Claimed by My Broken Bodyguard

Chapter Two

Seona’s POV

‘Seona? . . Seona!’ a voice is calling to me and I want to answer but my mouth won’t work.

‘Seona, wake up, please! Jesus, what the f.uck did he do! Seona!’

I groan softly, trying to move my head but I’m immediately held still by what I think is someone’s hands.

‘Don’t move sis, just lie still, I’m going to get help’ the voice tells me again.

It hurts to breathe, like I’m being knifed in the side every time I inhale, my face aches and when I try to move my left arm it’s like dead weight not co-operating with me.

I hear movement beside me before the voice starts mumbling, I whimper as fingers press into my side, the pain rousing me further as I force open my eyes as best as I can, which is no more than a slit.

‘I found her on the kitchen floor, f.ucker has done a right job on her, we’re lucky I stopped over on my way or she could have been here all night’ the male voice growls before pausing.

‘Not here, good job too, I’d have killed him’ he replies to whatever the person on the other end of the phone he seems to be talking into says.

‘Noah?’ I croak, finally recognising the voice, the bulky body shifting until my brother’s worried face comes into view.

‘Se?’ the quarterback replies, ‘can you hear me? I’m here, I’ve got you, don’t worry, mum is on her way, we’ll get you help.’

I try to shake my head, but pain stops me again, ‘I’m OK’ I manage to croak, sliding my only responding hand across the floor through something wet and sticky wanting to push myself up.

‘No you are not!’ Noah hisses, ‘you look like you’ve been in a damn car wreck Seona! You are lucky that the b.astard didn’t kill you.’

I flinch at my brother’s tone, but keep trying to push myself up, ‘wasn’t his fault’ I mutter as nausea washes over me and two hands hold me down to stop me moving.

‘Like hell it wasn’t’ my younger sibling snaps back angrily, ‘both your eyes are black Se! Don’t tell me you fell down the f.ucking stairs again! I know what happened, don’t lie to me.’

I close my eyes again, my head hurting, ‘fell’ I mumble, ‘hit table on way down . . ‘

I don’t hear anything else, as I slip back into peaceful oblivion.

When I rouse again, the sterile smell of disinfectant assaults my nostrils and I scrunch up my nose instinctively, the facial expression causing me to groan softly.

A hand tightens around my own quickly as another brushes back my hair, two wet drops falling on my face as I open my eyes.

Staring back at me are two identical eyes, older, with lines at the corners, but usually still with so much life in them. Now they are filled with terror and hurt as they roam over my face.

‘Hey sweetheart’ my mum says softly, sniffing as she gives me a small smile. ‘How are you feeling? Do you need a drink?’

I shake my head, wincing, ‘where . . . am . . I?’ I manage to ask.

Mum sighs, ‘you’re in the hospital sweetie’ she tells me, ‘Noah called an ambulance when you passed out again.’

My heart rate picks up as panic sets in, my arms feeling like lead as I reach over me, trying to pull off the covers that are tucked in around me.

‘I . . have . . .go’ I whimper, oh God, he’s going to be so mad at me. Davis is going to come back; he’ll expect me to be there!

My mother holds me down, ‘you can’t leave Seona! You have three broken ribs, a fractured eye socket, your arm is broken, and they said that there is possible damage to your kidneys.’

I blink back tears as I look first at her, taking in the grey tinge of her skin, and the red around her eyes as if she’s been crying, before my gaze drops to my arm which is now in plaster.

Mum brushes my hair back from my forehead, tears welling in her eyes again as she breathes out a pained sigh, ‘oh my baby’ she whispers, ‘what did he do to you?’

‘It wasn’t . .’ I start to argue instinctively when a door clicks open and heavy footfalls approach my bed. The steps are confident, heavy, reminiscent of Davis’ and I instinctively hunch in on myself as best I can.

‘Mrs Thomas’ a professional voice calls out to me, and I drag my gaze up from the sheets as my mother steps back to find a man in his fifties wearing a white coat at the foot of my bed.

I flick my gaze to my mother who nods, taking charge, ‘yes, this is Seona Thomas’ she replies.

The doctor nods, picking up my chart that sits in a holder at the end of my bed and scans the contents.

He moves closer to me, glancing at the machines that beep beside me before speaking.

‘Mrs Thomas, I am Doctor Rachid, I have just taken over your care and the staff have brought me up to speed on your injuries. You have sustained some quite serious injuries’ he tells me sternly, ‘I’m assuming that your mother has informed you about them?’ he adds as I give the smallest of nods I can.

The doctor nods as well, ‘the bones will take time to heal, you need rest, no heavy lifting. There doesn’t seem to be signs of a concussion but I would prefer to keep you in overnight just to monitor. . .’

I whimper, eyes widening as I start to shake my head through the pain, I can’t stay here overnight.

The doctor blows out an exasperated breath as he studies me, ‘you don’t have to go back there’ he tells me, ‘we can help you get away . . . domestic abuse . . ‘

I shake my head again, ‘I fell’ I gasp out, ‘hit side on table . . ‘

Doctor Rachid shares a look with my mother before returning his attention to me, ‘mrs Thomas, it’s OK, you are safe here, we can call the police . . ‘

‘No!’ my words ring out much clearer as I reach out my good arm and claw for his arm, ‘please! No, no police! I . . . I have nothing . . to report . . I fell.’

‘Seona . . ‘ my mother starts but I turn my head away as much as I can, ‘I fell’ I repeat.

‘Doctor, please . .’ my mother begs the man beside me as he sighs.

‘I’m sorry, but unless Mrs Thomas is willing to admit what happened to her and press charges, there is nothing I can do’ he murmurs.

I hear the footsteps again then the soft opening and closing of the door but I remain facing the wall.

Taking a chair, my mother holds my hand, the pair of us silent until the door opens again and I turn toward it just as Noah walks in, two coffee’s balanced in his hands.

Seeing me awake, he hurries toward me, handing our mother the take away cups before taking my hand in his and squeezing it.

‘Hey Se’ he murmurs, running his thumb over the back of my hand, ‘how are you feeling?’

I try to smile but my face is too swollen, ‘thought you . . had wedding . . ‘ I reply, remembering that he called me yesterday, trying once again to convince me to accompany him. My best friend Daisy was going to be there too, and he offered to pick me up, but I had to turn him down. Davis had already said he didn’t want me to go when I asked him the first time, he has never liked Daisy, and when I told him it was Callan Hownell’s wedding he had scoffed, saying that the Hownell’s were shady and he didn’t want me around them.

My brother flinches, ‘yeah, but you are more important’ he tells me gruffly.

I frown, squeezing his hand, ‘you should go’ I wheeze out, ‘your friends . . ‘

Noah shakes his head, ‘they’ll understand’ he cuts me off, ‘you need me.’

I groan as I shift slightly, ‘I’m . . fine . . I just . . fell’ I tell him.

‘B.ullshit’ he snarls, making me jump, a cry of pain leaving my lips from the movement. Eyes softening, Noah clings to my hand, ‘you didn’t fall Se’ he tells me, ‘I know you didn’t, mum knows, the doctors know, hell the receptionist who checked us in probably knows. Your husband beat you up and it’s not the first f.ucking time.’

My eyes start to mist as I bite my lip, not wanting to hear what my brother is saying, not wanting to admit it.

‘He’s not always . . like this’ I whisper, ‘sometimes . . he just gets angry . . ‘

Noah nods, ‘yeah, and he apologizes right? Brings you flowers, touches the marks on your face whilst giving you a sad look. He tells you it won’t happen again, that he’s stressed or he’s had a bad day . . . but he does Seona. The beatings become more regular and more vicious and he’s no longer apologizing for it because it’s your fault not his. You did something that made him angry and he lashed out, you just need to do better, be better and he won’t hurt you anymore . . ‘

I stare up at the quarterback in fear, unable to look away from the broken expression on his face as she reaches out and touches my face, feeling the bruising that I know is there.

‘He’s not going to stop Se’ he tells me desperately, ‘he nearly killed you tonight. If I hadn’t stopped by, taken one last chance to convince you, you could have bled out on the floor from the gash to your head.’

My brother swallows thickly, ‘please Se, I’m begging you, let us help you, we can get you away from him, protect you.’

I shake my head, ‘he’ll come after you, I can’t . . . what if he hurts you both?’ I whisper, the words finally spilling from my lips that haunt me. Words that I carried from previous beatings where he swore he’d kill my family if I tried to leave him . .

Noah gives me a determined look, ‘you don’t need to worry about that, I know some people, they’ll help us.’

I bite my lip, ‘but he’s a police officer’ I whisper, ‘he’s protected.’

My brother smiles, ‘yeah well these people? They make our law enforcement look like incompetent idiots. They are highly trained and do this type of thing for a living, Seona, they can protect you and mum.’

I flick my gaze to my mother who is silently begging me with her eyes to agree. Looking back at my brother I slowly nod, ‘OK’ I whisper, ‘I’ll . . I’ll leave him.’

I give my brother a firm look, ‘but you need to go to that wedding’ I tell him, ‘go!’

Noah hesitates, looking ready to argue with me but I’m not having it, his life has been effected more than enough by my problems. Obviously seeing my stubbornness in my expression, my brother pulls out his phone from the front of his jeans, and fires off a message, waiting for the reply before pocketing it again.

‘My friends are coming to watch your room’ he tells me, holding up a hand when I open my mouth to argue. ‘No Seona, they are coming, I am not leaving you and mum alone here. You just agreed to leave the asshole, I don’t want him or any cop getting near you right now.’

I sink deeper into my pillow, my eyes already falling close, ‘OK’ I murmur reluctantly, too exhausted to argue with him anymore.