Page 34 of Hope and Country

Okay, one less thing to worry about.

“The same way his dad hit my mother in their years of marriage. When I was ten, Robbie installed a lock on my door just in case. And told me to hide in there every time his dad was in one of his raging episodes, too many to count by then. One day, I thought I’d get my mom out of there, and we would be safe again. And I’d bring Robbie along. Because he didn’t deserve to be used as a punching bag either. Then our parents died in a car crash. From that day, Robbie became my legal guardian until I turned eighteen. Six years ago. Back then, we were fine. He had always been overprotective of me but had never hurt me. We got along great. But three years ago, his wife divorced him and ran away soon after. One night, he went crazy when he caught me in a bar with a guy I liked, a lot, after he’d ordered me to stay at home instead of going out with my friends. He acted like I was a teen and not a grown woman. It drove him nuts, and that’s when he started using me as his personal anger-target.

“Robbie is a police officer and a very talented actor and manipulator, a sociopath even, so I don’t have any leverage to get him arrested. He has friends in high places. I pressed charges twice, ran away thrice, and all those times the beatings worsened afterward. He said I had to be taught a valuable lesson. To never turn my back on him. Since we’re family. Anyway, nobody believed me when I said he did that to me. Robbie is considered some sort of hero because he saved a kid in a supermarket robbery a while back. People love him. They respect him. And he plays the game of the upstanding citizen and devoted police officer perfectly.” Her throat worked as she spoke the last few words. “So now, I keep the beatings to myself.”

Devon cocked her head to the side and inhaled, her fists resting in her lap, and her back straight. I could almost see the tension emanating from her.

She breathed in again, and this time, gazed down as the words flew out of her mouth, doing her best to avoid my eyes.

“Yesterday, he came to my place after his shift, drunk as usual, and started insulting me through the door. I faked not being home—” She stopped to clasp her hands together, then continued. “My neighbors complained about the noise, and I let him in, not knowing what else to do. The last thing I needed was to get evicted on top of everything else. Anyway, I tried to talk him out of hurting me but failed. When I suggested we discuss what was bugging him, he attacked me, then choked me, and dragged me around. When I crumpled to the floor, he kicked me. I had to fake being unconscious, so he’d leave faster. It worked. And I escaped. I can’t go to any of my friends. He knows them all.” Tears glistened in Devon’s eyes, bluer today in the daylight.

A mass of pain and anger took residency in my chest, crushing all my organs. My heart plummeted down to my toes as chills ran up and down my back.

I pushed my uneasiness away, trying to stay strong for the woman who’d been living in hell for way too long.

“Devon, this is terrible. I’m sorry I asked. You should press charges. I’ll come with you.”

She ignored my words and kept talking.

“That night, last year, at the party”—she bowed her head low and fidgeted with her fingers—"Robbie showed up after he ambushed my friend and forced her to tell him where I was. He pushed her around, and she broke her wrist. She tried to call me, to warn me, but I didn’t bring my phone in case he could track it. Robbie probably played the nice cop card to get past security. It worked. It always does. Anyway, he found me. Again. He doesn’t want me to have a life outside of him. I’m lucky I work from home as a freelancer because I wouldn’t be able to show up in public otherwise.”

My head pummeled. A wave of molten lava bubbled up, demanding its right to decimate everyone in its path. I wanted to kill that bastard with my bare hands. I clenched my fingers. Dark spots blurred my vision.

I was hearing the words, and my world shattered. How could this slip of a woman have gone through all this over the years? Tears pricked my eyes, but I refrained from letting them out. It wouldn’t do us any good if my control broke. I leashed my emotions and blanked all expressions from my face.

With a curse, I jumped to my feet and paced the room.

“How can you live through this? I’m sure there’s something you can do. Something we can do. Robbie isn’t untouchable. We’ll call my lawyers, see what we can do to protect you. I can’t believe Robbie has been hurting you for three years.” I knitted my fingers behind my neck. “Three years,” I barked. “I knew he was a jerk from the way he forced you into that elevator. Fuck. I can’t believe I haven’t been able to protect you. To stop this madness.”

Devon rose to her feet and closed the distance between us. “No. Don’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known.” My head spun in her direction, but she looked away. She spoke again after a minute. “It only happens a few times a year—”

“Don’t. Don’t make excuses for him.”

Her gaze darted to meet mine. “I’m not. Why do you think I came here yesterday? Because I can’t live in fear anymore. I can’t live in pain. I want a normal existence. To go out. Be happy. When I was twenty, I dated this guy from Kentucky. Luke.” She sighed and shut her eyes when the memory resurfaced. “When Robbie found out, he jumped him with one of his friends, ordering him to stay away from me. Luke broke up with me the next day, and I never saw him again after that. I’m trapped.” Her watery eyes drifted back to mine. “I shouldn’t have come here. If Robbie finds out, he’ll hurt you.”

I ran a hand over my face. “Stop. I’m glad you came to me. I’ll let nothing bad happen to you. And he won’t hurt me.” I dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Again. The need to touch her strong. A visceral desire to inject doses of strength into her. “We’ll get him arrested for assault. I give you my word.”

“Riley, you’re nice and good, but I don’t want to put you in the middle of this. Robbie will do anything to get to me. You don’t want to be on his radar. Believe me.”

I pivoted my upper body until our faces leveled.

“Devon, stop. He won’t. Let me help you. Let me be here for you.”

“And I refuse to be a burden. You’ve done enough already. I need to fight Robbie on my own.”

I grabbed her hands in mine and offered her a small smile, one I wished would go straight to her heart and make her realize how much I wanted to be there for her. How much she could count on me.

Something passed through her glistening aqua eyes. The storms in them lessened. Replaced with something else. Was that hope? Trust? I swallowed and squeezed her hands.

“No, you don’t have to be alone. Nobody does.”

15

DEVON

Nicole squirmed, bouncing on her heels when we entered the bar after the show next door ended minutes ago. Since she bumped into him once, a few months back, she had a thing for Sam Stevens. His dark features, serious demeanor, sexy vibe. He was a package she had a hard time resisting.

And tonight, he was playing a low-key concert, and she’d won the tickets. And brought me along.