Page 40 of Echoes of Obsession

I nod my agreement.

“Come with me, little darling,” Venom says, suddenly sounding like someone from England. “Maybe after we check you over, we can talk Ghost into ordering some chicken. Course that will have to be once we get back.”

Venom, I mean Doc, walks backward while signing everything he’s saying to Zoe. When he trips over Sky, Zoe giggles, which makes Doc smile.

The moment itself is precious, but all I can think about is getting revenge.

Sky stops at my side, my medicine bag in her mouth.

“Fuck, are you about to have a seizure?” Ghost asks. “Come on, Snow. Let’s get you someplace soft.”

“It’s fine,” I say, accepting the bag from Sky. “His collar vibrates at the same time my watch does for my meds. When it vibrates, he’s trained to watch and see if I take my pills. If not, he usually brings them to me. Listen, can you watch Zoe for me for a few hours?”

“Baby, let me take care of this,” Ghost says, pulling me onto his lap. We’re both still sitting on the bathroom floor, but I can’t find it in me to move. “Trust me that the fucker will get what’s coming to him.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble,” I admit.

“If I let him live, I’ll make sure he doesn’t talk,” Ghost growls. “Now, let’s go and find Doc and Dove. He won’t look at her bottom until you’re in the room.”

Ghost stands and practically pulls me to my feet.

“You have got to stop manhandling me,” I complain. “I still can’t for the life of me figure out how you can even lift my big butt.”

“The good Lord made me strong so that when I found my perfect woman, lifting her big butt wouldn’t be an issue.”

I should be offended, but I find myself smiling as Ghost leads us out of the room.

Once I arrive at Zoe’s side, Doc examines her quickly. His face is blank throughout the whole process. He doesn’t touch her much; he mainly looks at her or asks her questions.

“I’m going to be blunt,” Doc says after sending Zoe from the room wearing a pair of Allie’s shorts. “I find it’s the best way to get my point across without confusion.”

“Alright,” I nod.

“She wasn’t molested,” he states. “There is no bruising to her private areas.”

My heart stops because that thought didn’t even occur to me. What if she had been and I hadn’t noticed?

“It’s okay, babe,” Ghost says. “She’s fine.”

“I didn’t even think about that possibility,” I admit. “I’m a horrible mother.”

“Not even close,” Ghost growls.

“However, and this might not be easy to hear,” Doc continues. “She was beaten brutally with not only a hand but a belt and what I can only assume was a switch.”

“Oh no,” I cry.

“There is breakage of the skin where one of the handprints is, indicating she was hit hard,” Doc says formally, showing next to no emotion as he explains his findings. “There are, however, a few older marks. This isn’t the first time she was whipped by him.”

“Beaten,” Ghost growls. “She wasn’t whipped, she was fucking beaten.”

“This has happened before?” I cry. “Why haven’t I noticed?”

“She said they were never that bad before,” Doc explains. “From what I understand, she was protecting you.”

“It’s not her job to protect me,” I shout. “Ghost, give me back my phone?”

“I’m not letting you buy a damn gun, Snow,” he says. “I’m going to settle you in with our girl and my men and I are going to take care of this.”

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