19. Noah #2
“Well, that’s a bullshit excuse if ever I heard one,” Peter quipped.
“You do know we’re in the twenty-first century, Noah?
Nowadays, it’s rare to find someone without a phone, those tiny devices that constantly beep and buzz with notifications.
” Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, he produced his from his pocket.
“The guys on scene have already given me a briefing, unless something’s changed? ”
I gave him a wry smile. “I know. I just didn’t want Zoey to hear everything I’m about to tell you. You know Mike Cortana is one of the pack betas.” I rubbed the back of my neck, fingers kneading the knot of tension there. “And you know Zoey is here under pack protection?”
“Your father has kept me informed,” he said as he leaned against the wall.
I blew out a forceful breath. “This George character is a real piece of work. He tried to bribe me to walk away from Zoey. When I turned him down, he started threatening me and my business. He’s been warned to stay away. He even made noises about buying off the cops here in town.”
Peter crossed his arms and snorted. “My guys are good. They aren’t for sale.”
I held my hands up in a placating gesture. “I know. My father set him straight. But this attack stinks of him, literally and figuratively. He won’t have gotten his hands dirty, but this is a warning shot.”
My gaze shifted to Zoey. She was leaning on Sam for support.
Despite the obvious fatigue etched on her face, there was a quiet determination emerging from her, a strength I doubted she knew she had.
She’d get through this, and the weight of fear that burdened her would finally be lifted.
“You need to hear what Zoey has to tell you. Just do me a favor, Peter. Try to remain calm.”
We walked to where Sam and Zoey waited. I took her hand in mine and helped her stand. “Are you ready to make this statement?”
“Yes,” she said with a bit of trepidation. “Let’s get this done.”
“All right,” Peter said, ushering us toward a small room with a few pockmarked tables and some plastic chairs. A vending machine stood against one wall, but it had little to offer. Peter pulled out a chair at the table, and Sam, Zoey, and I followed suit.
Zoey’s gaze was locked on the faux-wood grain of the tabletop as if it held the secrets of the universe. I put my arm around to ease her trembling.
“Take your time,” Chief Warman said, and sat back in his chair, his flat cop eyes watching Zoey. He eyed me when I took her hand.
She gripped my fingers. “George... he came after me,” Zoey began, each word laced with effort. “He must have found out I was staying at my sister’s place.”
She paused, her breath hitching, and I squeezed her hand, willing my strength into her.
Peter took out a small black notepad. “Why don’t you start from the beginning, Zoey? I know you gave a statement to Officer Griffiths earlier, but I’d like to get it straight in my own head. Especially if you’re looking for a restraining order.”
“I lived with George James for thirteen years,” Zoey said. “He abused me for most of that time.” Her story unfolded slowly, painting a picture of the years of fear and violence she had endured. Sam also gave a statement, detailing how she’d contacted him and they’d planned her escape.
When Zoey and Sam had finished recounting the tale, the chief’s face was like a thundercloud, dark and stormy, his jaw set hard.
“I’ve got three girls of my own,” he muttered, his hands clenched into fists.
“I’d kill any man who dared lay a finger on them.
” He looked up, eyes blazing with a fury that wasn’t aimed at Zoey, but rather at the man who had tormented her.
“You’re getting that restraining order, Zoey.
And I’ll make damn sure we press charges against this George James. He won’t get away with it.”
“Thank you,” she said, fumbling with her phone.
With trembling fingers, she pulled up a gallery of time-stamped photos, each one documenting the abuse she’d suffered at George’s hands.
“These are from the last time. He wouldn’t let me have a phone, so I couldn’t document every incident.
One of his men snuck me a phone when I realized I needed to get out before George killed me.
I took these and uploaded them to my cloud.
” She handed the device to the chief, who took it with a solemn nod, scrolling through the evidence with a grimace.
“This will help your case,” Peter said. “I’m going to send these to myself, if that’s all right with you?”
Zoey nodded, but her face was pale. She went to stand but swayed slightly, and I instinctively grabbed her waist.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said. “You’re so brave, Zoey. I’m proud of you.”
Her small frame shook in my arms, her breath coming in short gasps. “I can’t believe I did it,” she managed before breaking down into sobs.
“You did,” I confirmed, holding her tighter, my promise a whisper in her ear. “You’re safe now. You’ll never have to go through that again.”
She clung to me, her tears soaking through my shirt, but it didn’t matter. “I did it, I did it. I finally did it,” she murmured into my chest.
As I stood there, supporting her, I smiled. Because every word she spoke was another chain falling away, another piece of George’s hold on her crumbling to dust. It was more than just words.
It was freedom taking root.