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“Do you want to file a restraining order?” the younger officer asked. “You can come down to the station and fill out the proper forms, and we can get the ball rolling. With it just being your word against his, we can’t really arrest him. Unless there was a witness?”
Madelyn shook her head.
The older man looked at me. “What do you know about Bradley Simon?”
“Nothing. Madelyn told me he’s connected to the mayor and a state senator, but that’s as much as I know about the guy. Is there something we should be aware of?”
The officer rested his hands on his belt. “This doesn’t leave this room, but I can’t stand a guy who abuses women. Mr. Simon has a series of complaints against him that all magically go away before making it to court. All charges are always dropped, or the women disappear. He’s a known abuser and has even been accused of rape.”
My stomach soured at the picture they painted.
“If I were you, I’d get her out of here. And I don’t just mean on vacation. She needs to start over somewhere he can’t find her, preferably a large city, because once he sets his sights on someone, he doesn’t back down until he gets what he wants.” The officer looked disgusted. “I’d arrest his ass and throw him in jail, but my chief would have my ass. He plays golf with the mayor every Saturday. The judge is a family friend too, so I doubt the charges would stick.”
Great. Madelyn looked a little defeated, and I didn’t know what to say or do to help her. With my dwindling bank account, I wasn’t in a position to help her escape. Even if she asked me to go with her, it wasn’t like I could just pack up and leave. Could I? My house wasn’t much, but I did own the damn thing. I had roots in this town.
She lifted her face and gazed at me with tears in her eyes. And I knew, I was going to do whatever it damn well took to keep her safe.
Even if it fucked me over.
I always had been a sucker for a damsel in distress. It seemed my princess needed my help. Her lower lip trembled, so I squeezed her hand, letting her know that I was with her, whatever happened next. I couldn’t leave her on her own, not knowing that bastard might come back. He was a twisted fuck, and if I left her to his mercy, I’d be just as guilty of whatever crime he committed against her.
Fuck.
Every time life handed me lemons, all I got was sour ass lemon juice.
Chapter Two
Madelyn
When the officers left, I was shaking. I’d known that Bradley was bad news, but I hadn’t realized just how bad. Now that I was catching a glimpse of the monster inside, I had no doubt he’d either gotten rid of those women himself or paid someone to do it. And how likely was it that his dad didn’t know what was going on, or his uncle for that matter? It sickened me, the lengths they would go to cover up a crime, just so their precious name wasn’t smeared in the papers.
Poor Grady hadn’t signed on for this. The man had only won the bid to build my deck, and while that might have had more to do with his good looks than his price, I still couldn’t ask him to help me hide out while I figured out what to do. My parents hadn’t been without connections, even though I’d never called on any of them for favors in the past. No one knew just how well-connected my mother had been, and I wanted to keep it that way for a little while longer.
“I can’t ask you to help me,” I told him, licking my sore lip. “You have a life here, a business to run.”
He snorted. “I have about twenty bucks in the bank, so we’re not getting far if I help you.”
“I have money. More than I know what to do with, quite honestly. It still doesn’t give me the right to uproot your life. You’ve done enough for me already just by being here tonight. I can’t thank you enough for coming to my rescue.”
Grady knelt by my feet and took my hand in his. “Madelyn, I’m glad you called me. You shouldn’t have tried facing this alone. Honestly, though, I can’t figure out why you called me instead of one of your friends. We were complete strangers until a few days ago.”
How could I put this delicately? My friends were upper crust yuppies with trust funds and no self-defense skills. Grady looked like he could handle himself in a fight, with all those muscles and that swagger. Bradley might have taken me down, and he could probably take down any of my friends, but I knew there was no way in hell he’d try to tangle with Grady. He’d have to be stupid to attempt it.
“My friends are on the light side,” I said.
“You mean they’re gay? Because I’ve met some gay men who could knock me out with one punch.”
“Well, some of them are gay, but I mean more like…” I sighed. “I’m just going to give it to you straight. My guy friends might weigh 150 pounds soaking wet and would blow over with a stiff wind. Bradley wasn’t going to be run off by any of them. But you… you’re like a walking mountain with all those muscles. I figured if he came back, one look at you and he’d go running the other way. I knew if it came down to it, you could protect me.”
Grady smiled a little, and the knots in my stomach eased. I’d worried that I would offend him. He really did make me feel safe, though, and it wasn’t just his muscles. It was the confidence he exuded, the predatory look in his eyes that said he’d seen more shit than most, and I just felt calm when I was around him. I was normally a very nervous and twitchy person, but not when Grady was nearby.
“Do you know how to use a gun?” I asked.
His eyebrows rose as he stared at me. “Why do I need to know how to use a gun? If you want me to hunt down Bradley and shoot him, I’m afraid you’ll have to find someone else. I prefer life on this side of the bars.”
“No, no. Nothing like that.” I bit my lip then winced when it stung. “I obviously need protection until I can get the Bradley situation taken care of. And I know I still owe you for the deck you’re building for me, which looks fantastic by the way.”
“Get to the point, princess.”
