Chapter Twenty-Eight

 

 

 

Stephanie

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found Kate in the den in the back of the house. She was sitting on the couch with two paramedics crouched in front of her and Stella and Tanner at her sides. Two patrol officers were back there, too, although neither was speaking to her. One watched her with indifference on his face and the other looked nervous. One EMT was shining a light into her face and speaking quietly.

“You need to go to the hospital, ma’am.”

Kate shook her head. “I’m okay.”

“Kate.” I spoke her name softly and she turned her head to look at me. A gasp fell from my lips almost instantly.

Her beautiful face was a mess. Her bottom lip was fat and split, with blood dribbling down her chin. Her right eye was already starting to swell and the blood vessels inside of it had all burst, leaving the white completely blood red. Her right cheek was already bruising and the shirt she was wearing was torn with blood spatter all over it.

“Stephanie,” she hiccupped, obviously trying to hold back her tears. I rushed forward and pulled Stella into my lap so I could wrap my arm around my sister. Kate couldn’t stop the sobs at that point and her whole body shook as I held her tight.

I rocked her back and forth, still holding Stella, and my heart broke when I saw Tanner wrapping his arms around my sister from behind, gently shushing his mother while saying, “It’s going to be okay, Mommy.”

My eyes moved to the first EMT and he gave me a sympathetic look. “She’s refusing to go to the hospital and it sounds like she might not press charges.”

I closed my eyes tight and shook my head before reopening them. “Can you give us a minute?”

“Actually, we’ve been waiting to speak to her,” said the indifferent officer and I looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

“So you can convince her not to press charges? Do you know how inappropriate it is to have officers from the North Park precinct even in this home right now?” The officer obviously wasn’t expecting me to know that and his eyes widened as I continued. “Commander Alice Murphy is sending someone from the FIB over and we’ll speak to those detectives when they arrive. It’s time for you to leave.”

Both officers exchanged a look before hurrying out of the den and the paramedics gave me an encouraging nod before stepping away.

I pulled back slightly so I could look at my sister’s battered face. “This isn’t the first time he’s hit you, is it, Kate?”

She stared at me for a long moment before shaking her head. “No.”

“Let me guess,” I said as I pushed some hair off of her face. “He kept his hands off of you while you were pregnant with Ryder but found other ways to punish you, maybe by throwing stuff or yelling at you? And before now, he’s managed to keep his blows to your chest but was just out of control tonight and hit your face?” When my sister didn’t deny it, I kept going. “And this probably isn’t the first time Tanner or Stella have seen their father treat you like garbage but maybe it’s the first time they’ve witnessed his physical violence with their own eyes?”

“He waits until they’re sleeping,” Kate whispered as a tear rolled down her face. I nodded and ducked slightly so we were eye-to-eye.

“It’s the classic pattern of an abusive husband, honey. He escalates and one day, he could kill you. Or maybe he’ll hit Tanner.” When Kate’s eyes widened, I knew she was really listening. “You can’t keep doing this, making excuses for him. You can’t go on with the fear that he’s going to use his fists on you or one of the kids. You can’t let Tanner or Ryder grow up thinking this is how you treat your wife. You can’t let Stella grow up thinking that it’s normal for a man to hit her. You have to have the courage to stand up to him, Kate. For you and for them.”

“What do I do?” she whispered, her broken face almost frantic. “I’ve never worked, Steph. I’m not strong and independent like you. Eldon takes care of us, keeps a roof over our heads. How will I feed my kids?”

I shook my head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You are strong, Katelin. You are stronger than you know. And you have us. You have this whole family behind you. Like Mom would ever let you starve.”

That earned me a tiny smile. It was short lived, though, because someone spoke behind me and Kate immediately looked at her lap. I turned my head and Keon gestured to the people with him.

“The detectives from FIB are here.”

A male and female duo, both of whom I had worked with in the past, introduced themselves to all of us. They both crouched and listened while my sister told them what happened. Apparently Eldon had seen Kate at the park earlier with all three kids and she was talking to one of the other dads. He hadn’t confronted her about it until bedtime, when Tanner had asked if he could play with one of the kids again soon. When Kate had said that they would go back to the park, Eldon had lost his shit.

The more of the story she told, the more confidence she gained. The more she spoke, the more rage I felt, though. I was grateful when Stella whimpered that she needed to go potty. I walked her down the hallway and stood in the doorway while she did her business.

Once she was done, we checked in on Ryder, who was sleeping soundly in his crib. Instead of going back to the den where everyone was, I led her to her room. I told her to find a few books off of her shelf and then, while she was occupied, pulled out my phone.

Making that call to my parents was heartbreaking. After making me repeat myself four times, Mom had started crying. She handed the phone to my dad, who went eerily silent once I told him, and he finally proclaimed that they were on their way after a minute of quiet air.

Robin was just walking into the den when I came back out of the hallway with Stella’s hand in mine. She stood with Keon, not saying anything, while Kate finished giving her statement. Once she was done, one of the detectives told me that Eldon had been arrested and taken to their station, not the one he worked at.

My boss didn’t say anything but just reached out and squeezed my hand in silent support. Again, Keon had made the right decision when he called her. She was going to have to oversee everything Keon did to keep me from another conflict of interest.

Mom and Dad arrived a few minutes later and Mom wrapped Kate in her arms immediately. They insisted on going with her to the hospital and I volunteered to stay behind with the kids. Tanner and Stella were both so shaken up and I knew that the whole family was going to need counseling before they could heal.

Robin and Keon left shortly after the ambulance. My boss told me not to worry about anything work-related and that she would take point on that report and cancel anything on my calendar for the following day. I was really thankful for her and Keon.

“Mommy’s going to be okay,” I told them quietly as I sat on the edge of Tanner’s bed, where they were both cuddled together. Stella looked up at me with sad eyes.

“Daddy hurt her.”

I ran my fingers through her soft hair. “I know, baby. She’s fine, though. You’re all safe. Go to sleep, okay? I’ll be here all night on the sofa bed in the den.”

I read them a story and sat in there until their breathing was deep. I tiptoed out of the bedroom, checked on Ryder again, and went out to the main area of the house.

Sitting on the couch my sister had been on just an hour before, I pressed Jared’s name on my phone. It was almost ten but he picked up on the third ring.

“Hey, sweetheart. How’s it going?”

I squeezed my eyes shut when tears filled them. Just hearing his voice made me feel like I didn’t have to keep holding it together. When I didn’t respond, he said my name quietly. I took a deep, shaky breath and managed to speak.

“Hey. Were you sleeping?”

“Are you okay?” he asked, ignoring my question. Obviously my attempt to sound unaffected didn’t fool him. “What’s wrong?”

On a sob, everything that had happened that evening spilled out of my mouth. I sat with my forehead in my palm and Jared didn’t speak while I verbally vomited every single detail. I sniffled when I was done and he finally spoke.

“What’s your sister’s address? We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Jare, no,” I protested quietly. “Chris is already in bed and it’ll throw him off.”

“Sweetheart, I can get it from you or I can call Briana and get it from her.” His voice was firm and my throat clogged with emotion. “Tell me your sister’s address.”

I rattled it off for him and he promised to be there soon, ending the call with a declaration of his love. I sat on the couch for a moment, just staring at the wall, and finally pressed another name on my phone.

Marco and Briana were in Maine for Shaylee’s wedding and even though I knew she would kill me later, I opted not to tell Briana right away. I did call my brother, though.

He had obviously been sleeping but was instantly on alert when he answered the phone. When I told him what I’d found at our sister’s house that evening, a wave of curse words and death threats filled my ear. He told me he was going to head to the hospital and that he’d call me once he got there.

We ended the call and I sat on the couch with my head in my hands. The sound of a car door shutting snapped me out of my zombie-like state and I stood to head to the front door. I got there just in time to see Jared lifting the car seat into his arms. I stayed in the doorway and neither of us said anything as he moved up the front path. I stepped aside to let him in and Jared’s eyes swept along the messy living room.

I led him into the den and he put Chris down, who was still fast asleep in his seat, and immediately pulled me to his chest. I pushed my face into his shirt, taking comfort in his familiar scent, and held onto him for dear life. Somewhere since that moment we met in the coffee shop, Jared Hart had become my anchor and I thanked whatever deity had brought him to me.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured with his lips against my hair. “Kate is strong, though, and she comes from a family of strong people. With you guys in her corner, she’s going to overcome this.”

I nodded my head but didn’t reply. We stood like that for another moment before Jared pulled back and gave me a gentle kiss.

“I brought the pack-n-play for Chris. It’s in the car.”

“Kate has one,” I said. “Let me move it to Stella’s room since she’s in with Tanner and we can put him in there for now.”

Once I had the playpen set up, I gently lifted Chris out of his seat. He stirred slightly but just pushed his face into the crook of my arm and continued sleeping. When I laid him down, he whimpered but stopped the moment I placed the lovey against his cheek.

When I came back out to the den, Jared wasn’t there and I moved through the house until I found him in the living room, sweeping up glass. He glanced up when he heard me and a small smile hit his lips.

“He still asleep?”

I nodded and disappeared into the kitchen to grab the trashcan. With it in hand, the two of us cleaned up the living room in silence. When it was back to normal, I started unfolding the couch in the den. Jared joined me a moment later and we got the linens put on it in no time.

“Will we be able to hear the kids in here?”

I held up the small monitor I’d taken from Kate’s room. The split screen showed Ryder’s crib and Stella’s bed with the playpen containing Chris next to it. “Kate got a double receiver when Ryder was born since Stella still wasn’t consistently sleeping all night. The older two know I’m sleeping in here tonight.”

“Okay.” He bent down and grabbed a backpack he’d brought with him. “There are some sweatpants, a sleep shirt, and your toothbrush in here.”

I stared at the backpack and absorbed what he said. Without my permission, my eyes filled with tears. How was it that I had a man who loved me, who thought of little things like pajamas and toothbrushes, while my little sister had a man who used his fists against her? It wasn’t fair.

Jared seemed to understand my internal struggles because he didn’t question my tears. He just dropped the backpack and pulled me to his chest while I fell apart completely.

He held me, whispering words of love and words of comfort until my crying finally let up. I suddenly felt completely drained both physically and mentally. Jared and I got ready for bed and once we were lying on the uncomfortable mattress, we faced each other with our heads on the pillow.

“I love you so much,” I whispered, reaching out to take his hand. A small smile appeared on his face and he brought our conjoined hands up so he could kiss the top of mine.

“I love you, too, Stephanie. Everything will work out. We’ll help them get through this. I promise.”

I shifted until my face was pressed against the crook of his shoulder and he tucked one arm under my body so he could hold me tight. It wasn’t long before I was asleep.

When I woke up, I was alone and my back was aching from the shitty mattress. The French doors that led to the den had been pulled closed and I had no doubt that Jared was up with a kid or two since the monitor was missing.

I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed my phone to check my notifications. My mom had texted sometime after midnight saying that they were keeping Kate overnight and thanking me for being with the kids. She promised to update me sometime that morning.

Austin had also sent a message letting me know that he had seen Kate in the hospital and that he and Rhea would be over for breakfast.

So when I walked out of the den and into the dining room, I wasn’t surprised to find Jared, Austin, and Rhea in there with all five children.

Ryder was in Jared’s lap, sucking down a bottle. Stella was sitting next to Rhea and smiling as she cut up her pancakes. Austin was holding Chris, who was smiling up at him like he was hilarious. Lila was in the highchair that was set up at the table and happily shoving fistfuls of food into her mouth.

Tanner, on the other hand, was sitting at the table and staring at his plate of food. He was completely disconnected from everyone else and my heart broke.

Jared caught sight of me first. A wide smile stretched across his face and caused one to do the same to mine. “Good morning, Vanilla Latte.”

“Morning, guys.” I moved towards him and brushed my lips against his before doing the same to Ryder’s head. I made the rounds, kissing Stella and Lila before giving Rhea a hug. I stopped at my brother and kissed Chris’s forehead before meeting Austin’s eyes. He swallowed harshly and I knew he was having a hard time accepting everything. He offered me a pathetic smile.

“Love you, Steph.”

I nodded at him and wrapped my brother in a tight hug, squishing Chris between us as we did. I pulled back and ran my hand down the baby’s cheek.

“I love you, too, twerp.”

Chris started fussing the moment I walked away from him but I just smiled and whispered a promise that I’d grab him in a minute. I sat down at the table next to my oldest nephew and pressed my lips to his forehead.

“Good morning, Tanner.”

He didn’t bother looking away from his plate. “Good morning.”

“How are your pancakes?”

“Fine.” Again, he didn’t look up. I sighed and glanced up at my family. Everyone was watching me carefully and Jared gave me an encouraging nod. I smiled at him and looked back to Tanner.

“Will you come with me?”

He nodded and stood from his chair, letting me take his hand so I could lead him into the living room. I sat on the couch and had him take the spot next to me. I waited about thirty seconds but he finally looked up to meet my eyes. His brown ones were shining with tears.

“He hurts her all of the time, Auntie Steph. And not just with his mean words. She doesn’t know that I know but I can hear them from my room. I hear her crying and I hear Daddy yelling. Why doesn’t he stop when she asks him to?”

Tears pricked at the back of my eyes and I tried my hardest not to let them fall while I shook my head. “I don’t know, Tanner. But I know it’s not right, what your Daddy does. We never hurt people with our hands or with our words- especially the people we love. Mommies and Daddies should always respect each other. What he’s been doing to your mommy is not okay and he’s in a lot of trouble.” I reached out and placed my hands on both of his cheeks. “You calling nine-one-one last night was the right thing to do. You helped Mommy so much and we are all so proud of you. You’re a good son and the best boy.”

“Daddy’s mad at me, though,” he replied in the smallest voice possible and I saw the fear all over his face. He thought Eldon was going to hurt him.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. None of us will. Do you understand me?”

He nodded his head and let me pull him to my chest in a long hug. We stayed like that for a few minutes before he started to squirm. When I asked if he was ready to finish breakfast, he said he was and we went back to the dining room.

Although he wasn’t as boisterous as he normally was, I could tell Tanner felt a bit better. He participated in conversation around us while we ate and the look of relief that hit his little face when his mother walked through that door was heartbreaking.

“Mommy!” Stella jumped down from her chair as she and Tanner rushed towards Kate. My father stopped them both before they could crash into her and kneeled in front of them.

“Mommy has some owies right now, guys, so you need to be careful with her. She needs lots of love but let’s go with soft hugs, okay?”

Both kids did just that and Kate looked down at them with a sad smile on her face. “I’m okay, my loves. We’re all okay.”

She didn’t look okay. Her face was bruised all to hell and her eye looked disgusting. She was also moving slowly and I knew that meant her body had taken a lot of hits, too.

Ryder was also elated to see his mom. She winced when she took him from Jared but he leaned against her chest with a content expression on his little face. I watched Kate wipe a tear but she didn’t speak. My mom, however, clapped her hands once with a fake expression of cheer on her face.

“You’re going to come stay at Nana and Papa’s house for a while. Why don’t we go pack some of your things?”

Mom, Kate, and the kids headed down the hallway and I stood with my dad, Jared, Austin, and Rhea as we watched. Dad sighed and turned to look at the four of us, taking Lila from Rhea when he did.

“They kept her overnight to watch for a concussion but she’s okay. Physically, anyway.” He kissed his granddaughter’s head. “We’re making her stay with us for a little while. Stephanie, can you get us some names of counselors she and the kids can see?”

I nodded and took Chris from my brother when he started to fuss. “Of course. What else can I do?”

“Just be there for your sister. She’s pressing charges against that prick and we’re going to get things together so she can file for divorce immediately. He better hope that I never see his cowardly ass ever again. I’ll kill him.”

“I’ll help,” Austin agreed with a growl. “Has anyone told Briana?”

Dad shook his head. “Kate doesn’t want us to because she’ll leave the wedding if she knows. We’ll talk to her when she comes home this week. Thank you all for being here when we needed you. You’re a good bunch of kids.”

We stayed at the house for another couple of hours to help get what they would immediately need. I promised Kate I would come back to pack up more of their things and Rhea offered to help me.

When I finally climbed into Jared’s car so we could go home later that afternoon, I felt completely drained. I had no idea what the future held for my sister but I knew that I would do anything I could to protect her and those kids from her monster of a husband.