Chapter 16 #3
“That’s when he told me he was going to take care of everything. He said he would help me start over, that he and I could start a life together. I’m not sure I believed he could do it. But then I found out I was pregnant. I knew it was Wade’s. I knew in my heart it was.”
There was a small hitch in her voice when she said, “So I told him. I wasn’t sure how he’d react, but after the initial shock he was thrilled. He told me the baby would just move our timeline up a little bit.”
“When did you tell him about the baby?” Jack asked.
“Last week,” she said. “I took a pregnancy test on Tuesday, and I went to the doctor Wednesday morning to confirm. I was so scared and excited. I called Wade immediately after my appointment and asked if we could meet. He was booked with clients, so I told him Thursday was better anyway because Brett was on shift at the station. So we met for lunch and I told him.”
I remembered Sloane Ferriday’s confusion about her last session with Wade and that he’d been distracted.
“Brett found the pregnancy test in the trash can. I pretended like I was excited. He was elated. Told me he couldn’t wait to tell the guys at the station.”
Tears were streaming freely down her cheeks and her face had paled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t offer you anything to drink. I need to get some water.”
Her eyes held the wild expression of someone who was coming close to breaking down completely, but her brain just hadn’t processed it yet. I didn’t want her to stop.
“I’ll get it for you,” I said, and went off to the kitchen before she could protest.
I opened the refrigerator and found bottles of water lined neatly in the door. I brought one back to her and unscrewed the top.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice dry. She drank deeply and looked lost, seemingly not remembering what she’d been saying.
“Can you tell me what happened when you went to see Wade Tuesday night?” Jack asked.
Her lips pressed together and she shook her head. “I keep trying to forget.” She kept shaking her head and the tears came faster as she unraveled in front of our eyes.
“We had planned to meet,” she said. “Brett said he was on a different rotation at the station because of the holiday weekend. He told me he was going to be on shift.”
She was sucking in air and trying to catch her breath.
“It’s okay,” I told her. “Deep breaths. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Nice and easy.”
It took her a couple of minutes to calm down enough to speak again.
“I had a bag packed in the car, and Wade told me he had a place for me to hide while I filed for divorce. So I went to meet him. He met me at the door and one thing led to another.”
Her voice had started to hitch again.
“Take your time,” Jack said.
“I don’t know what happened,” she sobbed. “One minute we were making love and then the next Wade’s head smashed into mine.”
She gently touched her broken nose and the tears started again.
“I think I blacked out,” she said. “I don’t know what happened.
All I know is I woke up when Brett tossed me onto the floor and told me to get dressed.
My clothes were in the living room so I crawled until I found them.
I was so scared. I didn’t know what was happening. And then Brett told me he was dead.”
She broke down into full sobs, her body convulsing violently, and I went to sit on the couch next to her. I didn’t want to touch her, not yet.
“Brianna,” I said. “I’m a doctor, and I want to help you. Take some breaths for me. Can I hold your hand?”
I reached gently for her hand and took it, glad when she clasped her fingers around mine. I felt for the pulse in her wrist. Her heartbeat was fast and erratic.
“That’s good,” I told her, keeping my voice even. “Nice and slow.”
There was a little hiccup in her throat and she leaned into me. “I lost the baby,” she whispered. “Brett was so angry. He drove me here and as soon as we stepped inside he punched me in the stomach. He said he wanted to make sure he wasn’t raising another man’s bastard.”
“Oh, God,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”
“He told me if I left the house or talked to anyone he’d kill me,” she said. “I thought about killing myself, just to save him the trouble. He hasn’t been home. He just sends me messages telling me he’s watching.”
Jack met my gaze and I could see the torment there. And I knew from experience that the best thing for Brett would be for Jack to never get his hands on him.
“Brianna,” he said. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. We’re going to arrest Brett for murder. He’s going away for a long time. Is there someone you can call? Someone you can stay with while we’re taking care of him?”
“My sister,” she said. “She lives in Baltimore.”
“Okay,” Jack told her. “I want you to pack a bag, and I’m going to have a couple of officers drive you there if that’s okay. They’ll keep you safe and make sure you get there. We’ll stay here with you until the patrol unit arrives.”
She stared at us blankly. As if she couldn’t believe what he was saying was true.
Finally she nodded, got to her feet, and left the room.
“It’s a hell of an Independence Day,” Jack said.