Chapter 4 Tony
TONY
Caroline’s shaking when I get back to her bedroom, and my first instinct is to put my arms around her. She doesn’t pull away, but instead leans into me, her body heaving against my chest.
We haven’t been this close in years, and the familiar smell of her sends my insides spinning. My arms tighten around her, never wanting to let go.
“It’s okay, honey. I’m here.”
I murmur soothing words into her hair while inside I’m seething. The fact that Paul broke into the house and creeped into Caroline’s room makes my blood boil. Something could have happened to Caroline, and I squeeze her tighter just to make sure she’s still there.
Eventually her breathing slows and her body calms. She wiggles away from me, and I drop my arms awkwardly.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” She sits on the bed, and that’s when I notice the baseball bat on the floor by her feet.
“You were going to use that?”
“Yeah, I had it all under control.” She gives a small smile, but this situation is deadly series.
“Did he hurt you?”
She rubs her leg where there’s already the traces of a bruise forming.
“Just a wayward kick. It’s fine.”
I run a hand over my head and pace the room, trying to still my anger.
If I had left like Caroline wanted me to, if I hadn’t been here… I hate to think what would have happened.
There’s one thing that’s certain: Caroline’s not staying here a moment longer.
“Pack your bags.”
Caroline looks up at me with raised eyebrows. If she tries to fight me on this, I swear I’ll throw her over my shoulder and carry her out.
“You’re not staying here, honey. He might come back.”
“I’ve got my baseball bat.”
As she says it, she stands up, her baggy t-shirt riding up her thighs—thick, creamy thighs that used to grip tightly around me.
My dick thickens and I turn away. This is definitely not the time to be getting a hard on.
“I’ve got a spare room you can stay in. My internet’s fast so you can work out of the house…”
I turn around expecting to have to convince her, but Caroline’s already got a bag out of the wardrobe.
She looks sad. She looks defeated.
“I know I can’t stay here. I can’t stay in LA.”
The way she says it breaks my heart. Caroline always dreamed of coming here, of making it big.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you, honey.” And I genuinely mean it. Caroline deserves all the good things in life, a successful business, a happy marriage.
I tried to give her one of those things, and I wasn’t enough. I just hope she gives me a second chance.
“I didn’t think he’d follow through,” she says as she shoves clothes into her bag. “I thought Paul was all talk. I didn’t think he’d ever hurt me.”
Tears well up in her eyes, and I put my arm around her. I hate that I’m comforting her over another man. I hate what that fucker’s done to her.
“I swear to God, Caro. I’ll track him down and I’ll—"
She cuts me off. “No, Tony.”
Her words make me pause in the fantasy I’m having of breaking this asshole’s arms.
“Violence is never the answer.”
It may not be, but it sure as fuck helps. Although I keep that thought to myself.
My priority is Caroline and getting her to a safe place where I can keep an eye on her. I’ll deal with Paul later.
It takes her less than ten minutes to grab her things.
She zips up her bag and has one last look around the room. I can almost hear what she’s thinking. LA was her dream, and this isn’t how she was meant to leave it.
My heart goes out to her. I take her bag in one hand and grab her hand with the other. She doesn’t pull away, and I give it a comforting squeeze.
“Come on, honey. Let’s go home.”