3. Tracey
Chapter 3
Tracey
I was enjoying a few beers in the bar with some of the gang, trying to relax, and waiting for Stella to come in so we could talk. She thought this was a business meeting, but it wasn’t. It was something much more important…and long overdue. I’d been putting it off, not wanting to rush her or make her feel like she had to say yes.
The ring in my pocket had been there for a few days now. I’d been trying to find the right moment to pop the question.
I’d asked her father, Wayne, for his permission weeks ago. I wanted to do this by the book—the right way. I’d faced down hardened criminals and never broken a sweat. However, talking to Wayne, asking him to trust me with his little girl for eternity, that was hard. He’d given me a similar talk to what I was sure every guy at this table had gotten from their wife’s father. You know the one I mean. The ‘if you hurt my daughter, I will kill you’ talk.
I’d also talked with her brothers. Believe it or not, Carter had been the hardest sell. He was fiercely protective of his sissy. I loved that about him and the others. They looked out for her as hard as she did for them.
I’d felt a little uneasy when I’d walked away that night. Not because of what was said, but the tears her old man had shown me. Stella was his only daughter, his little piece of Grace, and he wanted her to be happy. He’d said more than once that she needed a man who could understand her, love her, and be there to rein in her crazy.
Lord knew she had way more crazy in her than the average man could handle.
It was taxing, but I’d not trade her for anyone or anything in this world. I wanted to be the man who she grew old with. Laughed—cried—with. The man who held her heart. I hoped I’d always be able to make her happy. I’d do all I could to make that a reality, in any capacity I could.
The few friendly faces in the bar, my friends—our friends—helped to ramp up my nerves, yet calm them in turn. My life changed for the better the day I met Stella Malone. Each day since has been a welcome rollercoaster of mood swings, takedowns, and having her in my arms. I’d always known she was meant to be mine. I wanted to show off just how much she meant to me, not by just my words and actions, but with a symbol of our eternity. This band meant more than marriage. It was a symbol of love, trust, and family.
I took another swig of my beer as my chest tightened with worry. What if she said no? What would I do then? Would she still be able to be with me knowing I wanted more than maybe she did? I cursed myself as I set the bottle down. I hoped to God this wasn’t going to blow up in my face. Just as I was shaking that train of thought away, the door to the bar opened with a crash, and Henry Cornell came barreling in.
“Hey, Trace! You...you best get...get outside.”
“Why?” I asked, standing. My hand reached for the badge in my pocket but rested on my gun hidden just under my shirt at the last second. Would I need it?
“There’s some chick…she’s beating...the shit out of…your truck.” He staggered, chuckling. He was ten shades of drunk already, and it wasn’t even midday.
Fucking hell. I guessed it was five o’clock somewhere, right?
I shook my head and rushed to the door to see what he was talking about. My feet carried me out to the lot, moving at a quick pace only to come to a halt, midstride. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Stella, my Stella, was beating the hood of my truck with her fucking bat. I gave the whole scene a good, hard look, amazed and a little taken aback. The windows had been busted out on both the driver and passenger sides. The head and tail lights were busted, pieces of them scattered under her feet.
“Stella Grace! What the fuck are you doing?!”
She turned, glaring at me.
“Don’t you snarl at me, Tracey Everette Daniels!”
The look in her eyes was one I’d never seen before. She reminded me of a feral wolf on a hunt. I slowed my strides, but just barely. I had to figure out what was going on quickly. My gaze swept over my truck again, and I seethed. Whatever her problem was…it better be damned good. I was going to tan her ass for this!
“Trace,” Dani Lynn’s voice came first from behind me, then she was in front of me. I came up short in order to keep from running over her.
“She’s destroying my fucking truck!” I snarled. I was definitely going to have a chat with my girl.
“What in the hell has gotten into her this time?”
“That kid has anger problems.”
“That whole family does.”
The voices cut off as Drew and Charlie pushed up beside me. “What in the hell is going on?” Drew asked me, though his gaze was locked on his wife.
“Fuck if I know, man. Fuck if I know,” I responded. I shook it off and made the move to go to Stel, to try and calm her down, but Dani Lynn stopped me with a look.
“Wait, let me. Trust me.” She turned back to try and talk to Stella—who I might add, was smashing the driver’s side windshield of my truck.
“Stel, what the fuck? Put the bat down, crazy!” Dani Lynn moved closer, her hands out to her sides. “Come on, woman, let’s talk it out.”
“This is all his fault!” Her ragged scream made my stomach clench.
“What’s my fault?” I ground out. My fault? What in the fuck had I done? She must be delusional or…I didn’t even know.
“Man, what did you forget?” Charlie asked.
“Or run over?” Drew added. “I’ve never seen her this far off the rocker.”
I tuned Drew and Charlie out. They were right; she’d never been this far into crazytown. Never.
“This is worse than the fucking squid in her soup bowl.” I turned slightly to see Chip comin’ up beside me. I pulled my gaze back to my girl. God, that day she’d shot up a table in a semi-crowded restaurant. Guess the bat was a better weapon today.
“Are either of you going to stop her?” Chip looked between Drew and Charlie, both of whom looked green at the thought.
Before they could answer, Dani Lynn spoke. “No, I am. Just shut the hell up and give me a damn minute.”
I admit it, my Stella was unpredictable on good days; bad days, well, we all avoided eye contact and ran the opposite direction. None of that kept me from loving her, and not even the destruction of my truck could change that. I tried to move toward her, wanting to end this, but Dani Lynn turned and spoke to me in a voice I wasn’t sure carried.
“Stop, let me talk to her. This is not sane Stella. I don’t know what’s happened, but Shelby said she was in a bad place. Trace, just let me see if I can talk her down.” Her eyes pleaded with me; I could see the worry on her face.
I gave her a nod, keeping my eyes on my girl. She was sobbing, her movements a little less powerful now. Shelby had called Dani Lynn? Why hadn’t she called me? What could have made her this upset?
“You bastard! This is all your fault!” Stella screamed again, her voice breaking.
My heart almost stopped.
“What did he do that deserves this?” Dani Lynn asked her.
“I can’t do this!” She wiped her face on her sleeve.
Her rough breathing made me want to hold her even more than I wanted to shake her. None of this made any damn sense at all.
“Stel, come on. You gotta talk to me, chick. I see police cars. I don’t think Wayne wants to come bail you out…” Her ‘again’ was silent, but we all knew it was hanging in the air. Any other time, I’d laugh remembering the last time. But this was no laughing matter. My girl was freaking out, and I had no idea what the hell was happening.
I’d had enough of this. I pushed around Dani Lynn and made my way toward Stella. She turned on me. I swear if she were a dragon, fire would be coming from her. “This is your—fault!” She flung her arms down and hit the truck one last time.
The bat broke, one piece flying behind her and the other still in her hands. I could see blood running down her hands as she leveled a gaze on me that had me wanting to step back.
“Stel, baby, come on. Whatever this is, we can talk about it.” I moved closer, my eyes locked on hers. She took a step back from me and staggered. I saw her tilting to the side and before I could get there, she was on the ground.
“Stella!” Dani Lynn rushed forward.
“Stel, baby, come on.”
“She’s bleeding. Andrew!”
“Move aside, let me in,” Charlie instructed, dropping to the ground, first aid kit in hand.
“Here,” Drew said, handing him a pair of gloves. They lifted her feet, elevating them by bracing them on the truck’s sideboard.
“Stel, come on, wakey, wakey,” Charlie coaxed, waving an ammonia stick under her nose. She came up fighting. I grabbed her arms and held them. She tried her best to get free of my grip.
“Stop fighting, woman. You’re fucking bleeding!” I snarled.
“Stel, hold still. Can you do that for me?” Charlie asked, pressing a small stack of gauze pads to her hand and arm. There was a jagged gash running up her arm. Fuck!
It took me, all of us, a minute to realize that she’d stopped fighting and was quietly sobbing. I wrapped my arms around her and held her back against my chest.
“Come on, sweetheart, talk to me. What’s the matter? What happened?” Her body shook with her silent sobs.
“Dammit, Stella, what did you do!” Shelby dropped down beside Charlie and started to assess the gash on her forearm. It was bad. I thought I’d seen bone, but that could have been my imagination. “What happened here?” she asked. We all looked at each other, then to my truck.
“Stella went a little…” Dani Lynn waved her hand toward my truck. My stomach tightened when Shelby met my gaze.
“What?” She shook her head. “Stella Grace, I swear.” Shelby’s gloved hand pulled her shirt sleeves up, and we all saw the damage. There were cuts and scrapes all the way up her arm. The palm of her hand, where the bat had broken, was the consistency of hamburger meat. Glass and splinters were everywhere.
“I can’t…Shelby…it’s his fault.” Shelby glanced at me then shook her head at Stella.
“You idiot!” Shelby scolded her. “I need her at the office. I’ve got to get these cuts sewn up and get some meds in her. Then we’re going to have a nice long talk. Someone get Wayne; we’re going to need him. Or Carter. Or...both of them.”
“Shelby, what’s going on?” I asked, a surge of panic rolling through my gut.
She shook her head again. “Not here. Come on, she’s going to be alright. Get her up and in my car. Let’s go. Dani Lynn, you ride with her.”
I didn’t argue, though I wanted to. I put her in the car and watched them pull out of the parking lot. I moved to Drew’s car.
“I’ll call the shop and have AJ come get your truck,” Chip said, his phone already to his ear. I scrubbed my hands over my face and tried to calm the rage and fear building inside me. It was almost enough to drown out the utter shock and confusion.
Almost.
“Let’s go. I need to know what in the fuck is happening here.”
I’d known Stella for a long time, and I’d never seen her this far gone. Anger at others I could handle. She was dynamite when we were on cases. The bad guys didn’t stand a chance. She was passionate, strong-willed…but this...I didn’t even know how to categorize this Stella. She had simply lost her damn mind.
Something deep down told me it was more complicated than that.
I just hoped it was something we could come back from.