there within thirty minutes. It was amazing what money could accomplish.
I stayed on one side of Cassie and my mother on the other as the doctor examined her. Between the two of us, we were able to keep her calm enough that he could fully assess her condition without causing a panic attack. Hot tears fell from my face as I watched her wince or jerk back in pain over and over again. The doctor was as gentle as possible, but there was no way possible to make it comfortable for her unless we put her to sleep. Cassie pleaded to stay awake.
Her husband had dislocated her jaw, broken her wrist and a few ribs; there were so many cuts and bruises we could barely recognize her. Both of her eyes were black and I hoped he hadn’t broken her nose, but as it was she would probably need surgery one day. The worthless man had also raped her, once that she actually confirmed. More than likely he had forced her a lot throughout their marriage. My greatest fear had been that my father had married her off to someone like Michael, and it killed me that I was right. The guilt I felt about not saving her sooner suffocated me.
We got Cassie settled in the guest room next to my mom’s, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe with us. My heart broke for everything she had gone through, but I was thankful Hunter had gotten her away before her monster of a husband killed her. After the past week and a half, my nerves couldn’t take anything else. Hunter stood outside the bedroom door as we settled her in bed.
“Thank you for saving my daughters,” my mom whispered. Her hands cupped his face as she spoke, and she kissed his forehead before letting go. Something in that statement needled at my conscious, but none of my lost memories came forward.
“You know I will do everything I can for all of you, Eliza. You’ve always been my family.”
Mom leaned back and straightened up. It was so odd seeing her broken. She was the strongest woman I knew, and I’d inherited so much of her spirit that it physically hurt me to see her this way.
“It’s been a long day; I think I’m going to go bed. I’ll see you both in the morning. Goodnight kids.”
We both told her goodnight and watched her walk to her room. Her strong shoulders showed the wear of the day, but earlier I had only seen relief when she held my sister. My eyes closed against the pain and guilt that I felt radiating from my mother.
All of this was my fault.
I sat across the room watching as Hunter brooded. He stood staring into the fireplace, holding a glass of scotch in his hands. The clink of his wedding band against the glass triggered something in my memory. I grasped hard at the images flashing through my mind.
“We got married on the beach. Then we went back to the hotel and made love twice. I was terrified about how I felt, but you made me feel better. You ordered room service and they brought us champagne. The stems of the glasses formed a heart. I smuggled the glasses into the bottom of my suitcase because I wanted a memento of our day. You laughed at me when you found them. Your ring hit made that same sound when we drank the champagne. I remember because I thought it was one of the sexiest sounds I had ever heard.”
He turned towards me with a look of surprise written all over his face.
“You remember?”
“Not everything yet, but it’s something at least. I remember our wedding.”
He sat the glass of scotch on the mantle and crossed the room. Tears stung my eyes as I peered up at him. Strong arms pulled me against him. His lips brushed my neck, and I felt the familiar flutter of need start to fill me. I ran my hands up his muscled chest, looping my arms loosely around his neck.
“It’s something, baby.”
“We should celebrate.”
He raised an eyebrow and I giggled. Who was I? Before all this, I never giggled.
“I need to talk to you. It’s kind of important.” Hunter’s phone started ringing and I groaned as he pulled it
I stayed on one side of Cassie and my mother on the other as the doctor examined her. Between the two of us, we were able to keep her calm enough that he could fully assess her condition without causing a panic attack. Hot tears fell from my face as I watched her wince or jerk back in pain over and over again. The doctor was as gentle as possible, but there was no way possible to make it comfortable for her unless we put her to sleep. Cassie pleaded to stay awake.
Her husband had dislocated her jaw, broken her wrist and a few ribs; there were so many cuts and bruises we could barely recognize her. Both of her eyes were black and I hoped he hadn’t broken her nose, but as it was she would probably need surgery one day. The worthless man had also raped her, once that she actually confirmed. More than likely he had forced her a lot throughout their marriage. My greatest fear had been that my father had married her off to someone like Michael, and it killed me that I was right. The guilt I felt about not saving her sooner suffocated me.
We got Cassie settled in the guest room next to my mom’s, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe with us. My heart broke for everything she had gone through, but I was thankful Hunter had gotten her away before her monster of a husband killed her. After the past week and a half, my nerves couldn’t take anything else. Hunter stood outside the bedroom door as we settled her in bed.
“Thank you for saving my daughters,” my mom whispered. Her hands cupped his face as she spoke, and she kissed his forehead before letting go. Something in that statement needled at my conscious, but none of my lost memories came forward.
“You know I will do everything I can for all of you, Eliza. You’ve always been my family.”
Mom leaned back and straightened up. It was so odd seeing her broken. She was the strongest woman I knew, and I’d inherited so much of her spirit that it physically hurt me to see her this way.
“It’s been a long day; I think I’m going to go bed. I’ll see you both in the morning. Goodnight kids.”
We both told her goodnight and watched her walk to her room. Her strong shoulders showed the wear of the day, but earlier I had only seen relief when she held my sister. My eyes closed against the pain and guilt that I felt radiating from my mother.
All of this was my fault.
I sat across the room watching as Hunter brooded. He stood staring into the fireplace, holding a glass of scotch in his hands. The clink of his wedding band against the glass triggered something in my memory. I grasped hard at the images flashing through my mind.
“We got married on the beach. Then we went back to the hotel and made love twice. I was terrified about how I felt, but you made me feel better. You ordered room service and they brought us champagne. The stems of the glasses formed a heart. I smuggled the glasses into the bottom of my suitcase because I wanted a memento of our day. You laughed at me when you found them. Your ring hit made that same sound when we drank the champagne. I remember because I thought it was one of the sexiest sounds I had ever heard.”
He turned towards me with a look of surprise written all over his face.
“You remember?”
“Not everything yet, but it’s something at least. I remember our wedding.”
He sat the glass of scotch on the mantle and crossed the room. Tears stung my eyes as I peered up at him. Strong arms pulled me against him. His lips brushed my neck, and I felt the familiar flutter of need start to fill me. I ran my hands up his muscled chest, looping my arms loosely around his neck.
“It’s something, baby.”
“We should celebrate.”
He raised an eyebrow and I giggled. Who was I? Before all this, I never giggled.
“I need to talk to you. It’s kind of important.” Hunter’s phone started ringing and I groaned as he pulled it
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