Chapter Seventeen
After they got home, he stripped them both and stepped into the shower.
He knew she’d feel more comfortable, clean, and without the residual blood all over her.
He was careful washing her and kept a tight hold on her to keep her from falling.
He went as fast as he could, turned off the water, and wrapped a towel around his hips before reaching for her.
Her set her on the counter, dried her off, and soaked as much of the moisture from her hair as he could.
He planned to blow-dry it, but her eyes were already closing.
He got them into bed and wrapped his arms around her. They both slept through the rest of the night, holding tight to each other. Every few hours, Kaleb would wake her up because of her mild concussion.
They were just sitting down to breakfast the next morning when the doorbell rang.
Kaleb scowled and then looked resigned when he caught sight of the two detectives on her case. He’d texted Joel and the officers the night before on the drive home and told them where she was, so he knew he’d see them soon. He opened the door.
“Come in, guys. Either of you want some eggs and coffee?”
“Coffee would be great,” one of them said.
The men followed him into the kitchen, where Myla sat drinking her coffee. She looked up, tensed, and then looked toward Kaleb and relaxed.
Kaleb poured two more coffees and set them in front of the men before lifting Myla and placing her on his lap, carefully keeping her covered in his robe they’d put on her after their shower.
“Baby, these detectives are going to ask you some questions.”
She nodded.
“My name is Detective Curtis, and this guy is Detective Morton.”
She nodded again.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Morton asked.
“Sore, but doing okay.”
“That’s good.” He cleared his throat. “What’s your full name?”
“Myla Kristina Sharp.”
“Age?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Can you tell us what happened yesterday?” Curtis asked.
“I went home from work a little early because I ... I didn’t feel well.”
Kaleb felt her tense and knew it had to do with their breakup and not being physically sick.
“There was a service truck in my parking spot, so I parked behind the one across the street. It was the only one I could find. I was walking up the driveway to the apartment building and was grabbed from behind...”
Kaleb rubbed his chin against the top of her head. “Take your time.”
She sucked in a breath and continued. “He had a hand over my mouth and one around my waist. He started pulling me in between two dumpsters. Every time I tried to fight, he hit me in the head.”
She looked up at Kaleb. “He blamed me for being in prison. He said he was going to do to me what was done to him there and then slit my throat.”
Kaleb closed his eyes and pressed his lips to her forehead. “He’s gone, Baby.”
She nodded and continued. “He flipped me around to face the wall and pressed me against the brick. That’s when I scraped my face. And then he started pulling down ... pulling...”
“You don’t have to say it, ma’am,” Curtis said and held up a hand.
She nodded, relieved. “It was when I was pushing back against him. I noticed the pepper spray in my hand. I lifted my hand to aim behind me and sprayed. It hit him dead on because he screamed and then released me. I sprayed him again to get past him, he tackled me, and I did it again, and he released me enough to run. All I remember after that was running into a man, a woman officer in the ambulance, and then Kaleb in front of me.”
“Did you always carry pepper spray with you?” Morton asked.
“Yes. It became a habit after the first time.”
“Smart thinking.”
Curtis cleared his throat. “Did you know right away it was the same man who attacked you before?”
“Yes. A person doesn’t forget something like that.”
“You can relax now. I’m betting he’s going away for a long time and definitely won’t get out on bond to wait for the trial, ma’am, so you don’t have to worry about him,” Morton said.
“If you have any questions about the man or what happened the first time, call Joel Howe,” Myla said.
“Yes, we have his information.”
“Any more coffee, guys?” Kaleb asked.
“No. If we think of any other questions, we’ll get in touch.”
Kaleb stood and sat her on the chair. “I’ll show you out.”
Morton turned to Kaleb at the door. “Thank you for letting us come this morning. I imagine it’s hard to see someone you love go through something like that?”
“I won’t ever forget it.”
“Have a good day,” the detectives said and walked off.
Kaleb returned to the kitchen and picked her up again.
“You know you don’t have to have me on your lap all the time?”
He hugged her closer to his chest. “I almost lost you because of that person and my own stupidity. It’s going to take me a while to come to grips with it.”
She cupped his cheek. “We all make mistakes. Can’t we move on from it?”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. “I’ll try, Baby.”
“Good.”
He stood. “How about we go out into the backyard. It’s nice out, and the sun and fresh air will do us some good.”
“I like the sound of that. But I really can walk.”
He grinned down at her. “And it’s just as easy to carry you. This way, I can put you where I want you.”
She curled his neck with her arms. “Fine by me.”
He chuckled and sat them down on the outside sofa. He lay down and pulled her on top of him.
“This can’t be comfortable.”
He rubbed a hand up and down her back. “Hush, I want you here. Just please tell me if I hurt you.”
She snuggled down. “You would never hurt me, Daddy.”
He grunted. “Jesus, woman. Every time you call me that, it makes me feel...complete.”
“I’m glad.”
He heard her mumble, and then she went silent. Within minutes, she was breathing heavily, telling him she’d fallen asleep. He looked up through the tree branches they lay under, where little rays of the sun were able to shine through, so it wasn’t too hot she might sunburn.
He closed his own eyes, tucked his little closer to his chest, and fell asleep. She was where she was supposed to be, and he would never let her go.