Gage

Chapter 8

Gage

I couldn't help it. When she called me ‘officer’ in her low, sultry voice, I felt my c**k twitch. I don't know what was going on with me though. One minute I wanted to get closer to her and get to know her and the next, I would remember my vow to myself. I would remember who she is and what she's done. But based on everything she's saying now, I may not have the whole story.

I'll admit, I wasn't thrilled about the idea of staying here, but this storm is getting pretty bad and if it makes my baby girl happy, I'd do anything.

I followed Wren into her living room and sat on the sofa next to her. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She was wringing her hands and I could see her bite her lower lip. Whatever she was about to say was making her nervous. It spiked a need in me to protect her. To wrap my arms around her and assure her nothing could hurt her anymore.

“I never really wanted to leave home. I wanted to take over the farm, but momma had made me a deal. I couldn't take over unless I went to college and got a degree. So I majored in business management. I went to college in New York. I guess that was mama's way of trying to get me to change my destiny or want to make something of myself. She wanted more for me than this.” she said and waved her hands around the room.

“I met James during my Junior year of college, and we dated up until senior year when he proposed. I of course said yes.” she said, her eyes glazing over as if she was reliving a memory. I wanted to tell her that I knew she was engaged. I wanted to tell her that I knew all of this, but I didn't dare interrupt her.

“Everything changed after that. It was the day after my family went home after visiting for graduation. He started drinking more, he accused me of wanting to leave him for my family. He would yell and berate me daily. I figured he was just stressed from work but yelling turned to arguing, arguing turned to gaslight, which turned into name calling and threats. I tried to leave after he said he would kill me if I ever left him. I made it to Chicago before he found me.”

I clenched my fists as I listened to her go on and on. Being a cop, especially one starting in a major city, I was no stranger to domestic violence calls.

“After he found me, that's when the physical side of everything started. I guess he figured he could beat me into submission. It worked. If I wasn't dressed the way he liked I would get a slap or a shove. If I said something, he didn't agree with he would throw me across the room. If I breathed the wrong way or if I worked one minute of overtime he would lose his cool. He was always accusing me of cheating or wanting to leave him. He would inspect me every time I walked in the door. Making sure I didn't have s*x hair or smell like another man. There were so many times I called for help only to get ignored. He was a master manipulator and liar. It got so bad that I stopped going to the hospital for my injuries and I stopped filing police reports. I was tired of the beatings getting worse every time.”

“God, he broke so many bones. Gave me a concussion, the bruises were endless. I can't have my back to a room now. I can't stand sudden movements. I don't handle people raising their voices at me well. I tried to leave him again after my most recent hospital trip and the only reason I went was that was the time he gave me a concussion after knocking me out. I had packed a bag and stuffed it under the bed. I left for work and waited for him to leave before running back into the house, grabbing my things and leaving. I knew he would track me so I left all my cards behind so I wouldn't be tempted to use them. I paid in cash for a bus ticket and made it to Kansas before I ran out of cash. I was staying in a hotel room figuring out how to get home when he busted the door down.”

“He brought me back to New York and said if I ever left him again, then he was going to kill me and I believed him.” she looked at the wall and I could see tears rolling down her cheeks. She had bitten her lip to the point of it swelling.

“I know you must have been afraid, but why didn't you tell your family? They could have helped you.”

She brought her green eyes up to me and they looked so broken, so hollow.

“At first, it was my pride. I was too ashamed to admit what was happening. I didn't want anyone to know how weak I was to let it go on as long as I had. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could fix him. I thought if I could just love him right and be a good wife he would change. God, I was so wrong. I had started to tell my dad once. I was on the phone and James was passed out in the living room after drinking. I had gone to the bathroom to tell him and see if he could get me away from him but as soon as I started to talk James came out of nowhere and took the phone from me and hung up. He said if I ever told them or anyone anything he was going to hurt them. He said he would hurt them worse than he hurt me. I couldn't let that happen. I had to protect them. He said if I ever tried to leave again he was going to drive to Colorado and kill them himself. I wasn't going to put them at risk so I lied. I told them everything was fine. I told them I was busy. I started ignoring calls, and my trips home kept getting fewer and farther between. I did what I thought was best. I wasn't going to cause them the hurt that I had to deal with. I would take it a million lifetimes over if it meant they were okay.”

She was sobbing and I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair and rubbed her back. She calmed to sniffles and hiccups.

“You protected them.” I whispered repeating her words from earlier. I couldn't help the clench in my jaw hearing her story. I couldn't believe all that she had gone through. That fucker. I swear if I ever get my hands on him. I'd give him a fight his own size. But her story made sense. She was always jumpy, if rooms got too loud she would leave. She never stayed in an argument, she'd always walk away. She always gets defensive when I say she abandoned her family.

Oh god. I am such a d**k.

“I'm sorry.” I whispered into her hair. She pulled back and looked at me confused. “When I said you abandoned your family. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions.” God, the things I had said to her, the way I treated her. I don't even have words.

“No apology necessary. In a way, you're right. I did.”

“No. You didn't. You did what you thought was best. You had their best interests at heart. Abandoning someone is selfish, you were anything but. You put yourself in harm's way so that your family could be safe. That's not selfish. That's love.”

She seemed to be thinking of my words and taking them in. I tilted her chin up so she could look at me. “You are strong for going through what you did and surviving. You are not broken. You are a masterpiece. Even the greatest statues and works of art had cracks in them. I wish I had the strength that you have.”

Her cheeks blushed, and she looked away from me. She was cute when she blushed. “But that's my story. Or at least a condensed version of it.”

“But that doesn't explain how you got away.” I asked, wanting to know. Her face fell, and she laid her head on her knees.

“I got the call that my parents died late at night from the hospital. They said I needed to come down to verify the bodies and I needed to plan the funeral and make arrangements. I used that as my excuse. James hated my family and the farm, so I didn't have to worry about him coming with me. He never came for a visit. He doesn't even know the address or where we live. I took the GPS tracker out of my phone and left everything I owned behind except for a small suitcase that didn't alert any bells. I came here, and I never went back. I feel so despicable for using their deaths as my ticket home, but I saw my way out and I took it.”