Laid Bare - Lauren Dane [82]
Ella had been a mess. Barely conscious from the stew of opiates keeping the pain at bay. Her face purpled and swollen from the beating she’d endured. Her feet and legs wrapped up from the burns.
Ella’s mother had filled them in on all the details. The ex was in police custody. There’d be a bail hearing on Monday. The cops would be able to show the guy had violated the protection order three times in the past sixty days, and hopefully he wouldn’t get bail as he awaited trial.
Ella would recover. She’d walk again and hopefully find love with a man who didn’t think killing her was the only way to keep her. Erin sighed heavily. What the fuck was wrong with people?
“You okay?” Todd asked softly.
She nodded. She’d been there in that hospital. In worse shape than Ella. And she’d survived and found love and happiness she’d never imagined holding in her life ever again. But the smell of the room, of the tape holding the bandages on, of the tubing, of the antiseptic—it brought things back and for a few minutes there, the walls felt very close.
But Todd had kept his arm around her and she’d felt better bit by bit. It still hung around her like shitty weather, but it would clear. Because it wasn’t her life anymore.
Still, it was her friend’s life, and she knew what that dark pit felt like.
“I just . . . Thank you for being there with me.”
He looked startled and then he smiled. “Honey, I wouldn’t have been anywhere else. I’m glad my being with you helped. I’m going to take you home, okay? Ben will get your car and bring it to your place. Are you up to seeing him? Or me, for that matter?”
She nodded again and he touched her neck but said nothing else.
25
“She’s stable now. The burns are worst on her left leg and foot, but they said she’ll be fine, although they’re watching for infection.”
Todd listened to her speak with Brody on the phone as he made tea for her. He needed to do something with his hands because he was torn between wanting to punch something and wanting to fuck her until she thought of nothing else.
“They didn’t need grafts apparently . . . Yeah, I thought so too . . . Not much, she wasn’t really conscious. They had her on a pretty major opiate cocktail,” Erin continued.
Todd buzzed Ben up, relieved he’d arrived. He hadn’t had much time to think about what had happened the night before other than to know he’d enjoyed it. Something had shifted; there was an easy sort of acceptance that Ben was part of whatever he and Erin had. He knew Ben cared about Erin and hoped between the two of them, they could keep her calm and stop her from thinking overmuch about what had happened to her friend.
He’d called a contact at the Seattle PD and spoken to him about the case. The guy had several assault priors and had repeatedly violated the protection order. He also had two other ex-girlfriends in his past who’d filed for protection orders, and the bastard, not surprisingly, had a history of stalking. Todd hoped it was enough to keep him in jail.
“I’ll talk to you later. I know you’re busy, and Todd is here . . . Yes, do you really think he’d leave me alone right now?” She laughed and he smiled as he moved to her front door. “Love you too.”
He was letting Ben in as she walked out from her bedroom into the main room.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ben said, moving straight to her to give her a hug. “I know you’re pissed I sent Todd your way, but suck it up. We like taking care of you so you’re going to have to deal with it.”
She let Ben hug her, even as she made that little snorting sound. It made Todd smile.
Ben kissed her forehead and stood back. “Here.” He dropped keys into her hand. “All delivered. I can call Cope to get him to pick me up, or even cab it. I’m not too far.”
“Shut up and stay,” Erin said to Ben, touching Todd’s belly as she passed on her way out to the balcony.
“Guess you’re staying or she’ll kick your ass,” Todd said in an undertone.
Ben looked at him, serious for long moments. “Are you sure?”
“Do you want to be here?”
Ben