[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Point of View: Nick

I didn't tell Kayla about Officer Walters' visit. She was too upset already, the last thing I wanted to do was admit that I had already been upset before she'd gotten there with even more bad news. Besides, by the time I'd gotten her settled down on the couch, curled up against me, my arms tight around her, all I could think about was her ex and the hand-shaped welt on her neck that was quickly bruising.

I wanted to rip him apart.

She'd finally stopped crying and fallen asleep against me when a knock came on the front door. Not wanting to disturb her, I called out, "Come in, it's open."

The door opened. "What on earth happened to the Camaro?" Zoe asked by way of greeting as she closed the door. I could hear the gate of her crutches on the tile of the foyer.

"Well," I said slowly, "A long story..." Zoe came into the living room and her eyes fell on Kayla's crumpled, curled up form leaning against my chest as I clutched her to me tightly, and a rainbow of emotion passed across her face. First, irate anger - probably at me, for touching Kayla; then, fear, as she recognized Kayla's body language; and finally thankfulness, as she realized I was comforting her niece.

"What happened?" Zoe came around the sofa slowly, timidly almost, and lowered herself to be seated on the coffee table in front of us.

I didn't move, not wanting to disturb Kayla. "She broke up with her boyfriend," I said, hushed.

Zoe's eyes widened, "He did that to your car?" she asked, shock in her voice, "Leon?"

"That's not the only thing he marked," I whispered. Gently, I pulled Kayla's hair away from her neck, revealing the darkening hand print against her trachea and jaw.

When her eyes landed on the mark on Kayla's neck, Zoe's entire body tensed so deeply and her face flushed deep crimson red. "That mother-fucking little..." she started to stand up.

"Zoe," I hissed, "Trust me, I want to go pound the shit out of him, too," I said, recognizing the desire in her eyes as she stood, "And I'm cool with that if you wanna go do that, but please, let's wait and do it together. Right now, Kayla needs us."

She lowered herself to the coffee table. "I trusted that little scum with her," she whispered.

"You mean you didn't give her pepper spray to use on that guy?" I whispered.

Zoe frowned, "I should've." Then she looked up at me, a little surprised. "She told you about that?"

"Of course," I answered. "Zoe, I dunno if I'm the one that should be telling you this - in fact, I'm pretty positive she should be, but... she said she doesn't want to tell you, and I don't think that she should keep it a secret from you. I think she should press charges on him."

Zoe's eyes registered fury and panic, "He didn't ra--"

"No," I snapped, before she could finish the word, "No. He was very sexually aggressive, though, and..." I paused, "I guess... I guess he thinks she promised... to... to have sex with him if he got her the part in the play, but she told me the story and that's not what happened. He took it wrong. And --" I shook my head, "I dunno, I trust that guy as far as I could throw him, which actually I dunno how big he is, so I dunno, it could be like a mile less than I could throw him if he's small enough... But, I think she needs a restraining order on him, to keep him away."

Zoe's eyes were blank. "My baby," she whispered, reaching over to touch Kayla's face, "My poor baby."

"I want to send one of my security guards with her at all times when she's down at the theater from here on out as well," I said, "I want her protected." I'd been laying there all day, holding Kayla's shaking form, thinking about this stuff, about ways to keep her safe from that jerk off.

Zoe's eyes met mine. "It's that serious?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, "I'm gonna press charges for the car, too. I don't want him anywhere near her." My hand instinctively tightened on her arm protectively, holding her to me, "I don't want her to get hurt anymore."

"You're a good man, Nick," Zoe whispered. "I was wrong about you when we first met."

I looked at Kayla's form against mine and took a deep breath, "No, you were right about me when we first met," I answered, "But I'm changing."