles, resting her cheek against my chest. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I kiss the top of her head, rubbing a line from the base of her spine up to her neck and lightly squeezing her back. “She means that she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Caroline’s lips twitch, and she continues to fight her smile as she shakes her head, then snaps at me, “You better look after her.”
“Yeah, you tell him, Cherry Girl.” Ethan’s girlfriend snorts.
“Shut up, Mick! I’m trying to be intimidating here!” Caroline growls, and this just makes the girl laugh harder.
Ethan grins, swinging his arm around his girl and tipping his head. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Caroline keeps glaring up at me, and I raise my eyebrows, giving her a “Come on, you know I will” look. Is she gonna make me say it out loud too?
But after a beat, she sighs and mumbles, “Yeah, okay. Fine.”
Casey snickers, capturing her wrist and pulling her after Ethan and Mick. “Come on, Cherry Girl. You’re spending the day in my bed.”
She groans. “I’m too tired for sexy times.”
“Who said anything about sex? I just want to sleep.”
Mick snorts again and whips around to tease them some more. “You two will totally end up having sex.”
Ethan laughs. “Two little nymphos!”
I watch them walk away, then turn back to my crew. “Thank you guys for coming.”
“Yeah, of course, man.” Sawyer nods. “Like Dee said, you’re family.”
I smile at them and nod my thanks before softly murmuring, “Can you take us the fuck home now?”
Mac laughs while Darian grins at me, slapping my back and leading us to his car. We pile into two vehicles, and Jolie rests her head on my arm, closing her eyes as we drive back to Basketball Base.
Shit, I did not just call it that.
I close my eyes, letting out a soft sigh. I really must be tired.
Exhaustion keeps tugging at me, even though I don’t know how I’m gonna sleep. My brain is running on repeat as Jolie’s desperate screams bounce off the walls of my skull.
I shudder, threading my fingers between hers and reassuring myself that she’s gonna be okay.
Fuck. It could have been so much worse.
But it wasn’t. So just hold her close and be grateful, man.