fed. Easy.”
He walked over to the front door and flipped on the porch light. Thomas stepped around from the driver’s side and nodded to him as he opened the sliding door. He could see two figures seated on the bench seat, but couldn’t make out their features in the dim porch light. Joe rolled himself out of the van.
“Good evening,” he said as he pushed himself toward Lucas, a hard, determined look on his face. “Please, come inside with me.”
Lucas glanced back at the van and saw movement inside, but still couldn’t make out any features of anyone in there. He followed Joe inside.
Joe rubbed his temples as he asked him to shut the front door.
“Lucas, this assignment is going to be difficult for you, but frankly, I didn’t know what else to do, where to turn to. I’m short on people who hold positions like yours as there are so many people who are looking for protection.”
His knot of worry morphed larger as he closed the door and listened to Joe. “What’s so special about this person? What have they done that has you so concerned?”
“It’s not what they’ve done. I’m certain they’re innocent and have just been caught in the wrong place and wrong time. It’s just that—”
The front door opened again and Lucas turned.
Garrett came in first, his arm around a woman wrapped in a blanket. Her auburn hair fell around her shoulders, covering her face.
His world began to spin as he stared at the woman, her hair reminding him of Gabby’s. “No,” he whispered, taking a step back.
As she slowly raised her head, his gut clenched as recognition set in. Except, the woman before him looked like a battered and beaten version of his Gabby. Her black and purple left eye had swelled up, blocking the beautiful blue of her irises. A large welt covered her right cheekbone.
Surprise shone in her face as their gazes met. Anger overrode his shock as he stared at his wife.
“What happened?” he asked, hearing the gravel in his voice as he tried to wrangle the rage within.
“Lucas?” Gabby whispered.
“What the fuck happened!” he bellowed, feeling as though he were coming completely undone from the inside out as his whole body shook. Who would do this to his Gabby? What kind of monster would hurt a woman like this?
“You son of a bitch!” she yelled as she pulled away from Garrett. “You bastard!”
Tears streamed down her face as she lifted her arm and hit him in the jaw. She struck him again and again as she held on to the blanket with her other hand, and Lucas thought she seemed drugged as she slurred her words.
“What did you do? Where have you been?” she screeched.
He took each of her feeble blows without trying to stop her. Each weak fist felt like a knife to his heart as he peered at her distorted face, not knowing the facts, but understanding deep in his soul that he must somehow be responsible for her apparent suffering, although he hoped he was wrong.
The tears continued, each one salt to his wounded soul. Indeed, what had he done?
After a moment, Gabby quit hitting him and sunk into his chest. Her tears soaked his shirt as he put his arm around her and pulled her close, feeling as though he may shatter apart. His Gabby, who had been hurt so brutally by an unknown assailant, now felt familiar, yet strange, in his arms, as he never thought he’d see her again. He’d left, thinking that by doing so, he’d protect her.
How wrong he had been.
Chapter 23
After she finally calmed down, Lucas said nothing to the others gathered in the living room, but led Gabby down the hall to his bathroom and ran a hot bath. She kept her arms wrapped lightly around his waist, and he held her as he seethed inside, wanting to shoot, knife, and skin whoever was responsible for her wounds.
Then, he wanted to do it all over again.
When the bathtub filled, he slowly removed her blanket. She didn’t meet his gaze as he helped her undress, and he winced at the sight of the black and blue bruise
He walked over to the front door and flipped on the porch light. Thomas stepped around from the driver’s side and nodded to him as he opened the sliding door. He could see two figures seated on the bench seat, but couldn’t make out their features in the dim porch light. Joe rolled himself out of the van.
“Good evening,” he said as he pushed himself toward Lucas, a hard, determined look on his face. “Please, come inside with me.”
Lucas glanced back at the van and saw movement inside, but still couldn’t make out any features of anyone in there. He followed Joe inside.
Joe rubbed his temples as he asked him to shut the front door.
“Lucas, this assignment is going to be difficult for you, but frankly, I didn’t know what else to do, where to turn to. I’m short on people who hold positions like yours as there are so many people who are looking for protection.”
His knot of worry morphed larger as he closed the door and listened to Joe. “What’s so special about this person? What have they done that has you so concerned?”
“It’s not what they’ve done. I’m certain they’re innocent and have just been caught in the wrong place and wrong time. It’s just that—”
The front door opened again and Lucas turned.
Garrett came in first, his arm around a woman wrapped in a blanket. Her auburn hair fell around her shoulders, covering her face.
His world began to spin as he stared at the woman, her hair reminding him of Gabby’s. “No,” he whispered, taking a step back.
As she slowly raised her head, his gut clenched as recognition set in. Except, the woman before him looked like a battered and beaten version of his Gabby. Her black and purple left eye had swelled up, blocking the beautiful blue of her irises. A large welt covered her right cheekbone.
Surprise shone in her face as their gazes met. Anger overrode his shock as he stared at his wife.
“What happened?” he asked, hearing the gravel in his voice as he tried to wrangle the rage within.
“Lucas?” Gabby whispered.
“What the fuck happened!” he bellowed, feeling as though he were coming completely undone from the inside out as his whole body shook. Who would do this to his Gabby? What kind of monster would hurt a woman like this?
“You son of a bitch!” she yelled as she pulled away from Garrett. “You bastard!”
Tears streamed down her face as she lifted her arm and hit him in the jaw. She struck him again and again as she held on to the blanket with her other hand, and Lucas thought she seemed drugged as she slurred her words.
“What did you do? Where have you been?” she screeched.
He took each of her feeble blows without trying to stop her. Each weak fist felt like a knife to his heart as he peered at her distorted face, not knowing the facts, but understanding deep in his soul that he must somehow be responsible for her apparent suffering, although he hoped he was wrong.
The tears continued, each one salt to his wounded soul. Indeed, what had he done?
After a moment, Gabby quit hitting him and sunk into his chest. Her tears soaked his shirt as he put his arm around her and pulled her close, feeling as though he may shatter apart. His Gabby, who had been hurt so brutally by an unknown assailant, now felt familiar, yet strange, in his arms, as he never thought he’d see her again. He’d left, thinking that by doing so, he’d protect her.
How wrong he had been.
Chapter 23
After she finally calmed down, Lucas said nothing to the others gathered in the living room, but led Gabby down the hall to his bathroom and ran a hot bath. She kept her arms wrapped lightly around his waist, and he held her as he seethed inside, wanting to shoot, knife, and skin whoever was responsible for her wounds.
Then, he wanted to do it all over again.
When the bathtub filled, he slowly removed her blanket. She didn’t meet his gaze as he helped her undress, and he winced at the sight of the black and blue bruise
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