Trick rests his elbows on his knees and covers his mouth with his hands. He looks defeated. If there was any way I could help him, I would, but this isn’t something I can help with. Trick runs his hands down his face and responds quietly, “What if she leaves me?” I look around at the guys. No one says a thing so Trick continues, “This has been the hardest time of my life. Even worse than losing my dad. If I lose Lola, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
I reach out and grip his shoulder. “You’re gonna lose her if you don’t tell her, regardless. She already thinks you’re keeping secrets, bro.”
Nik tells him, “You know mom and the girls will help as much as they can. We’re family. We’ll do anything we can do to help out.”
My phone is on silent but it vibrates in my pocket. I check the display. My eyes widen in disbelief.
What the hell?
I check the text message and my blood runs cold.
Nat: Can you please come home?
Something’s wrong.
Chapter Seven
We are sisters of the Kovac convent
Knock-knock-knock
“Who is it?” I ask hoarsely.
Holy crap! Is that my voice?
I sound like a fifty-year-old devoted smoker!
Ghost replies firmly, “Open the damn door, Nat.”
My stomach drops and my palms sweat. I really don’t want him to see me like this, but I don’t really have a choice. It’s either him or Tina, and there’s no way I’d let Tina see me like this.
With shaking hands, I unlock the front door and open it a few inches. Hiding most of my face, I say quietly, “You can’t freak out, okay?”
He rolls his eyes heavenward and sighs but nods his head. I turn my face away from him and open the door fully for him to follow me inside. I hear the door shut softly. Ghost asks, “What’s the problem, Nat?”
With my back still to him I whisper again, “You can’t freak out, okay?”
Silence. Then he answers softly, “Okay, pretty girl. I promise. Now tell me what’s wrong.”
I take a deep breath to steady myself, close my eyes and turn to face him. His eyes widen before flashing in anger and he steps away from me. His breathing intensifies and he balls his fists by his side. I understand his reaction. I saw myself in the bathroom mirror.
In the past half hour, my eye has swollen shut and my bottom lip has puffed to double its size. My cheeks have purple bruises from where Cole pinched my cheeks together to make me kiss him. My wrist has also swollen quite a bit and is too sore to move.
Ghost swallows hard before backing further away from me, jaw set and eyes full of hate. Through gritted teeth, he whispers, “Be right back.”
He walks backwards through the door leaving me feeling confused and so lonely. A muffled roar shakes me. “FUCK!”
When I hear the distinct sounds of things being thrown around hard and glass breaking next door, tension fills my chest, making it hard to breathe, and tears blur my vision. Blood roars through my ears. Lifting a hand to my chest, I walk backwards til I hit wall and slide my sore, tender body down to the floor. Overcome by immense sadness, I cover my face with my hands and sob silently.
Someone just put their hands on me in anger. I never thought I’d be one of those women. And that really fucking sucks.
Strong arms come under my knees and arms. I’m being carefully lifted into a hard body. I gasp, then moan as pain throbs throughout my entire body.
Even my nails are sore. I didn’t know a person could get sore nails.
“I’m sorry, pretty girl. I don’t really know how to do this without hurting you. I promise I’ll be as gentle as I can,” he says softly.
Ghost lays me down on my bed, careful to not touch me anywhere he doesn’t have to. He asks, “Can you open your good eye for me, pretty girl?” Every time I open it, it flutters closed. Ghost uses his fingertips to gently pry it open and gets enough of a look to make a judgment call. He quietly explains, “I don’t think you’re concussed. I’ve seen enough to know, but I’m not taking any chances with you. I don’t want to move you right now and cause you any unnecessary pain, so what I’ll do is sleep on the sofa and wake you every hour just to be sure.”
So tired.
I want to sleep and just as I start dozing, Ghost props me up. I open my good eye up as much as possible. Ghost has a bottle of water and some Tylenol. Wearing an obvious expression of concern, he pops two of the pills into my mouth then lifts the water so I can drink. “I’m sorry, girl. I’d love to give you something stronger, but that’s all I can give you til I’m sure you’re not concussed. Try to stay awake for me, okay?”
I swallow the pill and even that’s hard. My head swims. My ears throb. There’s no way I can force myself to stay awake. On a weak whisper, I reply, “I don’t think I can, Ash. So tired.” I’m fading fast.
He sits with his back to my bed’s headboard, pulling me into his body. Wrapping his arms gently across my waist, he tells me, “The adrenaline has worn off, that’s why you feel so tired, girl. Stay with me. Tell me what you did today.”
I sink into his chest but wince when his chin touches the bump on the back of my head. Ghost stiffens before moving my body forward and gently touching the egg-shaped bump on the back of my head. Confused, he mutters to himself, “What the hell?”
He gently pulls me back into him, rubbing my upper arms with his large hands. His lips touch the outer shell of my ear and he whispers, “Tell me what happened, girl. From the start.”
So I do. I slowly and quietly tell him how I was pretty excited about Cole coming over tonight. How he came to see me at work today and everything was fine. How I spent hours getting myself ready for him and that he lost it when he found the note in my fruit bowl. I explain that he slapped me so hard I fell off the kitchen counter, banging my head on the floor and spraining my wrist. During the time I explain this, Ghost’s body has become strung so tight I’m afraid he’ll take off like a rocket.
Obviously confused, Ghost asks, “Why would he get upset about a note?”
Without thinking I tell him, “It was the note you left when you brought me coffee that morning. He thought I was fucking you.” My heart aches and I breathe in a shuddering breath. “He just wouldn’t listen to me. I told him over and over that it was all a misunderstanding. It was like he was possessed, Ash. He just lost it.” The tears I try to hold in escape, trailing down my cheeks. I whisper, “I was really scared, Ash. I thought I was a goner.”
Ghost rocks me gently and kisses my cheek softly. He states, “No one’s gonna hurt you ever again. I promise, pretty girl.” And even though I shouldn’t, I believe him. Some of the tension in me fades as I take in the warmth of his body.
I beg on a childlike whisper, “Don’t leave me, okay?”
Silence. Then, “I won’t leave you, baby.”
***