“And if you think you actually mean something to him, you’re deluding yourself. Men don’t marry women they fuck like dogs. They use them. That’s all he’s doing with you. You’re his temporary diversion. Another slut will step up in line behind you.”
She ignored the insults he was lobbing her way. “I’m not telling anyone anything until you drop the charges and give me those pictures.”
He smiled. “When we land in Atlanta, I’ll call the police station and will give you the pictures then. You can also verify that Marilyn deleted them from her phone.”
“Fine.”
“Now go pack. I don’t want to be late.”
She pushed up from the chair to stalk toward her bedroom.
“And sweetheart—”
She turned to glare at him.
“I so can’t wait to see you on your knees in front of the congregation. I’m starting to see the appeal Kade finds in putting you in that position.”
“Fuck you, Doug.”
“I’m sure you will. Soon,” he said with smarmy confidence.
She was glad she didn’t have a gun in the house because, right now, life in prison was sounding worth it.
THIRTY
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Kade asked, once again, standing in Sam’s doorway and praying the woman would help him. He’d already been to Tessa’s house to find it locked up and her car sitting in the driveway. She wasn’t answering her phone. And she’d been a no show at the police station the day before. He’d been climbing the walls with worry waiting to get the bail processed so he could get out. Then this morning, they’d let him out saying the charges had been dropped.
“She’s in Atlanta,” Sam said, lines of strain around her mouth. “She called me a few hours ago.”
“Atlanta? Fuck. Why would she go back there?” Then a sickening realization wrapped around him. “What did that asshole do?”
“I don’t know the whole story, but I’m guessing there’s a reason charges were dropped for you.”
“Christ.” He scraped a hand through his hair. “She didn’t need to go anywhere with him. I would’ve handled it. He’d have to prove it in court, and I don’t care if he claims to have a witness or not.”
“She was worried about your custody case. And honestly, I think he’s holding more over her than the charges. She wouldn’t have gone with him easily.”
His fists curled at the thought of Doug laying one finger on Tessa or threatening her in any way. He would kill the sonofabitch. “I’m going to get her.”
Sam’s hand darted out, grabbing him before he could leave. “Hold up.”
“Don’t try to talk me out of this, Sam. You don’t know what that guy is capable of. He’s demented, sick, and cruel.” Flashes of the night Doug had jumped him in high school flickered through his mind in painful succession, ripping open old scars he thought long healed. “She can’t be near him.”
“Look, you don’t have to convince me of that. But she gave me specific instructions to tell you not to come. She needs a little time. She has to take care of some things, and you’ll only get in the way.”
“In the way?” The words stung. “I can’t let her stay there with him. He could hurt her. She needs my help.”
Sam’s expression turned sympathetic. “I know how you feel, believe me. I’ve been sick about it since she called me. But she said to tell you to trust her, to focus on keeping your image clean for the courts. That she has a plan and can handle herself. And you know, I think she can. She’s a lot tougher than she used to be.”
He leaned back against the wall. Trust. Letting her handle herself. He could deal with the first. He did trust her. But he also knew she could put herself at more risk than she realized with Doug. He’d never told her or anyone the extent of what had really happened that night. Everyone knew he’d been beaten up. The groundskeeper had found him naked, bloodied, and hog-tied behind the bleachers on the football field the morning after and word had spread fast. But no one else had seen how broken he’d been; no one knew how cruel Doug had gotten.
He’d been too damaged, humiliated, and disgusted afterward to cope. He hadn’t been able to bear the thought of Tessa seeing him that way. Of anyone seeing him like that. It felt like the shame of that night was printed on his skin, like everyone would see all his secrets just by looking at him. So when he’d left home, he’d closed that chapter of his life and tried to forget it. But now blind panic filled him, knowing Tessa was with Doug. Doug who was capable of far more tha
n verbal abuse.
“She’s not safe with him,” he said, rubbing his hand over his forehead. “I have to get to her.”
“Kade—” Sam called.