My eyes found the floor again, unable to handle the look on their faces. Pity. I didn’t want their fucking pity. I was healed, but scars would always remain. Being a victim of a man’s wants was something that would never fully go away. There was no “getting over it” when it came to being sexually assaulted or raped. You learned to live with it, you let the pain you went through transform you into a stronger person.
Those men were burning in hell along with Romano at the hands of my demon.
“I didn’t tell anyone because I was ashamed at first. I went to that party to have a good time and ended up being targeted. A few days later, I had the worst night of my life. For a while, I blamed myself I was lost.Damaged.I went to a clinic and got checked. They offered me a way to file a police report. I declined.”
Another shaky breath. “I just wanted to move on. It felt good to be numb. I picked up extra shifts and got another job so I could move into my apartment. Eventually, when I could afford it, I started therapy. It took me a bit to process the pain I'd been burying," I sighed.
I looked at my family again, raising my chin. “The day I met Collin was the day I felt alive again. He made me braver,stronger. He is a good man, and I love him,” I sobbed, bringing my hands to my face as I crumbled.
“Kay,” Haley and Gwen rasped.
“Karina?” My brother’s broken voice hurt, but Sullie’s deadly silence hurt even more until—
“Give me the names,” he ordered, his deep voice rumbling.
I looked up to find him staring at me, a shadow of hate looming over his shoulder. A small, weak smile spread on my lips. “Already taken care of by the man you all hate,” I whispered, my lip trembling.
“Collin?”
I looked at Haley and Gwen, nodding. “Yes,” I breathed.
“Wait, sis. Are you saying—”
I glared at him. “That the man I confided in—the man I love—when I told him a secret that no one knew, avenged me in the only way he knows how? Yes, Jer. That is exactly what I am saying!” I took a step closer to my brother, laying my hand on his broad chest and meeting his brown eyes. “What he did to you was awful, and I thought I would never be able to forgive him for it. I nearly lost you, and after everything…I don’t think I could have survived losing you.”
His eyes flashed with anger as he recalled the memory. A tear fell down my cheek and my breath hitched. “He had no other choice,” I whispered, my lips thinning.
“There is always a choice,” Gwen said softly. No, there wasn’t.
Not for him because he cared for you—all of us. Deep down, Col always cared.
“It was either stab Jer or watch you die, G,” I bit off, looking to her, my best friend, the strong mother, the warrior. She flinched at the truth. Sometimes, the truth was a ruthless bitch, a fastball you didn’t see coming, ready to turn your world upside down.
“What are you saying, Kay?” Haley asked, her voice unsteady.
“He apologized,” I said, casting a look to Jer before continuing. “Col told me Romano needed Jer out of the way and gave him a choice. He said he tried to angle the knife in a way that wouldn’t cause too much damage.” My brother’s face remained frozen, but his eyes conveyed what I needed to see.Understanding.
“Karina Jones?”
I turned to find a police officer standing a few feet from us, holding the curtain open. Fuck me sideways.
“Look, I didn’t mean to threaten the doctor. She just wouldn’t shut up, and I've had a very stressful day.”
The middle-aged man raised a single brow and looked at my uncle. “Sullie?”
“She’s kidding. What’s up, David?” he said, clearing his throat.
“Mr. Stevens is asking for her. He said he isn’t answering any questions until he sees her,” the officer said cautiously.
I was already moving, my heart hammering in my chest. “Take me to him.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Dean
Hours earlier
“G! G! Please, God—Help him!”
