Page 55 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
Walking over, I set down the first aid kit by Cade then hand the glass of water and aspirin to Christopher as I sit down beside him on the couch.
“Thanks,” he mutters, not making eye contact with me. I don’t take it personally because I know he’s embarrassed.
After he sets the empty glass on the floor, I start to rub my hand gently down his bare back, making sure to be mindful of his injuries. He tenses but I don’t stop and I don’t look at him, not wanting him to feel more uncomfortable. He eventually relaxes and accepts my affection.
Cade breaks the silence a moment later, “Well I don’t think they’re broken, I think they’re just bruised, but I’m also not a doctor. I’ll clean up the cuts and wrap them, which should at least help ease a little of the pain.”
“They’re not broken. I would know—I’ve had them broken before.”
My stomach twists at his admission, and as Cade starts going to work on him, I decide now is a good time to get him to talk. “Does your father do this to you often?” I ask quietly. Not that it matters how many times, one time is too many, but I want to make sure my assumption about his father is right.
He shrugs. “Enough, but it’s better me than Ruth Jean.”
The knowledge that he takes it to protect his sister has my heart breaking even more. “Have you told anyone before?”
He shakes his head, “I can’t.”
“You need to, Christopher. I think we should call Cooper.”
Alarm flashes in his gaze. “No! I told you, Faith, no one can know. That’s why I didn’t want to go to the hospital.”
“Why? Why don’t you want anyone to help you?”
“Because they will put Ruth Jean and me in a fucking foster home and I know they will split us up. I can’t let that happen. I’ll never let them take my sister from me.”
“Don’t you have any other family you can contact who will help you?”
He shakes his head again. “No, my grandparents died a long time ago and my mom left us when Ruth Jean was only two years old.” Anger tightens his expression when mentioning his mom.
What mother would leave her children, especially with someone so horrible?
“I only need to deal with this shit for a few more years. Then, when I turn eighteen, I’m taking Ruth Jean and getting the hell out of here. I’ll go someplace where my dad will never find us.”
“Christopher, you may not survive a few more years. Look at you!”
He shrugs. “It will be fine. Tonight I knew was going to be bad. This day of the year always is.”
“What do you mean?”
Pain and anger ignites in his eyes again. “Five years ago today was the day my mom walked out. My dad is always a drunk asshole, but every year, on this day, it’s always the worst. I wasn’t even supposed to be there, I only went back home to quickly grab something. He was supposed to be out with his loser friends, but instead he had them over at our place.”
“There were other people there and they didn’t help you?” I ask in disbelief and outrage.
He grunts in disgust. “No, they didn’t. One even took a couple shots of his own. My dad doesn’t hang out with great people. Some are worse than he is.”
Cade has stayed silent the whole time, but after Christopher admits this, I watch his jaw clench and stone cold fury take over his expression. I’m feeling the same way. I’m angry that his father has done this to him and I’m heartbroken that he has had to go through this for so long and no one has caught on before now. But, most of all, I’m scared. Scared for what will happen to him if he doesn’t get help.
A sudden image of Aadil strikes me. I quickly shake my head and rid the memory before the pain can pull me under. No! I won’t let that happen to him. Not to Christopher or Ruth Jean. In my heart I know what I need to do.
Cade finishes wrapping Christopher’s ribs then puts the first aid kit back together and stands.
“Where is Ruth Jean now?” I figure she isn’t at the house since I know Christopher wouldn’t leave her there.
“She’s at Mrs. Jenkins house. She’s an old lady who lives down the road from us. I ask her sometimes to take Ruth Jean for me, when I know my dad is in a really bad way, then I go get her a few hours later once shit calms down. She’s senile, but safe. I’m supposed to be picking her up soon but I can’t take Ruth Jean back home tonight unless my dad has left.”
I nod then turn toward him and look him straight in the eye. “Do you trust me?”
He watches me wearily, unsure where this is going. I feel Cade’s eyes on me as well but I don’t break my gaze from Christopher’s. He finally answers a minute later. “More than I trust anyone else I guess, why?”
“Because I want to call Cooper.” He jumps up in protest, but before he gets the wrong idea I grab his wrist and quickly explain. “Just calm down and hear me out. I promised you I would not do anything you are not okay with and I meant that.”
He expels a frustrated breath, but sits back down next to me. “I want to call Cooper, not as a cop but as a friend. I want to ask him what our options are. I need to find out what I need to do to help you.”
He eyes me suspiciously. “What do you mean? I’m telling you, they will put us in a foster home and split us up. You cannot help!”
“Yes, I can. I want to know what I need to do so you and Ruth Jean can come stay here with me.”
Utter silence fills the room, as his expression becomes one of complete shock. I feel the heavy weight of Cade’s disapproving stare but I ignore it.
