41. Jason
41
JASON
“ T exted you what?” I clipped, strangling my phone so hard I thought I was going to snap it in half.
“Pictures of Mel and Kristin,” she said quietly.
Every hair on my body stood on end. My veins were charged like live wires. “ The fuck ?” I bellowed.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I had to come back,” she whimpered. “He sent me dozens of pictures. Mel at work. At the store. On the beach. In her apartment. There were—” her voice turned to a trembling whisper. “There were pictures of her asleep , Jase. In her own apartment. Like someone had broken in with her right there, just to prove they could.”
She stammered but pressed on.
“Kristin—she wasn’t with Will back then, and she and the kids were living in a trailer. There were pictures of Zoey at school and Kylie waiting for the bus. Hunter at the library. Pictures of all of them eating dinner. They didn’t have a clue someone was watching them.”
Bridget broke down in gut-wrenching sobs as she let the truth out. I leaned forward and pulled her into my arms, shushing her gently and rubbing circles on her back. It was the same thing I had done when we were kids, and she’d wake up after a nightmare.
Except this was real.
Very, very real.
“Have you told Mel and Kristin that he threatened them?” I asked.
Bridget shook her head as she pushed away from the table and grabbed a paper towel off the countertop. She blew her nose and paused at the sink for a moment to catch her breath. “No.”
“Why not?”
She tossed the snotty paper towel in the trash and came back to the table, taking a sip of tea to calm her nerves. “When he sent the pictures, he texted me and said that if I said anything to them or anyone , he’d have the guys he hired to take the pictures finish the job . His words, not mine. That’s when I found out he was getting my texts and calls sent to his phone.” She sucked in a sharp breath. “So, I did what I had to do. I went back.”
She looked down at her hands and whispered, “Just like he said I would. Like the dutiful little bride that he wanted me to be. When I showed back up here, he took my phone and deleted everything. I have no proof that he made threats against Kristin and Mel. It’s just his word against mine—something he reminds me of all the fucking time. No one will believe me over him.”
“They better fucking believe the one who looks like she got run over by a tractor-trailer,” I grunted.
A laugh of disbelief escaped her mouth. “You’d think that, but not when it comes to him. He’s the head of the chamber of commerce. Volunteers at the church food bank. Sends supplies to the homeless shelter and gives heaps of classroom supplies to the teachers here. He’s got everyone fooled. For a while, he even fooled me.” She sniffed back a tear. “He donates to the police department, and he’s friends with a bunch of the officers. They’re not corrupt, but if it came down to choosing who to believe, Kyle is a community saint. I’m a bartender without a college degree who was raised by a deadbeat, alcoholic father. Kyle has a spotless record.”
“It’s not that spotless,” I mumbled.
“What?”
I sighed. “Apparently, back when he was in college, a girl he was seeing filed a restraining order against him. Will found the paper trail, but the girl had the order reversed, and Kyle got it expunged from his record.” I reached out and gently touched her knee. “I don’t think you were the only one, Bee.”
She muttered a sharp string of curses that she sure as hell didn’t learn from me. “After I came back to him, it got worse. Him getting violent with me was no longer because of his short temper. He was proactive. He’d hit me to keep me in line. To make sure I knew my place. If he thought I was going to make a move to get out, he’d hit me in places where everyone could see, so I wouldn’t leave the house. Shame is a disgustingly effective leash. One that he kept me on. I could go wherever I wanted, see whoever. But if I stepped out of line, he’d make me pay.”
I didn’t know how much more I could stomach hearing. “Bee, you have to leave. Now. ”
“I am,” she said, more self-assured than she had been for the entire conversation. “I’ve tried before. Little windows when I knew he wouldn’t be around for a day or so, but it always fell through.” She reached out and squeezed my hand. Her wrists had bruises circling them like shackles. “Mel isn’t the bad guy here, Jason. I made her promise not to tell you. Not to tell anyone. Half of it was pride, and half of it has been not wanting Kyle to act on his threats. I thought I could get out before you ever had to know. ”
“Do you think he would actually hurt Kris and Mel? Does he have the means?”
She nodded. “There’s a gun safe upstairs. I don’t have the combination, and I don’t know how many he has in there. But Kyle’s not the type to get his hands dirty. I have no doubt that he’d kill me himself, but he would delegate Mel and Kristin to someone else.”
I fucking hated the way she said that so casually. Like she had made peace with the possibility that she might die at the hands of that monster. I swallowed and looked down at my feet. “That’s why you told me to go after Mel.”
“Yeah.” Bridget sipped her tea. It was probably cold now. “It’s why I had to haul ass in the grocery store and get back here. If Kyle thought something was up and called my phone and I didn’t respond, he would play whatever card he has hidden up his sleeve.” Bridget paused, her voice softening. “Mel wanted to tell you. Told me that I needed to tell you. Threatened to tell you herself. But I convinced her that I could get myself out of this nightmare, and you would never have to find out.”
She took a final sip then pushed the mug aside. “When Kristin and Will got together, I started planning. Will wouldn’t let a fly touch Kristin or her kids. Even if I kept him in the dark, I knew I could trust him to keep her and the kids safe. I convinced Mel to go out on all these dates. I figured if I kept her busy, she’d be out in public and be safe. And maybe she’d find a guy she liked and have someone to watch her back.” She looked at me and smiled. “And then you showed up out of the blue, all heart-eyed for her. I knew that as long as you were here, she would be okay. And that I could finally leave this place.”
“But Mel never knew Kyle threatened her?”
She shook her head. “If I had told her, she would have called me a dumbass and told me to get the hell out of his life and let her take care of herself.”
I let out a caustic laugh. “You’re not wrong.” I was still angry as hell at Melissa, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wouldn’t have encouraged Bridget to stay with an abuser.
“I’ve been planning for a while. Making preparations, you know? But when you and Mel started getting serious, I knew I could make it happen for real this time. I will make it happen this time. That night that y’all came over for dinner, Mel brought me a new phone. It’s hidden upstairs with some cash I have saved up. She was helping me get out. I was supposed to work today, but…” she pointed to her face.
Bridget had dried her eyes after crying. The makeup she had plastered on had been wiped away. The bruising around her cheek and temple was darker than it had been before.
“Kyle will be gone for a few days, so my plan was to come home after work and pack. Mel was going to come pick me up and take me to the police station so I can file a report and press charges.”
That’s my girl. The fire in her eyes was back. The fight.
“What are we waiting for?” I asked as I pushed back from the table and stood up. “Where’s a suitcase? We’re packing and getting you the hell out right now.”
There was a closet to the left of the refrigerator. I stomped across the kitchen and yanked it open.
Fucking brooms and trash bags.
I needed a goddamn box or a wheelbarrow or—fuck it. I’d just throw everything in the bed of my truck and burn rubber getting out of here.
“Jason.” Her hand was on my back. “I need to make sure he’s actually gone. He’s done it before where he’ll say he’s leaving and then pop in to see if I’m where I said I would be. ”
I pressed my fist to the closet door and used every ounce of willpower I had to keep from punching it.
“Kyle said he would call when he got to Charlotte. He’s there for some stupid sales convention or something. He’ll probably drink at the hotel bar and end up falling asleep early. I need to wait until tonight so that he’s asleep and can’t sic his boogeymen on me.”
“Bee—”
“Besides,” she turned and looked around the house with a wry smile on her lips. “This is the last little bit of quiet I’ll have for a while. It’s a small community. I know that the minute I show up at the police department looking like this and hand them the file of evidence that Mel has kept for me, everyone will know. And as much as I want to hide for a month and rest, I know I’m going to have the nosey-ass poker club checking up on me every five minutes.”
She tried her best to sound annoyed, but there was an inkling of hope hidden in her voice. The poker club pestered each other because they cared. Because they wouldn’t let anyone carry their burdens alone.
Bridget squeezed my arm. “Mel’s getting off work early. She was just covering for one of the other nurses today. Go talk to her. Let me take a nap, shower, and get my shit together. As fucked up as it is, I’m kind of safe as long as I’m here.”
I hated the thought of leaving Bridget alone, even for a second. But it sounded like she just needed some space to process everything.
“Go kiss and make up with Mel, and then come pick me up tonight.”
I eyed her warily. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”
“It’s just a few hours, Jase.”
“I know. ”
“Go,” Bridget urged. “I’ll call y’all as soon as I’m ready.” She cracked a devilish smile. “I might even let you come over early to hide the TV remotes and take the batteries out of the smoke detectors, so they chirp at three in the morning. I think I might take all the toilet paper just as a big fuck you .” She cracked a smile. “Not that he’ll ever come back to see it. If everything goes to plan, I’ll press charges here, and the cops will pick him up in Charlotte.”
I pulled her in for a hug and squeezed. Gently, of course. “I love you, Bumble Bee.” Pausing, I added, “I’m… I’m sorry you carried this alone.”
“I was never alone. Even when I felt like I was.” She tucked her head on my shoulder. “I love you, Jase.” She backed away and jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the door. “Now, go get your girl. But remember, you promised to take me flying next week. I’m holding you to that.”
I had a few hours to kill before Melissa got off work, and I spent every single one of them overthinking everything.
All the things I could have done years ago to check up on Bridget. The questions I could have asked. I should have taken the leave I had available to come back and visit her. I should have known. Should have seen the fucking warning signs.
I knew something wasn’t right, and I didn’t stop it.
Part of me knew that I was blaming myself for something I didn’t have any control over, but I couldn’t help it. She was my baby sister. I would have done everything in my power to help if I had just known.
I was about to begin my hundredth mental spiral of guilt as I sat on the open tailgate of my truck. I pushed it to the back of my mind and scanned the parking lot for threats when Mel walked out of the emergency department’s sliding glass doors.
A burly security guard jogged beside her. He was twice her height but heaved as he struggled to keep up with her pace. I knew that Bee had told her to walk out with a security guard, but Paul Blart and his rubber gun wouldn’t do much good in the event of a real threat.
I slid off the edge of the tailgate and stepped into the lane. Mel froze mid-stride. The security guard at least had the sense to step in front of her. His mistake was turning his back to me when he asked her if she was okay with me being there.
Mel peered around his tank of a body. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. “He’s fine,” she said quietly.
“You sure, Miss Jacobsen?”
“Yeah, I need to talk to him, actually.” She forced a small, wobbly smile. “Thanks for walking me out.”
He offered her a fist bump that she happily returned. “Alright. Catch you around, shortie.”
“See ya, Tony.”
The big guy turned and lumbered back through the parking lot, leaving us alone.
Mel had a jacket draped over her arm. She got cold when she was in the emergency department even though it felt like Satan’s ass crack outside. She had pulled her braids back into a thick ponytail, though now it was lopsided. Mel looked like she had walked through hell and back in just a few hours.
“Jason,” she said when she got within arm’s length of me.
I didn’t let her get another word in. I cupped her jaw, caressing the apples of her cheeks, and kissed her.
She stood, stunned for a moment. Lips pursed. Body rigid.
Then, slowly, as I slid my tongue along the seam of her mouth, she opened for me. Melting into my arms, losing herself in the kiss.
I bent at the waist, careful not to break our connection as I grabbed her ass and lifted her until she had no choice but to wrap her legs around my hips. Her arms followed, slipping around my neck as I walked us backward and set her on the tailgate of my truck. It was dotted with rust spots and chipped paint, but that was the last thing on my mind.
I felt her palms against the back of my neck as we kissed, long and deep.
Something wasn’t right. The ridge of her engagement ring. I always felt the back of the band when she smoothed her hand against my skin.
I broke away, grabbing her wrist and bringing her left hand between us. Her ring finger was bare.
“Baby—” Fuck. I couldn’t even get the words out. My voice cracked like I was going through puberty.
Her eyes were wide as she waited on my words.
“Where’s your ring?”
Slowly, her expression softened from shock and surprise to amusement. She reached under her scrub top, pulling a necklace from beneath the fabric. Her engagement ring dangled from the chain.
“I don’t wear it when I work,” she said softly. “The diamond shreds the surgical gloves.” Mel tucked it back under her scrubs and pressed her hand to her chest. “But I keep it close to my heart.”