The colorful word combination would've made her smile if she weren't so mortified by the situation.
Charlotte licked her bottom lip, the metallic taste of blood brushing the tip of her tongue.
“I-I'm okay.”
“The hell you are,” he bit the words out angrily, his gentleness gone.
Unable to face him, she closed her eyes and whispered, “You should go.”
“And leave you here so he can come back and finish the job? Fuck that. Just stay still while I call an ambulance. After that, I'm callin' the fuckin’ cops.”
“No!” She shook her head, wincing as the throbbing worsened. “No ambulance. No cops.”
Caleb was friends with too many important people, even in Dallas. Charlotte already knew how it would play out.
Though he continued to argue, Derek gave in and helped her stand. “What the hell do you mean, ‘no cops’? That bastard's either getting' locked up, or I'm puttin' his ass in the ground.”
Charlotte steadied herself on trembling legs. “He's untouchable, Derek.” Using the back of her hand, she brushed some blood from her lip. “Believe me, I've tried.”
“Ah, Charlie.” Understanding filtered into the blues of his eyes.
The sympathy in his voice undid her. Though she tried to fight it, Charlotte’s bottom lip quivered. Tears began a free-fall down her face.
The last of her pride gone, she looked up at him and begged, “P-please, Derek. Can you just do like you said earlier and take me someplace else...before he comes back?”
****
Chapter 5
––––––––
Derek tore his eyesfrom the road to steal another quick glance. Charlie was still sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the window as if the answer to life’s mysteries were there.
Before leaving the hotel, she’d quickly changed into a thin, burgundy sweater and a pair of jeans. While she did that in the privacy of the bathroom, Derek had thrown a few of her things into one of their suitcases and called Jake to ask him for a favor.
Afterward, Charlie sat silently as he washed the drying blood from her face. Derek then fixed her hair so it would help conceal the cut near her eye.
