Chapter 8
Dane
I want to take her in my arms and love her until she understands that I would move heaven and earth to keep her safe. I can’t fucking believe this would happen to us. I thought it was terrible when I thought men were looking at her to steal her from me, but now I’m on a new territorial fuck it all mode. Someone tried to permanently take her away from me.
“Tell me, are you hurt?” I ask. She looks so weak. I don’t even want to know if he did something to her sexually. I won’t be able to control myself. I’m doing my best, but the thought of someone taking her against her will burns my soul. I’m supposed to protect her and I didn’t.
“He didn’t do anything sexually yet. He admitted that was his goal, but he had to leave to work before he could attack me sexually. He tased me several times and hit me.”
When I find him, he’s a dead man. I’m getting my conceal and carry to-motherfucking-morrow.
“Brenda, where did he hurt you?” It guts me to see her weak with pain. I want to make it better. Waiting for an ambulance is a bit much. She lifts her shirt and there it is several marks from the damn electrodes. I bend down and kiss them just as the ambulance pulls up. I remember we’re not alone and I lower her shirt. I rub her arms and whisper, “I love you,” over and over again.
The EMTs come over to us and ask to examine, Brenda. She’s staring at the man very attentively which I don’t care for. Then it strikes me that she may be afraid of him.
“Ma’am, can you tell us were you injured?”
“He shocked me with tasers a couple of times, hit me in the face and drug me across the floor, but that’s it.” My fists clench at my side as she gave an inventory on her assault.
“Ma’am, we need to take your vitals. Can you walk or do you need to be transported to the ambulance?”
“I’ll carry her.” I scoop up my wife and bring her over to the ambulance. They take her vitals, and I stand as close as possible because I don’t want them to touch her. It’s only because it’s necessary.
“Dane, please don’t leave me,” Brenda begs, looking at me with complete fear.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Ma’am, your pulse is a little high, but given the circumstances, I’d say that’s normal. Please rehydrate and please see a physician as soon as possible.”
“Thank you,” she says, shaking their hands.
“Come let’s get you in the truck so we can get you some food and clothes.”
“Please.” I take her back over to my truck, but now more cops have arrived including two detectives who approach us.”
“Mrs. Harris, the officer on the scene, brought us up-to-date on the incident. Can you add more?”
“I need to get her fed and dressed.”
“Very well, we can meet you at your residence.”
I sit her down in the passenger seat and buckle her in. Making sure she’s safe is now my main priority. Just going around to the driver’s side has me on edge. The distance between us is too much. I climb in the truck and start it up. I turn to look at my wife when I see Officer Davis come running out with my toolbox in hand.
“Thanks for getting that.”
“We took the photos we needed for the crime scene. Here you go, Mr. Harris. I hope you are going to make a quick recovery, Mrs. Harris.”
She gives him a weak smile and responds, “Thank you, Officer Davis.”
Once we pull away, I feel the tension in the cab ebb. I take her hand in mine. “Brenda, I’m ready to talk when you are, but first you need food.”
“Can you stop through a drive-thru?” she asks. I can tell she’s exhausted.
“Absolutely, which one?” I squeeze her hand, then intertwine our fingers.
“I could go for some KFC right now. I want something to fill me up.”
My phone starts ringing through the dash. “Oh shit, I forgot about Ben.”
“What the fuck is going on?” he asks through the Bluetooth.
“I’ve got her. We’re on our way back home. It’s a long motherfucking twisted tale, but the fucker is on the loose.”
“I’m halfway to Jones’s place now,” Ben says. I’m so damn grateful for him. He’s the reason I was able to find her so quickly.
“Meet us back at the condo. We’ll talk there. Did you tell anyone about it?”
“No, not even your building manager.”
“I thought he was in the room with you.”
“No, the neighbor lady walked into the condo, and he started talking to her about everything. They are too nosy for their own good. I didn’t want it to get out about her words to the cops just in case that fucker was listening to the scanners.”
“Okay. Meet us there.” I end the call and focus on the road. A variety of thoughts run through my head all surrounding the bastard that did this to my wife.
I hold her hand the whole way there only letting go to get her food. I don’t want to let her go any more than she wants me to let her go, she seems to be getting tenser as we get closer to the condo.
“I don’t know if I can go back in there,” she whispers as we pull into our parking spot.
I turn off the engine, face my wife, and apologize with my whole heart, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
Her shaky hand comes up and caresses my face. “It’s okay, but please don’t leave my side. I can’t do this without you.” I read the intensity in her eyes. I never want her to doubt her safety ever again.
I jump out of the cab and walk around. I open the door and unbuckle her. She moves to get out, but I stop her, resting my legs on the outside of hers, enclosing her body with mine. I brush her hair back and for the first time notice a bruise on her cheek close to her ear. I place a kiss on that spot, then look into her loving eyes and apologize, “Fuck, Brenda. I’m so damn sorry. This is my fault. If I was home where I should have been this wouldn’t have happened.” I will spend the rest of my life apologizing.
“I have a feeling it would have happened either way. He would have just waited until we were apart. We can’t spend all our time together.”
“Let’s get this over with and then we’ll stay somewhere else tonight.”
“I’d like that.”