She watched as Robert pulled Patrick from the back of his Tahoe and pushed him toward Dale’s cruiser.
Before allowing himself to be shoved into the car, Patrick looked straight at her. She couldn’t see his face because of the darkness and the still strobing red and blue lights, but she knew he sneered. And she knew the look in his eyes right now—the one she’d seen so many times—said he’d kill her the next time he got his hands on her.
She turned away from the door and dropped onto the couch.
Robert found her there a few minutes later, sitting in a daze. He crouched in front of her, drawing her gaze. “Pendleton’s gone. You don’t need to be afraid of him anymore.”
She felt her brow furrow as she fought the urge to give in to hysterical laughter. Because it was laugh or cry, and Jessie couldn’t give in to the tears right now. She might never stop crying if she started.
“He’ll be back.” The voice sounded like it came from somewhere other than her own mouth. She felt as if she were watching herself in a bad dream. Trapped some place she didn’t want to be, unable to leave this endless nightmare.
“Dale is going to lock him up.”
Jessie pushed to her feet. “But he’ll get out on bail again tomorrow. And then what?”
“He’s stacked up multiple felony charges against himself. He won’t get out so fast this time.”
“So, he takes three days to make bail. He’ll still get out and he’ll come after me again.”
Robert stood, too. “When he gets out, I’ll make sure he leaves town. I will personally follow him to the county line.”
Jessie wished Robert’s words comforted her, but they didn’t. Patrick would be back.
She pushed past Robert and paced the room, feeling like a caged animal. “You followed him to the county line after he showed up at my mom’s. That was less than a week ago. He’ll come back, and h-he broke the d-door. I can’t e-even lock—”
Jessie sucked in a sharp breath, trying to rein in her emotions.
Robert stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “That’s why I’m taking you away from here. I should have never left you here alone. I’m so sorry.”
She heard the self-recrimination in his voice and wanted to assure him it wasn’t his fault, but she couldn’t. She was so close to hysterics she didn’t dare open her mouth.
“I need you to go pack your things while I make you some tea. Maybe it will help you calm down.”
“Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? My husband wants to kill me, and he doesn’t respect the law telling him he can’t!”
She obviously hadn’t overcome the hysterics yet. She felt bad about taking it out on Robert, though. He’d come to her rescue tonight. If not for him, Patrick might have found her. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit her at the thought, followed by an even stronger wave of nausea.
Jessie dropped the blanket she still held and bolted for the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she washed her face, wishing she didn’t still feel like such a wreck. For some reason, vomiting always made her weepy, but after tonight’s traumatic events, she couldn’t seem to stop the flow of tears. Everything was so out of control.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Jessie? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just need a minute.”
She leaned her head back against the door and squeezed her eyes shut, pushing out the remaining tears. Robert had seen her at her worst many times before. She did not want him to see her now, though. She might end up in his arms again, and she could not allow that to happen. It only confused her. Made her want things she couldn’t have.
She washed her face and studied her reflection in the mirror. She’d become a master at controlling her emotions in front of Patrick. She could do the same in front of Robert. Never mind that he knew and understood her in ways Patrick had never even attempted to understand.
Jessie opened the bathroom door and nearly collide with Robert, who stood in the narrow hallway. For the second time tonight, she caught her breath at his nearness.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Drawing in a steadying breath, she stepped sideways. “I’m fine.”
“Your tea is almost ready.”
“I don’t need it.” She forced a smile but couldn’t make eye contact. “See, I’m calm.”
