Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Beck
“Fuck! Stop!” I hear James yelling again.
Mayhem is lunging toward James, snarling and snapping his teeth.
“Sloan. Little Dove. It’s me. Open your eyes!”
“Ha. Sloan. She’s a whore and a liar!” James barely gets out in between screams as Mayhem continues to bark and growl in James’ face. Never biting him, but keeping him down and away from Sloan.
I imagine he can’t see him through all of the blood.
“Shut the fuck up you whiney piece of shit! Before I bloody your mouth too,” I growl at James.
Trying to assess Sloan and get her to open her eyes. Sloan’s covered in so much fucking blood but so is James. I can’t tell if it’s hers or his.
“Are you the fuckwit who fucked my whore of a wife?”
“I said shut your fucking mouth!” Turning around I lunge toward James throwing two jabs and a cross straight into his face until he’s unconscious.
Rushing back to Sloan, I gently caress her cheek with my fingers. “Little Dove, are you hurt? Please open your eyes.”
Sliding my arms under Sloan’s waist. I lift her off the ground, cradling her into my chest. She’s shivering in my arms.
I lie her down on the ground, removing my sweatshirt, placing it over her, before holding her again in my arms. Gently rubbing her arms for some friction to try to warm her up.
Sloan still won’t open her eyes but I feel her burrow deeper into my chest.
“Don’t worry, Little Dove. The police should be here any minute. I’m so proud of you. You’re safe, baby. I got you.” I kiss her head, soothing her.
Sloan’s eyes flutter open, but she’s shaking violently in my arms. Her teeth are chattering. Sloan is groaning like she’s in pain.
“I got you. You’re in shock.” I try to calm her.
Mayhem is pacing and barking in James’ face, but he still remains unconscious.
“Gut. Sitz. Bleib,” I command and Mayhem goes silent. Immediately sitting near James’ head.
Mayhem scoots the smallest bit closer, as if he’s ready to go back into attack mode at the first command given.
James lies on the ground groaning, his hands covering his eyes that are covered in blood.
Sloan slowly rouses and starts mumbling.
“He…he…killed his last wife. James said he killed her. I always wondered if he did but he always said it was an accident.” She starts to sob.
“I knew he would’ve killed me if I stayed.
I knew it in my bones. That’s why I ran.
That was the only way I knew I could stay safe. ”
I pull her in closer to my chest. Holding Sloan tight to me. Handling her with care, my precious Little Dove.
She wraps her legs around me. Letting me soothe her. I cradle her to my chest.
“You are so brave, baby. You did what you had to do to protect yourself. You’re a survivor. I’m so proud of you,” I kiss the side of her head as it’s buried in the crook of my neck.
Sirens are nearing closer to us.
“Beck, I have to be honest with you before the police get here. My first name is Reese. My middle name is Sloan. That’s why he called me a liar.
I’ve been going by Sloan to keep myself and all of you safe.
I never meant to lie to you. I just wanted you to know before the police start questioning us,” Sloan rambles.
“Don’t worry, I know you had to do what made you feel safest. Sloan or Reese… You are still my, Little Dove,” I declare, rubbing small circles on her back as she continues to cry into my chest.
“Put your hands where I can see them!” the police officers yell.
I gently put Sloan down and we step apart with our hands above our head.
James groans out, “Officers, they tried to kill me. Arrest them!”
Mayhem growls and barks at him and James immediately goes quiet. Not moving an inch.
“Gut.” Mayhem sits at attention.
“That’s not true. My name is Reese Sloan McAllister.
I have a restraining order against James McAllister that I filed in Boston.
I was, am, his wife. Hopefully soon to be ex-wife.
I have been living here in hiding, going by Sloan Archer, my maiden name for almost a year.
James tried to attack and kill me in my home today.
I tried to get away by taking the fire escape but James chased me into this alley,” Sloan says, her voice starting to crack.
“Hey, you’re Beckett Scott,” one of the police officers says.
“Yes, I am, sir.”
James starts groaning behind us. “I need medical attention immediately, officer. I’m going to lose my eyes. I’m a fucking surgeon. A world-renowned surgeon.”
Every time he tries to move, Mayhem growls at him.
“I’m Officer Tony. What is your involvement in this situation, Mr. Scott?” he asks, ignoring James.
“Sloan and I are great friends. I’ve been teaching her self-defense in my women’s class.
She and I both have been staying here. My apartment had some water damage that has been getting repaired and we were sort of house sitting for Sutton and August until they got back from tour,” I point to WaggingWithWords.
We’re so much more than friends, but I can’t give the officers a reason to blame Sloan for this.
“Oh my gosh! Quinn!” Sloan gasps and bursts into tears.
“What happened? What about Quinn?”
“Who is Quinn?” Officer Tony questions.
“James said he would hurt my friend if I ran when I found him in the apartment. I assumed…” Sloan is crying even harder now. I can barely make out what she’s saying.
“Officer, may I please use my phone to call our friend? I will put it on speakerphone.”
“Yes, go ahead, Mr. Scott,” Officer Tony replies.
The phone rings for what feels like an eternity before Quinn finally answers.
“Hey Q, it’s Beck, where are you?”
“Why’s it any of your business, Beckett?” Quinn sasses.
I clear my throat, “It’s not but uhh…Sloan was attacked and her ex said he would hurt you if she didn’t comply so we were just making sure…”
“Holy fuck! Where are you? Is she okay? I’m okay,” Quinn screeches. Immediately changing her tune.
“I think Sloan’s in shock.” I eye her up and down. “But we’re in the alley next to the café.”
“I’ll be right there.” Quinn hangs up.
“Can you…um…can you put James in your police car please?” Sloan asks, barely able to get out the words.
“I… I don’t feel safe.” Sloan’s voice cracks. She wraps her arms around herself, trying to hold herself together.
The adrenaline wearing off, the exhaustion and fear seeping in.
“I do have confirmation that she has a restraining order on Dr. James McAllister. The names she has given you for herself are also valid,” another police officer walks up to us and states.
“Can our EMTs take a look at you?” Officer Tony asks.
“Can you put him in your car first?” Sloan requests.
“Yes, Travis put him in the car until the EMT checks over Ms. Archer, and then you can ride with Mr. McAllister in the ambulance to the hospital,” Officer Tony instructs Officer Travis.
“Yes, sir,” Officer Travis agrees.
“It’s Dr. McAllister. My eyes. What about my eyes!” James yells out, as Officer Travis starts to pull James up from the ground with his arms behind his back.
“Thank… Thank you,” Sloan whispers.
Reaching for Sloan, I scoop her up under her legs.
“Mr. Scott, I have a few more questions,” Officer Tony states.
“You can ask me anything you want, officer, but I am not letting Sloan out of my sight,” I affirm.
“Very well,” Officer Tony sighs.
I carry Sloan over to the ambulance; I take a seat on the edge and gently pull her onto my lap. I wrap my arms around her, holding her upright but not squeezing too tightly.
“Hi, Miss Archer, I’m Leo, is it okay if I check your vitals?” Leo, one of the EMTs, asks.
“Yes, it’s okay. Thank you,” Sloan confirms. Nestling a little deeper into me. Her shaking easing up slightly.
Leo hands me a blanket to wrap around Sloan, as I continue to hold her.
Once Sloan appears comfortable, Leo places a pulse ox on her finger and a blood pressure cuff on her arm. Leo makes note of the bruise starting on Sloan’s upper arm and the bruises on her neck.
Apparently, the back of Sloan’s head has a gash, likely from where she hit it off the pavement. Some gravel is embedded in her hands and Sloan may have a mild concussion but her pupils are reacting okay and her vitals are stable.
Thank fuck. Seeing her covered in all of that blood, almost had my heart stopping.
“Everything is stable. You may still want to go to the hospital to be looked over and get this incident documented so you have this information for your case.” Leo suggests kindly.
“I can take her.”
“We can be twinsies. Have concussions together.” Sloan tries to make a joke.
“Baby, I never wanted you to have a concussion and I never want you to have a concussion again. So, let’s not joke about that, please?” I grit out.
I’m trying to stay calm for her, even though I would love to crush James’ windpipe with my bare hands for laying his grimy fucking hands on my girl. That would only make this situation worse for Sloan though.
“Most of the city streets have video surveillance, so we should be able to pull footage for evidence if you are pressing charges, ma’am,” Officer Tony says when he walks up to us.
“I am,” Sloan states firmly.
“I also agree with Leo, Ms. Archer. For documentation purposes in a trial, I would recommend having this incident documented by someone at the hospital. Unfortunately, with someone of Dr. McAllister’s pedigree, you will need all the evidence of your attack documented so there is no doubt that he will be found guilty,” Officer Tony says looking disgusted.
“Okay, sir,” Sloan agrees.
“Can I ask again, Mr. Scott, if you and Ms. Archer have been house sitting together why you were here in the alley but not here for the home invasion?” Officer Tony asks suspiciously.
“Excuse me, officer. I don’t mean to be rude, but you are questioning the wrong person.
While Beck and I have been house sitting together, Beck works full time at his gym.
Mayhem is where Beck is, always. He was on his way home from the gym and was bringing us dinner.
I had just closed the café and was going upstairs.
Beck had just texted me that he was on his way.