Page 104 of Fighting Fate

“No!”

“Then what am I looking at?” The tone of his question is genuine, but the curl of his lips is anything but, and it makes me want to scream. It’s infuriating.

“Peter wouldn’t leave me alone,” I shriek, throwing the printout of the footage at him so I can wipe my tears away. “I was tipsy when I went to the toilet, and when I came out, he accosted me. Peter wouldn’t let me go, just like the night we broke up. He kept holding on tighter and tighter, even though I kept telling him he was hurting me. I was scared that he was going to hit me again or…”

“Or?”

“I don’t know. I was scared, and I’d had a bit to drink, so…”

“So Mr. Knight stepped in,” the detective scoffs, as though it’s all falling into place for him.

“It’s not like that!”

“It isn’t…” He holds up another photo, and sure, I see what he sees, but it’s all wrong. “You see, the footage doesn’t lie. Mr. Knight is assaulting Mr. Saunders after finding the two of you together.”

“Rory pushed Peter away because he wouldn’t let me go when I was asking him to.”

“I see.” He nods, sucking the hollow of his cheek in with a patronising tilt of his head.

“What you want to see, right? Anything that lets you off the hook for doing fuck all.” The dry burn behind my eyes and throat causes me to sputter a cough that tightens my chest, making it hard to catch my breath as my sore throat closes up.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Mum bites out, pouring me a cup of water as Dorian walks to the open doorway and waits for him to do as he’s been asked.

“I’m just doing my job,” he tells me as he picks up his phone and the photos. “Going where the evidence leads me.”

Bullshit!I glare at him, ready to tell him where he can shove his evidence as Dorian shakes her head at me.

He’s leaving as Marcus walks in with an enormous bunch of deep sky-blue hydrangeas in his arms and a bag from the deli Rory and I love by his place. “I come bearing gi—” He cuts off, reading the atmosphere in the room. The look he and the detective exchange tells me that our opinions on the cunt match. “What did the bastard want this time?”

“What is Rory’s legal team doing?” Dorian asks him before I can say anything. Marcus looks between the two of us, wide-eyed at her pissed-off tone. “Whatever it is, they need to back off.”

“Dorian…” Mum tries to diffuse her temper.

“I’m doing everything I can to get this done and dusted behind the scenes, so they need to stop with the petty bullshit because that guy”—she points toward the doorway—“is another problem we’re going to have to deal with. The more problems, the longer this drags on, and the bigger it becomes.”

“I’ll pass on the message.” Marcus nods.

“Thank you,” she tells him, her voice softening as she comes to my side. “Barrow is in the meeting now. I have to go into the office to sign some paperwork off for the Crown prosecutor, but I’ll be back later with Dad and dinner. All right?”

“Thanks, Mush.” I’m not sure that pet name fits her anymore.

“Barrow and I have this in hand. You’ll have Rory back before the end of the week. So, all you need to be doing is relaxing and getting ready to go home tomorrow. Trust me.”

“I’ll walk you to the car,” Mum says as she fusses over my blanket and pillows before she follows Dorian out.

As bad as it may sound, it’s nice to have a few minutes without Mum fussing over me. Having her here is something I can’t be grateful enough for, but she hasn’t left in two days, and I need the space.

“I’d hate to get on your sister’s bad side,” Marcus chuckles, putting the flowers down on the over-bed table and pulling a few containers out of the deli bag. “You have stuffed olives, frittata, and roasted peppers with garlic mushrooms.” Pulling a note from his pocket, he hands it to me. “From Rory.”

Although I snatch it from Marcus’ hand, it takes me a moment to collect myself enough to unfold it and another to actually read it:

Hey Doll,

Tears springto my eyes immediately. The hole in my chest that I’ve managed to ignore so far with my worries and the chaos we’re living rips open. I would give anything just to hear him.

I miss you, beautiful girl, and I can’t wait to see your face again soon. So soon. I promise. Take it easy and don’t worry about anything. Not me. Not anything else. Keep our boy safe.

I love you, sweetheart.

---