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Dante shakes his head. “It’s what she wants,” he mutters.
“You fucking piece of shit.” He’s got no intention of saving her.
There’s a loud bang at the front door. No one has time to react before the house is full of police officers yelling to us all to get on our knees and place our hands behind our heads. Callie smiles at Dante. “Dante Anderson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murders of Jason Collins and Emerson Grey.”
Another officer grabs my hands and cuffs them. “She’s bleeding out,” I shout. Paramedics rush in and begin to tend to Tessa as I’m dragged out the house along with the others.
CHAPTER NINE
TESSA
I open my eyes and blink a few times. A nurse comes into view, smiling. “You’re awake,” she whispers. Glancing around the room, I take in the bright lights and realise I’m in hospital. There’s a crushing feeling in my chest and I realise it’s disappointment. “Let me get the doctor,” she adds. I want to scream. This isn’t part of my plan. I shouldn’t be here. I ball my fists angrily at my sides and glare at the ceiling.
The doctor checks all my vitals, occasionally making notes. “You’re very lucky, Tessa. A little deeper and it would have severed the femoral artery. I hear the man who did this to you is in police custody.” I frown. “There’s an officer waiting to see you. Shall I send him in?” I don’t bother to reply. Sadness claws at me so hard, I have no energy to find words.
Nero appears minutes later, and I almost gasp. The memories flood me with everything that’s happened, and the pain is suddenly overwhelming.
I turn my head away, squeezing my eyes closed tightly. “You scared the shit out of me,” he mutters, taking my hand, but I pull it free. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Are you here on official business?” I ask coldly.
“Tessa, look at me, please.” I don’t. “I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be, but I couldn’t tell you who I was. I couldn’t risk it.”
“Get out,” I whisper.
He grabs my hand a second time, desperately holding on to it. “My name is Tristan Neroli. I’ve been an undercover police officer for ten years.” I begin to cry, keeping my face away from him. “Everything else was true. What we have, that’s real.”
“Just leave, Nero,” I whisper through my tears. It hurts too much.
“Tessa, please. Don’t be like this. The dates we went on and getting to know each other, it was all real.”
I finally turn to look at him. “It wasn’t real, and if you think it was, you’re a bigger dick than I thought. Now, get out.”
* * *
They keep me in the hospital for a week. Various professionals come to see me, including the officer now in charge of my case. Nero told the police that Dante stabbed me in the leg, so on top of his existing charges that are stacking up, attempted murder has been added.
I’ve also given a statement about everything—the murders, the abuse, and everything in between. It felt freeing but scary. I had a support worker with me every step of the way, which made it a little easier, but I know the scariest moments are yet to come.
My support worker, Cath, arrives just as I’m finished dressing and packing my hospital bag. She’s holding a set of keys which she hands to me. “Are you ready to go and see your new place?” Through the help of the local women’s centre, they’ve found me a flat in a different part of the city. One not controlled by Dante or his men. Eventually, I’ll move out of the area completely, but while there’s a court case pending, I’ve agreed to stick around.
The drive takes us an hour, and when we stop outside a tall building, I feel a sense of calm. “I know it’s not much,” Cath begins.
I stop her because anywhere is better than being with Dante. “It’s fine.”
We head to the first floor, and I unlock the door to my new place, smiling as I step inside. “Other women in similar situations to you stay here.” I run my hand over the green couch. It’s ugly, but I love it already. “There’s a microwave and a kettle. The laundry room is across the way in block two,” she continues. “Here’s some money to get you started,” she adds, handing me twenty pounds. “You’ll get your benefits within the next couple weeks. It’s all going through.” I nod, grateful that she’s helped me this far because I wouldn’t have had a clue. The paperwork for the benefits agency was long and painful. I couldn’t answer half the questions, and without Cath, I’d have given up. “I’ll let you settle in. I’ll call in a few days to check in on you, and you have my number if you need me. The public phone is at the end of the street.”
Once she’s gone, I explore the one-bedroom flat. It’s small and basic, but I’m grateful for anything right now. There’s a set of new sheets on the bed that I unwrap and make up.
A knock on the door distracts me from the half jar of coffee I found in the kitchen. I answer it to find Callie, smiling awkwardly. She’s the last person I expected, but a part of me needs to hear what she has to say. “Can I come in?” I open the door wider, and she steps inside. I follow her, wondering why she’s here. I’ve had a lot of time to think things over while in hospital, and every time, I come back to the same conclusion. She was a police officer and knew what shit I was in, and she let it happen.
“How are you?” she asks.
“Sore. Tired,” I mutter.
I point to the couch, and she takes a seat. “Green,” she mutters, running a hand over it. “Who the hell made this and thought it looked good?” She attempts a laugh, but I don’t join her. “Yah know, we thought you’d left us behind and you were living a great life with that murdering scumbag,” she begins. “We were so angry you’d choose him over us.” She scoffs. “And then Nero told me the truth, that you did it to keep me and Em safe.” I lower onto the couch. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispers, and I see the vulnerable teenager I used to know. “I read the case file. Your statement. I read about all the things he did. All the things you had to put up with.” Her eyes water. “You did that for us.”
My heart melts a little at the sight of her tears. “I wanted to tell you. That was my plan, to do as he said and then run away and find you both, but once I agreed, I wasn’t allowed out of his sight. Not for a minute. He took my phone, and the only people I saw were him and his men. They were too loyal to him to help me.”
