Page 16 of Love Me Gently

They thought Trina got swept away with wealth and celebrity-status and decided her small, southern town pastor dad and stay-at-home mom were too simple for her. That they weren’t good enough.

I doubted their professions or their simple life had anything to do with Trina’s distance, but had everything to do with the man who caused her bruised cheek.

“Chance encounter on the street.” I chuckled at the memory. Crazy how it was twelve hours ago. Seemed like a lifetime already. “She slammed into me leaving a coffee shop and I spilled my coffee all over her.”

“That doesn’t tell me how she is.”

“Yeah, well, she didn’t really give me anything. Barely said hello to me and couldn’t wait to get away.”

My mom’s lips flatlined and her eyes narrowed. “That’s not Trina.”

I debated for a minute. My parents were still close with hers. Hard not to be when we all still went to the same church, gathered at the same potlucks, and went to the same local stores they always had. The population of Deer Creek might have doubled, but those who were here before the growth were as tight-knit as ever.

“Nothing about her was,” I admitted. “And you gottapromisenot to say a word to Mr. and Mrs. Mills.” I might have been close to turning thirty-one, but I’d used their first names maybe twice in my life. It never felt quite right, despite their constant reminders for me to do so.

“Cole, I don’t know…”

“Then I can’t tell you. It’d kill ‘em, Ma. I swear it’d absolutely destroy them.”

Her chin trembled and I waited as the fight raged through her before she sighed. “Okay. I promise. It’ll stay between us. And maybe your father if I need to share.”

“She’s been beaten.” My throat clogged as I said the words. They’d been trapped so deep inside of me all day it was almost a relief to get them out. Not so much when Mom winced with sympathy for her.

“You sure?”

“Covered bruise on her cheek and she had a practiced hand in doing it. I can tell, Ma. She wasn’t…she’s in pain. That much was obvious.”

“The poor thing.” My mom hugged herself and shook with sorrow.

The girl we’d all loved…so many still did, even if she’d turned her back on us all. I knew why she did it to me and had long since forgiven her for her decisions.

I stayed true to my word. I hated her for a day…maybe more, but after the hatred and anger faded, there was still only the love I had for her remaining. No matter how hard I tried, I could never quite kick that either.

And now the only woman I’d ever truly loved was in danger. In pain. Living with a man who thought he owned the world…or at least the South, and my hands were tied.

Mostly.

“What are you going to do?” my mom asked.

“I’m going to save her.”

Somehow. Some way. I’d stand by my word. I’d always be there for her. Now I just needed to figure out how.

Eight

Trina

Then

After New Year’s Eve,I spent days seeking as much information as I could find on Robert Madrid. His name was mentioned in a handful of local modeling agency catalogs, and once I found the name and address of Whisk Agency, where he seemed to work, I took the subway and strolled around the neighborhood.

Zane’s warning about girls having to test their morals every once in a while, still lingered, so before I ever made contact, I did what I could to make sure this man was legit.

The building’s entryway was modern, all glass and white marble floors and white cushioned chairs held together by gleaming gold metal.

The agency itself was located on the twentieth floor of the building, but the building’s lobby sent relief coursing through me and washed away my largest concerns.

Whisk Agency was legit. The model Anna Molin was one of their clients. She appeared in makeup commercials for luxury makeup brands I hoped to one day be able to afford. She was on billboards and the sides of buses modeling underwear and swimsuits in the spring and summer months and covered in thick, cable sweaters and plaid button up shirts in the fall and winter.

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