Jack, and Ethan charging through the open screen door.
She couldn’t hear them, so she wasn’t sure if Owen knew they were there. His trajectory never wavered, and the back of his hand cracked against her left cheekbone. The shock of it, more than the force behind it, made her reel back against the sharp edge of the counter, over the sink, before falling forward to the floor at his feet. Pain bloomed in her cheek in a delayed reaction to the blow. She was hurt, but she was also happy because she had seen them run through the door. She knew pain and relief all in the same moment. Surreal.
She’d fallen to her hands and knees in front of Owen and was momentarily worried that this position left her vulnerable to him if he chose to kick her. She watched in amazement as his boots somehow both lifted off the floor at the same time. She either felt or heard a great thud from somewhere close by but wasn’t sure where it came from. She put her hands to her cheeks. The left side of her face throbbed. She felt another thud and yelling, but she didn’t worry about it. Her men were there, and they would deal with him.
Someone approached her, and she felt strong hands on her shoulders.
She couldn’t hear what he was saying over the ringing in her ear and the noise. She tried to stand up, but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate. He lifted her
47
into his arms, carried her to her bedroom, and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her in his lap, cradling her against his chest. Even in her shocked state, she recognized Ethan’s spicy scent.
For the first time in years, she felt safe. Protected. She had become used to taking up for herself and gradually just learned how to take what Owen dished out. That was over. Emotion boiled up inside her, and she began to shake. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and bawled her eyes out, soaking the cotton of his red twill button-down shirt.
After a few minutes, she noticed the presence of more than one pair of hands on her back, arms, and hair, stroking her. The crying at an end, she looked up from Ethan’s damp shirtfront to see Adam and Jack on either side of her. They both stroked her and looked at her with worried eyes. The ringing had subsided a little bit, enough that she was able to hear what they were saying to her. Through her tears, she smiled at them.
“You came. Hi!” She hugged each one of them before hugging Ethan again. “What did you do with Owen?” She grinned when she realized that was the last time she’d ever care about his whereabouts.
“Out cold on the living room floor, waiting to find out what we’re going to do with him,” Jack said as he gently lifted the back of her shirt. “Darlin’, you’ve got a red welt on your back from the edge of the counter. It might leave a bruise, but at least the skin isn’t broken. He hit you pretty hard.” He frowned darkly as he gently palmed her cheekbone, which felt swollen and tingly.
Finally, this was her moment. Where before she had experienced everything in slow motion, now she felt invigorated, like it was the first day of fall and a cold front had just blown in. She didn’t feel the stifling heat at all. It was time to clean house.
“Adam, there is a box of big black trash bags under the kitchen sink. I need them. Ethan, can you disconnect his video game console and bag it up with all the games and controllers? Also disconnect the black laptop computer and put it in the computer bag that’s probably still right there with it. Jack, will you help me bag up his clothes and toiletries?”
“Sure, honey, sounds like you’ve had this planned for a while.” Jack grinned, helping her to her feet.
48
“Well, I’ve been ready for a while.” She found her cell phone and dialed her sister’s number. After giving her the brief rundown on what had just happened, she asked her to come over.
Jack said, “I’ll call the police to come pick him up. You’re going to press charges, right?”
“How
She couldn’t hear them, so she wasn’t sure if Owen knew they were there. His trajectory never wavered, and the back of his hand cracked against her left cheekbone. The shock of it, more than the force behind it, made her reel back against the sharp edge of the counter, over the sink, before falling forward to the floor at his feet. Pain bloomed in her cheek in a delayed reaction to the blow. She was hurt, but she was also happy because she had seen them run through the door. She knew pain and relief all in the same moment. Surreal.
She’d fallen to her hands and knees in front of Owen and was momentarily worried that this position left her vulnerable to him if he chose to kick her. She watched in amazement as his boots somehow both lifted off the floor at the same time. She either felt or heard a great thud from somewhere close by but wasn’t sure where it came from. She put her hands to her cheeks. The left side of her face throbbed. She felt another thud and yelling, but she didn’t worry about it. Her men were there, and they would deal with him.
Someone approached her, and she felt strong hands on her shoulders.
She couldn’t hear what he was saying over the ringing in her ear and the noise. She tried to stand up, but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate. He lifted her
47
into his arms, carried her to her bedroom, and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her in his lap, cradling her against his chest. Even in her shocked state, she recognized Ethan’s spicy scent.
For the first time in years, she felt safe. Protected. She had become used to taking up for herself and gradually just learned how to take what Owen dished out. That was over. Emotion boiled up inside her, and she began to shake. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and bawled her eyes out, soaking the cotton of his red twill button-down shirt.
After a few minutes, she noticed the presence of more than one pair of hands on her back, arms, and hair, stroking her. The crying at an end, she looked up from Ethan’s damp shirtfront to see Adam and Jack on either side of her. They both stroked her and looked at her with worried eyes. The ringing had subsided a little bit, enough that she was able to hear what they were saying to her. Through her tears, she smiled at them.
“You came. Hi!” She hugged each one of them before hugging Ethan again. “What did you do with Owen?” She grinned when she realized that was the last time she’d ever care about his whereabouts.
“Out cold on the living room floor, waiting to find out what we’re going to do with him,” Jack said as he gently lifted the back of her shirt. “Darlin’, you’ve got a red welt on your back from the edge of the counter. It might leave a bruise, but at least the skin isn’t broken. He hit you pretty hard.” He frowned darkly as he gently palmed her cheekbone, which felt swollen and tingly.
Finally, this was her moment. Where before she had experienced everything in slow motion, now she felt invigorated, like it was the first day of fall and a cold front had just blown in. She didn’t feel the stifling heat at all. It was time to clean house.
“Adam, there is a box of big black trash bags under the kitchen sink. I need them. Ethan, can you disconnect his video game console and bag it up with all the games and controllers? Also disconnect the black laptop computer and put it in the computer bag that’s probably still right there with it. Jack, will you help me bag up his clothes and toiletries?”
“Sure, honey, sounds like you’ve had this planned for a while.” Jack grinned, helping her to her feet.
48
“Well, I’ve been ready for a while.” She found her cell phone and dialed her sister’s number. After giving her the brief rundown on what had just happened, she asked her to come over.
Jack said, “I’ll call the police to come pick him up. You’re going to press charges, right?”
“How
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