I gaped at him. “You saw the marks he left on her wrists. He’d been emotionally abusing her for over a year but she never fucking listened to us.”
His eyes softened. “All I’m saying is that it seems like he wouldn’t be stupid enough to hurt her anymore. What’s he got to gain? Jail time?”
I nodded and let out a shaky breath. “You’re right.”
A timid knock came from the door, and I rushed over to yank it open. Declan was wrong.
Spreading purple and yellow blotches scattered her face, neck, and arms. Evelyn stood at the door, her sunken eyes stared back at me. Her red hair was frizzy and knotted like he’d thrown her around by it. She fell forward into my arms and bowed her head, shoulders shaking. I wrapped my arms around her, and we collapsed in the doorway. Tears pricked my eyes as I held her.
Declan’s voice was heard from behind us. “I’m calling the cops and security.”
“Get Luca. He can alert security. You call the cops.” I rubbed soothing circles on her back.
Luca rushed in and bent down beside us. “Fuck. I called Asher. He alerted security. They’re looking for him now. Declan’s on the phone with the police from the mainland.” His blue eyes blazed with anger as they scanned over Evelyn’s petite, trembling body. “Can you help me get her to the bed? I need to examine her. She may need to go to the hospital.”
I nodded, and he helped me get her to her feet. Eve moaned in pain, and her body tensed.
“No! Please,” she whimpered.
We lowered her back to the ground.
“She needs to go to the hospital on the mainland.” Luca cursed under his breath before he walked over to Declan. “Have them send over an ambulance. I think she’s broken some bones or has some internal bleeding, but I don’t know because I can’t properly examine her.”
Declan nodded and relayed the information to the person on the other end of the call.
Faith raced down the hallway with her eyes wide. She kneeled down beside us and placed a hand on Eve’s head. She hadn’t stopped sobbing since she got here. I didn’t know the extent of what that fucker did to her, but I knew he’d go to jail for it.
“I love you, Eve,” Faith whispered as she pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Eve’s sobs slowed before they started again. I hated this. Faith and I had called the cops on so many welfare checks with Gerald and Eve, and they had assured us each time that she was fine. We tried to prevent this, and when Eve finally made the decision to walk away, the bastard beat the shit out of her.
“Flynn would’ve never—” Eve hiccuped before sobs wracked her body again, preventing her from finishing her statement.
My heart broke when Flynn’s name left her mouth. He was Evelyn’s first love. She fell head over heels for him. They shared their first kiss the summer before senior year. They were attached to the hip for the rest of high school. Eve had wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, and he respected the hell out of her for that. But as soon as we graduated, Flynn left. Not a word to Eve. She was heartbroken for years. Gerald was the first person she’d dated since.
Asher came down the hall with paramedics behind him. It all happened so fast. They whisked Eve away on a stretcher, giving her some shot that made her fall asleep. Only one person could go with her, so Faith insisted she went.
I was left on the floor of the doorway with my thoughts racing. Declan, Luca, and Asher gathered around me. Declan helped me to my feet and walked me to the bed. I sat on the edge of it with numbness spreading through me.
Asher raked a hand through his hair. “They caught Gerald getting off the ferry in the mainland. He’s been arrested. Cops are taking photos of Eve’s injuries at the hospital. Faith will call me when she’s heard something.”
I nodded and let out a shaky breath. “Eve looked... broken. I mean, I watched happiness drain from her this past year, but she was fucking broken tonight. I want to kill that son of a bitch.”
Luca sat next to me and grabbed my hand. “We all had to watch as Gerald trapped Eve. You’re not at fault. You did everything you could.”
Declan sat on the other side and rested his hand on my thigh. “She’s going to be okay. She’s getting the proper care.”
I nodded, and the tears started flowing. My mind was jumbled, but I still knew sitting between both of them with their hands on me was a recipe for disaster. I stood up. “I’ll be back. I need a minute.”
I retreated into the bathroom and locked the door. I shed my clothes, and I stepped into the shower, toes flinching as they touched the cold ceramic floor. I turned the pristine dial, releasing hot droplets that wet my hair and trickled down my back. My mind was in shreds. I would never get the picture of Eve’s battered body out of my mind. A sob broke from my chest. I should have done something. I knew he was nothing but trouble. But deep down, I didn’t think he’d go this far—at least, I’d hoped. My tears mixed with the water from the shower as I cried for my friend. Evelyn didn’t deserve what he did to her. She needed to know that.
Day Three
6 AM - 8 AM - Wake up & Breakfast
I burrowed into the fluffy comforter and rubbed the remainder of sleep from my eyes as I gazed out the bay windows at the horizon. The morning light extended across a rosy sky, meeting the blue of the ocean. The view would normally soothe me but this
