Page 13 of Twisted Salvation
We pull past the gate at the end of Dominic’s driveway and wait for it to shut before we go up to the house. I sit up, and he gets out and comes around to help me stand. I am wobbly on my feet. They apparently gave me blood at some point, so I’m sure that helped. I am still so drained of energy.
“We will come back in the morning,” Matt says.
“If you need anything, you call me right away,” Natalie says. “Okay?”
“Okay. I think we will be good. I’m going to help her get cleaned up so she can rest. I have everything here to redo the bandages,” Dominic says.
“Andrew wants a statement,” Matt says. “He’s going to say he was there when she disclosed. He is friends with the district attorney,so he is going to go that route and explain that this came from a cop telling Leon about the unofficial report. Worst case, she might have to talk to her, but Andrew said that she will come to you guys, so she doesn’t have to go up to the sheriff’s office.”
“What will he be charged with?” I ask.
“Best case, attempted murder. Worst-case, you will just get a protection order. He is expecting it to go better if it’s assault charges. Maybe a gun charge as well. He will definitely have his weapon seized with the protection order,” he explains. “He did come by while you were asleep, so he knows how severely you were injured.”
“I’ll have to go to court for the protection order, won’t I?”
“Yes,” Matt says. “We are going to backdate some paperwork so that our records show that you were with me for the last year. We are in the same building, so it won’t mess with insurance reporting. We can correct the paperwork with them about the name change with your psychiatrist. This is happening because when you go to court, I will be acting as your psychiatrist, not Dominic. This means you do need to start seeing me. Dominic can be there, but we both feel that it is important that you get that same structured care. Now you will actually have a support system at home to help you.”
“So… I’m not his patient anymore?” I ask.
“No,” Matt smiles. “Go get some rest and give him hell.”
“I will,” I say kindly.
When Matt and Natalie drive away, Dominic helps me inside. His house is warm and inviting. There is a massive, plush sectional couch with a large ottoman in front of it. There are throw pillows arranged and décor throughout the living room to continue the comforting vibe. As we pass the kitchen, I see it has a large island with marble covering every surface of the kitchen. All of the appliances are stainless steel, and the room has a minimalistic feel to it. In the corner, there is a simple kitchen table, but next to it is a larger dining room with a huge table.
“You have a big family?” I ask.
“I do,” he says. “Only my mom lives close by, though. She might sneak her way in when she finds out someone else is living here.”
“Is she nice?” I ask.
“She is. She raised me on her own. She is one of ten kids, so I have a ton of extended family,” he says. “Although Matt is essentially my brother. I’ve known him my entire life.”
“Are you one of those weirdos without trauma?” I ask as we get to the stairs. “Oh, boy…”
“Come here,” he chuckles. He steps over to me and sweeps my feet so he can hold me in his arms as he takes us upstairs. “No, I have trauma. I work primarily with sexual assault survivors as well as domestic violence survivors.”
“Oh,” I say. “Were you… You don’t have to answer that.”
“My father raped me on camera for years and sold the video to pedophiles,” he says. “Mom worked two jobs and was only ever home for six hours at a time. He had me convinced that she would be mad at me. I didn’t want to let her down after working so hard, so I didn’t say anything. He got caught when I was fourteen after selling footage to an undercover cop. That’s when Mom moved us here.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say. “That’s…”
“Relatable?” he asks. “Unfortunately, it’s common. In most cases of child sexual assault, it’s by someone they know. A parent, relative, sibling, or close family friend.”
“Humans suck,” I frown.
He takes me into what I assume is his room, and I am in awe of it. He has a large king-sized bed with a four-post frame. “Is that… Dominic, why does your bed have a stockade?” I ask, and he laughs as he sits me on the edge of the bed.
“Do you want me to answer that right now, Myra?” he asks with a smirk.
“No,” I say, returning his smirk. “Maybe when I’m not drugged up on pain medicine.”
“That’s what I thought,” he chuckles before getting serious. He squats down and takes my hands into his and sighs.
“Surely whatever you have to say, it’s not that dramatic,” I say. “What is it?”
“I’m going to go take a shower. We have a few options here,” he says.
