Page 28 of Love Me Gently

“He’s a monster.” He was worse than that, much worse.

I stepped toward Trina and reached out, brushing the backs of my fingers down her arm. “Has she been awake?”

“She’s sedated. She hit her head and has some swelling.”

“Shedidn’t hit anything,” I grunted.

“I know. I know, Mr. Paxton, but —”

“Cole—”

“Cole. I know that, but somehow, she hit her head on something.” I couldn’t stop staring at Trina’s face. She wasn’t recognizable. Her hair, which was stuck to her temples and had clearly been washed which didn’t work because blood still remained, was the only thing about her I could identify.

“And how exactly am I supposed to help her?” She was in a hospital, hooked to monitors and clearly unable to walk. I’d do anything for her, but this seemed impossible.

“She has to get out of here. They won’t…he said it was a home invasion. Sent cops to his home and everything so I don’t know ifhedid it this time or someone else. But as soon as I got here, he asked me about you and showed me your business card. Demanded I tell him how she got that.”

“What’d you say?”

“I said I had no idea what he was talking about, but the cops didn’t find anything at his home. And he said he’d just come home from a meeting with Kip.”

“Your husband is his alibi?” My brows arched and I couldn’t hide my pointed tone.

If she was surprised I’d looked into them, she didn’t show it. Perhaps because the world knew her as well. Daughter to a famous actor and actress, one of the few celebrity couples who’d been married for over thirty-five years, their romance and marriage were inspirational. Valerie, their only child, met and fell in love with a professional football player while in Los Angeles before being traded to Georgia. It was there he met Jonathan, but it was Kip’s family that helped fund his buy-in when they became General Manager and Assistant GM. Kip’s family, generations prior, started a small bank in Savannah, Georgia, that now had branches all over the Southeast.

“KipdespisesJonathan,” Valerie leaned in and whispered. Like we were being recorded. Like someone would hear her outside. “He’s wanted to leave for years, but I’m the only person Katrina’s allowed to spend time with. He tried to talk to Jonathan once.” She glanced at Trina, sniffed, and came back to me. “It didn’t go well.”

“He stayed so you could be there for Trina.”

“It tookyearsfor her to admit what was going on. And that was four years ago.”

I closed my eyes at the revelation. How long had this been going on? They’d been together now for a decade. Had she been abused that long? The thought made my stomach roll with disgust and unbearable pain for her.

“What happens now? What do you need from me?”

If I could, I’d throw Trina in my arms and carry her out. There was no way I could move her, though.

“Cops can’t do anything until she wakes up. Get her side of the story. Katrina would need to press charges.”

She chewed her bottom lip.

I could surmise what she wasn’t saying. “You don’t think she will.”

“She never has before.”

“Right.” Of course she hadn’t. Shecouldn’t. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Minutes had gone by. I wanted to pull up a chair, protect Trina, and beat Jonathan so badly when he returned that he’d be in a bed just like Trina or worse, but this wasn’t the time. “Again, what do you need from me?”

“You’ll help her?”

“I’ll do whatever I need to do.”

“Okay. Good.” She breathed out and nodded. “Kip has a plan, actually. I told him about you. He’s not certain, to be honest, if he can trust you.”

“Then tell your husband I’ve loved Trina since she was fourteen years old and not a damn thing has changed.”

Tears burned her eyes. We both glanced down at Trina, but I couldn’t look at her too long. She was too damaged. She’dhatethat I was seeing her like this.

“Tomorrow,” Valerie whispered. “I can get Jonathan to let me stay tonight. Kip has a meeting planned for him…or is planning on calling an emergency meeting in the morning. We can get her transport, but we need somewhere for her to go.”

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