Page 138 of With Wine Comes War

He huffed with a smile on his face while shaking his head, “He did his best to talk her out of it. Basically, he said it was nuts, but I think Tanner pissed him off and Alex was very compelling in his office. You know she told the judge she wasn’t in there for herself. She was in there for all the women who didn’t think they could get justice against a ‘predator’ like Tanner. He didn’t even blink after that. He grabbed his pen and signed on the dotted line.”

“Damn, she’s a determined lady, isn’t she?”

A voice behind me said, “Yes she is.” I turned around to find Grant and Alessandro. I nodded and shook both of their hands.

Jack said, “While I’ve got all of you here. I just wanted to let you know that Alex won’t be dealing with any legal action from this fight, so the only kind of worrying you need to do is about her state of mind. It’s not good. We nipped the legal shit in the bud, but she’s got some work to do on herself. The judge already said the paperwork he signed from this nonsense will prohibit either party from suing.”

Well, that was a breath of fresh air. Alex sure did go to extreme measures to make shit happen, didn’t she?

After Alex and my mom went to the hospital, we all decided to meet at Maggie and Matt’s house to wait and see if Alex was up for visitors, otherwise hopefully she would let us come see her tomorrow.

***

ALEX

Bruce’s arms were still tight around me like a vice grip but someone was holding my hands. When I got focus again I saw that it was Dr. King. That’s when I let out my breath and a horrific cry and let go of the rage and anger. Bruce let me go and I collapsed onto the mat. I was hyperventilating and crying. That was awful. I could’ve killed him and I would have if someone hadn’t stopped me. Oh my God, what have I done?

Bruce was telling me it was ok, that Tanner was going to be fine. I couldn’t breathe.

Dr. King said, “Alex, we’re going to have you looked at by the paramedics now.” I nodded but couldn’t stop crying. I became the monster I was fighting. I was still choking on sobs when the paramedics came over and asked me the usual questions if I was hurt and Ishook my head until one of them touched my side and I flinched. That fucking hurt.They told me they thought I had at least one broken rib and would need to go to the hospital to be looked at.

Finally, I stopped crying. “Dr. King, will you go with me to the hospital? I need to talk to you.” She nodded and I pleaded, “Please tell Roman not to come. I wish he hadn’t seen any of this. In fact, I don’t want to see anyone right now, Ok? Maybe later but not right now.” What the hell would I say to anyone?

Bruce and Lisette left me with the paramedics and that’s when I could feel the adrenaline leaving my body and the actual pain creeping in. I thought I was going to pass out. My jaw and my side were on fire.

I hoped all these people saw what a monster Tanner was, and the power of popular opinion would keep him far away from Cincinnati when he finally got out of jail. I also hoped that other pieces of shit just like him knew they were on notice, because I planned to teach self-defense classes at Bruce’s studio. If I can arm every woman in this city with the ability to take on an attacker, I will.

They helped me out of the ring and wanted me to get on the gurney. I didn’t want to, but they were taking me to the hospital in the ambulance, so they told me I had to be strapped in to ride in there. I told them I needed my doctor to ride with me, so they got Dr. King. She held my hand all the way to the hospital.

On the way there I said, “Lisette, I’m so sorry for hurting Roman. None of this felt like me. It felt like a part of me had broken off and had a mind of its own. I felt like I was going crazy.”

She just nodded and listened.

I said, “I need to be locked up.”

She smiled and said, “I don’t think you need to be locked up. I do think you need a break, though. Let me talk to a friend of mine. They own a retreat in Indonesia. In Bali.”

I smiled and said, “That sounds like a vacation for nutjobs.”

“Kind of. There are no padded walls. In fact, there’s not a lot of walls at all.”

“Is it like ‘Naked and Afraid’? I get dropped off in the middle of nowhere and fend for myself?” She laughed, and for the first time in a long time, I genuinely laughed too.

She said, “No. It’s a place with no alcohol, no electronics, and no self-deprecating behavior. You just have to spend time with you.”

“How long is this rehab?” I let out a much-needed cleansing breath.

“Forty-five days,” she said, so matter-of-factly, I realized she must have some serious knowledge of this place. Must have sent a lot of her nutty patients there.

“When do you think I could get in?”

The sooner the better. I needed to get on with my life now.

“I’ll talk to my friend and see if I can get you in immediately. In the meantime, I want you to stay in the hospital on the psych ward. I’ll admit you. There’s a nice private room that I use for my special patients. Only you can allow visitors. You’ll need to give me the list of those you choose. I’m going to have some exercises for you to do while you’re waiting for your place at the rehab center.”

Lisette had called ahead and had the room reserved. They took me straight to x-ray and got that over with. I had two cracked ribs and a fractured cheekbone.Nice work, Alex.I mean who would do that to themselves. What I did was sadistic, I have to admit.

As soon as they wheeled me back to the room, I changed into the hospital gown then sat in the bed and wrote out the list of visitors that I would accept and when. Lisette had gone to call the rehab center to see when they could take me. My list consisted of my dad, my aunt, my brothers, Abby and Jack, Matt and Maggie, Shay and the boys, Ella and Darius, Grant and the Santoros, Bruce, and Harrison and Amelia could come any time. Roman was on the list too, but I wasn’t ready to see him yet so I indicated that I would let Dr. King know on that one.

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