Page 46 of Master Cole

“Leave that to me.” Alicia rubbed her hands together. “I can drop you at work and then go shopping. I know the perfect dinner for tonight. I'll pick you up from work before my interview.”

“I put myself in your capable hands.”

“This is going to be so much fun. Eat up so I can go shopping.”

Janie laughed, finished her second cup of coffee, grabbed a bagel, and wrapped it in foil. “I’ll eat when I get to work. Something tells me it’s going to be a long day.”

Janie wasn’t evenat work an hour when Liz came stumbling in. “Liz.” Janie leapt up from her chair and ran to the sobbing woman.

Her boss came into the room. “Bay three, now.”

Janie guided Liz from her office to the third bay. The clinic had several bays that held hospital beds. They weren’t a full-service clinic, but they could do minor things. Luckily, one of the volunteer doctors was on duty.

Doctor April took one look at Liz and shook her head. “Janie, I’ll take it from here.”

“Let the Doc take care of you, Liz.” Janie helped her onto the bed, but Liz grabbed her hand.

“Please, stay.”

Janie looked at the doctor, who shook her head. “As soon as Doc April is through, I’ll be back. I promise, Liz.”

“Okay, but be careful. I think he might have followed me today.”

“Don’t worry.” Janie slipped out of the room and then marched to the front of the building. Her boss, Susie, stood at the door. “Do I need to call the police?”

“No, so far he’s just sitting in his car.”

“Damn, this isn’t what Liz or we need.”

“It’s not the first time we’ve had husbands follow their wives. As long as he doesn’t make trouble there isn’t anything we can do but take care of Liz.”

“I wish she’d let me get her into a shelter or a halfway house.” There were a few in the area.

“She won’t leave him until she’s ready or dead. You’ve been doing a great job with her.” Susie turned and patted Janie on the arm. “She’s been coming in at least once a week since you’ve been here. The beatings have been less and less until today.”

“What he did to her ... ” Janie shivered, remembering Liz’s swollen cheeks, lip, and eye. “I wish we could get her to press charges.”

“It’s tough.” Susie shook her head. “Go back to work, I’ll keep an eye out, and if anything happens I’ll let you know.”

Janie walked away with her shoulders slumped. She didn’t understand why a man would beat his wife or any woman, for that matter. But it was one of the reasons she’d gotten her degree in sexual health. Too many girls in college were abused by men who professed to love them.

Some might call Janie idealistic. Lord only knows what Cole would think. He wouldn’t like it at all. He was so overprotective of her already, if he realized she could be in the line of fire with an abusive husband, Cole would lock her up in the house faster than she could blink.

Instead of going into her office, Janie paced outside the small room where Liz was being treated until Doc April told her she could go sit with Liz. Janie barely held back the tears when she saw Liz lying on the bed.

Bruises were already forming on her skin, not just her face, but her arms as well. “Oh, Liz,” she whispered, pulling a chair to the side of the bed and sitting down. She wanted to take Liz’s hand but was afraid of hurting her.

“Is he out there?” Liz asked in a raspy voice.

“Don’t worry about him.” Janie patted the back of her hand. “I want you to lie here and rest.”

“But if he comes in here?”

“He won’t.” Janie lifted her chin. “I won’t let him hurt you, Liz, not on my watch.”

Liz opened her mouth, but instead of saying anything she let out a sigh and her eyes closed. Within seconds her entire body relaxed. She was asleep. Good, that would help her heal.

Janie putthe finishing touches on dinner and slid it into the oven. She’d given Alicia her car to get to her interview. Janie set the timer and then ran upstairs. Twenty minutes for the food to heat.

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