Chapter 39 – Mitchell
MITCHELL
“Come on.” Charlie gently shakes Rissa awake, and her eyes flutter open as she stirs. “Let’s go have a bath,” he suggests, helping her to her feet. She sways, but before I can reach out and stabilise her, Charlie wraps an arm around her back, pulling her close so their chests are pressed together.
Marissa tilts her head back and licks her lips, and it’s impossible to look away from the hunger still in her eyes. “Mitch, do you think you can carry her up the stairs?”
“I can walk,” she mumbles before I can answer his question and Charlie offers me a wink, before pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose and spinning her in his arms so that her back is flush against his chest and she’s facing me.
“I know you can,” he whispers in her ear, running his hand across her chest, and my eyes track the movement as a shiver runs through her body.
“But this is the part where we get to cherish you. So, Mitchell is going to carry you upstairs and we’re going to have a nice hot bath. Just the way you like it, okay?”
“Okay.” The word is barely out of her mouth before Charlie is gently pushing her into my arms, and I lift her up bridal style.
“Damn, okay Bee. I can see the appeal,” he whispers in her ear and winks. I shake my head, not acknowledging his comment and head upstairs.
Once in the bathroom, I set her down on the closed toilet seat and go to step back, but she reaches out, gripping my shirt. In the background, I can hear the tap start as Charlie goes about filling the tub, but I don’t pay it any attention.
“Are you okay with what just happened?” she asks quietly, pressing our foreheads together so we’re in our own little bubble, just the two of us.
“Trust me, I am more than okay with what just happened. Are you?” I kneel down in front of her, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist as she thinks about her answer.
“I think,” he voice trails off, a small furrow forming between her brows, and she shakes her head minutely.
“I feel…almost whole again. I don’t know how to describe it.
So, yes I am. More than actually, although…
I didn’t think-” she clears her throat, biting down on her lip and picking at her nails.
With a gentle grip on her chin, I make her look at me. “Didn’t think what, sweetheart?”
She shrugs her shoulder, looking off to the side but my grip on her chin stops her. “I didn’t think you were interested in me, you know, like that.”
My thighs and calves burn from kneeling so long, so I lower myself down, sitting cross-legged in front of her. “You know, I’ve helped a lot of women, children and even men out of dangerous situations over the years, but do you know what I’ve never done?”
She shakes her head. “I never stayed longer than needed to get them to a doctor, or shelter, or police station I trusted with their care.
“I keep in touch with them sure; I have monthly check-ins with a lot of the people I’ve helped. Some every other month, and others once a quarter, but that’s about as far as my involvement in their new life goes.
“I’ve never spent days by their bedsides, never changed their bandages or dressed their wounds myself, never fallen asleep with their baby in my arms.
“But with you…I told myself over and over that I would go, let you move on with your life. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. From the moment you fell into my arms, I knew I was yours.
“I will forever be grateful that I decided not to get a hotel that night. That it was my car you ran out in front of, because I would have missed out on the best thing that has ever happened to me.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You and Charlotte.”
Rising back up onto my knees, I place a hand on either side of her face. “I love you, Bonnie.” It’s the first time I’ve spoken her true name, and she launches herself at me, her arms and legs wrapping around my body as her lips crash against mine.
“I love you, Mitchell.”
Charlie takes a seat on the edge of the mattress, running a hand through his hair after helping Rissa get dressed. His mouth opens and closes a few times before he swallows and takes a breath.
“Bonnie…I think there’s one more emotionally heavy conversation we need to have.”
“Can it wait?” she asks, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
“No. I don’t think it can. It’d be wrong to keep this to myself,” he muses and the two of them settle further onto the bed, crossing their legs as they face one another.
“Okay.”
“Right. Um, okay,” his voice trails off and he clears his throat, wiping his palms on his pants. “Uh…okay, in your posts, you said that you told Mitchell no hospitals.”
Even though it wasn't a question, she nods in answer. "Well uh, did you-” he looks at me briefly before refocusing on her. “Did you see a doctor? Get checked over?”
“I had a doctor meet us at my safe house to check her injuries,” I answer, wondering where he’s going with this.
“Right.” He swallows nervously, and I swear I see sweat breaking out across his forehead.
Scratching the back of his neck, he shifts around looking very uncomfortable.
“Did…did they ever, uh…God, this is awkward.” He closes his eyes, before shaking his head and spitting it out. “Did they ever do an internal exam?”
“No,” she answers quickly. “I didn’t want…I couldn’t…Not after everything…Why are you asking me this?”
I hate the way she hunches into herself, bringing her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them. Stepping closer to the bed, I lower myself down and wrap an arm around her. Casting a glare at Charlie, I tell him without words to hurry the fuck up and get to the point already.
“You said…you said you believe you can’t have any more children because you haven’t had a period since Charlotte was born. Well, I think I know why you haven't.”
My brows lift at that. “How could you possibly know that?” There’s an edge to Marissa’s voice, and her body tenses. Every minute they spent soaking in the bath as Charlie and I massaged the tension out of her body disappears in an instant.
I grit my teeth, forcing myself to remain still. Although, I can't stand the way her body is trembling so if he doesn't hurry up, my restraint is going to wither and I might just force the information out of him.
“Bonnie…you have an IUD.”
“What?” She recoils back, slamming into my chest and hitting the top of her head on my chin. Her eyes flick to mine briefly before she refocusses on Charlie. “No, I don’t.”
“Yeah, Bonnie…you do.” There are tears in his eyes as he tells her.
“No.” She shakes her head. “No, that’s…not possible. I would know. I would feel it. I would…I can’t…No,” her voice breaks, sounding so unsure of herself and I pick her up, settling her in my lap as I wrap myself around her.
“Are you sure?” I ask him, my eyes hard. He better be one hundred percent fucking sure about this, or I may just kill him for the pain that’s her right now.
“I felt the strings. I’m sure.”
“But…I would know.”
“Not necessarily…If it was inserted when you were unconscious and without you knowing…You said he would often drug you and you haven’t been with anyone since.” He clears his throat, looking away as his cheeks start to turn red. “Have you…you know…with yourself?”
In any other situation, I might be amused by his level of awkwardness. He just had sex with this woman, bathed her and yet he can’t ask her about masturbation?
Marissa quickly shakes her head. “No, the thought of anything…even me…no.” She’s quiet after that. We all are as we process the ramifications of his discovery.
She’s believed for nearly seven years that her ex stole her ability to have any more children because of what he did to her. Now, she’s finding out that he really did, just not in the way she thought. Not in a way that’s permanent.
This can be reversed.
This puts the choice back in her hands.
“But…how though? Don’t you need a doctor to insert an IUD? Or-or at least a nurse?”
“Um, I don’t know. I think so.” He shrugs.
“I only know what I do because Ariana has an IUD and the guys got drunk one night and went into vivid detail about it. Well, until she overheard and gave them a lesson in oversharing that they still haven’t forgotten about to this day…
Did you ever see anyone else? Or know of a friend of his who was a doctor? ”
“No. I mean, I considered the possibility he had a doctor helping him, but I just figured he did it himself. I mean, why risk bringing someone else down there to witness your crimes?” Unless they were also committing said crimes.
“This means I can’t be Bonnie again…not if they’re out there. What kind of person could see the state he put me in, see what he was doing, and help him? What does that mean for me and Charlotte? It’s not safe for me to be her again.”
I wasn’t aware that was something she was considering, but hearing the pain in her voice as yet another choice is ripped away from her has me determined to find out everything there is to know about her ex.
I won’t stop until I uncover every detail there is to know, everyone he ever spoke to, worked with.
Until every threat against her is eliminated and she's safe.
“It was a pretty big investigation. I’m sure the police arrested everyone, right Mitchell?” They both turn to me expectantly, hope filling their eyes and I hate that I have to be the one to snuff that out.
Hesitantly, I answer his question. “Not necessarily…Not if they didn’t know what to look for. Without her testimony, there might not have been any indication that he had a doctor come in and treat her. Not if covered his tracks.”
My phone chimes, the alarm I set to pick Charlotte up blaring through the room and I sigh. “You two stay here, get some sleep. As soon as I get back, I’ll look into it. I promise you; I won’t stop until I find this bastard and end them for their involvement.”
Lifting Rissa up, I set her down on the bed carefully and stand, heading to the door.
A hand on my arm stops me, and I turn to find Charlie.
“Not tonight,” he whispers low enough Marissa can’t hear, his grip tightening when I go to argue.
“I know you want to do this now, but she needs us tonight. All of us. It can wait until tomorrow.”
One look at the shattered expression on Marissa’s face silences any argument I may have had, so I agree.
Turning back to Rissa, Charlie pulls the covers back on the bed and they both climb under them.
As soon as they’re lying down, Marissa curls into his side, her soft cries reaching my ears and the only reason I find the strength to walk away from her, is because I know Charlie has her and Charlotte needs me.