Shh, darling. I know it hurts, but your body knows how to heal. And so does your heart.

Lemon Fair, the Queen of Meringue

GABRIEL

The hospital waiting room was dim and quiet, empty except for me. I sat on an uncomfortable vinyl-covered chair, leaned back against the wall, my gaze directed at the ceiling. The TV mounted to the wall had a cartoon on, the sound turned so low it was barely background noise.

I heard a door open somewhere down the hall and brought my head straight, looking toward the entrance of the waiting room. I heard the clack of heels on the floor, and a few seconds later, the woman I recognized from the Platinum Pearl, the woman who I now knew was named Kayla, burst into the room. Her wide eyes fixed on me. “Sorry it took me so long to get here. Any news?”

I shook my head. “No, not yet. I think they’re still checking her injuries.” My heart contracted again, and I rubbed at my chest as if that might help. I couldn’t get the picture of her beaten face out of my mind as they’d rolled her down the hall to X-ray, the small smile that had curved her bloodied, swollen lips when she saw me. She’d touched my face and I had barely noticed, so sick with grief to see what had been done to her. She called me her angel. The horror of seeing her that way was still coursing through my blood—making me feel sick and filled with fury. When Kayla had called me, she said the men who’d attacked Crystal had run off when Anthony came outside, and he’d tried to follow them, but turned back to help Crystal instead. It must have felt like an impossible choice for him. But I was glad he’d done what he did, because what if leaving her there to go after them was the difference between life and death? I blew out a pent-up breath.

“Thank you so much for calling me, Kayla.”

She nodded, biting at her lip and getting red lipstick on her teeth. “I wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do, but I sat with her while we all waited for the ambulance, and even though Crystal was unconscious, she still had your number balled in her fist.” She shook her head sadly. “All through what those men did to her, she never let go. She held on to it. It must mean something, you know? And I thought … well, Crystal doesn’t have many friends. If she doesn’t want you here, though, she’ll tell you. Crystal can be real blunt.”

I managed a small chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that.”

Kayla sunk down into a chair. I’d driven straight to the hospital after receiving Kayla’s call and arrived half an hour after they’d brought Crystal in. I didn’t have any details of the attack—just what Kayla had told me on the phone. Kayla shook her head, and tears welled in her eyes. “This is awful, just awful,” she choked. “Poor Crystal. Oh, poor Crystal.”

I glanced at her, wondering if even she, this woman who seemed to be a friend to Crystal, knew her real name. I didn’t ask. “Did anyone inside the club know the men who did this?”

She shook her head. “Not their names, but a few girls were able to give enough information for the police to follow up on. And Anthony gave a description of their truck, though he didn’t see the license plate.” I nodded. Thank God Anthony had come outside when he did.

The doctor who had been with Crystal’s gurney when I’d first arrived entered the room, and I stood quickly, my heart stuttering. Kayla stood, too, as the doctor walked toward us. “I’m Dr. Beckstrom.”

“Doctor. Gabriel Dalton.” His eyes lingered on me for a moment as if he might recognize me, or perhaps just my name, before he simply nodded, turning to Kayla, who introduced herself as well.

“Are either of you family?”

I shook my head. “We’re both friends.” I wasn’t even really that.

“I see. Does she have family on the way?”

I looked over at Kayla and she shook her head. “Crystal doesn’t have any family—at least not that she’s ever talked about.”

The doctor’s lips thinned in what appeared to be sympathy. “Crystal …”

“That’s what she goes by.”

He nodded. “Okay, well, I can give you information about her condition. If you are able to contact a family member, you can pass it along to them.”

Fear was moving up my throat. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what he was about to tell us. “Is she okay?” I blurted out.

He turned his eyes to me. “She’s not now, but she will be.” I blew out a breath, running my hand through my hair as he continued. “She has several broken ribs, and her leg is fractured. We just finished casting it. Those are the most serious injuries. The good news is, there isn’t any internal bleeding, and her facial wounds won’t cause permanent damage. She’ll experience pain for some time, and her walking will be impeded for even longer. She took quite a beating.”

Kayla made a squeaky sound. “Doctor, was she … I mean, her shorts were removed and …” I winced at that information, sick dread sliding slowly down my spine to pool heavily in the pit of my stomach. Oh God.

“It doesn’t appear that she was sexually assaulted, no. But her pants being removed indicates they may have simply been interrupted before they got to that.” His eyes were full of weary compassion, the expression of a man used to delivering news that was hard to hear. I exhaled a sharp breath of relief at the knowledge that she hadn’t been violated, at least not in that way. “If you want to come back and see her, you may. She’s sleeping, though, and that’s what she needs to be doing now, so please be very quiet.”

“Yes, we’d like to see her, Doctor, thank you,” Kayla said, glancing at me. I took another deep breath. I couldn’t seem to take in enough oxygen, ever since Kayla’s call.

We walked through the quiet halls. I remembered being in a hospital similar to this one another time, remembered the stares of the nurses, the whispers, the wide-eyed doctors who examined me, the questions, so many questions when all I wanted was to see my parents. I turned my mind away from that immediately. I didn’t need to be thinking about myself right now.

The doctor let us into a dim room, the sound of a heart monitor beeping steadily. As we moved closer, my heart lurched. She looked better than she had when I saw her being wheeled through the hall, but still so horribly beaten, so terribly broken.

Kayla sniffled softly and ran a finger over the top of Crystal’s hand, the only part of her that looked to be mostly untouched by trauma. We stood for a few minutes looking down at her and then I turned, needing to collect myself, wanting to let Crystal sleep, to heal. How could anyone do this to her? Three men on one woman? Jesus Christ.

I exited the room quietly, and a moment later, Kayla followed behind me. “I have to get home and sleep a little bit. I’ll come by in the morning. Will you be back?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be back.” Kayla nodded, giving me a sad smile and turning toward the elevators. I watched her walk away and then turned, sitting on the plastic chair outside Crystal’s room. She might tell me to leave tomorrow, but on the off chance Crystal woke up before morning came, or before Kayla got back, I didn’t want her to be by herself. I knew what it was like to wake up scared, injured, and alone, and I couldn’t stomach it happening to someone else—not if I could prevent it.

A shiver of regret ran down my spine when I thought how close I’d come to getting in my truck and driving to the Platinum Pearl. That dream … I couldn’t get the dream out of my head. I’d gone to bed early, no intention of going back to Havenfield anytime in the foreseeable future. I’d given it my best shot and I’d failed with Crystal. I’d fallen asleep and dreamed of my parents, the same dream I’d had so long ago, the same dream that had been so vivid and prompted me to follow through with my plan to get out of that basement.

Only this time, instead of just looking at me with encouragement, my mother had handed me a geode, the crystals inside sparkling in the light that shone down, rainbows glittering in the air around her. I’d woken with a start, the only thought in my head to get to Crystal. But I’d lain there unmoving, and the more my mind had cleared, the more ridiculous I felt. What the hell did I think I would do when I arrived? Tell her I had to try just one last time despite her clear rejection? One last desperate attempt to change her mind? Because of a dream? For the love of Christ. She was going to think I should be committed. And so instead, I’d forced myself to go back to sleep. But God, if I’d just listened to my own intuition instead of my ego …

My mind drifted back to the moment I’d been woken again, this time by the ringing of my phone.

The distant sound of a siren wailed in the background. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and propped myself on my elbow, a frisson of fear moving through me despite my drowsy confusion. “Hello?” When there was only silence, I repeated myself, pressing the phone to my ear.

There was a rustling on the other end and then a tear-drenched voice said, “My name’s Kayla. I know you don’t know me, but Crystal’s been hurt real bad and … I think she needs you.”

I think she needs you.

“Would you like a pillow, sir? You could at least lean your head back against it.”

I opened my eyes, jolted from the memory of earlier that night by a kindly-looking nurse.

I smiled. “Yes, that would be great.”

“Okay. Visiting hours are over, you know, but I don’t think any of us will kick you out.” She winked. “I’ll be right back.”

I smiled gratefully at her, and when she’d gone, I brought my phone from my pocket and sent Dom a quick text telling him I’d be home the next day, not to worry, and I’d explain when I got there. I turned my phone off, not waiting for a response. I assumed he was sleeping anyway.

The sound of the television at the nurse’s station droned softly in the background, drifting down the hall to where I sat. My ears perked up when I heard the name Wyatt Geller in the deep, monotonous voice of a newscaster, but then my heart dropped when I heard the words still no news following his name. I sagged back in the chair. Christ. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and stretched my legs out in front of me, leaning back against the hard wall.

Behind me a broken girl lay sleeping, and somewhere out there, a little boy was experiencing what was unimaginable to most. But not to me.

* * *

I woke with a start, the sound of voices and shuffling feet growing louder. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, getting my bearings. It was morning, and the next nursing shift was just arriving. I stood up, stretching my sore muscles. A nurse was just heading into Crystal’s room, and I followed along behind her, peeking in. Crystal was still sleeping, her hands in the exact same position they’d been in the night before. She hadn’t moved a muscle. I stepped back out, going to the men’s room, where I attempted to clean myself up a bit.

When I got back to Crystal’s room, the nurse was gone. I took a seat in the chair by Crystal’s bed and glanced at the magazines in a rack on the wall but knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on reading.

The morning light grew brighter in the room, and for a while I simply stared at the increasing glow slanting through the blinds.

Light. Hope.

When I glanced at Crystal, her eyes were blinking open, causing me to draw in a quick breath. I stood, going immediately to her side. She stared up at me, her gaze confused and hazy. I managed a small smile, though looking down into her bruised and swollen face made my heart ache. “Morning,” I whispered.

She shook her head slightly as if attempting to wake from a dream she thought she was still in. It was obvious she was a little drugged, bleary. “Where—?”

“You’re in the hospital. Do you remember …?”

By the widening of her eyes, I could tell that it was coming back to her. I saw her expression shift through confusion, dawning memory, and finally, fear. She searched my face, blinking rapidly. “You’re going to be okay. There are no permanent injuries.” The fear in her gaze diminished minutely.

I grabbed the water pitcher from the bedside table and poured her a glass, turning and holding it up in question. She took a shuddery breath and nodded. I brought the straw to her lips, and she took several sips before turning away.

I withdrew the cup and set it on the bedside table. She was staring at me when I turned around, her eyes still wary, but softer now. “You’re back,” she whispered, her voice breathy and rough at the same time.

I let out an exhale on a small, thankful laugh. “I am.”

She searched my face. “I’m still not the right girl.”

“I still don’t agree.”

Her eyes softened even more, the swollen corners tilting slightly as if she might be smiling. My heart turned over in my chest.

“How …?”

“Kayla called me.”

She looked confused, though not angry, and I was about to explain, when the door opened suddenly and I looked behind me, seeing the same doctor from last night. I couldn’t recall his name now. “Good morning,” he said, smiling at me and then at Crystal. “I’m glad to see you’re awake.” A nurse trailed in after him, smiling and nodding at both of us.

The doctor came to stand at the end of Crystal’s bed and pushed a button to raise her head a little more. “I’m going to examine you and see how you’re doing this morning, and Alison is going to check your dressings.” Crystal glanced at me, and I cleared my throat.

“I’ll just wait outside,” I said, giving Crystal a small smile before I left, closing the door to her room quietly behind me. Hearing the clacking of heels on the linoleum floor, I looked up and saw Kayla hurrying toward me.

“Is she awake?”

“Yeah, she woke up a little bit ago. The doctor’s examining her now.”

Kayla nodded, opening the door a crack and peeking in. “Okay if I come in?” I didn’t hear a response, but she must have gotten an indication that it was fine to enter because she turned to me and said, “I’ll be back out when they’re done.”

I nodded, taking a seat in the same chair I’d slept in the night before. Turning on my phone, I saw that Dominic had texted me back just an hour ago, telling me to call him as soon as I could. But instead of calling Dom, I stood and wandered down the hall and called George instead. He answered and I heard the sounds of machinery. He was already at the quarry.

“Gabriel?”

“Hey, George.”

“Hey, buddy, everything okay?”

I sighed, running my hand through my messy hair, staring out the window at the end of the hall. “Yeah, mostly. I’ll tell you about it later tonight. But, George, I’m taking a sick day.”

He paused. “Considering this is the first time you’ve ever taken a sick day, this must be a big deal. You sure everything’s okay?” His tone conveyed his worry loud and clear.

“Yeah, it will be. I promise I’ll explain.”

“Okay. You need anything, you let me know.”

“Thanks. Hey, will you call Dom, too? He’ll just ask twenty questions, and I’m not really in a position to answer any right now.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Gabriel. Like I said, call if you need anything at all.”

“I will.”

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I felt so damn tired, so filled with mixed emotions and pain for Crystal. Jesus. Jesus.

I stood at the window for a while longer, staring down at the mostly empty courtyard below. A few medical staff hurried by, either on their way to start a shift, or maybe to answer a call. I turned away, returning to the chair in front of Crystal’s room. The door was cracked, and I could hear bits of the conversation inside.

The doctor was telling Crystal the same thing about her leg he’d told us the night before, going into a little more detail about how long she’d have to wear the cast.

“I’ve had broken bones before,” she said. “I know the drill.”

The doctor paused. “A leg fracture is particularly disabling for obvious reasons.”

“Will I have a permanent limp?”

“There’s no reason to believe you’ll have a permanent limp, no, but you may limp for several months after the cast is off.”

“I … see.” I squeezed my eyes shut at the sound of her defeated voice. She was thinking about her job at the Platinum Pearl.

“Honey, don’t worry,” Kayla jumped in. “Rodney will let you bartend or something for a while.”

Crystal didn’t answer. I didn’t know who Rodney was—her boss presumably—but I wondered if Kayla believed her words, or if she was just saying them to make Crystal feel better. He might let her bartend eventually, I had no idea, but for a while at least, she was unfit for any type of work. Frankly, she was unfit to go out in public.

“Do you live with someone?” The doctor’s voice.

“No, I live alone.”

There was a pause and then, “That could be a problem. You’re going to need assistance. Do you have any family that you could stay with temporarily?”

“No,” Crystal answered immediately, and her voice sounded even more flat. Resigned.

“Aw, honey,” Kayla said, “how are you going to climb those stairs to your apartment? Three flights? It’ll be impossible. You know I’d offer my place, but since I moved into the room in Marcia’s apartment, I don’t have any space to share.”

“It’s okay, Kayla. I’ll figure it out.”

They spoke for a little bit longer about her injuries and the doctor’s examination, and then he told Crystal he’d be back to check on her the next day. If she was still doing as well as she was at the moment, he’d sign her discharge papers.

Once the doctor and nurse had left, I knocked softly on Crystal’s door. “Come in,” Kayla called. Inside the room, Crystal was still lying in bed, looking more awake and less dazed, and Kayla was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

“I heard the doctor say he was going to discharge you tomorrow.” Crystal nodded, turning her head toward the window. The shades had been opened, and the sun was shining brightly.

“We were just talking about how Crystal was going to manage when she leaves the hospital,” Kayla said.

Crystal turned her head. “Kayla,” she said, a warning in her tone.

“Well, honey, you got all those steps, and for a while you’re not even going to be able to get to the bathroom without help and—”

“I’ll manage,” she gritted out, her eyes widening as if she was trying to send the signal to Kayla to stop talking.

Kayla apparently didn’t get the message. “I know you like to be independent, Crys, but there are some things that are just—”

“She’ll come home with me,” I said. I was surprised by the resolution in my voice considering I hadn’t planned to say it. But suddenly I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to care for her. Suddenly I felt it was meant to be this way. I wasn’t sure why I felt so strongly about it, I only knew that I did.

“No,” she said. “I can’t. Kayla shouldn’t have called you.” She shot Kayla a stern look. “You shouldn’t even be here.”

“Well, I am and you can. I live in a ranch home. There are no stairs, and I have an extra bedroom. My brother lives with me, but there’s more than enough room, and it’s only temporary until you’re able to live on your own. I’ll work from home in case you need assistance during the day. It’s really the perfect solution.”

“I don’t even know you.”

“You know me well enough to know I won’t harm you.”

Her brow furrowed and she looked down, picking at her fingernails.

“I could stop by your apartment and pick up some clothes for you. And I’d visit as much as I can,” Kayla said, clearly in favor of the idea.

“I …” Crystal let the words fade away, still looking down, the crease between her brows still present.

“Unless you have a family member somewhere that you can call, I might be your only choice here. Please accept my help. I’m offering it with no strings attached.”

Her eyes snapped to mine. “There are always strings.”

I shook my head. “Not with me.”

She looked out the window. “Fine,” she whispered, almost as if to herself. The statement itself seemed to exhaust her. Her shoulders sagged, and she leaned back on the pillow, turning her head my way. “Fine.” She closed her eyes and appeared to be instantly asleep, as if agreeing to come with me had exhausted her so much she couldn’t stay awake for one more second. The reaction of a woman who had been fighting alone for a long, long time and had finally surrendered.

* * *

“Dom?” I called, closing the front door behind me and dropping my keys in the basket by the door.

Dom came from the direction of the kitchen, a beer in his hand. “Hey, I’ve been worried. What’s going on? Where you been?”

I headed toward the kitchen, and he turned to follow me. “Let me get one of those, too, and I’ll tell you,” I muttered. I opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, twisting off the cap and taking a long swallow.

“This must be good if Gabriel Dalton is drinking before dinner. Come on, spill it, man.”

I took another swallow, setting my beer down and leaning against the island. “I met a girl.”

Dominic grinned. “Yeah, so you said. What? You sleeping with her? Is that where you’ve been all night?”

I frowned, knowing Dominic would expect me to share that kind of information with him. And also knowing I’d never make a point to have a conversation with him about sleeping with a woman even if that were the case. “No. I met her at a place called the Platinum Pearl.”

Dominic’s face screwed up, and he just looked at me for a minute. “The strip club over in Havenfield?”

“Yeah. She works there.”

“She works there? What … as a bartender or something? What the hell were you doing in a place like that, Gabe? Jesus, if you wanted to see tits, I have a whole collection on DVD—”

“I didn’t go there to see tits, Dom.” I took another sip of beer and swallowed before continuing. “I went there to hire a woman to help me practice getting close to someone.”

Dominic’s face paled, and he closed his eyes for a split second before opening them and grimacing slightly. “Jesus, Gabriel.”

I held up my hand, knowing the information probably upset him. I’d never gone into detail about why I hadn’t dated. Dom was my brother, not my therapist, and I’d let him believe my shyness and limited desire to socialize was my biggest impediment as far as meeting women went. “I’m not looking for pity. The only reason I’m telling you is because I want you to understand that I went there and I sought her out.”

Dominic sighed, still looking pained. “Okay, whatever. Why does that matter?”

“Because she’s coming to live here.”

Dominic’s eyes went wide. “She’s coming to live here? What the fuck? Is she some type of scam artist? Jesus! Gabriel, we have to talk about this. You can’t just bring some … trashy stripper into our home and expect—”

“She’s not a trashy stripper,” I said through gritted teeth. “She’s in pain—and she’s completely alone. And I’m asking you to keep an open mind and trust me with this. She was beaten up and she needs help. She needs care, and I’m going to give it to her.”

Dom grabbed a handful of hair on the top of his head and turned around, looking as if he was trying to find some calm. But when he turned back, his jaw was tight. “Don’t do this.”

“It’s already done. And I’m sorry you don’t like it, but this is my home and I’m allowing her to stay here.” I tossed my beer bottle in the trash and walked around the counter, intending on going to my room.

Dominic swore again and followed me. “This is insanity! Listen, I know you don’t have any experience with women so you can’t see when you’re being conned, but trust me when I say, that’s exactly what this girl is doing. She’s probably a druggie, too. Most of them are, you know.”

“You don’t even know her,” I said, not turning.

“I know enough to know I don’t want to live with her. And I know enough to know she’s gotten her press-on nails buried in you somehow. I know enough to know you deserve better. Jesus Christ, Gabriel, a fucking stripper?”

I turned, facing him in the hallway. I knew what Dominic meant. It was easy for people—perhaps even me—to make assumptions about women who stripped.

Drug user.

Shallow.

Uneducated.

There was no indication she used drugs, she wasn’t shallow though she put on a decent act, and although I had no idea what type of formal education Crystal might have, I knew she was far from stupid. I pictured the intelligence in her gaze, thought about how well-spoken she was. It was part of her appeal—one of the things that made her so intriguing. “Crystal is a stripper, Dom, but I hope you’ll see her as more than that.”

“Crystal? The girl who called you at work?” He shook his head, his lips thinning as he let out a harsh exhale through his nose. “Her being a stripper gives me all the information I need. I don’t want a piece of garbage moving in here!”

He was judging her without knowing her at all. “Goddammit, Dom. Give me some credit.” I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath, attempting to control my frustration. “Listen, if you don’t like it, you can move out. I hope you don’t. I hope you’ll respect my decision on this and keep an open mind.”

“I won’t fucking let you do this, Gabriel.”

“I’m not asking for your permission.” I went to my bedroom and closed the door, shutting out my brother’s hostile glare.