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“I can promise this, Gail. Right now, it’s just you and me. No one else. No other women. No other men. Can you agree to that?” Gail stared at him, wondering what had changed his mind. Then she realized she didn’t care. He’d changed his mind.
“I agree to that. But, Tobias, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to…” He kissed her sweetly again, nodding.
“I’m not talking about sex right now, Gail. That’s not what’s important here. Your health and well-being are what’s important. Let’s just get that right.”
She nodded again, still holding his hand, relishing in the strength and energy coursing through her body.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I think so,” she whispered. “I’m just not sure what I can eat. My nose and cheeks are killing me. I never saw that fist coming at me. I never expected it.” The fury building in Tobias’s chest was almost uncontrollable.
“Anything on the face hurts like a bitch,” he said, shaking his head.
“Did you break your nose against a bad guy while serving?” she asked.
“No. My brother broke my nose for me,” he said, laughing. “I deserved it. I said something stupid to him and really hurt him. I haven’t always been a good guy, Gail. I’ve been selfish. But I can definitely tell you that I was always honest with the women I dated. I never lied to one of them.”
“Same for me. I never lied to any man. I didn’t have a different partner every night or even every week. But if someone was interesting to me, and I felt safe, I just didn’t think it was anyone’s business but my own. I was always careful. Forced them to use double condoms. Sometimes, that made them angry, and they’d leave.”
“I did the same,” said Tobias. “A lot of women didn’t want condoms worn, but I absolutely refused to go bare.” She let out a long, slow breath, shaking her head.
“Why? Why would my parents set me up with that guy? It’s obvious he wasn’t a neighbor. He definitely wanted to hurt me from the beginning. I should have listened to my gut.”
“Why do you think you didn’t?”
“I guess because my dad asked me to do this. Isn’t that silly?”
“Not at all,” he said. “We do all sorts of crazy shit to please the people we love. Enough of that. Let’s get some food for you.”
“Can I go out to the kitchen? I’m tired of being in the bed.”
“Of course. But you get a free ride with that,” he smirked. Tobias stood in his shorts and t-shirt, then gently leaned forward, lifting her in his arms. He could feel the heavy pad at her bottom, and it angered him. She was so frail, so small, and some asshole thought it was okay to hit her, to rape her.
He stood next to the bed with her in his arms, and she stared up at him, wondering why they weren’t moving.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Actually, Gail, I don’t think I’ve ever been better.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Well, there she is,” smiled Wilson, walking toward her, still in Tobias’s arms. He touched her forehead, then gently placed his hands on her neck, then up to her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was hit by a truck,” she said quietly. Wilson frowned, staring at his grandson.
“I know, honey. It will feel like that for a while. We’re going to get you to a place where you at least feel like you. Then, we’ll have you speak to one of our qualified therapists and counselors.”
She nodded as Tobias sat her down at the table. Gaspar placed a platter of bacon, sausage, and ham on the table. Gabe followed with a platter of eggs, and Rafe carried a platter of pancakes. Kelsey was the last with a big bowl of fruit. She shrugged with a wink.
“I try to get them to eat healthy, honey. It doesn’t always work, but it’s my job as part of the medical team.”
“We’ve charged your phone,” said Bull. He looked at Tobias and nodded. “I need to tell you, Gail, we have a tracker on the phone and a recording device. If anyone calls, we’ll hear everything and, hopefully, be able to figure out where they are.”
“I understand. I’m okay with that,” she said.
“We’re going to be looking at some of the video from the Copa to see if we can get a facial read from that night. Had you ever seen either of those men before?” She shook her head.
“Never.” A phone began ringing, and she jumped, looking down at the number. “It’s my brother.”
