Page 26 of Hear Me Roar

“Yes.”

“How long has it been goingon?”

“A while, but in retrospect, the signs had always beenthere.”

Holy crap. Knox was right. After Luis and Reyna left the day we met with Karley, Knox admitted the situation was nagging at him. He’d said both him and Luis agreed something was going on behind closed doors, and they were afraid it could be somethingviolent.

“How bad isit?”

“Just a toss here or there, sometimes a slap or a tight grip on my throat. But it's harder every time and I know it's only going to getworse.”

I gasped and momentarily hesitated to ask the next question. “Is he sexually abusivetoo?”

“I guess on some level, yes. I’m never actually in the mood to be with him, but when he wants it, I give it up. I always regret it afterwardthough.”

“Why?”

“Because I wake up with bruises,” she admitted. “He usually only fucks me when he comes home drunk, and when he’s drunk, he's rough. And not the good kind ofrough.”

Knox growled beside me, completely disgusted by what he was hearing. I can't lie, I was disgusted too. It took a special and twisted type of human being to do this kind ofshit.

“I'm sorry to throw this on you, Hazel, I really am, but you're my only hope,” she said, her tone shaky as though she were fighting back a stream of tears. “I don't expect you to say yes, considering we’ve never met and up until a few months ago, I had idea who you were. But I had to at leasttry.”

“It's okay, really. I've been curious about you for years and despite my feelings regarding what happened between you and your dad, I'd do anything forhim.”

“Those were Karley’s exact words.” She sounded only mildlyamused.

“Huh?”

“When I spoke to her after your meeting and she gave me your phone number, she said you'd do anything for my father, even indeath.”

“She's right, I would,” I agreed, stealing a glance at Knox, who was now dressing to go to work. “Which leads me to ask, how can I helpyou?”

His head snapped toward me at the same time Maya uttered a shocked, “Really?”

“Absolutely. I'd never be able to live with myself if I hung up this phone and learned that later on down the line, your husband did irreplaceabledamage.”

“He's done plenty of that already, trustme.”

“Well, then let's make sure he can't do anymore. What do you need fromme?”

“Shelter. Bodyguards. An army, really.” She laughednervously.

“Based off what you've told me about him, and the little I knew from Karley, I doubt he's just going to let you fly across the nation to meet with someone connected to yourdad.”

“No, no he most certainly would not. I'll have to sneak out here while he's atwork.”

“And is that as easy as you're making itsound?”

I doubted that would be the case, but I figured I'd askanyway.

“No. He has two guards home with me all day; however, they’re not the issue. It's buying an airline ticket that’s going to be the hardpart.”

“And what about if you already had a ticket?” I asked, because I knew what needed to bedone.

“Then I'd be good togo.”

“Give me asec.”

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