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“She’s sick. She’s fine when she’s on meds,” Ryan continues to defend her.
I pull his arms painfully behind his back. He doesn’t fight me like I would expect; he just keeps his eyes on Rochelle.
“She’s not right. Dad always told me I had to look out for her, even though I was younger. He said she was delayed, and I had to be her protector.” He shakes his head and continues mumbling. “I didn’t do my job. I didn’t protect her from the pain of the world. It was my job to keep her safe, yet I’m the one who broke her heart. She’s okay if she takes the pills.” He looks at Lo. “I promise you, if she takes her medication, she can be controlled.”
“I think you’re all sick if you ask me, fucker. There is no controlling someone like her,” I tell him as I take off my belt and tie him to the bed with it. “Put the gun down, angel. Don’t have this on your conscience. We do this the right way. Everything with us will be right.”
When Rochelle starts to come to, I scoop her up and lay her beside Ryan. She looks at me then at him and snuggles closer like he can somehow protect her. I watch as Ryan fights to keep himself from throwing up at her touch. I shake my head, not understanding their dynamic.
Reaching in my back pocket, I toss my phone to Lorraine. “You need to call the cops.”
She grabs it and winces from the pain in her wrist.
I stand over Rochelle and Ryan, waiting for either of them to make a move.
Before Lo can get off the phone, I hear the sound of a car pulling up. I take Lo into my arms and hold her tight as I tuck the gun into my waistband.
Dr. Bennett rushes in and sees Ryan and Rochelle, but says nothing.
Lo looks at me, then at him, and I give her a squeeze.
“Why?” she asks him. “Why help her and then take me in?”
“We thought we could make it up to you,” Dr. Bennett says without meeting her eyes. He doesn’t move into the room with us, just stands in the doorway as we hear the sirens getting closer.
I fight my need to make them all suffer. I fight the urge to drain their lives with my own hands. I will fight my demons to give her the good she gives to me. I will fight the demons to give her a new start.
Lorraine is my angel, and as much as I believe in an eye for an eye, she’s had enough tragedy in her lifetime. I will not leave her with more dark memories.
With her securely against me, I place a kiss on top of her head. I will fight with everything I have to keep her safe with me until my very last breath.
“How?” She looks up at me. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t. Heidi wrote it in her journal. Heidi gave you to me.”
“She always looked out for me.” There is sadness in her tone.
“She loved you, Lo.”
She leans against me. “She was my Hi.”
“Always, baby.”
She breathes heavily against me. “All I wanted was to get back to you.”
I tip her chin up so she looks at me. “I’d move heaven and earth to find you, angel.” I pause to give her the words I have never meant more in my entire life than I do now . . . with her. “I love you.”
Chapter Twenty - Nine
After the detectives took my statement in the hospital, I hated myself for asking what would happen to the Bennetts.
“Dr. Bennett was good to me,” I whisper, hoping like a child hopes when their eyes are closed that no one will see them. I need to be honest with the police officer, even if it hurts or makes me feel less than sane.
Jason’s chest rumbles as he sits on the hospital bed, kicks his boots off, and pulls me into a protective hug, which is exactly what I need right now.
“He and his son are facing some pretty stiff charges. Both will lose their medical licenses. As for Rochelle, she is going away for a very long time. You have nothing to worry about anymore, Miss Bosch.” The cop looks at Jason, and I assume he told them how I lived in fear for so many years.
I hear a knock on the hospital door, but the medication the doctor gave me or the drugs in my system from Rochelle make it impossible to open my eyes. Still, I feel Jason tense up. I can’t manage to say anything coherent, but he gives me a gentle squeeze and a kiss on the top of my head, and I know without a doubt that things will be all right.
