“Yes,” I muttered. “I was in the middle of telling him I was taking a job in Chicago and didn’t want to do longdistance.”
“Are you all right with the doctor doing a rapeexamination?”
Her question took me off guard. I couldn’t really remember if he had actually raped me or not and quite frankly, I didn’t want to know if he had. I wanted to live in an ignorant bliss of not knowing for sure. My entire body hurt. I knew he had punched and kicked the living shit out of me, but that was all I really couldtell.
“Is it necessary?” I pulled the blanket up higher on mychest.
She pursed her lips. “If he left any DNA behind, it will help us put himaway.”
I reluctantly agreed to the tests. Being poked and prodded after already having been beaten and humiliated was the worst torture I could have everimagined.
Istayedin the heavenly bath until my fingers and toes were ugly little prunes. Sitting in the tub while the water drained out, I just sat there for a few seconds. I felt like I was in such a strangelimbo.
After drying off and throwing my wet hair up into a towel, I sank down on the bed to relax for a while. Guilt started to settle in when I saw that my shift was going to be starting at the hospital in less than an hour. It was the same bullshit I’d had to pull in Chicago when Ray had showed up at my place himself. I had been lucky enough to see him breaking into my bedroom window when I pulled in from work and that night I didn’t even pack, just hightailed it to the nearest policestation.
The cops really did everything they could to find him. I had an order of protection, and he was violating his house arrest orders. Until they got him back into custody, I was going to have to take matters into my own hands. Running was the only option. I knew if I tried to fight, Ray would end up killingme.
My eyes darted around the room, my mind starting to race and play tricks. I knew if I stayed cooped up in the darkness alone for too much longer, I would start to go crazy. I grabbed my bag off the nightstand, dug for my keys, and decided another burger was inorder.
The sunlight hit my face hard, making my eyes slam shut. I rapidly blinked while I tried to get them to focus on where I remembered parking my car but…it wasn’t there. It wasn’t in the entire damn lot. Panic settled in.He foundme.
I was terrified. My entire body started shaking as I ran into the motel’s office only a few doors down from myroom.
“My car’s been stolen!” I yelled as I threw the glass door open. “My fucking car isgone!”
The high schooler behind the desk grabbed the phone and called thecops.
I sat in the poorly cushioned chair in the little reception area, rocking and holding myself as I waited for a responder to come take mystatement.
How is this happeningagain?
Why won’t he just leave mealone?
Wasn’t what I already went throughenough?
An officer came into the small room. “We got a call that a vehicle was stolen.” He glanced between the receptionist andme.
I clambered to my feet, leaping to his side. “My car was parked just outside my room when I checked in this afternoon and now it ismissing.”
“All right, ma’am. I’m going to need to get some information from you so we can start ourinvestigation.”
Chapter 5
Trent
Fuck.
As I was riding to the bar, I saw Crowley’s cop car with its lights on in the parking lot of the motel—shit had hit the fan faster than I was expecting it to. Reluctantly, I pulled in behind his car and made my way into the office. He was taking Sloan’s statement, and she was crying, terror blanketing her entire body. My heartsank.
“His name isRay…”
I coughed a little, interrupting her. “Crowley, I canexplain.”
“Lawrence, what are you doing here?” Officer Crowley’s eyes narrowed as I searched forwords.
Slap.
“What do you know?” Sloan screamed as her fingers left red marks on the side of myface.
