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He lifted his glass toward her, and they clinked glasses before they each took a sip. Then some of the guys came over to say hello and, of course, to meet Cassidy. He smiled as he watched her. Whatever had happened to her in that relationship must have really left a bad taste in her mouth. She showed no interest in any of the men around them. He couldn’t help but wonder if he should push for her to come out to Tranquility. Even if not to help Stryker, maybe just to have a chance at a better life after serving as a Marine.
* * * *
Cassidy slammed the phone down. She needed to change the number. Again.
She couldn’t believe that Blaze was calling her and trying to make up for what he had done. She’d told him it was over months ago. She even threatened going to the police and getting an order of protection against him. She should have. But how badly would that have looked for a Marine to get an order of protection?
She was pissed off as she gathered the last of her things. She had no choice. She had to leave Houston and the job she enjoyed. There was potential here, and her good friend. Blaze pulling a gun on her and threatening her life was the last straw. She shivered remembering that night she lay in bed and he broke in. She had ignored his calls. She’d gone out with friends, and he’d seen her with some guys. It had been harmless, and it hadn’t mattered, but he had become obsessed with her. He clung to her because he wasn’t right after being discharged from the Army. The military knew it and had done nothing. Of course she didn’t know his background then. She only knew his charming smile, his good looks and great body, and the way he catered to her and treated her like a woman. It wasn’t until she started dating him that she began to notice the little things he would do.
Like showing up to meet her after work or stopping in to see if she could take a lunch break, all the while glaring at the male patients she was helping and eventually accusing her of fucking them all.
She had tried to help him, had tried to do her job, but he’d lost it. His unstable, obsessive mentality was getting more and more out of control. She knew he suffered from PTSD, but this was more. The way his eyes bore into hers, the way he gripped her arms and placed her into submissive positions and holds was a show of dominance and violence. Still, she’d tried to help him. She tried to learn about his position in the Army and what exactly he’d engaged in on missions. She shared her experience, and he minimized it yet obsessed over her scars. He traced them with his finger then gripped her and made love to her roughly as if testing how tough she was, or maybe even whether she was immune to pain, to death.
It didn’t help that his friends knew how he was and protected him. They even tried to get her to accept him back. But that night he broke into her place, watched her sleeping until the sunlight illuminated the room, had creeped her out. When she gasped, noticing him in the chair with a gun in his hand, she thought for sure she was dead. She saw her life pass before her eyes, and she jumped up to run for her own gun, only for Blaze to shove her up against the wall, place the gun under her chin against her throat, and beg her to stay with him or die together.
She shook the thoughts from her head, ignored the stray tear that escaped her eye, and closed up the suitcase.
She glanced around the room. She couldn’t take any of the furniture or other things. It would waste too much time and draw too much attention to the apartment. She had to sneak out at night. She had to place herself in survival-soldier mode and escape Houston, escape Blaze and his friends and the trouble
she’d fallen into.
She was alone in this world. That was all she kept thinking. She would have to move around and move on with her life somehow. Of course she thought about Red and his description of Tranquility. It didn’t seem as if it was far enough away, but maybe it would be enough. Maybe she could reach out to him and get some guidance and help. Of course, without him knowing about Blaze.
“Hey, do you need any help?” Lynn asked as she appeared in the doorway.
Cassidy shook her head.
She would miss Lynn. But it was time to move on.
“He’s an asshole, Cassidy. You should know that by now. He’s not giving up on harassing you. Now he’s calling me. Jim and Chris are going to be pissed. You know how protective they are of me.”
“I know, Lynn. I’m sorry. I’ve got everything packed, and I’m leaving tonight. Late. I’ll contact Blaze and tell him I’m no longer living in Houston. That should do it.”
“I won’t tell him where you’re going. Although I don’t even know,” Lynn said with tears in her eyes.
Cassidy walked over and hugged her. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too. Maybe one day you can come back. When all this is over?” Lynn said.
“Not sure if that day will ever come, and I’m not going to waste hope that it will.” Cass pulled back then reached for another bag to fill.
“He’s got something wrong with him. Being in the service screwed up his head. They never should have allowed him to leave the VA hospital.”
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t work that way. People react differently to PTSD. Besides, it was more than that, and we both know it. I didn’t even realize he had a record before he went into the Army until after he assaulted me and started threatening me.”
“Having a bunch of friends, his troop, watching his back doesn’t help either. I’ll never understand why they would lie for him and protect him when they know he isn’t right in the head. When they know he could have killed you.”
“There’s a special bond with soldiers in a troop. The longer they serve together, the deeper their bond. They would give up their lives for one another. It’s pretty damn special,” Cass told her.
“It’s not so special in this situation. It’s corrupted.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, at least you have your two soldiers to love you and take care of you. I think you should tell them about Blaze calling you. They need to protect you and take precautions.”
“I don’t know. Then they’ll get all crazy. Jim and Chris will attach a monitoring device to my ankle and walk everywhere I go, carrying Glocks and looking ready to kill.”
“That’s not so bad. They love you. The right way.”
Lynn released a sigh and looked sad for Cassidy.
