Chapter Eight
Keaton
J AGGER PULLED ME aside before we all left the festival venue.
We had a long talk about Nora’s situation after she gave me permission to fill him in on the situation.
Jagger doesn’t want to see Bridger and her stuck in limbo for the rest of the tour so he’s given me permission to head home so I can help my best friend figure out her next move.
Nora is happy and so am I. If I had to send her away while remaining on tour, I would go out of my mind with worry.
Dillon is a very persuasive asshole and has talked her into staying with him multiple times using various reasons.
The one that pulls at her heart the most is when he tries to use their son against her.
Saying he shouldn’t grow up in a broken home when he’s right there and wanting to stay with Nora.
That’s what truly makes her pause and think about remaining in their abusive, toxic relationship.
This time, I won’t let it happen because Dillon won’t be getting anywhere near her if I can help it.
We’ve been back in Briar Glen for two days and Nora had to head to the apartment she shares with Dillon today.
She sent him a message and he responded that he was out and not to be bothered.
We know when he says that there’s only two places he’ll be—the casino losing all of Nora’s money or cheating on her with some local slut he found at the casino.
Dillon is a creature of habit and doesn’t venture too many places.
The only time his routine changes is when he’s trying to come up with money to gamble away.
Then he’ll look around town for work or he’ll steal things and pawn them a few towns over thinking no one will tie the crimes to him.
I did have Jagger run a background check on Dillon and it’s not good.
The information he gave me made me realize exactly why Nora has stayed with him for so long.
He’s a manipulative bastard and knows how to play whoever he’s trying to fuck with.
At least that’s what all of his victims said in statements to the cops about their interaction with him.
Nora doesn’t want to read the information yet.
All she’s trying to focus on is getting the important things from the apartment for Bridger and herself so she can move on with her life.
Nora wants to start to heal and rebuild herself from the ground up because that’s what she’ll need to do in order to move on with her life.
Dillon has taken everything from her. Her confidence, self-esteem, money, dignity, and everything that made her so free and happy before she met him.
He’s destroyed her and she didn’t realize it was happening until it was too late for her to leave him without it causing a war she might not survive.
I’m cleaning up my spare room because I have a crew coming over today to turn it into a nursery.
Bridger will need his own room and I have extra ones to give him his space while Nora has her own room right next door.
She picked the rooms and I even offered my master bedroom to her because she’ll be here more than I will.
Once I’m done helping my best friend, I have to pick back up on the tour with Wicked Angels.
Jagger has already issued a press release about me having a family emergency and having to leave the tour for a little bit.
Someone else will take my place until I can rejoin.
My phone starts to ring from the bed where I left it so I could start dismantling the furniture in this room. Looking down, I see Nora’s name on the screen and immediately rush to answer the call.
“Hey, Babe. How are things going at the apartment?” I ask her, trying to keep my voice light and gentle because she’s been so emotional and I understand why.
“Can I meet you with Bridger? He’s ready to eat and it’s slowing me down. I just want to get out of here, Keaton,” she asks me as if I won’t take my Godson so she can get the work done she needs to.
“Of course. I told you I’d come to the apartment to help you,” I remind her as she sighs on her end of the call.
“I know. But if Dillon shows up, I don’t want you involved in whatever he decides to do,” she says, the same words I’ve heard countless times since we started talking about this.
“You’ve already seen me at my lowest, Keaton and that’s never how I wanted you to view me.
I used to be so strong and now I’m just a weak, pathetic woman who lets a man control her and beat the hell out of her. ”
“You’re the strongest woman I know, Nora.
Yeah, you stayed longer than you should have with Dillon, but you had your reasons.
He held you hostage if I’m being honest. Dillon has your bank card, credit card, and uses any tactic he can to convince you to stay with him when he sees you hitting your breaking point.
You’ve made the decision to leave him behind to rebuild yourself and the life you want for Bridger.
That makes you so much stronger than you believe you are.
I’ll meet you at the parking lot where the abandoned shopping center is.
I know you won’t allow me closer to the apartment than that in case he shows up,” I tell her honestly because I know how hard this decision is for Nora.
It’s one of the hardest choices she’s ever made in her life and I know it’s taking every ounce of strength she thought she lost to follow through and actually leave him.
“Okay. I’ll start heading that way now. I’ll walk over with Bridger so Dillon sees my car in the parking lot of the complex if he shows back up,” Nora says before hanging up the phone and I rush out to meet her.
Grabbing my keys, I don’t bother with anything else as I head for the garage and climb in my car.
I’ve got an SUV, a truck, and a car. Since I’ll have Bridger, it will be easier for me to use the car since his car seat is already in place.
Nora made sure I had one vehicle with a car seat after Bridger was born because she knew I’d want to take him so she could have alone time to shower, eat, sleep, or do whatever else she needed to while recovering from his birth.
After leaving the house, I make my way across town to the ‘bad’ side.
It’s where Dillon forced Nora to move so he wouldn’t have to leave all of his so-called friends.
The people who support his idiotic tendencies to blow money he doesn’t have to spend and cheat on his girlfriend who sits at home doing nothing unless he tells her she can.
People who constantly talk shit about Nora and make her feel even worse than Dillon does on a daily basis.
Of course, the women he cheats with are all there too.
It doesn’t take me long to get to the parking lot where I see Nora walking up to the car.
My eyes dart around for any signs of Dillon.
I don’t know if he’d be in a vehicle or walking, that’s one of the problems with trying to make sure someone doesn’t get too close to you.
I park close to the entrance as Nora quickens her pace.
I can see how nervous my best friend is as she practically races to my car.
Getting out, I open the back door so we can get Bridger in his seat as quickly as possible.
“Here you go,” Nora says, handing her son to me as I hear the squeal of tires like someone just locked up their brakes in an attempt to stop as fast as possible.
My head shoots up and I know the shit is about to hit the fan when the car whips into the parking lot and heads for mine.
“Get him inside and lock the doors. Now!”
Nora yells as I dive in my car with Bridger and close the door behind me.
I lean over my seat as carefully as possible to lock the doors as the second car almost hits mine before stopping.
Nora is trying to get away when the door is shoved open and I get my first glimpse of an unhinged Dillon screaming at her.
I can’t make out the words he’s screaming, but I can hear the venom lacing his voice as he gets in her face.
One of his hands is gripping her arm way tighter than he needs to.
I move to strap Bridger in the car seat as he looks up at me with his wide, innocent eyes.
Tears fill mine as I realize today is about to be one of the worst experiences of my life.
Once Bridger is strapped in his seat, I reach forward again to grab my key fob. Getting out of the car, I quickly lock the doors again as Dillon stops screaming and pulls a gun from his jeans.
“Dillon, what are you thinking?” I ask him, trying to move in front of Nora to protect her.
“This is all your fault, you stupid bitch!” he screams at me, his face red as his entire body shakes.
Dillon’s clothes are all wrinkled and stained with food and what appears to be blood.
There’s a huge bruise on his arm where he’s injected something into his body.
I can clearly see track marks on his skin as he steps closer to me.
His body odor is so horrible it gags me as I try to hold back from throwing up on him.
Dillon’s hair is standing up on end like he’s run his fingers through it repeatedly.
He’s lost his damn mind and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’s currently high as hell on something.
“I haven’t done anything, Dillon. Nora hasn’t either. We’re just going out to grab some lunch,” I lie to him in some kind of weak attempt to talk him down.
“That’s bullshit! Nora hasn’t been home in days.
She won’t answer her phone when I call either.
You talked her into leaving me. That’s not gonna happen, Keaton.
I’m good for her and you’re not going to come between the two of us.
You won’t rob Bridger of a family because you’re a selfish bitch,” Dillon screams, spittle landing on me as I flinch in response.