Damaged (13 page)

“Yo, Seth…you okay?” Evan’s voice was a welcome sound.

Seth fell to his back next to Monica and winced in pain, barely able to force words from his throat. “I’m okay. Just banged up. Monica needs an ambulance. She’s unconscious.” Drained from the entire ordeal, Seth ground his teeth together and rolled to his side, desperate to bring her around. Cupping her face gently, Seth pressed his lips to hers. “Wake up baby, please.” Tears stung at his eyes. “Please be okay for me. Please, baby.” Letting his forehead rest against hers, he closed his eyes and let the tears fall. “I love you, Monica. Don’t leave me.”

Chapter Thirteen

Muffled voices drifted to her ears, but they sounded like they were a million miles away. Slowly she came to, her eyelids feeling like lead weights. She was being moved, jostled around, and it fucking hurt. Groaning in pain, Monica tried to reach for the nearest thing to ground her, but panicked when she found her arms and legs restrained. She gasped and pulled her eyes open to find people bustling all around her. A woman with an EMT badge on her shirt covered her nose and mouth with a mask, ramping up her panic even more. “Shh. It’s all right, sweetie. Just breathe the oxygen and don’t struggle. We have your arms under the gurney straps for your protection, okay?”

Monica’s gaze flew around the area
wildly. She was outside…in a field? “Where am I?” she managed to rasp out. Her throat was dry and her tongue felt three sizes too big. The woman wiped a piece of gauze over her eyebrow. Whatever was on it smelled medicinal and stung like a bitch, making her hiss in pain. “Ow!”

“You’ve been in an accident. Can you tell me your name?
Where you live?”

“Monica,” she whispered, flinching
when someone prodded at her hand. Talking was becoming increasingly difficult, and being held down was pissing her off. Through the chaos, a familiar voice rose above all the others.

“I need to see her! Goddammit, let go of me! I need to see that she’s okay!” His voice was frantic, laced with anger.

Monica searched the sea of faces until she finally found him, being held back by two uniformed officers. “Seth!” She barely heard her own voice, but Seth’s eyes snapped to hers and a savage expression flashed across his face as he pulled free from the men holding him back.

He was at her side in an instant
, holding her hand. “It’s going to be okay, baby. They’re going to take you to the hospital for x-rays and an examination, but I’ll be right there with you.”

Monica closed her eyes as tears welled, blurring her vision even more than it already was. “Sara
h and Jack…” she whispered.

“They’re fine,”
he stated. “They’re going to meet us at the hospital. Evan was sending a car to pick them up.”

Having him there helped calm her. The steady stroke of his hand over her hair was soothing, making her sleepy. Through the mask, she could smell the acrid scent of spilled gasoline and smoke
when she took a deep breath. All at once, the memory of the accident came crashing back. “The truck,” she gasped, turning her gaze on him. “Where did they go?”

Seth’s expression turned icy. “Let’s not worry about that right now. We’ll talk about that when you’re feeling better. I don’t want to stress you out any more than necessary.
You just focus on relaxing.”

Not like she had a choice anyway. Resting back, she let her eyes close while they began to load her into the back of the ambulance. Sleep was pulling at her, begging her to let go, but she fought it. Holding Seth’s hand tighter, she refused t
o release him. “Please go with me,” she begged, panicking. “I don’t want to go alone.” For the first time in her life, that was true. She didn’t have to do it alone. Seth made it okay to show weakness. Seth’s endless devotion became the driving force in her life.

Seth looked to the nurse, who smiled and nodded in approval. It
was a good thing too, because she wasn’t getting into the ambulance without him anyway. He climbed in next to her and continued to hold her hand until they reached the hospital, whispering words of encouragement the whole time. The next several hours were a blur of tests, x-rays and needle pokes. Thankfully, she had only suffered a fractured wrist and minor cuts and scrapes. When everything had settled and she was resting in the recovery room, she finally had a moment to breathe, when a soft knock sounded on her door. “Come in.” What she really wanted was to sleep, but Sarah and Jack entering the room made her forget about all of that. Sarah looked terrified, and Jack was his usual passive self, moping in and slumping into the nearest chair.

Sarah frowned and traced the lines of her IV’s with her fingertips.
“Seth told us about the accident. When will you be able to come home?”

“Soon.”
I hope
. No one had given her any definite information, just that she needed to be monitored in case she had a concussion or other internal injuries. Turning her head, Monica smiled at Jack. “Hey, bud. You okay?”

Jack nodded but stayed quiet while he fiddled with a roll of medical tape.
It was typical of Jack to clam up when things got scary. He had rarely talked before they had left home. As a young boy he had learned quickly to keep his mouth shut or risk getting hit. After the fire, and now this…he was starting to revert.

“Your dress wasn’t damaged,” Sarah whispered. Her big blue eyes were sad, and it made Monica hurt for her. “Are you still going to be able to go to the ball?”

Monica smiled and grabbed her sister’s hand. “Of course I am, and you’re going to have to help me with my hair and makeup. I don’t have a clue about that crap.”

Sara
h’s giggle was music to her ears. She was so pretty when she smiled. “I can’t wait. It’s going to be so fun.”

“Absolutely, and then when you go to prom, I get to help you.”

Sarah’s expression went somber again. “Will we still be here? I don’t want to have to move again. I really like living at the farm with Seth.”

“You can stay with me as long as you like.” All eyes turned to Seth as he sauntered into the room, looking a little worse for wear. The cut on his forehead had been covered with a bandage, and a purple bruise colored his left cheek bone.
Stopping on the other side of the bed, Seth leaned over, placing a kiss on her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

Monica shrugged. “I’m all right
, I guess. Tired of lying in this bed. Did they say when I can get out of here?” His smile was full of apology, making her groan. “That bad, huh? Are they keeping me overnight?”

Seth chuckled
and gave Sarah a wink. “Yeah. They need to make sure nothing else is wrong.” Backing away from the bed a step, he propped his hands on his hips. “Hey, can you guys give us just a minute alone? My partner Evan is in the waiting room. He’ll sit with you. Don’t leave his sight.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Sarah’s brow furrowed. As usual, she was suspicious.

Monica gave Sarah’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Go on, sweetie. We’ll explain things when we know what’s going on.”

She didn’t look happy with the answer, but she and Jack left the room quietly. As the door closed softly behind them, Monica watched Seth closely. “Did they catch them?”

Sadness filled his features. “No. He was gone by the time Evan and the backup officers came on scene, and a search turned up nothing. I have a pretty good idea who it was though,” he stated, slumping down into the chair that Jack had vacated. Bracing his elbows on his knees, Seth rubbed his hands down his face. “Dammit, he’s not just trying to scare you, judging by his actions today. He wants to hurt you…or worse. They’ve got to find him before he kills someone. They’ve got an APB out for the vehicle right now. We can only wait and hope that they can get lucky. In my experience though, criminals always fuck up. He’s getting bolder, so it’s only a matter of time before he shows himself.”

“I just want to live a semi-normal life.” Shaking her head sadly, Monica looked up at the ceiling. “He’s n
ever going to leave me alone, especially now that he’s found us. I can’t put you in danger, Seth. The kids and I need to leave, find somewhere else to go where we can start over again. I knew we were pushing our luck by being here for this long, but things were going so good for us. I should have known it was too good to be true.”

She didn’t even finish her sentence before he was standing beside the bed
, his lips pulled into a tight line. “You’re not going anywhere. You need to press charges against him for what he did, and I don’t mean what happened today. You should speak up and tell someone what he did to you so he doesn’t do it to anyone else. When they let you out tomorrow, I’ll take you to the station. I’ll be there with you every step of the way. Please do this for me. You
cannot
let him scare you away, do you hear me?”

A tear fell down the side of her face
, stinging as it ran over a cut and dripped into her ear. The gut wrenching sorrow was too much to take. When she’d come to the conclusion that leaving was the best idea, she had no idea how hard it would be to walk away from Seth, but it wasn’t fair to him to be thrown into the middle of their messed-up lives. “We have to leave, Seth.”

“And what about Sarah and Jack? They’re adjusting well. Fuck, I even saw Jack crack a smile yesterday.” Seth threw his hands in the air. “I can’t believe you’re even saying this like it’s an option, Monica. How can you just walk away from everything we’ve got? Everything you’ve worked so hard to overcome?” Leaning over the bed, he took her face in his hands. “Look me in the eye and tell me you can walk away. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that I mean nothing to you, because goddammit, Monica, you mean the fucking world to me.”

A raw sob erupted from her chest. Squeezing her eyes shut, she accepted the fact that he was right. Leaving him would destroy her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I just don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so tired of living like this. Living every day in constant fear of being discovered.”

“Monica, look at me.”
She opened her eyes and looked into Seth’s blue gaze. The sincere tenderness she saw there ripped her soul open, flaying it bare to him. “Do you remember what I told you?
Us
. It’s us from now on. Not you and the kids…it’s all of us now. We fight this together. I meant it then, and I mean it now.”

She nodded
, her chest so tight she could barely breathe. “I’ve always had to do it on my own. No one has ever fought for me,” she said softly. Lifting her hand, she cupped the side of his face. “I don’t even know how to thank you. The words are meaningless compared to the way I feel.”

“You don’t have to say it, baby. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me. You’re so damn
strong; it scares the shit out of me sometimes. I’d tell you I love you, but the words don’t even convey the true depth of my feelings for you.”

“You love me?”
she said in shock, her heart pounding wildly in her ribcage. No one had ever loved her before. Not even her own family, aside from Sarah and Jack.

Seth smirked and shook his head. “I’m fucking hopeless when it comes to you.”

“Wow…are you sure you’re ready for this? I come with two teenagers.” Seth nodded, his smile growing bigger. She was in shock. This was definitely what being in shock must feel like. Her hands were clammy, her toes tingled, and her stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies. The smile that pulled at her lips was unstoppable. “I love you too, Seth.”

“I’m not that easy to love either,” he teased, kissing the tip of her nose. “I have my faults too, but if you’re willing to take that leap, I’ll be right there beside you.”

They sat in silence for a moment, just letting it all sink in. She was in love…and he loved her back. Up until now, she had thought that love was only something that happened in movies, and books. Finding that it was genuine unraveled her fears of being alone forever.

“So what do we do now?” she asked with a sigh.

Seth leaned in, and smiled against her lips as he pressed his mouth to hers. “We get you better, and we move forward. Naked. Preferably naked. All the time.”

Monica laughed, wishing she could wrap her arms around his neck
to pull him closer. “I like the sounds of that, but with two teenagers in the house…your ‘all the time’ plan is faulty.”

He chuckled, and kissed along her jawline
to her neck. “They gotta sleep sometime.”

Chapter Fourteen

Seth shrugged his tux coat over his shoulders, blowing out a breath as he adjusted his tie. He was nervous. His plan for the evening was to give Monica the time of her life. To make her forget about their troubles while she danced the night away.

In the month since the accident,
their attacker hadn’t made his presence known again. Almost getting caught probably spooked him slightly, but Seth knew it was only a matter of time before he showed up again. And with his track record, he was getting more violent with each attempt to get to Monica, so precautions had been taken to secure the house, especially since Sarah and Jack would be staying home alone for most of the night.

Monica had gone to the police and told her story, every gut
-wrenching scenario in detail. It had nearly killed him to sit next to her while she poured her embarrassment out in a stark, cold room to someone she’d never seen before, but she did it with her head held high. She let it all out, and Seth noticed a startling difference in Monica after it was all over. She seemed happier, like the weight of her secrets had been lifted, setting her free. She was smiling again, not as tense.

“You about ready, babe?” he hollered up the stairs. He was pacing the floor at the bottom of the steps, anxious to see her. He felt like a teenager going to prom.

“Not yet!” Sarah sounded pleased as a peacock as she chirped her response. She was, no doubt, loving getting to be the beauty specialist, not that Monica needed any help in that department. Her cast had been removed from her wrist the day before, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.

Running his hands through his hair, Seth glanced at Jack. “Why does it take them so damn long?”

Jack shrugged and snorted. “Because they’re girls. Who knows?” Jack was like a completely different kid. He was always eager to help work on the motor Seth had up on the engine stand in the garage. It wasn’t for anything special, but he enjoyed Jack’s company while they tinkered with it. Jack was eager to learn, and he did so fast. Fishing was his other newfound hobby. Jack was asking to go to the lake every spare moment he got, and Seth was more than happy to oblige. The kid had never had a father figure in his life, well, not one that was worth a shit anyway, so filling that role filled Seth with pride.

Stopping at the bottom of the steps, Seth propped his hands on his hips. “How about now?”

“Okay, she’s ready!” Sarah squealed, running down the stairs to take up position next to him. “You can come down now, Monica!”
Seth watched as Monica appeared at the top of the stairs, looking like she’d just stepped off the cover of a magazine. She was stunning. His mouth fell open, and he was fairly sure his heart stopped for a second. The red satin flowed around her slim legs as she started down the stairs, giving him teasing glimpses of her red peep-toe heels. She moved like liquid, gracefully approaching, but the most beautiful thing she wore wasn’t a garment or an accessory. It was her smile.

Red lipstick stained her full pouty lips, making him groan
with thoughts that made his cock stiffen in his slacks. Black mascara coated her lashes, making her golden eyes pop. Her long black locks fell over her shoulders in thick, smooth waves, with her bangs pinned back at her forehead. He was speechless, standing there in shock. It was like he was seeing her for the very first time, awestruck by her beauty.

“Holy shit…” Jack quipped, his brows raised in surprise. “You look like a girl!” Sarah gave him a smack to the arm that made him howl in pain, but Seth was too busy taking it all in to tell them to knock it off.

She was glowing as she took the final step onto the tile in front of him, before doing a playful twirl. “I feel like Cinderella.”

Seth shook his head, and pulled her in for a kiss. “That hag’s got nothing on you,” he growled, pressing his mouth to hers.

Their teenage audience responded to their display with resounding gags and disgusted noises. Jack was especially unimpressed, but it didn’t stop the small grin from creeping over his lips. “Gross. Get a room!”

Monica blushed and hid her face. “Oh
, shut up, Jack. Just wait until you get a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, yeah, all right
, that’s enough,” Seth drawled. “We need to get going. I don’t want to be late. You two know the drill, doors locked, alarm system on, shades pulled, and do not answer the door. You call me if anything happens. Got it?” They both affirmed their instructions and proceeded to the kitchen where they promptly began to bicker over who got the last snack cake in the cupboard. Seth shook his head and offered his arm. “Ready?”

“I’m ready,” she responded, slipping her arm around his, still smiling from ear to ear.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Through the entire drive to the venue, he stole glances at her, in disbelief that he was escorting this gorgeous woman to the ball. When they finally arrived and entered the ballroom, all eyes turned to Monica. A fierce protectiveness came over him at the sight of so many men staring, but at the same time, a pride that made him want to puff out his chest was prominent.
That’s right, assholes. She’s with me
.

Escorting her to a table, Seth shook hands and dabbled in a little small talk
with his colleagues, but through it all he was very aware of the warm little beauty lingering close to his side. She was nervous, he could sense it, but he couldn’t blame her. She was the center of attention and the subject of everyone’s curiosities.

“Everyone’s staring at me,” she whispered, her eyes flitting around the room anxiously.
She hadn’t reduced the death grip she had on his arm at all since arriving, and he liked it.

Seth smiled down at her. “I know. It only confirms what I already knew.”

“And that is?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

“
That you’re the most beautiful woman in the room right now.”

Monica smiled and swatted at his arm, a light blush coloring her cheeks. It didn’t matter how many times he told her she was beautiful, she responded with disbelief every time.

After a couple drinks and a slow dance that had him contemplating a trip to a private room somewhere, she started to loosen up. Out on the dance floor, she danced to an upbeat song with a few of the other ladies. Seth sat at a table sipping a whiskey with Evan, watching her hips sway to the music. Yeah, they were going to need a private room before the night was over.

“You’ve got it bad, man.” Evan shook his head and chuckled. “I’ve never seen you in so deep. If I didn’t know any better, I’d even go so far as to say you’re in love. It’s sad, really, the way you follow her around like a little puppy.”

A slow smile curled Seth’s lips. “You can bust my balls all you want, bro, but at the end of the day…I’ll be the one going home with that sexy little thing,” he said, tilting his glass in Monica’s direction. “Laugh it up.”

Evan sat back in his seat and propped his feet up on the chair next to him. “I’m just givin’ you shit. Besides, you’re a lot more pleasant to be around now that you’re getting laid on a regular basis. I should go thank her.”

He had to laugh. Evan was a good guy, and an even better friend. “So I see you gave in to your sister’s advice. Symone looks lovely tonight. Not stripper-ish at all,” he drawled, giving Evan a sideways glance. In all honesty, Evan’s date was stunning. Skin the color of mocha, long dark hair, exotic, heavily lashed green eyes…and a sassy attitude to match; she would definitely keep Evan on his toes all night.

“She hates my fucking guts,” Evan said, laughing out loud. “She thinks I’m an asshole.”

“Well, you are.” Seth grinned over his glass at his best friend.

Evan flipped him off, and rose from his chair. “Speaking of, I’m going to go see if she wants to dance. She won’t, but she amuses me when she gets pissy.”

Seth shook his head and laughed as Evan sauntered away, moving in Symone’s direction. Poor girl didn’t have a clue what she was getting into when she accepted his invitation. Hopefu
lly the sorry bastard would make it home with his balls intact.

Monica
caught his eye and broke away from the ladies, returning to the table. Her face was flushed, and she looked like she was having a blast. “I’m going to go use the ladies room. Will you grab me an ice water?” she panted, after finishing off her drink.

“Sure will, sweetheart,” he replied, pulling her onto his lap and pointing at his lips. “After you pay the piper.”

She grabbed his shoulders and kissed him hard, pulling away with a smack. “I’ll be right back. Next slow song, your ass is mine.” Her grin was devious as she stood back up and sashayed away to the restroom. His gaze lingered on her ass, and the need to discreetly adjust his junk was overwhelming. The things she did to him were wicked, and he liked it.

* * * * *

The night was going better than she could have ever imagined. The dress was perfect, Seth was looking fabulously handsome in his tux, and everyone was being so nice to her. As she finished up in the ladies room, Monica washed her hands and pushed through the door to return to the party. The music throbbed through the back corridor, making her smile. She felt energetic…alive. Just in the short time they’d been at the ball, she’d made new friends, and memories to last a lifetime.

The hallway was dimly lit, forcing her to squint as she started
back to the ballroom, but a low voice stopped her in her tracks only a few steps from the bathroom, sending a shiver up her spine.

“Long time no see, Monica.” A sinister chuckle followed. She suddenly felt ill as recognition set in. She knew the
voice well. It was the same tone Dan had used countless times when he was forcing himself on her. Turning slowly, Monica swallowed back the bile that burned at the back of her throat, only to come face to face with the one man she hoped she’d never see again.

Dan Jurgins, her stepfather
and star of her nightmares, stood lounging against the wall in the shadows, arms crossed over his chest. He looked older than the last time she’d seen him. Years of drinking more than likely aided in that. Monica panicked, glancing toward the ball room. If she screamed, maybe someone could get to her in time. The asshole had a lot of balls showing up to a police sponsored event, but he wasn’t the smartest of specimens.

Dan laughed and pushed away from the wall. “I wouldn’t make a sound if I were you. If you scream, I’ll kill Sarah. You wouldn’t want that, now would you?” Slowly, he prowled toward her, his eyes dark, evil.

He was bluffing. He had to be. “You’re lying. Sarah’s safe.”

“Is she?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. “Because I beg to differ.”

It felt as though all of the blood in her body drained through her feet as Dan lifted his hand, swinging Sarah’s locket around his thick, dirty fingers. The hallway began to spin, and it suddenly became difficult to breathe. “No.”

He laughed, stopping a few feet away. “
Yup. Now, here’s what we’re going to do, kitten.” The use of her childhood nickname made her stomach turn. He only used it on her when he warned her not to tell anyone about what he had done. “You’re going to come with me, and you’re going to do so quickly and quietly. You draw any attention to us, and I’ll cut Sarah’s throat while you watch. Understood?”

Laughter echoed down the hallway, and Monica turned her head to see Evan’s date Symone walking toward the restroom with another woman. Desperately, she wanted to ask for help, to get their attention, but he was watching her. She could feel his slimy gaze on her. Symone stopped, and Monica wanted to cry. In her head, she pleaded for her to leave, to take the hint, but she stopped anyway, making Monica hold her breath.

“Hey girl! You gonna come back out and dance with us?” Symone’s gaze flickered to Dan and then back.

Hoping she looked calm, Monica nodded, swallowing the sadness building in her chest. “Yeah, I’ll be right there!” she chirped
, faking excitement. She couldn’t look the other woman in the eye. If Dan thought she was sending any type of signal, he would hurt Sarah, and that would destroy her.

“All right
. We’ll need you for the Macarena,” Symone said with a wink. “Catch you out there!”

Monica nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear, thankful when the two women disappeared into the restroom nearby.
When she was alone with Dan once again, she lowered her voice in case anyone else was near. “Where are we going?”

Dan grabbed her upper arm and began pulling her toward the back exit. “You don’t worry your pretty little head about that, kitten.
You have a long time to make up for, and I’ve got some friends that are very eager to meet you and your little sister. She’s a pretty one. Looks just like you when you were seventeen. My customers will pay big money for that sweet little treat.”

Monica was on autopilot
. His voice drifted away to a dull mumble as they pushed through the back door and into the crisp night air. She didn’t want to hear the disgusting things he was spewing; she just went numb out of instinct. Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her face, streaking her mascara. She would probably never see Seth again. She had found love, and now it was gone. She didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to him.

Her chest ached with unspent sobs as she stood aside
, waiting while Dan opened the back door of a dirty green van. When he pulled the doors open, Monica gasped. Sarah lay amid a pile of filthy blankets, her hands bound behind her back, tape over her mouth. Her eyes were half lidded, and she didn’t even react when the bright street light poured in on her. “You drugged her?” Monica hissed, climbing into the van and pulling Sarah into her lap.