Chapter 12
Calla rarely felt safe, but there was something about this man that calmed everything.
"The firemen said you know something about this house." The officer looked at them both, his eyebrows raised like he expected them to come up with some answers.
She guessed she knew the most, so she responded first. "Um, I live, I guess lived there. But my brother kept me locked in my room. I was only allowed out to cook or clean. I don't know anything about bombs or what he did in the rooms he kept locked."
The officer narrowed his eyes and then squatted low so he wasn’t standing over them. “Your brother kept you locked up?”
She held out her wrists, showing the marks from being cuffed. “He didn’t chain me every day, but there were weeks he kept me chained.”
The officer nodded, then stood and took a few steps away before he spoke into his mic. He spun back around. "And you. What is your relationship to the house and her?"
“I’m Thario. I knew Brent from some work.”
Sharp was there now. "We came over to discuss business, and we found his sister locked up. He got mad that we were going to set her free. This is the result."
The officer’s eyebrows rose. “And you are?”
“James Douglas, Chief Petty Officer Douglas.”
The officer looked up from his notes. “Navy?”
“Yes, sir. We came over with Thario. He got his leg blown off during heavy action. We support our own.”
For a moment, Calla thought the officer was going to cause problems, but he nodded and smiled. "I'll put in my notes that you all came here to rescue—sorry, miss, I didn't get your name."
“Calla Ternan.”
“Could you spell that for me?”
She spelled it out, thinking that maybe the hell she’d gone through was over. Could she actually get away from Brent? Perhaps the officer wasn’t going to lock her up or make her go back to her brother.
As the officer was finishing writing stuff down, a woman showed up along with two other people.
"Excuse me, I'm Lucy, and I work with social services.
" She knelt next to them and smiled at her.
"These two men are with the ambulance. They want to check you out, and then I'd like to get you some help.
" Her gaze flicked to Thario. "You look like you need the EMTs' help. They'll take care of you."
Thario reached out and took her hand. “Calla, I want to make sure you have my contact information.”
“I’ll make sure she has it,” Sharp said.
Everything was moving way too fast. Before the police and everyone else showed up, Calla had thought Thario might kiss her.
But why would he want her? She was damaged, her life fractured from everything Brent had done and now this.
She had nowhere to live, nowhere to go, and no friends. What the hell was she going to do?
Thario wasn't happy to be on his way back to the hospital. He would probably have to stay overnight. At least he knew Frog was safe. His dog was going to be pissed at him for being gone for so long. He knew Frog worried about him, just like he worried about Frog.
And now he was worried about Calla. What was it with her? Heat washed over him as he thought about almost kissing her. She probably would have hit him. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she had.
Before the accident, he'd been a player. No question, he'd wasted opportunities that could have meant true happiness for him. Many of the women he'd been with had been in it for fun, but there were women he could have found a life with.
But he hadn't been willing to change or even give an inch. He'd thought he was some kind of gift to women, but deep inside, he knew he was a pit of despair. Those women deserved better than what he'd been.
The door opened, and a doctor came in. It was one of the people who'd seen him before. He shook his head, looking disappointed. "We're keeping you overnight. No screens, no TV, no reading. Just you lying in a dark room. You really should have stayed at home."
“Yeah, I didn’t know the jerk was going to blow up his own house.”
The doctor’s lips twisted into a frown. “I’ll give you that. Most people don’t try to blow up their own houses. So the woman you came in with, she’s going to be fine. She wanted to make sure you knew that.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t want to see you in here for a long time. Stay at home and stay out of trouble.”
“My house was burned down.”
The doctor rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, by the same guy?”
“Yes, sir. The same damn guy. He burned down my house and blew up his.”
“No more excitement. Maybe stay away from him.”
Thario snorted a laugh and moaned as pain shot through him. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now get some rest. You’re getting plenty of liquids with the IV. They’ll bring you food, no restrictions, and I’ll check in on you in the morning. You should be out by the middle of the afternoon.”
“Thank you.”
"Oh, I checked your prosthetic. It doesn't seem damaged.
I did an internship at a company that made them before I entered medical school.
That was the route I thought I would pursue, but I chose emergency medicine instead.
Your leg looks great, by the way. Your upper body strength is good, too.
You should be proud of how you've taken care of yourself. "
“Um, thanks. It’s different from how I was before.”
"Yeah. Not everyone can become a Navy SEAL. I'm sure the transition was hard. But you're doing well. Keep up with the good work, but stop being blown up."
Thario rolled his eyes. “I’ll try.”
The doctor chuckled as he waved and then left the room. Thario closed his eyes, focusing on emptying his brain. He'd almost cleared his mind when the door squeaked.
His heart jumped as his eyes flashed open. But he didn’t need to worry. It was Sharp and Griz.
“Hey, you doing okay?” Griz asked.
“Yeah, I’m stuck here overnight.”
Sharp nodded. “That’s probably good. Squat and Asher went to get Frog. He’s staying at their place tonight.”
“That’s good. He’ll probably be glad to spend some time with Asher. He likes her.”
“He does. He’s a great dog.”
Thario nodded, not wanting to think about having to replace his dog.
He needed to start searching for a younger one who could learn to help him.
Frog was a natural. He had picked up training so easily.
It sucked that dogs didn't live longer. If Frog lived twice as long as a German Shepard usually lived, it wouldn't be enough time.
“Hey, we’re going to get out of your hair. Danika is going to pick you up tomorrow. We’ll find a place for you to stay, too. Elowen and Griz believe there is a cabin close to them that would be good for you.”
“Cool. Frog would get a chance to see Knuckles again.”
Sharp chuckled. “Knuckles is a good dog.”
“She is. Not as good as Frog.”
Sharp threw back his head, laughter spilling out. “No, there isn’t another dog like Frog. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
There was nothing for Thario to do other than close his eyes and think about the day's events. Thoughts of Calla invaded after only a few minutes. She was beautiful, even if she looked a little ragged. He could see the beauty beneath the pain.
He wanted to spend more time with her. It wasn’t good timing, and she was Brent’s sister. She might have been shocked at everything that happened, but when push came to shove, would she side with her brother or would she take Thario’s side?