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I failed her. I hurt her. Just like the result of every abuser I’ve encountered. The evidence is on her beautiful face.
Cole takes a step into the room. “You, okay?”
I nod.
Lix’s eyes run over me before rushing to Cassie.
“Fuck.” He looks at her eye, hands clenched at his side as if holding back from reaching out to her. “That’s gotta hurt?”
She runs a hand up her arm, her eyes finding mine. “I’m fine.”
Heartbreaking in my chest, I look away.
“I called an ambulance. Miss Redmon, you still need to be checked out.” Detective Sharpe walks over. “And I’m going to have to get a statement.”
“Yes. I understand.” Cassie nods. “Detective Sharpe, I wasn’t completely honest with you the last time you were here.” She glances at me.
“I see.” The detective’s eyebrow arches.
“Glenn was abusing me and—” She pauses.
Her eyes sway to Lix. He looks at her like the time he was terrified Cole would tell Mom he was the one who broke Grandma’s picture. She moves to Cole. He winks at her with a half-smile, unconcerned. Her gaze slowly makes it to me.
I look at her as I always have, as I always will, as the woman I could imagine spending the rest of my life with.
She gathers her hands together. “I was afraid of him.” She turns to the detective. “I thought if I stayed with him, he might kill me. So one night, after he fell asleep, I left and”—she looks down at her wringing hands, then her eyes lift to mine—“I never looked back.”
The detective glances at me, then at Cassie. “Is that all you left out?”
This is it. I hold my breath.
There’s a dead guy on the floor.
It’s the moment of truth. She could tell him everything. Tell him about me and the escort service. She could expose us completely.
Expose my life. My true fucked-up identity.
She holds me captive in her view for a moment, and my heart stops. A part of me wants her to tell the truth so she doesn’t have to lie for me. The other part of me is terrified of hearing her say it. Revealing what I’m willing to do for her. The lengths I’d go to keep her safe. I was prepared to kill a man for her. Sacrifice my life for her. Go to jail…like my mom, I’d do it for someone I...
“No,” she says before giving her attention back to the detective. “I thought I was free of him until today. He must’ve been looking for me and”—she flips her hands out—“he found me.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about him anymore, Miss Redmon.” The detective says with no emotion. “Mr. Stillwell was wanted in a few different states for aggravated assault, embezzlement, and money laundering. His partner, Al Parks, was found dead in his apartment yesterday, and Mr. Stillwell was looking good for the killing. I was coming to warn you that he might be in town in case he tried to reach out to you. He was a dangerous man. You were right to leave him a year ago.”
Cassie gave her statement, and the EMT checked out her wound. The one I gave to her.
Thankfully, she was fine. She didn’t need any stitches, and they said the wound was superficial and shouldn’t leave a scar.
Me, on the other hand, I’m scarred for life from what my loss of control and what my anger did to her. It will remain with me forever.
I couldn’t stick around. Guilt pushed me out the door. I wanted to be there for her, but Lix offered to stay behind, and I jumped at the opportunity. It was cowardly. I should’ve remained with her and comforted her. That’s what good boyfriends are supposed to do. Hey, I never said I was cut out for this shit. Maybe it’s high time she found out the truth.
Cole walks out with me.
I turn to him. “You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you winked at her.”
“Knew what?” He opens the car door. “I’ll drive.” He puts out his hand.
“You knew she wasn’t going to tell the detective about us.” I hand him the keys.
