Page 76 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
We walked to where Sam and Zoey waited. I took her hand in mine and helped her stand. “Are you ready to make this statement?”
“Yes,” she said with a bit of trepidation. “Let’s get this done.”
“All right,” Peter said, ushering us toward a small room with a few pockmarked tables and some plastic chairs. A vending machine stood against one wall, but it had little to offer. Peter pulled out a chair at the table, and Sam, Zoey, and I followed suit.
Zoey’s gaze was locked on the faux-wood grain of the tabletop as if it held the secrets of the universe. I put my arm around to ease her trembling.
“Take your time,” Chief Warman said, and sat back in his chair, his flat cop eyes watching Zoey. He eyed me when I took her hand.
She gripped my fingers. “George... he came after me,” Zoey began, each word laced with effort. “He must have found out I was staying at my sister’s place.”
She paused, her breath hitching, and I squeezed her hand, willing my strength into her.
Peter took out a small black notepad. “Why don’t you start from the beginning, Zoey? I know you gave a statement to Officer Griffiths earlier, but I’d like to get it straight in my own head. Especially if you’re looking for a restraining order.”
“I lived with George James for thirteen years,” Zoey said. “He abused me for most of that time.” Her story unfolded slowly, painting a picture of the years of fear and violence she had endured. Sam also gave a statement, detailing how she’d contacted him and they’d planned her escape.
When Zoey and Sam had finished recounting the tale, the chief’s face was like a thundercloud, dark and stormy, his jaw sethard. “I’ve got three girls of my own,” he muttered, his hands clenched into fists. “I’d kill any man who dared lay a finger on them.” He looked up, eyes blazing with a fury that wasn’t aimed at Zoey, but rather at the man who had tormented her. “You’re getting that restraining order, Zoey. And I’ll make damn sure we press charges against this George James. He won’t get away with it.”
“Thank you,” she said, fumbling with her phone. With trembling fingers, she pulled up a gallery of time-stamped photos, each one documenting the abuse she’d suffered at George’s hands. “These are from the last time. He wouldn’t let me have a phone, so I couldn’t document every incident. One of his men snuck me a phone when I realized I needed to get out before George killed me. I took these and uploaded them to my cloud.” She handed the device to the chief, who took it with a solemn nod, scrolling through the evidence with a grimace.
“This will help your case,” Peter said. “I’m going to send these to myself, if that’s all right with you?”
Zoey nodded, but her face was pale. She went to stand but swayed slightly, and I instinctively grabbed her waist.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said. “You’re so brave, Zoey. I’m proud of you.”
Her small frame shook in my arms, her breath coming in short gasps. “I can’t believe I did it,” she managed before breaking down into sobs.
“You did,” I confirmed, holding her tighter, my promise a whisper in her ear. “You’re safe now. You’ll never have to go through that again.”
She clung to me, her tears soaking through my shirt, but it didn’t matter. “I did it, I did it. I finally did it,” she murmured into my chest.
As I stood there, supporting her, I smiled. Because every word she spoke was another chain falling away, another piece ofGeorge’s hold on her crumbling to dust. It was more than just words.
It was freedom taking root.
20
ZOEY
The door to the police station closed behind me with a resounding thud, echoing the finality of the ordeal. But I knew this was only the start of a fresh chapter. George wouldn’t take my involving the police lightly.
The sky was a gloomy gray that summed up the never-ending stream of stormy memories I’d drudged up for my statement. I wrapped my arms around myself, warding myself from the sudden chill of the breeze and complete shock over the morning’s events.
Chief Warman had been positive and nothing but nice, but having strangers scrutinize my past with that level of intensity was exhausting.
Sam had been as good as his word, and we’d left him finalizing things with Chief Warman. Noah and I left to pick up Ro from the park because Heather’s shift at the hospital started soon. Noah’s father had called to let us know Mike would be okay—he had a concussion and a large laceration to his stomach, but they’d gotten to him in time, and he’d been able to shift. He was doing well now.
“I don’t want to be alone,” I told Noah, surprising myself with the admission. The idea of going back to an empty house, where the walls would close in on me, made my stomach churn.
“Okay.” Noah’s reply was simple. I was still amazed that this man had stayed by my side the entire time. He tilted my chin up, his steady gaze meeting mine. I saw something there that I couldn’t name, but it made me feel warm all over.
“You’re safe,” he said. “I’ve got you both, Zoey. I’ll keep you safe.”
He leaned his forehead against mine. We stood like that for a long moment, and I soaked in the comfort he was offering. One day, I’d finally believe it. God knew I wanted to.
“Got everything?” Noah asked.
