Chapter 43
Andy
I’m right behind Ben as he tells Chuck to put the knife down.
Before I have a chance to react, he’s flying down the stairs and tackling Chuck to the ground.
I stop in the doorway to the basement and take in the scene.
Ben has Chuck pinned to the ground landing blow after blow to Chucks face.
I’m not even sure he’s conscious anymore.
A knife lays at Charlie’s feet, where she is tied to a chair, sobbing.
That sicko must have had a terrible grip on the knife, because other than a nasty looking goose egg on her head and an endless stream of tears, she appears to be alright. Scared out of her mind, but alright.
I head down the stairs quickly and use the knife to cut the ropes binding Charlie to the chair. I scoop her up into my arms and hold her close against me. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
She answers with a sob and a shake of her head.
It takes everything for me to carry Charlie upstairs instead of helping Ben with ending this fucker.
We make it into the living room and Max is standing over Brad’s unconscious body, on the phone with the police.
He takes one heartbroken look at Charlie and mouths to me, “get her out of here.”
I take Charlie out onto the porch and hold her close. It’s freezing out here and she doesn’t even have a jacket. “Sweetheart, I’m going to put you down for one second. I just want to give you my coat.”
I let her feet gently hit the ground and she whimpers.
My heart is breaking into a thousand pieces right now for this girl.
I shrug my coat off awkwardly, not wanting to take my hands off Charlie more than I can help it.
I get my coat on her and it swallows her up.
Between her shrunken posture and the coat, she looks so small and fragile.
I wrap my arms around her again and she sinks into my chest.
“The police are on their way. He is never going to hurt you again,” I murmur into Charlie’s ear. “Never again.”
Ben and Max join us on the porch as the cops show up.
Max leads two inside so that they can arrest Brad and Chuck, and Ben starts chatting with another to explain what happened.
I know they’re going to need to talk to Charlie, but I keep her close anyways, hoping that she can have a moment to calm herself before she has to relive this.
I scoot Charlie to the corner of the porch and face her away from the door as the cops bring Brad and Chuck out.
Both are conscious now. Brad is sporting swollen cheeks and black eyes, but Chuck looks like something out of a nightmare.
Blood coats his entire face and mats his hair.
His nose is definitely broken. Jesus Christ, Ben really did a number on that guy.
Whats messed up though is that this crazy bastard is still fucking smiling.
Brad is taken away in a cop car, but an ambulance shows up for Chuck. He’s handcuffed to the gurney, and one of the cops accompanies him as he’s taken away. At this point, the remaining officers have taken Max and Ben’s statements and are looking over at me expectantly.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?” I murmur down at her as the police approach. Charlie isn’t sobbing anymore, but the wet spot on my shirt tells me she is still crying.
“I think he killed someone,” she whispers into my chest.
I barely hear her. What happened in that basement? I want to ask her what she means, when we’re approached by one of the police men.
“Miss, we need to ask you some questions.”
Charlie turns in my arms, but I don’t let her go. Her face is red and puffy, and she takes a deep breath. She’s shivering, but I don’t think it’s from the cold.
“Can you tell me what happened here tonight?”
“I ... “she hesitates.
“Is there any way we could do this tomorrow? Surely our version of events is enough to keep them locked up for tonight and she can give her statement in the morning after she’s had some rest,” Max has always been the most diplomatic and level-headed one of us.
The officer lets out a long sigh. “I suppose so, but first thing tomorrow morning, yeah?”
Max agrees, shaking the officers hand. He starts making his way back to his vehicle, when Charlie suddenly pulls free from me and shouts, “Wait!”
The officer turns around, shooting her a questioning glance. “I think he killed someone,” Charlie rushes out. “He told me he beat a woman. And he kept looking at the freezer in the basement. I think there might ... “
Charlie trails off, and another wave of sobbing comes. She looks like she might collapse. Max wraps his arms around her and holds her against him.
“I’ll go look miss. We’ll be scouring the whole house regardless. You just go home and get some rest, okay? And I will see you bright and early tomorrow.” The cop waves the remaining officer over, and the two re-enter the house, leaving the four of us alone on the porch.
Oh shit, Ben is crying now too. He walks over to Charlie and scoops her out of Max’s arms. Pressing her close, I can hear him mumbling in her ear, “Charlie, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry,” over and over again while he peppers kisses to her head.
I make my way down to my truck and get it started so it warms up. By the time I’ve made it back to the porch, Charlie is standing on her own in between my brothers. I can’t speak for them, but I sure as shit won’t be letting her out of my sight anytime soon. “You wanna go home, sweetheart?”
Charlie nods numbly at me. I look to Max and Ben. Max has managed to remain stoic this whole time, but I know better. Underneath the calm facade is a mask of fury. Ben, on the other hand, isn’t crying anymore but I don’t think I’ve seen him this visibly upset since Mara died.
“I can bring her home.” Ben voice is gruff. “I don’t want her out of my sight.”
“Me either,” Max agrees.
“Same,” I add. “My truck is already warming up. How about we all go home together, and we can get the other truck tomorrow?”
A few nods of agreement and some grumbling between us about seating arrangements later, I’m sat in the back of my truck with Charlie in between Ben and me.
We all wanted to sit with Charlie and check her over, but since Max is probably the most stable of all of us, we made him drive.
I hold one of her hands, and Ben the other.
She’s not crying anymore but remains quiet for most of the drive.
Right before we turn into the driveway though, I hear the sweetest mumble.
“I love you guys.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
And I do. I’ve known from the moment she came on my tongue for the first time that Charlie had me wrapped around her finger. I would do anything for this girl and now that I know she loves me too, my next mission is to get her to stay here permanently. I can’t let her go now.
“I love you too Charlie,” Max echoes from the front seat.
Ben remains quiet. Neither Max or I have had a chance yet to ask him how things were going between him and Charlie, but I just know that he has feelings for her too. He’s got some shit to work through, but I know he cares deeply for her. I look over at him to see Charlie giving his hand a squeeze.
“It’s okay if you don’t say it,” Charlie whispers in Ben’s ear. Ben smiles in return and presses a light kiss to her lips.
She’s our girl, and she’s staying.