Page 34 of Desperation

His eyes softened as he brought his hand to my face, caressing down the side that was unmarked by another man’s fist. As much as I wanted him, I needed to heal, to mend the broken pieces of my heart.

“Let’s take those pictures now.” His hand fell away as I stepped out of his reach. “I just want to get that part over with.” He nodded once and led me into the bathroom where the lighting was best. He took several pictures of my face, some from the side and some from the front. “I have some bruises on other parts of my body. Should we photograph those too?”

He gulped before his emotionless mask slid into place. “Yes,” he answered simply. I hated seeing that mask, but I knew why he did it. He would lose his cool like he did earlier when he ran outside. He knew I’d seen enough rage and violence to last me a lifetime, and he wanted to spare me from witnessing more. I appreciated it, but I knew he’d never be like Drake.

I pulled the sweatshirt over my head and removed the long-sleeved tee, leaving me in a pale blue tank top. He swallowed hard as he examined my skin, his throat bobbing up and down. To his credit, he didn’t let his eyes linger on the black lace of my bra peeking out of the neckline of my top.

“My God, what did he do to you?” His gaze traveled up my arms, ringed with matching darkening marks the size of Drake's hands. Bruises adorned my throat like a cruel necklace. That had been the moment I thought I would die. He didn’t press down long, just enough to let me know he held my life in his hands and could crush it like the dust under his boot. Devon’s face flashed in my mind the few seconds he held onto my throat, and I knew what I would have to do if I survived.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Devon

As usual where Hannah was concerned, I was torn. This time the choice was between staying here to protect and comfort her and leaving to find my shitbag cousin, so I could ensure he never laid a finger on her again. Seeing her skin marred by his cruel hands was almost more than I could handle. Taking pictures to gather evidence made me want to take her into my arms and hold her until her bruises faded.

We would have to return eventually. We both knew that, but I’d needed to remove her from the immediate threat. We would go to the police together, and if they tried to brush her off this time, they would pay dearly. Internal affairs would be notified. Hell, I’d contact the mayor if I had to, but justice would be served.

I handed her shirt back to her, and she slipped it over her head. Jameson was sitting in his bouncy seat, one of the few items of his we’d managed to shove into my truck, when she returned to the living room. I needed to call my mom so she wouldn't worry, then I needed to call Drake. As much as I hated to, we had his son. I didn’t want to give him any ammunition against Hannah or try to claim that I had kidnapped them. As crazy as it sounded, he was the type of person who knew how to manipulate the system. Plus, he had his father on his side.

I slipped into the bedroom where I'd spoken to Mark earlier and dialed my mom’s number. Our conversation was brief. She assured me she was safe and that there was a member of Cole Security with her. I didn’t tell her the whole story; just that I was doing what I had to so I could keep someone safe. That was enough for her.

Then I called Drake. He picked up on the second ring.

“Hello,” he answered with trepidation, and I bit back the threat on the tip of my tongue.

“You promised,” I growled instead. “You were supposed to do better. You were supposed to make her happy.”

“Well hello to you too, cuz,” he sneered. “I take it you’re the one who has my future wife and child.”

“She’s never going to marry you,” I spat, taking his bait.

“Oh, you think she’d marry you, don’t you?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “She’ll have her fun with you and come back to me. She always does.” It was a taunt. Hannah wasn’t like that, but he wanted me to believe she was. He may have gotten me to react first, but now he was showing his cards. He was worried.

“She won’t be coming back. I can assure you of that.”

“We have a child together. Don’t underestimate the importance of family, especially to someone who doesn’t have one.”

I gritted my teeth, holding back the retort that wanted to break free. “Look, this was just a courtesy call to let you know Hannah and Jameson are safe. Don’t come looking for her. We’ll return when she’s ready, but don’t think for one second I’ll allow you to be alone with her ever again.”

He laughed, sending a spike of anger humming through my blood. “You think you have a say so over what I do withmyfamily? You’re going to regret meddling in my affairs. I will get them back, and when I find you, I’ll make you watch as I punish her for leaving and taking my son from me.”

I ended the call, unwilling to subject myself to any more of his venomous declarations. He was unhinged. We’d have to stay here longer than originally planned. I would have to find a way to get the pictures of Hannah to the police, to someone who wasn’t under Hank Wilder’s thumb. I wouldn’t risk bringing her back to that town until Drake was behind bars.

I took several minutes to collect myself, and when I was finally calm, I went back to Hannah. “The bedroom is finally warm enough for you guys to sleep. His bassinet is ready too.” I gave her a tight lipped smile, but she didn’t notice. She was trying to feed him a jar of baby food, but he was wearing as much—if not more of it—than what had actually gotten into his mouth. His bib was covered in green mush, but he was smiling. Hannah spoke to him in that soft, high-pitched voice women reserved for babies. He was enamored with her, and I certainly couldn’t blame him.

I sank down on the floor next to her and listened to his subtle giggles as she tickled his feet. I hoped what happened with Drake didn’t destroy her. There was a fire that burned brightly inside her, but even the brightest stars could be snuffed out. And Drake Wilder was a black hole. He would suck every bit of light and oxygen from her until he extinguished her completely.

“Is there just one bedroom?” she asked casually.

“No, there’s a second bedroom. It’s smaller, though. And has a desk. There wouldn’t be room for his bassinet.”

“Oh,” was all she said, and I wanted to read into it. My mind whirled with all the possibilities of what that single syllable meant, but I clamped it down. I couldn’t think like that now. She had been through a great trauma and was incredibly vulnerable. The last thing she needed was another man sniffing around while she tried to make peace and recover.

“Do you want to watch TV? A movie? Mark said there was a satellite dish here and an impressive DVD collection,” I added to lighten the mood.

“Sure. It would be nice to forget about everything for a little while.” Melancholy coated her words even as she tried to put on a brave front. We moved to the couch, and she positioned Jameson so he could see the TV resting above the fireplace too. I let Hannah choose the movie, breathing a sigh of relief when she chose a comedy. There were a ton of war movies in the collection, but I didn't want to relive any of that now; especially after today's drama. My emotions were raw, my anger and despair barely contained below the surface. I wouldn’t let Hannah see any of it. She had enough to deal with as it was.

Before the movie was over, Hannah was asleep, curled up against the arm of the couch with a blanket tucked around her slim frame. Hunger satiated from an earlier feeding, Jameson snored lightly from his seat. Something deep and primal tugged at my chest watching the two in their peaceful slumber. I would protect them at any cost. Drake would never hurt Hannah again, so long as I still drew breath. And that baby… Well, he’d nestled his way right into my heart along with his mother.

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