“Dead sure. If she’d been going any faster, or if there’d been another car, well, you can figure out what would have happened.”
I swallowed hard, jaw locked tight. “Thanks Len. I’m not telling her yet. I’ll handle it with her when she’s ready to face it.”
“If the kids had been in the car, man?—”
“I know.” I snapped and then took a deep breath. “We’re handling it.”
Hanging up, I shoved the phone back into my pocket as my chest felt like it would explode into little shards of broken glass if I didn’t find a way to soothe it. To calm the anger.
Frankie had almost died. Because of him—Danny. Because the sick bastard wanted to terrify her.
Without thinking, I stalked through the silent house to the front door and opened it. I found Frankie sitting on the porch steps, staring out at the dark tree line like she could see something I couldn’t. Her mug was empty of the tea Eli had made her as he got ready for work, but her fingers clenchedtight around the porcelain. She looked breakable, like she was teetering on the edge of something.
Something dark.
“Frankie.” I said, low as I sat down on the step next to her.
She didn’t look at me, just pulled the blanket tighter. “You okay?” She asked finally, looking over at me. I could only imagine what she saw when she did.
No, I wanted to say. Your stalker cut your brakes. You and the kids aren’t safe.
But she was already brittle, already teetering on the edge, and dropping that weight on her tonight would crush her.
So instead, I forced a deep breath into my lungs and slid closer to her. “Not really,” I admitted, because the truth had to leak out somewhere. “But I’ll be better if you talk to me. Tell me the whole story.”
Her breath hitched as she reared back slightly, as if my words physically affected her.
But then her lips parted, and then her words started coming.
“Once—after I had Toby,I broke. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. Someone—Danny—was already circling me, showing up when I was alone, leaving little things behind to tell me he’d been there. I thought I was losing my mind. But that was what he wanted. He wanted me to go insane so he could control me again. And it worked. I ended up?—”
Her voice faded, and I slid my hand over the back of her neck, soothing her. “You ended up what?”
“Hospitalized.” She whispered. “He had me committed. At the time we were still married.”
The word hit me like a punch. Hospitalized. She kept going before she lost her urge.
“And he used it. Later. To try to prove that I was unfit. He threatened to take the kids away if I didn’t play nice. If I didn’t keep quiet.”
Her shoulders curled inward, and I couldn’t stand it another damn second. I cupped her face, turning her toward me, and her green eyes shimmered with unshed tears in the porch light.
But they were fierce and terrified all at the same time.
“Quiet about what?” I whispered.
“The abuse.” She admitted with a haunted gleam in her eyes. “The physical, emotional, and—” she shook her head, letting her eyes close as she tore herself open. “The sexual abuse.”
My chest felt like it was going to explode again as her tears fell.
“He does not get to break you twice.” I growled. “I won’t let him. Eli won’t let him. You’re not alone anymore, Frankie, you hear me?”
Her lips parted, trembling, and I kissed her.
Hard.
Messy.
Desperate.
