A soft sob escaped her and tears threatened again as a flash of JR grinning gleefully with his hand around her neck, squeezing tighter and tighter, came to life in her mind. Another reason she didn’t want to be alone or go to sleep. The doctor had encouraged her to rest and she’d tried, but she kept seeing JR’s hated face, reliving the terror he’d wreaked on her, and waking with strangled screams covered in sweat.
She tightened her arms around her middle. “Get a grip,” she muttered to herself for the hundredth time. Be strong, you’re not a victim.
The on-call therapist she’d talked with earlier that afternoon had said her unreasonable fear and feelings of vulnerability were normal, considering what she’d been through.
“But he didn’t rape me,” she’d argued. “A few punches and some pain shouldn’t make me feel so…so…so out of control!”
“Trauma can make us feel all kinds of things,” the doctor had said with a shake of her head. “The experience you had was traumatic, whether you think so or not. And you should expect your emotions to be a little unpredictable for a while. It’s normal. With time, some support, and therapy, you can get past it and live a normal life.”
Normal? Ha! she thought with a derisive chuckle. I doubt I’ll ever feel normal again.
* * *
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the double windows of Cade’s hospital room, bathing every corner in light or shadow. The machines were all turned off and he’d kicked the blankets to the side so he could sit on the edge of the bed to pull on his clothes.
The doctor had cleared him an hour ago and the paperwork for his release had finally come through.
Thank God, he thought as he pulled on a pair of jeans someone had brought him from the duffle in his truck. He didn’t want to spend another second in this place. Not that he had any particular aversion to hospitals, he just disliked laying around doing nothing.
A sharp pain lanced through his abdomen as he reached back for the sleeve of his shirt. He grunted, but gritting his teeth, he reached back again, determined to be dressed before the nurse or Addie returned. The last thing he wanted was for one of them to start waiting on him again.
He’d awoken the day before, disoriented by the strange surroundings and wondering where he was. Something heavy rested against his thigh and he’d felt a warm hand grip his. When he’d looked down, he found Addie asleep with her head propped against his leg and her hand in his. The bruises on her face had made him flinch and stirred a vengeful rage inside him as memories of his fight with JR had crashed into his mind. Unwilling to disturb Addie’s slumber, however, he hadn’t moved. She’d looked so small and tired and frail, and all he’d wanted to do since that moment was hold her.
When she awoke a short time later, there had been something different about her…something in her eyes. He hadn’t been able to determine exactly what, but he knew it had something to do with what had happened.
“Damn him,” Cade muttered to himself as he buttoned his shirt and reached for a pair of socks. He had no sympathy for JR. The man deserved worse than a bullet in the back for what he’d done to Addie, and after his conversation with Mark Harden, his opinion had only strengthened.
“It appears JR had acted alone when he kidnapped Miss Malory,” Mark had told him this morning when he came to get Cade’s statement.
Call him over-protective or even jealous, but Cade had liked the way the deputy had distanced himself from Addie, even in his speech. “How do you know?”
“Ted Ballinger,” Mark replied. “He was hiding out with a new girlfriend in Kittitas when we found him, which was the same morning I saw you at Sisters Café.
“He and his girlfriend stated that Ballinger hadn’t left for several days. He did admit to participating in some vandalism at Miss Malory’s place over the last few months and in helping JR spook her by sneaking around her place at night making noise to scare her a week or so back, but he says he never went inside her home.”
Cade frowned and shifted in his hospital bed. “But JR did?”
Mark nodded. “Yes. Ted claims he didn’t do anything harmful, just moved stuff around to frighten Miss Malory.”
Cade’s frown deepened. Except for that one morning, when she’d told him and Zack that someone had been outside trying to rattle her the night before—but then later convinced him it had all been a vivid dream—Addie had never mentioned anything about things moving inside the house. He’d ask her about that later. “So, they were responsible for the damaged equipment and trying to scare her?”
“Yes.” Mark’s jaw flexed, clearly agitated by that bit of news.
“What about the fire?”
The deputy shook his head. “According to Ted Ballinger, he didn’t know anything about it and repeatedly claimed JR must’ve done that on his own.”
“Do you believe him?”
“About that, yes, but we’re still investigating.”
“Is Ballinger still in jail?”
“Yes. His lawyer will petition for bail, but, luckily, not until next week.”
“Will he get it?”
Mark shrugged. “Hard to tell. I doubt he could afford it on his own, but his new girlfriend may put up the money. I’m not sure.”
That hadn’t been great news.
Cade jerked on his socks, still thinking about that conversation and his awkward thanks that had followed.
“I don’t remember much about how the fight ended,” Cade had said, plucking at the white blanket that covered him, “but I hear I’ve got you to thank for saving my life.”
“No need,” Mark replied. “I was just doing my job.” He shook his head. “First time I’ve had to fire my weapon.”
“I’m sorry to have been the cause.”
“I don’t regret it. I’d do it again, it’s just…” Mark hesitated, shuffling his feet
