Page 16 of From My Past
“We will talk more about the meeting later, but I need to know more about Talia now. Why do you think he was hitting her?”
“Other than the fact that her face is bruised and so fucking swollen and they told me that she ‘fell down the stairs’ like I am an idiot who didn’t know about bruising from fist fights, she passed out sitting next to me in the booth after clearly being told exactly what to say, how to act. Fuck, she wouldn’t even take a painkiller after I offered her some. Then when she fell asleep, he looked livid. I couldn’t imagine being mad at the woman I’m with especially after what they claimed was an accident that had caused that much damage. I don’t think I would be out at a bar if my girl was that injured.”
“Where do I find him?” I said through clenched teeth as my hand gripped the cell phone tightly. I grabbed my leather jacket off the back of a chair and made my way to my Mustang. It was a vintage GT with black exterior, black interior, and purred like a damn kitten.
“I’m still at the meeting with him so calm down. But from how I just watched him wake her up, he’s going to send her home and then take care of her later. So, if you’re going to do anything, I’d go to their house. I’m watching her leave the bar by herself from the little hallway across the room, I’ll have Bryan go pick her up and take her home.”
“Where do they live?” I turned the keys and started the ignition, hearing the engine purr to life.
“I don’t know. But man, I have to go, she is leaving and I’m sure he is starting to think something is up if I don’t get back there soon. Give it a bit and text Bryan so you can get the info from him.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Of course. I know how much she meant to you and I am never okay with someone putting hands on a woman. She needs help and we can help her.” With that, Trent hung up and I stared at my phone as the dial tone played. I needed to get her address. Knowing that Bryan was with her, I rested a bit easier.
I rested my head against the steering wheel. Fuck waiting for a bit.
I pulled my phone out and messaged Bryan quickly. He was used to my short, clipped messages from the orders I give at work.
Now, all I have to do is wait for his response.
* * *
I sat in my car letting the engine idle outside Talia’s apartment building. I’m happy that Bryan was so forthcoming with everything that happened, but I wish it had been me. I needed to see her. Bryan had suggested that I not go in, guns blazing and rescue her. He told me how scared she was, but I couldn’t just sit there, doing absolutely nothing.
Not now that I knew where she was. It was like the dam that I had built up broke, I had spent so long staying away from her that now I couldn’t.
So, I sat here. Outside her apartment building like a tatted up, mentally unstable guardian angel who was still infatuated with a girl that I only had one night with, five years ago. The building was an older one; brick exterior with wide windows that had iron grids on them. It wasn’t a very tall building and since Bryan told me that her apartment number was 202, I’d wager that they were on the second floor.
Who said she even still remembered me? I was the one who had left the morning after.
Who’s to say that I wasn’t going to make things worse for her if I did rush in? Was this Luca asshole packing, would he hurt her further if he saw me coming?
There were too many unknown variables for me to just run in. I was taught to think things through rationally before making decisions, it was one of the main things my father taught me before he let me be Vice, his Second-in-Command.
I punched the steering wheel; it was too frustrating. Too overwhelming. Too out of my control.
The light flicked on in a window and it gave me a pretty good view into the apartment. I made mental notes about how the apartment was laid out based on what I could see, where the front door was and entrances/exits from the complex. I had no idea if it was their apartment or not, but I had hope.
Leaning forward over the steering wheel, I watched as a person approached the window and my breath caught.
It was her.
Talia.
The girl who turned my world upside down.
Trenton was right, she was beaten up. She had long blonde hair and was in short black shorts that hugged all her curves and a baggy t-shirt that she had tucked into one side to show her shorts. Her face was a mixture of purples and blues, one of her eyes was almost shut. God. What did he do to her? I tightened my grip on the white steering wheel to the point where my knuckles were turning white. Even with the injuries, it was still without a doubt her.
I sat, every bit of my attention on the woman in the window, watching as she put her forehead against the window and her shoulders sagged. She was surviving.
I watched as she took a deep breath and stood up straight, pushing her shoulders back like she had just made a decision. She grabbed the curtains and pulled them shut.
With the view of Talia gone, I sat back in my seat and let a deep breath out. My heart was hurting as much as my head. The girl that I knew was locked in there somewhere and I had to save her. I pulled the elastic out of my hair and let the curls fall.
I need to get her out.
And I would.
