“Then I won't.”I press a soft kiss to her forehead, letting my lips linger for a few seconds.
I'm so thankful she isn’t shrinking away from me.She isn’t trying to get away from me.She’s comfortable with me even after what Josh did to her.
After handing Cici the clothes, I turn my back on her and wait patiently as she changes.Once she tells me she’s done, I spin to face her again.
“I don’t want that dress,” she whispers.
“Do you want to throw it out?”
She nods her head as tears begin gathering again.
“Hey, you’re ok.I won't let anything happen to you, ok?”
She nods her head and hurries over to me.She collapses into my chest and wraps her arms tightly around my waist.
I hold her for a few minutes before there’s a knock on the door.Liliana peeks in and her eyes instantly soften.
“Hey, the cops are here.They already have Josh handcuffed, but they wanted to get a statement from you.”
“Thanks, we’ll be right out.”I give Liliana a tight smile.“Do you want to talk to them now or do you want me to see if we can come to the station tomorrow?”
“I’d rather get it over with.”
“Ok.If at any point you’re not comfortable with that, let me know and I’ll shut it down.”
I take her hand in mine and lead us out into the main part of the bar.Josh is sitting in a chair with his hands cuffed behind his back.He still looks drunk out of his mind, but both eyes are starting to bruise and his nose is bleeding.He deserves so much worse.Any man who thinks he can put his hands on a woman deserves worse.
“Miss Powell, we’ll need to take a statement from you.And you, Mr.Covey.”The officer smiles softly at us.I'm sure this isn’t a fun part of their job.There’s no joy in this story.
I swallow hard as I think about what a police officer deals with during their normal shift.They’re not there for happy moments of your life.They only show up when things are going bad or worse.They respond to car accidents, medical emergencies, assaults, murders, overdoses, and so much more.These men and women show up day in and day out for the worst moments of other people’s lives.
They hold your hand and protect you.They put their lives on the line to make sure you’ll be ok.To make your day slightly easier when everything is going wrong.
They separate us, but I make sure Cici can see me at all times.The female officer chuckles when I position my back to her so I can still see my girl.
“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man more in love.”She shakes her head.
“You probably won't.She’s my whole world.All I care about is making sure she’s ok after tonight.”
“So, how many times did you punch him?”She asks again.
“I don’t know.Two or three.Not enough.”
“Does she have any injuries?”
“Yeah, he was digging his fingers into her hips and waist.She has bruises.”
The words are barely out of my mouth when the door to Kennedy’s Pub swings open and Owen, Parker, and Luke stomp in with rage barely contained.They look like they’re going to rip someone apart.
As soon as Cici sees Owen, she starts crying all over again.Her gaze strays to me and I can tell she really wants me by her side.
“Are we done?I really want to be with her,” I whisper, never taking my eyes off of her.
“Yeah, I think we can be done for now.You’ll get a call if we have any more questions.”
“Thanks.”
I close the distance between us and when I'm a few steps away, Cici lifts the hem of my sweatshirt so the officer can take a picture of her bruises.I freeze mid step and my stomach rolls.There are purple and red marks all over her torso.He had to be squeezing her really hard to make those sorts of marks so quickly.
