Page 23 of Patch's Bride
I grasp his hands more firmly, nervous about what he’ll do when I tell him everything. “Well, since my mom died, my stepdad is her legal guardian. It used to be the two of them, but now that my mother’s gone, it’s just him. He’s been texting me.”
“What the hell? On your new phone? I thought he was just sending stuff to your old number. You should have told me. How did he get your new number?”
Swallowing thickly, I tell him, “I think Father Michael gave it to him.”
His hands slip from mine, and he jerks his chin towards my duffel bag. “Show me what that miserable fuck has been texting you.”
I fumble through my bag for my phone, turn it on. The screen lights up with dozens of messages. When I hold the phone outto him, he begins swiping through the dozens of text messages, reading them aloud.
“You think this little marriage makes you grown? You’re too young to know what you want.”
He glances up at me, his eyes alarmed. I realize how toxic the situation must seem to him now being exposed to it for the first time. I’m used to my stepfather’s antics.
He continues reading, “Just so you know, I’m Lila’s legal guardian now. That means I get to decide what’s best for her. I can pull her out of that place whenever I want. That’s exactly what I’m going to do if you don’t get your ass back home.”
He lowers the phone and stares at me. “Do you think he would really take your sister out of the care home if you don’t do as he says?”
I nod, my voice breaking again. “Yeah, he likes to use what he calls leverage to get his way. He always follows through on his threats.”
“He sounds like a piece of work,” he says grimly.
“I’m really afraid for my sister. My mother and biological dad worked for years to get her into that placement. It’s the best in the area. If he takes her out, she won’t survive without the specialized care she’s getting. And I don’t know how to stop him from making good on this threat.”
I bury my face in my hands and start crying because he’s a doctor and I should have told him sooner instead of being so stubborn. If anyone can help me, Patch can.
When he doesn’t respond, I risk a glance at him. Instead of anger, disgust or any kind of negativity on his face, I see deep concentration as he reads the rest of the messages. It takes him a minute to organize his thoughts. “He said in one of the messagesthat your sister was at Sunnybrook over in Bedford County. Is that true?”
I take a deep breath and tell him, “Yes, she’s been there since I was in first grade.”
He gets off his knees and sits beside me on the bed. The mattress dips, causing me to tip towards him a bit. I catch myself by placing my hand quickly on his large bicep, and I pull my hand back quickly.
Patch presses his lips together for a brief moment before saying, “You’re under my protection, and I take that responsibility seriously. There is no way in hell I’m gonna let that asshole stepfather of yours fuck up the medical placement she needs to survive. Your sister is now mine to protect too.”
I feel something in my chest loosening. His words give me hope that working together, we can protect her. Patch is a good man. I always thought he was but now I know it. I stare up at him. “How can we stop him if he’s the one with guardianship?”
He leans forward with his elbows braced on his knees and the blanket around his waist draping down so far, I can clearly see his happy trail. “We tear it all down. First thing, I’m calling the care home. I need to hear from them what authority he actually has. If guardianship passed to him after your mom, we’ll verify it. For all we know, he could be bluffing about that.”
Handing me back the phone, he says, “I need you to text back and forth with your stepfather. I don’t think he texted enough so far about his intent to harm her to challenge his guardianship.”
“I can do that,” I assure him eagerly.
“Good, when you text him back, plead with him to keep your sister in her placement. Tell him she won’t survive at home because he doesn’t know how to provide care for her, and she regularly needs medical support from trained professionals.Unless I miss my guess, he’s stupid enough to incriminate himself.”
My fake fiancé is a clever man. I excitedly grab my phone from his hand and begin typing out a text. I’m anxious at first but that gives way to happiness as I realize that Patch is right. “Is this the kind of thing we need?” I ask, turning the phone around for him to see.
He reads the text out loud. “I don’t care about your sister. She’s just a drain on public resources anyway. I care about you, Elizabeth. I’ve got big plans for you that don’t include being married to a man who can’t decide if he wants to be a doctor or a biker.”
“That’s exactly what we need. Now keep texting him, asking why he wants you to come home and see if you can get him to admit to anything else incriminating.”
After several exchanges, I frown. “He’s not saying anything about trafficking me.”
Patch rolls his eyes. “He must have an ounce of common sense then. Good for him.” He continues, “Next, we’ll visit her care home, and I’ll try to get a handle on exactly what her needs are. We’ll talk to her about what she needs and wants for herself.”
“I’m pretty sure that doesn’t entail going home with my stepfather. She hates him.”
“She’s in good company. I fucking hate him as well.” After a thoughtful pause, he adds, “We’ll make a report to adult protective services, handing over the text information. If they don’t immediately file for a petition to terminate guardianship, you and I will file for a court injunction to keep her from being removed from her current placement pending approval by thecourt. That’ll keep him from pulling her out before a judge looks at the case.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking by trying to do this alone. I should have talked to you sooner. This is medical and that puts it squarely in your wheelhouse.”
