Page 12 of Redemption

Gawain picks up the blanket and covers me over again. Thankfully, none of the milk went on it.

“I’ll answer the door, and then I’ll clear that up.”

“Ok.” I stand there frozen to the spot while he goes to the front door. Shortly after three people walk in: two men, one I recognize as Kay, the other I don’t know, and a woman who’s heavily pregnant.

“Hi.” The woman is greeted by Gawain with a kiss to her cheek. The three men then huddle together while the woman takes a bag from Kay and comes over to me. I want to take a step back, and she must sense it.

“Hello, I’m Evelyn, Kay’s fiancée.”

“Hi,” I squeak.

She holds the bag out to me, and I look down at it like it’s on fire and will burn me if I touch it.

“There are some clothes for you inside it. Gawain said he didn’t have much here. Just a negligee left by one of his past conquests.”

“Evelyn,” Gawain interrupts her with a hint of fury in his tone. “Megan doesn’t need to hear about that.”

Evelyn rolls her eyes at him and then pats him on the arm. There’s a playful nature to her expression. She is relaxed around these men. Kay comes over and wraps his arm around her waist.

“How’s the arm?” He asks me, and I look to where a temporary dressing was applied to my shoulder over the area where they dug the sensor out.

“Ok,” I reply.

The third man in the room steps forward and places a doctor’s bag on the table. He opens it and pulls out a few instruments. I can feel my heart quickening. Simple medical instruments, but they are sending me into a blind panic.

Evelyn comes to my side.

“He won’t hurt you. He just wants to check your vital statistics and take a blood sample to find out whether you need any medication. I’ve had it done before.”

I open my mouth to ask her the question on the tip of my tongue, but it doesn’t come. I can’t say the word. Evelyn senses my discomfort, and without me needing to say it, she answers, “No, I wasn’t raped.”

The blanket falls off my shoulder. Her eyes flick to the bite marks on my body, and I see recollection there. “Kay rescued me in time. Other things were forced upon me, but I survived, and I’m happy — looking forward to our baby being born in a few weeks.”

Tears form in my eyes, and my bottom lip quivers.

“I don’t know what to think at the moment. I’m so tired and confused.” A lone tear tumbles down my cheek. I look over to Gawain, and I can see the strain of keeping it together on his face. He’s tired as well and angry as hell that M got away.

“You’ll be like that for a long time. Just know we’re all here to help and protect you. They may be a little rough around the edges, but these are the good men…saints in my mind. Anything you need from me, just ask. Let the doctor check you over, and then we’ll get you showered and into some pajamas, so you can sleep for as long as you need to. A little bit of rest works wonders. Heaven knows I need it at the moment.”

I reach out and touch her belly.

“Sorry. I should have asked.”

“You can touch it whenever you want.” Evelyn places her hand over mine and gives it a squeeze.

“Are you scared? Concerned about the world you’re bringing a child into?”

She looks over to Kay, and the love between them is obvious.

“At first, I was terrified, but I know this baby will have a mother and father who will adore him or her. Plus eleven uncles who’ll make sure they’re protected, so no — I’m excited for the future.”

I love her optimism, but at the moment, I can’t share it. I can barely function as a human, and the thought of giving birth to a new life, scares the hell out of me. What I’ve been through has changed a once carefree girl into a shadow of her former self.

Evelyn wipes away my tears, and the doctor approaches with his stethoscope. I think nothing of throwing the blanket off my shoulders, so he can examine me more thoroughly. Kay turns away, but Gawain pulls out his phone, and as the doctor calls out a list of my injuries, he taps them into it.

“Seven fresh bite marks. Signs of past contusions to her right thigh, back, and left shoulder. I can count four burn scars from what looks like a poker, possibly one is a cigar burn?” The doctor looks at me to confirm, and I nod my head, shocked he’s got it right.

“Yes, the one on my leg is from a cigar. I didn’t get down on my knees quickly enough.”

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