Cori
Cori walked briskly back toward the main house. Her hands gripped the straps of her bag so tightly, her fingers were cramping. She couldn’t believe she’d just walked out on Paxton. It had taken every drop of willpower she’d had. Now there was barely enough left to keep the tears at bay. She rounded the side of the house, making her way to the front. The cab driver was standing in front of the passenger’s side door already.
“About time,” he mumbled.
Cori rolled her eyes. “Sorry.”
The driver opened the door to the back seat. She climbed in and rattled off her address after he took his seat behind the wheel. She kept replaying her encounter with Paxton. She’d sworn to herself that she wouldn’t have sex with him again and look what happened. The first chance she got, she climbed right into his lap. Literally. That wasn’t her. She was the analytical one. Her sister was the impulsive one.
She wasn’t a booty call. Not in the past and certainly not now. But she couldn’t seem to help herself with him. She was drawn to him like a moth to the flame.
She really didn’t have the money to move again…she could stay with Brianna for a little while. No. That would drive her insane. Her sister was way too flighty. They would butt heads something terrible. She would just have to show a little restraint where the grumpy giant was concerned.
She was grateful for Mother setting her up with a guy to put in a security system. She would feel much safer at night knowing she had something in place to deter anyone should they attempt to enter her house again. Perhaps she should get a dog too. A guard dog of sorts to have outside with her while gardening?
She thought of Paxton again. She closed her eyes and remembered the way he held her this last time. It was different. She felt like there was a connection. Then again, she’d felt a connection the first time they’d had sex and not only did he walk away easily enough, he picked up another woman only a few hours later. She was lost in the memory of their recent encounter when the cab driver’s annoying voice broke her free.
“Lady. We’re here. Hey, you hear me?”
She scowled. “Yes, I hear you. You’re loud enough.”
Cori handed him some cash and opened her door. He peeled out of there like his ass was on fire. She shook her head and rolled her eyes again. She kept an eye on her surroundings as she walked up to the front door, her key already in hand. Once inside, she shut and locked the door. Peering out of the front window, she noticed a white box truck parked two houses down. She hadn’t noticed it before. Obviously watching her surroundings was not her strong suit.
She was halfway to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Her blood froze. Realizing how stupid she was, she backtracked to the door. Leaving the chain on, she opened the door an inch. A guy with thick-framed glasses in his late thirties stood on the other side. He was dressed nicely and carried a clipboard. He smiled warmly at her.
“Dr. Transue?”
“Yes.”
“Hi. I’m George.” He motioned to his name tag. “I’m here to install a system for your home.”
Relieved, she let out the breath she’d been holding. “Sure. One moment.”
Cori closed the door to remove the security chain. George was still smiling as she reopened the door. “Thank you for coming so quickly on such short notice.”
“No problem, Ma’am.”
“Do you need anything from me?” He was staring at her, the smile never leaving his face. It was a little off-putting, if she was being honest.
Finally, he surveyed the room. “Is there anyone else in the house?”
Cori was starting to get a weird vibe from this guy. “Does that matter?”
“Not really.”
“Okay. Well, I’m going to go make a phone call. Let me know if you need anything.”
She seized her purse off the coffee table and began searching inside for her cell phone. She felt the plastic case brush against her fingertips at the exact moment an arm snaked across her shoulders. Cori started thrashing her body around. She was trying desperately to break free from the stranger’s grasp. She glimpsed a rag out of the corner of her eye. He was trying to put it on her face. What the hell? She screamed out as she turned her head from side to side. She had dropped her purse so getting to her phone now was out of the question.
He struggled to gain a better grip on her. “Hold still, bitch,” he sneered.
If she could get free and get outside, she felt she’d be safe. She kicked her foot backwards, trying to connect with any part of him. Nothing except air. She tried again. And again. Still she couldn’t seem to hit him as she continued to wiggle. Finally, she stomped on his foot with all of her strength. He grunted and his grip slipped just slightly, but it was enough for her to wiggle free.
Cori scrambled for the front door. Her unwanted guest swung at her and in the process he lost his balance. He fell to the ground. As he did, his hand shot out, finding purchase on her ankle.
She felt her body falling forward, then she hit the floor hard. The palms of her hands and her knees stung from scratching against the wood. She kicked and flailed as he pulled her back toward him. Each time she gained an inch, he pulled her back two.
This time, he used the momentum of her kick to flip her body over. Cori was now on her back trying unsuccessfully to crab walk to safety. He scaled up her body. She clamped her eyes closed as tight as she could. She prayed this was just a dream and she would wake up soon. Tears began to stream down her face.
His face was only inches from hers, and she could feel him panting against her skin while he looked at her. Stay calm. She slowly opened her eyes.
He was smiling at her. The mustache on his face was peeling up at the end. Now Cori could tell he was wearing a wig with the way it had twisted on his head in their struggle. Who was this man and what had she done to him?
She swallowed her fear down. “Who are you? What do you want with me?”
“Sweetheart, I want to be with you. We belong together,” he spoke to her softly, like a lover.
Caressing her face, he leaned down like he was going to kiss her. She had nowhere to go. His body weight held her down. She turned her head to the side, and he adjusted his course. She turned to the other side to avoid his mouth. The man grabbed her face between his thumb and forefingers so hard she thought her jaw might crack. He brutally pressed his lips to hers. She wanted to vomit. She could feel his teeth behind his lips from the pressure he was using. That gave her an idea.
She tried pleading with him. “Please let me go. I won’t tell anyone.”
“I’ve waited too long to have you. I’m not letting you go now, Cori.”
When his kiss began to soften, Cori quickly bit his lip as hard as she could. He screamed, but didn’t budge.
“You stupid woman!” he screeched in her face. He grabbed her hair and began hitting her head against the floor. “You belong to me now. This is your fault. You remember that.”
Each sentence was louder than the last. Black spots blurred her vision with each thump of her head. Pain lanced through her skull. She fought to keep herself focused. Eventually everything was black.
***
Luke
He picked Cori up from the living room floor and heaved her over his shoulder. He couldn’t believe his timing when he’d arrived earlier. Fate had him on the front porch when an installation tech showed up at the house. It was surprisingly easy to get the guy to show him his equipment.
Once they were at the tech’s van, Luke tasered him and tossed him in the back. Once he was unconscious, Luke took his uniform off, then slit his throat. After that, he just had to wait for sweet Cori to arrive home.
He dumped her onto her bed and stripped her down to her bra and panties. God, she was a beautiful creature. Like a wild horse needing to be tamed. He spread her eagle, tying each limp to a corner of the bed frame. Once he knew she was secure, Luke was free to clean up some of his mess. First, he moved the tech’s van the next street over. Then he had to run back to get Cori’s car. He drove that a few blocks away and left it in a parking lot.
This way, when muscle head came home, he’d think she’d left. He’d snuck back inside to wait for Sleeping Beauty to come to.
***
Cori
Cori woke up from the worst nightmare she’d ever had. She didn’t remember going to bed. She lowered her arms from above her head, only she couldn’t bring them down more than an inch or two. She soon realized she couldn’t move her legs any more than her arms. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes.
She was in her bed, her arms and legs tied to the bed frame. She had been stripped down to her bra and panties. The good news was she was alone. The bad news: She didn’t know for how long. That was what really scared her. It was almost dark now. Would Paxton come looking for her? The way she’d walked out on him, he probably wouldn’t ever want to see her again. So she was on her own. How would she get out of this?
She tugged against her restraints. The rope cut into her wrists and ankles. She wanted to cry out, but she didn’t. She didn’t want her attacker to know she was awake if he didn’t already.
There was something familiar about the man. She felt like she knew him—he did use her name. Then again, if he had been stalking her, it would make sense he would know it either way.
She lay still, hoping to conserve her energy for any chance at escape. Her limbs were sore from holding them up, but when she let them relax the ropes pinched into the skin she had made raw trying to break free earlier. She couldn’t help it; she’d have to deal with the pain. When she rested her arms, her shoulders felt better.
Cori was restless. She drifted in and out of sleep. This time when she woke up, the man was sitting in one of her dining room chairs watching her sleep. The only light in the otherwise dark room was from the bathroom directly behind him. She was getting angry. She still couldn’t tell who he was. The light was obscuring his features.
He rose from the chair slowly. Her breath froze in her lungs as he pulled something from his back pocket. She thought for sure this was it. He didn’t come to her though. He went to her dresser first. She heard the distinct click of a lighter and relaxed some. He continued lighting candles—that she had not purchased—all around the room. It would have been romantic if not for the madman who had her tied up.
The man turned to face her. Cori couldn’t believe her eyes. “Luke? What are you doing here? Why are you doing this?”
“Did you really think you could take my wife away from me and not suffer any consequences?”
“I didn’t take your wife, Luke. She killed herself.” Cori kept her voice strong yet therapeutic. It was the voice she used with her patients. “Why don’t you let me up and we can sit and discuss how you are feeling.”
“I don’t need to talk about my feelings.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, but I was trying to help her.”
He charged the bed, leaning over her angrily. “No. You confused her and manipulated her. She was mine and you wanted to take her from me.” He screamed in her face. “Now, you can take her place.”
“Her place?”
“You are gonna be mine. We’re going to be together—forever.”
That was the moment Cori realized she was never going to leave this room alive. Luke had beaten his wife almost daily, as well as mentally abused her. He was a narcissist and no amount of talking to him was going to help her…not that she was in a great position to calmly diagnose such things. She was the one in her underwear tied to her own bed.
He was looking at her as both a long-lost lover and predator eyeing his prey. Cori felt sick to her stomach. No matter what was wrong with him, his end game was the same regardless. Cori was living on borrowed time. Only Luke knew how much was left.
***
Tank
When Krysta parked in his driveway, he was surprised to see Cori’s car wasn’t in front of her house. She said she had a guy coming to put in a security system. It hadn’t taken Paxton much more than a half hour to get here, and Cori left the party approximately fifteen minutes before he did. That was less than an hour. There’s no way anyone could install an entire system in less than an hour.
Did she lie to him? No, he confirmed it with Mother. So where the hell was she? Krysta walked around to where he stood looking at the house.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I hoped maybe she had texted you. I guess not.”
“No. She had an appointment thirty minutes ago. I’ll call her and see where she is.”
Krysta pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. Paxton waited impatiently as she held the phone to her ear. Soon, she lowered the phone to her side.
“No answer.”
He scrubbed his hand across his face. “I have a bad feeling.”
“Chill, we don’t know anything. Maybe she canceled the appointment and went to the store.”
“Then why didn’t she answer your call?”
Krysta bit into her bottom lip. Worry was evident in her eyes. “I don’t know.”
At least he could count on her not to give him some bullshit lie. Krysta was always honest with him about important things. He jogged across the yard to Cori’s door. He tried the handle. Locked. He jogged around to the back door, but it was locked too. Maybe she really did go out.
Krysta was still standing in the driveway. She looked hopeful. He shook his head no. Her shoulders slumped. Paxton wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders.
“Let’s go inside and wait for her. Keep trying her phone too.” He took one last look over at her house. “I’m gonna blister her ass when I see her.”
Krysta giggled. “I really don’t wanna hear about your fetishes. It’s bad enough I had to see you two having sex.” She scrunched her face up.
He laughed as they walked up the porch steps together. “That was your own damn fault.”
Not knowing what else to do, and feeling pretty damn useless, he turned on the television and sat on the couch. Every few minutes he watched Cori’s house from his window. Nothing out of the ordinary and no sight of his reckless neighbor.
Everyone she knew had been at the party, so she couldn’t be with any of them. Unless she changed her mind and went back for him? Hope bubbled up inside of him and he called Gutter Mouth.
“Did you spank her?” he laughed into the phone instead of answering like a normal human being. Paxton felt his bubble of hope burst. Gutter Mouth wouldn’t have asked him that if Cori was there.
“She’s not home. No one is. Krysta and I are starting to get worried. Her car is gone. We hoped she had headed back there.”
His friend’s laughter died. “Sorry, man. I haven’t seen her. You want me to come over?”
“Nah. She probably went shopping and we’re overreacting. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, I’m sure you’re right. She’ll turn up soon.”
Paxton wasn’t convinced. If he believed the sound of Gutter Mouth’s voice, neither was he. This wasn’t right. His gut was screaming at him.
Paxton woke up just before nightfall. He had fallen asleep in an awkward position and now his neck was stiff. He went to his window and looked over Cori’s property. Her car was still missing. All the windows were dark. Where the fuck was she? Entering the kitchen, he found Krysta sitting at the breakfast table. She was watching Cori’s house.
“Hey, you doing okay?”
Her eyes were red and he felt his heart break looking at her. “It’s my fault if something happens to her.”
He darted over to the table and wrapped her in his arms. She started crying again. He was completely helpless. He hadn’t felt this way in a very long time. Not since the day his career with the BCPD ended. He smoothed her hair from her face, looking her in the eyes.
“This is not your fault. Don’t even think that for one second.”
She sobbed. “How can I not? I was looking after her. I let her leave without me.”
“I should have been watching her. She was my responsibility and I fucked up because I let my dick do the thinking for me.”
“I’m worried. It’s been hours. I’ve called her every fifteen minutes, Paxton.”
Every fifteen minutes for hours? Shit. “I am too.”
Paxton rushed into the living room to grab his cell phone off of the table. He couldn’t waste any more time sitting idle. He had to do something. He pulled up his contacts, found Mother’s number, and hit the call button.
He answered after two rings. “What’s up?”
“I think Cori is missing. I need your help, man.”
There was a crash on the other end of the phone. Mother’s voice sounded distant. “Shit,” he yelled. Then everything sounded normal again. “Sorry, dropped the fucking phone. Tell me what happened.”
“I haven’t seen her since Max’s place. She left to meet the installer and when I got to the house, her car wasn’t here. It’s been hours, man.”
“Okay, don’t stress. I’m running a trace on her phone and I’ll put a BOLO out on her car. Hang on, let me call my guy at SafetyFirst.”
Paxton could hear Mother talking on another phone. He walked over to the window. He watched for her car to pull up. Willed her fucking car to pull up. Every pair of headlights jolted his heart, only to be let down as the lights passed by.
Mother’s voice brought his attention back. “Okay, now we can officially start to worry. The tech called in his arrival time, but never called in his departure. No one has heard from him since.”
“Fuck!” Paxton bellowed. He began pacing the room like an agitated tiger. His muscles contracted as he flexed his fingers. He wanted to tear someone apart with his bare hands. If anyone fucking hurt Cori, they were done. Rage like he’d never felt roared inside of him.
Krysta ran into the room, her eyes wide with concern. “What? What happened?”
He held a hand up to silently tell her to hang on, as Mother continued to talk. “Her phone is pinging in her house. Wherever she is, her phone is home.”
“Paxton,” Krysta called to him from the window where she now stood.
He couldn’t understand what Mother was saying. Why would her phone be home? She always seemed to carry it in her purse. If she was out shopping, she would have her purse.
Krysta yelled at him this time. “Paxton!”
“What? Damn it.”
“Something isn’t right.”
“I know that, Krysta.”
“No, asshole. Something at her house isn’t right.”
Paxton rushed to the window. Immediately he knew what she meant. Cori’s car was still missing, but there was a soft glow flickering in an upstairs window. The glow became brighter. Paxton could tell it wasn’t a light turning on. It was too soft and the light seemed to move. Candle glow? If she was home, where was her car? Why wasn’t she answering her damn phone? Why the candles? He glanced at Krysta.
“Mother, call Foster. Now.” He hung up the phone.
Krysta was silent for once. Tears still streaked down her face. He went to his end table and opened the drawer. Inside was a box with a combination lock. Punching in the code, the box unlocked. Inside was his Glock. He checked the magazine and chamber before tucking it into the back of his jeans.
Krysta approached him slowly. “Paxton, what are you doing?” She sounded terrified. She shouldn’t be scared. Nothing would happen to her. He would make sure of that.
“I’m going over there. Mother is calling Foster. Call Kasper. He’ll stay with you.”
“Don’t you want to wait for them?”
“If I wait, it could be too late. Stay here no matter what. Understand?”
“But I can help. Let me come with you.”
“Absolutely not. Stay. Here.”
He didn’t have time to argue with her. He needed to find a way into the house undetected. Thanks to his brilliant job on the front door, it wouldn’t be that way. The back door had a flip lock that could be a possibility.
He jogged around to the door. He took care to stay in the shadows close to the house. That way if anyone looked out, he wouldn’t be easily seen.
He couldn’t chance smashing the window pane. The noise would alert anyone inside to his presence. He grabbed a flathead screwdriver off the table next to Cori’s gardening supplies. Gently, he wedged the screwdriver under the window pane closest to the lock. Careful not to shatter the pane of glass, he cracked the wood enough to slip the entire pane out of the window frame. He owed her another door. He hoped he wasn’t too late to repay her.
He cursed at himself for thinking like that. Cori was going to be fine.
Reaching inside of the now glassless door frame, he quietly flipped the lock open. He prayed the door wouldn’t creak as he guided it open enough to fit his body inside. He didn’t bother shutting it behind him. The missing glass would snitch on him anyway.
Glock in hand, Paxton silently searched Cori’s home for any sign of her or what might’ve happened to her. The kitchen and living room were empty. He noticed her purse on the floor, its contents scattered all over. Her cell phone included. Clenching his fist tighter around the grip of his gun, he continued toward the bottom of the stairs.
He could see a shadow dancing on the wall in the soft glow. Years on the force had taught him how to move his large body with stealth and agility. He ascended the stairs undetected.
The scene before him knocked the air right out of his lungs. He had to swallow down the urge to vomit. Cori was tied to the bed spread eagle with nothing on except her bra and panties. Tears streamed down her face. Some sick fuck sat naked kneeling between her thighs, stroking his cock.
Taking a step forward, Paxton was too focused on putting a bullet in the man’s brain to see the laundry basket near the door. His leg brushed it, and it made a small scraping noise. The soon-to-be-dead man spun around, placing a steel blade against Cori’s neck. Fuck. There went his element of surprise.
“Paxton?” Cori whispered to him.
“I’m here, sweetheart. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be just fine.”
The man shrieked at him. “Everything is not going to be fine! You’re ruining everything.”
“Luke. Luke. Look at me.” Cori sounded so calm and collected, Paxton felt pride swell inside of himself. This woman was incredible.
This Luke character looked down at her. “Yes?”
“Everything will be fine. My friend is going to leave now and—”
“No! No one leaves.” He pressed the knife into her neck harder. Paxton watched a bead of blood form under its tip. Could he get a shot off before he cut Cori’s throat? “You, get over there where I can see you better. And drop the fucking gun.”
Paxton took a step forward only to freeze when Luke remembered his gun. Without his weapon, he would have to disarm the guy. That would be much more difficult.
“I said lose the gun or I’ll slice her throat right now. Throw it in the bathroom and shut the door.”
Cori squeezed her eyes closed, fresh tears leaking from the corners. Defeated, Paxton put the safety back on and tossed the gun into the bathroom as he was told. He closed the door and waited.
Luke nodded his approval. “Good. Now sit in that chair. You can watch while I make Cori mine.” His smile twisted Paxton’s guts. Maybe if he put the knife down, he could rush him. One punch is all it would take to render the stupid fuck unconscious. He couldn’t promise he’d stop there. In fact, he knew without a doubt that he would beat this man to death the first chance he got.
With his eyes glued to Paxton, the bastard began kissing Cori’s face. Paxton clenched his jaw. He couldn’t just fucking sit here and watch him violate her. What the hell could he do? He needed a distraction. Something to get this bastard’s attention off of Cori. Maybe then he could disarm him. The man dragged the blade down toward her breasts.
“Don’t,” Paxton growled fiercely.
Luke pointed the knife at Paxton. “Don’t tell me what to—”
He never finished his sentence. Instead the side of his head exploded. Paxton jumped up from where he had been ordered to sit. In the doorway stood Krysta. She was shaking horribly. The gun he had bought her was still pointed at the empty space where Luke’s head had been. Cori’s screams filled the room. Her face was splattered with his blood. His dead body drooped across hers.
Movement from behind Krysta demanded his attention. Gutter Mouth.
“Take care of Krysta,” Paxton yelled. “I think she’s in shock. I’ll get Cori.”
Sirens sounded in the distance. Paxton ran over to Cori. She was crying, but no longer screaming. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she was. He rolled Luke’s corpse off of her and tried to untie the ropes binding her. He could tell how hard she’d tried to get free over the hours she had been held captive. His gut turned thinking of what she must’ve felt up here alone with that sick fuck. She had pulled on the ropes so much, her wrists were raw and bloody. He didn’t want to tug at them any more.
He looked around the room for something to use. There was nothing other than Luke’s knife, but Paxton wasn’t about to touch evidence. Not when it could potentially affect his little sister.
Paxton smoothed her hair from her face. “Hang on.”
Leaping up from where he was on the bed, he hurried into the bathroom. Spotting his gun on the floor near the shower, he snatched it up and put it in his waistband. He opened the medicine cabinet and scrounged around. There was nothing helpful in there. Under the sink, however, he found a pair of scissors. He grabbed them and sat down on the edge of the bed closest to Cori’s head. Her eyes were glazed over and she looked a million miles away.
Paxton clenched his jaw so tightly, it was painful. He glanced over at Krysta. She was hugging Gutter Mouth. The tears still shone on her cheeks. He wished he’d been the one to pull the trigger. He’d trained her to shoot in self-defense, but he’d never wanted his baby sister to live with the guilt of taking someone else’s life. It wasn’t something that ever left you.
He cut the rope that held up Cori’s arms. He was careful to make sure he held on to them so they wouldn’t drop like stones. He couldn’t be certain how long they had been held up. He eased her arms down to the bed. Her moan of pain was heartbreaking.
He rose and moved to her feet. He cut both ropes holding her legs spread apart. She immediately closed them and curled her knees toward her chest. Both arms wrapped around her knees. She looked so fucking small as she lay there in a fetal position.
Foster came through the bedroom door with his gun drawn. “Everyone okay?”
Gutter Mouth nodded. “More or less.”
Paxton continued to rub Cori’s back, even though he wasn’t sure she even registered anyone in the room. “Except Luke over there.”
Foster looked confused. “Luke who?”
“I don’t know. Cori called him by name. She’s checked the fuck out right now though.”
“I have an ambulance outside. They’ll take care of her…Don’t look at me like that, Tank. She needs to go, I need to talk to you. I need a statement.”
“Fuck, Foster. Seriously? Now?”
“You should know the answer to that better than anyone.”
Two paramedics maneuvered passed Gutter Mouth and Krysta. One of them Paxton had a brief encounter with last year. The other one he didn’t know from Adam. The male paramedic stopped to talk to Krysta.
Shauna walked by, touching his arm. “Hey there, Tank.” She smiled.
He ignored her in favor of eavesdropping on his sister. Not that he needed to be stealthy about it since Krysta began shouting for everyone to hear.
“I said I was fine, numb nuts. Now go help my friend, or so help me God—”
Gutter Mouth rubbed her back. “Kitten. Pull your claws in. He’s doing his job.”
Krysta spun around to glare at him, only she never said a word. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. She nodded and made her way to Cori’s bedside. Knowing Krysta would be right there with Cori, Paxton knew now was a good time to talk to Foster.
Foster ushered him down the stairs and out the front door. They made it halfway into the yard when Foster turned to him.
“Okay, now tell me what happened.”
Paxton took a deep breath and relayed what happened. He started with the moment he had noticed the flickering light in her upstairs window up until Krysta saved Cori from being raped and no doubt murdered before his eyes.
Foster’s eyes widened. “Jesus. I’m so sorry, Tank.”
“Yeah. Well, she’s safe now.”
“All right, I have everything I need. I’m sure a few other officers may question you after I put the report in since I’m closing the shooting as a self-defense, being as we’re friends. I’ll let Detective Martinez interview Krysta. I want someone else to take her statement so there’s no ethical misconduct allegations.”
“New guy?”
Foster nodded. “Yeah.”
“You don’t like him much, huh?”
Chuckling, Foster put his notebook into his back pocket. “How’d you know?”
Paxton smiled back. “You gave him my sister to question instead of me. Wasn’t hard to figure out.”
Krysta emerged from the house a second before the paramedics brought Cori out on the stretcher. He could see her wrists bandaged and her skin was ashen. Again, he had to tamp down his rage. Her eyes were closed. She looked almost peaceful, but in this case, he knew looks were definitely deceiving.
Paxton watched Detective Martinez take Krysta by the elbow. Strike one, dude. He walked over to the ambulance and covered Cori’s hand with his.
“Cori?”
Her eyes fluttered open. She didn’t say anything. She just squeezed his hand and closed her eyes again. Fresh tears leaked from their corners.
“Is she okay? Did he do something to her before I got there?”
He panicked thinking of what drugs that maniac could have given her before he arrived. He looked up at the paramedic with the name badge ‘JONES.’
“We gave her something to help her relax. Physically, she has some minor lacerations on her wrists and ankles. She suffered from a substantial amount of head trauma. That’s where my concern is. Unfortunately, it’s the doctor who will have to answer those questions and come up with a diagnosis. Emotionally and mentally, well, we can’t say.”
“Thank you.”
Gutter Mouth stood next to him. “How’s Doc?”
“I’m not sure, man.”
Gutter Mouth patted him on the back. “She’s a tough cookie. She’s gonna be okay.”
“I hope you’re right. An ordeal like this…some people don’t bounce back.”
They were both silent until Gutter Mouth elbowed him in the ribs.
“What the—”
“Speaking of tough cookie.” Gutter Mouth pointed to where Krysta stood. Now both hands were on her hips and she was blinking way too fast for the detective’s own good. Paxton wanted to yell retreat, but he also wanted to watch the train wreck that was about to take place. The detective pointed his finger in her face. Strike two, poor bastard.
The paramedic, Jones, called over to him. “We’re taking her to Mercy. If you want to follow us there.”
“I will, thank you.”
Krysta was running across the yard. “Don’t you leave without me. I’m getting my phone. Shit, get hers so I can call her sister.” She disappeared into his house.
He climbed Cori’s front porch stairs. Foster stood there listening to Martinez relay his verbal report on the conversation with Krysta.
“Foster, I’m serious. I’ve never heard a woman talk like that in all my life. I don’t even think everything she called me were real words…I think she literally made them up. Yet I still knew she was calling me something vulgar.”
Foster laughed. “And yet you survived. Good job.”
Paxton tried not to laugh. He went into the house. A CSU team was already hard at work dusting for prints. Paxton was bending over to pick up her phone when a voice startled him.
“You can’t touch that,” he scolded.
“I appreciate that, but I need to notify her sister.”
The tech looked downright disgusted with him. “I understand. Now I need you to understand that I will not have my crime scene tainted by a civilian with no sense.”
“I’m gonna shove my sense up your ass, you—”
“Tank,” Foster yelled from the doorway. “I don’t need any more paperwork. I’ll notify her sister. I have her information back at the station. Leave my techs alone.”
Paxton purposely growled at the tech before turning his back on him. His sister was waiting in his truck for him. He trotted over and climbed into the driver’s seat. He pulled out of the driveway and drove as fast as he dared to Mercy Hospital.
He stole a glance at her. “How are you holding up? The truth. No bullshit between us.”
“I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. So for now, I really am okay. However, I don’t think I can be alone for a little while. So if you don’t mind your little sister cramping your style a while longer, I’d like to stay with you.”
He took one hand off the wheel and squeezed hers. “You’re my kid sister. I love you. You’re always welcome to stay with me. If you need to talk to someone, I know some great counselors. They’ve helped a lot of guys on the force.”
“Thank you.”
They finished the ride to the hospital in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. After three laps through the parking lot, a space finally opened up. Krysta was out of the truck before he pulled the key from the ignition. He followed her inside, where they were told they weren’t family and would have to sit and wait.
Paxton thought about telling them he was her fiancé since it worked so well for Max back when Sloane had been admitted. But since he was an asshole who’d fucked two of the nurses just last month, he didn’t think anyone would buy it. Even if they did, he didn’t want anyone to think he’d been cheating on Cori with them. So he took a seat and waited. And waited. And waited.
Krysta stood up abruptly. “Brianna?”
The woman came over to where they sat. He could tell she had been crying—her makeup was smudged and her nose was red. She was taller than Cori, but they shared the same facial features. Where Cori’s hair was long and black, this woman’s was short and more of a dark burgundy.
“Krysta?”
The women hugged each other like they were long-lost friends. He felt incredibly out of the loop. Luckily, Gutter Mouth came bounding in with Max and Sloane on his heels. Sloane beelined to where the women stood embracing. Max and Gutter Mouth came to stand with him.
Max looked over at the nurse’s station. “Anything?”
“No, bastards wouldn’t tell me anything because I’m not family.”
They sat down in the hard-ass plastic chairs to wait some more. The women bombarded the nurse’s station. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes before a doctor was quietly talking to them. Cori’s sister, Brianna, threw her arms around Krysta. She buried her head in his sister’s shoulder. Dread settled in his stomach. He couldn’t sit and wait anymore. Paxton jumped up from his seat.
“What’s going on?” he demanded.
No one answered. Krysta was comforting Brianna and Sloane was still talking to the doctor. Okay, this is bullshit. Couldn’t they see he was worried too? She was his responsibility. She got hurt on his watch. Someone had better give him some fucking answers.
He bellowed, “I said what the fuck is going on?”
Sloane glared at him. “Tank, go sit the hell down.”
Feeling like a scolded child, he resumed his seat between Max and Gutter Mouth. Paxton looked over at Max.
“Dude, your woman yelled at me.”
“Yeah…well.” Max shrugged his shoulders.
Gutter Mouth snorted. “Did you leave your balls at home? I’ll go get some answers.”
He got up and started toward the girls. Sloane must have sensed him coming. She turned around and gave him a look that Paxton could only describe as haunting. Gutter Mouth immediately turned around and took his seat.
Max smiled. “You were saying?”
“No shit, I think my balls just shriveled up. Your woman scared my balls. Not cool, bro.”
The doctor left, disappearing behind a locked door. Sloane whispered in the girls’ ears and walked toward them. Gutter Mouth cupped his balls while whispering sweet things to them until she stopped in front of them.
“Okay, now that I know what’s going on, I can relay it to you.” She gave all of them a pointed look. “Cori suffered some head trauma. She has a fractured skull. It’s not as severe as they originally thought, but it’s enough that she needs to stay here under observation. There doesn’t seem to be any hemorrhaging. So that’s a really good sign.”
“How? How did she get her head fractured tied to the bed, Sloane?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“They believe she was subdued by having her head strike the floor hours before you found her.” He could feel his blood pressure rising rapidly. “Tank, calm down. She’s going to be fine.”
“That fucker is lucky he’s dead. I need some air.” He got up and stormed outside.
He walked around the building until he found a secluded area where he knew no one would easily spot him. Anger boiled inside of him. He pulled back and punched the dumpster he stood next to. A large dent indicated his rage.
He leaned against the brick building, sliding down so he was hunched in the grass. He lowered his face into his hands. He was overwhelmed with emotion. She could have died. He felt the wet warmth of tears on his palm. He lifted his head and stared at his hands. He was crying? He hadn’t shed a tear when he left the police force. He hadn’t even cried when things ended with Gillian.
He didn’t know how to navigate these feelings. How was he going to go back in there and face her?