He leaned back then cupped her cheeks. “Can you tell us what happened?”
She took a deep breath in then let it out slowly. “His name is Abraham Hope. He thinks he’s my fiancé because our parents made an arrangement when we were children. It’s what finally prompted me to leave. I’d overheard them talk about it,” she said for Jack’s benefit.
“I didn’t the name of the boy they arranged for me to marry. But Abraham knew about me. Apparently, he saw my father throw out the letter I sent a while ago and took it. It had my address on it. He came after me because he thought I belonged to him. He’s off his rocker.”
“How did he get into your apartment?” Jack asked
“He approached me outside while I was waiting for the taxi. I didn’t think he was that much of a threat until he pulled out the knife and threatened to hurt me. He—he was going to rape me, I think. Then take me back with him.”
“Your parents knew?” Tiny growled.
“No. He said they want nothing to do with me. He thought once I was punished and repented they would forgive me.” She clenched her hands together once she saw how they shook. “He was the one who sent the flowers. Who was following me all this time. It wasn’t Maddy. I guess she did the break-ins, he didn’t know where my bedroom was so I don’t think he’d actually been in here. But I think he was everything else.”
“Motherfucking bastard,” Tiny muttered. He stood, pulling her up, then sat and drew her into his lap.
Jack sighed. “I’ll go to the hospital, try and be there when he awakens.” He stared down at Reagan. “You need a keeper, kid.”
“She has one,” Tiny told him with a growl.
Jack just smiled. “You’ll need to come give a formal statement.”
“We’ll do that. Right now, Reagan needs some calm.”
Once everyone left, Tiny drew Reagan up then sat on the chair with her on his lap. He hugged her tight and gradually, Reagan felt herself relaxing. With Tiny here, she was safe.
“Should have been here. He should never have touched you.”
She leaned back and stared up at him. “It’s over. I’m safe. You saved me.”
“I made a mistake. Shouldn’t have left. I won’t do that again.”
“Thank God,” she said fervently. “I’m coming home with you. I was coming for the weekend to talk to you, but I’m going to ask Lionel if I can work out my notice from Dallas. I can’t be apart from you any longer.”
“I’ll move here.”
“No.” She shook her head as she looked around her apartment with a shudder. “I can’t stay here.”
“We can move apartments.”
“If I’m going to move apartments, I might as well move cities. It won’t be easy, but I can do it.”
He hugged her tight.
“I thought he was going to kill me. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Can’t believe there were two. I left you alone, and you were still in danger.”
“You didn’t know. Maddy won’t talk. No of us knew that she didn’t leave the flowers and notes. I mean, what are the odds of there being two of them? It wasn’t like they were even working together. It wasn’t your fault, Tiny.”
“Jack is right. You need a keeper. You attract trouble.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Just as well I’ve got my very own bodyguard Dom, then, huh?”
Epilogue
“Set things up however you want,” Tiny told her. “You don’t like it here then we’ll move.”
Reagan studied Tiny’s living room. It was sparse. A corner sofa, large television, and a scarred coffee table. In the dining room, in place of table was a billiards table. It was bare, but she liked it. The large windows let in plenty of light, and the wooden floors were gorgeous. It had some real charm.