CHAPTER 19

DAVIS CALLED TO INFORM JANE and Dana that they had located Nicole—alive. He asked if they would contact Nicole’s physician so that she could meet them at their house for an examination. After the call, Davis sat back on the bench seat of the van and held Nicole in his arms. Fear of what could have happened wouldn’t allow him to let her go. Fear of what might have occurred gripped his heart. He rested his cheek on the top of her head then closed his eyes breathing in her scent. Davis had a million questions running through his mind but couldn’t focus on any one of them. As bad as things were, he tightened his hold when he considered what could have happened.

Nicole was still naked underneath the sheet, but Davis swaddled her just like he had both Rayna and DJ when they were infants. It wasn’t until he had tasted the saltiness on his lips that he realized they were his tears that flowed down his face.

For most of the drive home, Davis remained still. His own hands started to ache and swell. He hadn’t had a chance to wash them off, and they were still bloody from earlier. His jaw tightened as he had second thoughts about not killing Roman when he had the opportunity.

By the time the van pulled into their garage, his tears had dried, and Nicole was starting to wake up. Her voice was small. “Davis?”

“I’m here. I’m here.”

“I’m sick.”

“We’re home. Let’s get you inside.” He quickly carried her to the nearest bathroom and left Russell behind to fill Jane and Dana in on the details. It wasn’t a moment too soon, Nicole emptied what little she had on her stomach the moment she entered the bathroom. Davis held her hair back until she started to dry heave. Once she was finished, he gave her a warm towel.

Nicole whispered, “I want to wash this sick and dirty feeling off me.”

Davis sat on the floor next to her. “Okay. But we have to wait until Dr. MacEntyre can give us the okay.”

“Dr. MacEntyre? Why?”

His voice was strangled. “Do you not remember what happened tonight?”

“I-I went for my meeting.” Her chest hurt from how she was treated. “I was hurt and angry when I left, and I wasn’t ready to come home . . .” Her voice trailed off. “I saw Roman on the elevator. Everything else is blank after that.”

Nicole looked down at herself and realized she was wrapped in a sheet. Her eyes widened as she looked at Davis like really looked at him. His hands were swollen. The skin was torn, and they were bloody. “My god. What happened to you?” Tears were caught in her throat. “What happened to me?”

Davis ran his hand down her back in an attempt to soothe her. “Nicole.”

She was starting to get hysterical. “What happened to me!? Did he? Did I? Oh. My. God!” Her beautiful eyes glittered with unshed tears.

“Whatever happened we’ll deal with it.”

Nicole let out a gut-wrenching wail. Davis felt it clear through to his soul. He pulled her into his arms and rocked back and forth as Nicole cried out with raw emotion.

Dr. MacEntyre knocked on the door. “Davis? Nicole? It’s me. May I come in?”

Nicole shook her head no. “I can’t. I don’t . . .”

“Sweetheart. She just wants to make sure you don’t need medical attention.”

Nicole sniffed. “But I do.” Her tears tumbled down her face like a waterfall. He could barely understand the words coming out of her mouth through them. “Davis, I’m sick.”

He gently moved her hair from out of her face and behind her ear. “Okay, Dr. MacEntyre can help with that. Just let her look at you for a few minutes. Okay?”

Nicole shook her head no at the same time, Dr. MacEntyre called out to them again. “Davis? Nicole?”

He pleaded with her. “Please, Nicole.”

It was the brokenness in his voice that made her give up and agree.

He called out. “Come in.”

Evelyn MacEntyre poked her head through the door. “I’d like to come in and examine you if that’s okay, Nicole.”

Shame kept Nicole’s eyes focused on the floor. “Okay.”

Evelyn stepped into the bathroom. “Davis, I’ll need to examine her alone.”

He was adamant. “I’m not leaving her.”

“In my experience, this will go a lot smoother if we can be alone and Nicole is free to answer my questions.”

Davis was still hesitant.

“I promise you; I’ll take good care of her.”

Nicole didn’t want him anywhere near the room if it turns out she had slept with Roman. Her voice was thick with emotion. “Please. I just want to get this over with.”

He anxiously rubbed the back of his neck as he struggled to let her go.

“Please.” It was the desperation in Nicole’s voice that made the decision for him.

“I’ll be right outside.” His feet felt like they had cement blocks on them as he dragged himself away and closed the door.

Davis came down into the living room where everyone else had been waiting for an update as to how Nicole was doing.

Jane’s eyes went wide when she saw him. “Davis. Your hands. Did you have Dr. MacEntyre look at them?”

“I’m fine. I just want her to focus on Nicole.”

Dana asked, “How is she?”

“In shock.”

“What happened?”

“All she can remember is going to the Clarks Tower Building for a meeting, and, when leaving, she ran into a man she’d met through the foundation on the elevators. She doesn’t remember anything else from that point on until she woke up in the back of the van.”

Jane and Dana had both been standing but sat down on the sofa. The unspoken current in the room was the hope Nicole hadn’t been violated.

Jane nudged Dana in the ribs and whispered, “Tell him.”

His eyes narrowed. “Tell me what?”

It was as if Dana was in pain, but she knew Davis needed to know. “I found these in Nicole’s purse.” She held up a clear baggie of pills.

“What are those?”

“Fentanyl.”

His mouth gaped open. “What? Why the hell would she have those?”

“Davis . . .”

He wasn’t ready to hear the words that he knew were about to come out of her mouth. “Dana, you’re walking on thin ice. I’m not going to let you stand in my house after everything that has happened tonight and call my wife a drug addict!”

“I love Nicole too! This isn’t easy for me either. Why else would she have these? Where did she get them from? Why are they in a plastic baggie and not a prescription bottle with her name on it? Why can’t she remember anything?”

Davis was about to erupt, but Jane stopped him with her words. “Dana’s right. We can’t help Nicole if we’re denying what might be going on.”

“I’m not deny anything. I just refuse to listen to this bullshit! Nicole is too smart to get caught up on drugs.”

Dr. MacEntyre walked into the room. “Anyone can fall prey to drug abuse, Davis. It’s the one thing that crosses all socio-economic backgrounds. May I have a word with you privately?” Davis nodded, and they walked into his office.

“I’m done with my cursory exam. I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but it doesn’t appear as though she was physically violated. Still, to be safe, I used the medical rape kit on her and administered the morning after pill. I should have the results back tomorrow.”

Davis was overwhelmed. He nodded. “I understand. Her eyes were dilated. What about drugs? I’m sure that bastard did something to her.”

Her voice softened. “What I’m about to tell you isn’t easy. Nicole has you listed on her HIPPA Privacy Authorization Form, and, because I’m deeming this a medical emergency and you are Nicole’s husband, I think I’m on good legal ground to tell you this.”

Dread crept over him, but Davis listened intently.

“Nicole called me earlier asking for a refill on her prescription. I told her I couldn’t do it. I’d only refilled the last one a few days ago. Now, I won’t know for sure what the results will be for all the tests I’m running, but I am not so sure someone else gave her anything.”

The breath left his body. Davis wasn’t sure his legs would support him. “What am I supposed to do? How can I fix this?”

“First, know that you can’t. If the problem is what I think, Nicole is the only person who can resolve it. All you can do is support her.” Dr. MacEntyre walked over and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. “I took her to your bedroom. She asked for you.”

Davis nodded. His chest was tight, and he was barely able to breathe. Still, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room with only one goal in mind. “I need to see my wife.”

It was dark when he entered, but the lights from the bathroom cast a soft glow onto the walls of their bedroom. The shower was running. He walked slowly inside. Davis heard her before he saw her through the glass shower doors. Nicole was kneeling on the floor with her face in her hands crying.

“Nicole?”

Her body was wracked with tears. She hadn’t heard him. Slowly, he opened the door and got into the shower fully clothed. Then he went down on his knees.

Her sobs were disheartening. Nicole stiffened once she realized he was there. “I’m sorry, Davis. I’m so so sorry.”

He pulled her into his arms. The water pelted his skin, but he didn’t care. “It’s okay.”

“No. No, it’s not okay. I tried to tell you earlier. I’m sick. I-I . . .”

“We can talk about this tomorrow.”

“No, we can’t. I will not do this to you and the kids anymore. By tomorrow, I need to be in a hospital—” Nicole could barely get the words out. “One that treats drug addicts.”