STACY

The ambulance arrives at the same time as the cops. Tonk’s father and sister disappeared. They said they would be back and it was all so mysterious.

I saw the family resemblance in Celia, but Tonk is not like either of them in personality or presentation. They were so gritty and he’s so clean. But even with their edges the energy had a light behind it. Unlike with Victor who was just plain evil. I think if you dabble with darkness in mind and action long enough it consumes you. And the opposite happens with light. It elevates you.

I don’t know why Tonk’s being so kind to me. Lying for me. Fighting for me. Shooting for me.

Yes, I feel a current between us, too. It’s palpable. But I can’t believe this could ever last. I’m not that lucky. How could I ever look into Tonk’s sweet face and feel like he shouldn’t be with somebody better.

One of the police officers is going over the details of how we got here. “So you said her boyfrie—”

“EX boyfriend,” Tonk corrects them.

“Right. He followed you here, broke into the building, and then two guys he owed money to came in and kicked the shit out of him just in time while he was attacking you?”

“That’s right.”

Daniel nods, “And it’s a good thing too. That guy knocked me out so hard I was out for all of it. I couldn’t help, so they showed up just in time. Karma, right? All I know is I woke up and he was on the ground a real mess, and Tonk’s head looked like that.” He points at the crusted hair.

The police officers look at me for confirmation of what Tonk and Daniel are saying. With Celia sleeping in my arms I nod and stay quiet.

The female police officer tilts her head a little. “Was this the first time he hit you?” It’s in her eyes that she doesn’t believe it was.

With my lips pursed in shame I shake my head a little and hang it to stare at my daughter’s quiet breathing.

“I have a phone number you can call. There are other women who have been where you are, and this organization will help you heal, if you want to move past this.”

“Of course I do.” I surprise myself at the harshness with which I said that. But I was defending my future.

Tonk holds my eyes before he asks them, “Is there anything else?”

“We have your information. Someone will be in touch.”

The woman asks me, “You want to prosecute?”

“Yes!”

“Some don’t.”

“I want him to stop hurting people.”

Before they disappear, the male cop points at Tonk. “You should go to the hospital to see if you have a concussion.”

“I will. I’m going to shower up first.” The door clicks and Tonk walks over to touch Celia’s sleeping head, his voice gentle as he tells me, “You know what’s really amazing? She’s young enough that this is not going to affect her as much as it could have. She won’t remember it.”

Daniel mutters, “Except at some point she’s going to realize who and what her father is.”

Tonk’s warm brown eyes are thoughtful as they rest on me. “By that time she’ll have been so loved she’ll be able to handle it. And if I’m lucky enough to be there, I will explain it to her in a way that she can understand. I’ve done it before. I can do it again.”

“If she’s lucky,” I correct him, my voice quiet.

He frowns at me as he traces my cheek. “Don’t worry. I have a feeling this is all going to be very good.”

A strong sensation pulls open my heart and at first I don’t recognize it, couldn’t explain it to anybody if I tried, not even myself. It isn’t until I see Tonk come out of the shower wearing fresh slacks with his hair wet as he buttons up a shirt for his hospital visit, that I feel it again so strongly it’s impossible not to be able to define it. It’s hope. I feel hope again.

A knock at the door brings a smile from his face because it was distinctive by two knocks then a pause. Then three knocks. “That’s my family.”

Daniel opens it. “I need a bong hit.”

Tonk’s dad hears this as he strolls in and a smirk tugs at his lips. He’s a handsome man, grey hair, blue eyes, very tall. It looks as if he works out every day for four hours. Celia is a beautiful girl, half-Latin like her brother, and they both have warm brown eyes and deeper brown hair. She’s more muscular than he is and looks like she should be in an action film. His father, too, especially with his leather jacket that has a C patched onto the sleeve, the back reading The Ciphers.

“Look at you, all cleaned up.”

“How did you guys know to come here?”

Celia walks over to where I’m sitting on the couch with my daughter, and as she passes Tonk she explains, “When you told me it was a domestic violence situation, red flag. I mean, I know you’re a badass,” she quickly adds like she doesn’t want me to think he isn’t one. “I just wanted to come up to New York and check on you.”

His father looks in the refrigerator, “And I was just in the neighborhood. Why is there no food?”

Daniel raises his hand. “Oops.”

Tonk Jr. looks at me with concern because now I’m aware he’s been discussing me. But these people don’t act like it’s any big deal, and that’s so confusing.

There’s no pity in their eyes.

He starts explaining, “I asked my sister for her advice when I suspected what was…”

“It’s fine. I’m so grateful. It’s okay.”

“I was talking about a highly personal aspect of your existence without your permission. But it was right after we met. I spotted a bruise on your arm.” I nod once that I remember that moment. I wanted to run under a rock and stay there forever. It wasn’t even that big of a bruise, but the way he looked at me expressed he understood more than I wanted him to. And I felt like it was wrong to lie to him.

I’d lied to so many other people without a problem, but when he asked, it was like he looked into my soul.

He’d know if I was lying.

My daughter's eyelashes flutter open to discover Tonk’s sister smiling at her. “Look at you, little beauty. Aren’t you a sight after a long ride.” She looks at me. “We live in Louisiana but we drive all over the states helping people. You may have noticed we’re not the least bit shocked by what’s happened to you. Some people like him can’t be understood—only dealt with. Understand? What happened to you, it’s over. Do you mind if I pick her up?” I shake my head and his Celia lifts my Celia, cooing and wrapping tiny fingers around her much longer ones, both a similar shade of dark gold. “What a strong grip you have, oh my goodness, yes you do. Oh look, she smiled!”

That makes all of us.

Tonk Sr. inspects his son’s head. “You don’t have a concussion. This is no bump. The gash isn’t bad. Little pressure and some ice should do.” He lowers his voice to a more private volume. “I know I said it before, but when we were driving around killing time with the cops here, I thought about what you did some more. I can’t tell you how proud I am, Junior. I mean it. This was a big deal, and you pulled it off.”

A smile tugs at the corners of Tonk’s mouth and their history gleams from his warm brown eyes. He nods his thanks and I get the feeling he did that manly gesture on purpose. A nod sufficed.

Sufficed.

Vic would’ve hated that word.

Fresh air fills my lungs as I realize that a man like Tonk won’t be afraid of my intelligence. Dare I even imagine what it would be like to have conversations for a lifetime with him? I could debate things and he would talk to me on any subject. I can tell.

But it’s just too scary to get my heart involved all the way. It will take me a long time to trust again.

I hope he has the patience.

I hope I don’t fail him.

Walking to me he squats and asks, “You okay if I don’t go to the hospital? Will you worry? Because I can go if that will make you feel better.”

I stare at him a moment and slide off the couch to melt into his body, sliding my arm around him and closing my eyes against his clavicle as he sits back on the floor and holds me tight. “Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because I like you.” He kisses the top of my head as I feel his chest rising with steady breaths.

“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me,” I whisper.

He strokes my back. “Shhhh, don’t ever think that again. I wanted to do this. I needed to. You know what I don’t want? You apologizing. You have nothing to say you’re sorry for.” He cranes his head, eyes sparkling with humor so he can make me feel better. “Unless you leave me tomorrow. That would suck.”

Shaking my head I bite my smiling lip. “I guess I won’t say I’m sorry again.”

His sister makes a noise like she’s never seen anything cuter. “Tonk, just in case you are wondering, not like you ever cared about my opinion, but in case you do…I like her. And of course I’m already in love with my mini me.”

Tonk Sr. laughs, “Careful, she might try to convince you guys to come back to Louisiana so the kids can grow up together.”

Tonk jokes, “Let me just get packed.”

Celia hands my daughter to her dad. “Look at what a little angel she is.”

Cradling her he mutters, “Then she shouldn’t share your name.”

Celia smacks him and he laughs.

His weathered features soften as tiny fingers reach in the air. Enamored is the only way to describe his face as he stares at her and tells his son, “Yeah, you did real good.”