“Time. Time will heal everything. We just need to be patient.”
She felt so bad for her best friend. Val had put her entire life on hold for her sister. She left her job with the police department in New York after saving her sister and her nephew and moved out here to continue to care for them and, slowly, work to make money to support them. Helena wished there was more she could do.
“You’re such a good person, Val. I mean it. I don’t know many people who could have survived what you all did, and then to put your life on hold...”
“No, it’s not like my life is on hold. My life has more meaning now. My sister is in a bad place, Helena. A very bad place. I needed to recover from my injuries and get to her before she did something rash.”
“What do you mean?” Helena asked.
“I didn’t totally give you all the details of the attack. It was traumatic for all of us.”
She lowered her voice.
“She was beaten and raped. Her son was stepped on and held down to the floor while it happened. I fought so hard to get out of that bathroom to get to them...” She swallowed hard. Helena felt terrible. She’d had a feeling, from what little details Val had given her over the phone months ago, that her sister had been sexually brutalized during the attack. Her feeling was just confirmed.
“No wonder she’s so withdrawn. Are you going to seek counseling out here?”
“I don’t know who she would trust.”
“I know someone. She is retired from the military now but works a lot with soldiers and first responders who have gone through traumatic experiences. She works with a lot of women, especially ones who were brutalized or abused by military men.”
Val widened her eyes and held her gaze. “How did you know her ex was military?”
“Just a feeling I got when she reacted to the sheriff visiting, and being Special Forces.”
Val got quiet for a moment. “I want to explain it all to you. Every detail, Helena, but I just can’t, yet. I’m trying to focus on Kenny and Lois. They need help, and my next step tomorrow is finding someone to help him, too. I want them to feel safe and confident enough to stay alone while I leave the house and go to work. I’m hoping to get a position where I can be in town, but I just don’t know if that’s possible.”
“It could be. They offer lots of things at the medical center twenty minutes from here. In fact, that’s where my friend works and where Lois would see her for counseling if she is open to it. I think they even offer art therapy for kids. There are lots of programs there.”
“That sounds so perfect. Do you think you could call your friend and see if she would be willing to meet with us this week?”
Helena smiled. “Of course I can, and if you want, I could go with you guys. Maybe stay with Kenny while you two meet with her?”
“Thanks so much. That might work. He really seemed to warm up to you at your place yesterday.”
“That’s because of those delicious chocolate chip cookies I made. I’ll just whip up another batch after my shift tomorrow and have them ready for the trip to the medical center.”
Val looked about ready to cry, but that wasn’t her style. She was always being tough, having something to prove. They were so much alike. So when Val pulled Helena into her arms and hugged her tight, she felt her own eyes well up with tears and prayed that her friend and her family would make it through this just fine. Salvation was a special place, and these women needed special—big time.
Chapter 3
Jace Brazos was on a long run through the woods and back trails lining the property. When he got in late last night, showered, and shaved, he felt revived. He knew his brothers were pissed at him, but they didn’t say a word. He needed to disappear for a few days—just camp out, live off the land, and be free. He sure as shit hadn’t expected to see that someone was living in the cottage next door. He’d seen the compact car and a few empty boxes at the bottom of the driveway near garbage pails, indicating someone had moved in. He wondered who, but he hadn’t spoken to his brothers yet. In fact, Jace knew that Beck went out for a run earlier, too, and he thought he might see him on the trail. It was early, and the sunrise and the darkness in the woods gave Jace an eerie feeling. His senses were still so trained and in tune to every sound that, when he heard the breaking of branches, he went on alert.
He saw someone in the distance through the thick brush, and it wasn’t Beck. The person was dressed in black hood, too, and he wondered if it was a thief trying to sneak onto the property and steal something. He heard about some tools and personal items being taken on other ranches closer to town.
The person wasn’t really paying attention, and as they rounded the corner of the brush, he jumped out. “Who are you?” he yelled.
The woman screamed.
A woman? Jace thought to himself. Then, she reached back and pulled out a gun. Instinctively, he did the same. They stared at one another, pointing. She was breathing heavily, and despite him scaring the hell out of her, she held the weapon like a pro.
“Who are you?” he demanded as they slowly moved in a circle, never letting their guns down.
“Who the fuck are you?” she replied with an attitude and a thick New York accent.
“Put the gun down before you hurt yourself,” he said to her, despite thinking she held the weapon like she knew how to shoot. Her lip lifted slightly.
“Put your gun down and identify yourself before I put a bullet in you,” she said to him.