A Decadent Way to Die (29 page)

“Oh, Dirk. It meant a lot to me, too. It meant everything to me.” She said, her voice choking as her eyes filled with tears.

“Then, what I’m trying to say is”—he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small box—“Savannah, if you’ll marry me, I promise you, I’ll try my very, very best to be a good husband to you, because you’re the finest person I’ve ever known, and you deserve it.”

He flipped the lid of the box open, and Savannah caught her breath when she saw an exquisite engagement ring. Its enormous princess-cut stone twinkled with a hundred rainbow prisms in the candlelight.

“I hope you like it,” he said. “Ryan took me to his jeweler, and he said it’s a really good stone.”

“Oh, Dirk! It’s absolutely gorgeous! It’s … it’s
huge
! How can you afford …? I mean …”

He laughed. “Didn’t expect cheap old Dirk to buy a diamond the size of a doorknob, huh?”

“Well … I …”

“I make a good salary,” he said. “And, as you know, I never spend a nickel I don’t have to. So, I’ve got a ton of money in the bank. Marry me, and I’ll pay for a new roof on your house.”

“You got a deal, buddy!” she said, slipping the ring on her finger.

“So, that’s a yes?”

“It’s a big yes!”

He stood, gently wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.

It wasn’t like any short, routine, doesn’t-mean-anything kiss they had ever shared before.

Dirk took his time, and when he was finally finished with her, Savannah was feeling simply incredible from her head to her toes—five GSWs or not.

“Wow,” she said, breathlessly. “If I’d known you could do
that
, I’d have married you a long time ago.”

He gave her a sexy smile and a throaty laugh that went straight to heart and then traveled to other, more intimate, areas. “There’s a lot more where that came from, babycakes.”

“Ummm … something to look forward to. Maybe I’ll put
you
in charge of my physical therapy.”

He turned to the door and yelled, “She said yes!”

Instantly, shouts of joy erupted in the hallway.

“Can we come in?” Tammy called out.

Dirk looked at Savannah. She nodded.

“They’re gonna kiss us and hug us to death,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, they will.” She held up her hand and turned it this way and that, admiring her ring. “Open the door and go with the flow. If you fight it, it’ll just make it worse.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers,

As you may have guessed from reading this book, I have deep feelings and strong opinions about domestic abuse. Everyone has the right to a life that is free of the fear of violence. For even one woman, man, or child to be denied that freedom is a tragedy.

Every day, abuse happens to thousands of people, regardless of their gender, age, race, financial standing, educational background, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, occupation, or social status. It occurs among people who are married, divorced, separated, dating, and sometimes even between people who have very little history together.
Abuse can happen to anyone.

Chances are high that you know someone who is being abused. Or you may be yourself. If you are, and you have children, there is a fifty percent chance they’re being abused, too.

What is abuse?

Abuse is a set of behaviors used by someone in a relationship to control the other person. Among others, these behaviors may include:

• Calling you names, putting you down
  
• Humiliating and embarrassing you in front of others
  
• Cursing and shouting at you
  
• Shoving, slapping, choking, or hitting you
  
• Saying you’re a bad parent, threatening to take the children from you
  
• Exhibiting jealousy and suspicion
  
• Controlling who you see and speak to and where you go
  
• Insisting on making all the decisions
  
• Preventing you from working or going to school
  
• Interfering with you seeing your family and/or friends
  
• Destroying your property (or threatening to)
  
• Harming your pets (or threatening to)
  
• Intimidating you with guns, knives, or other weapons
  
• Controlling the money, making you financially dependent on them
  
• Acting like the abuse is no big deal, saying it was your fault, or denying it
  
• Forcing you to have sex or some form of sex that you don’t like
  
• Forcing you to drop charges
  
• Threatening to commit suicide
  
• Threatening to kill you (and/or people you love)
  

If you recognize your situation or someone else’s in the list above, please know three things:

1. You aren’t alone.
   
2. It isn’t your fault.
   
3. Help is available.
   

If something about your relationship scares you, and you need to talk, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at this number:

1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

The National Domestic Violence Hotline receives more than 21,000 calls a month from people just like you, who find the strength to reach out. When you call, a compassionate, nonjudg-mental advocate on the other end of the phone is there to listen.
Everything
you tell them
is completely confidential and anonymous.
(They don’t even have caller ID.)

It may be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done, making that call. It takes enormous courage to tell someone your secret. But think of all the things you’ve already endured in your life. You may be a victim of abuse, but you’re also a survivor! You’ve done a lot of hard things, and you don’t have to handle this alone. If you call that number, you’ll find there are people in this world who understand what you’re going through, who care about you, and who want to help.

You deserve to live the life of your dreams. A life of your design and your choosing. A life free from fear.

My dear friend, this is my wish for you: May your wounded heart find healing, your heavy spirit be uplifted in joy, and your troubled mind find peace profound.

Sincerely,
Sonja Massie
(G. A. McKevett)

National Domestic Violence Hotline recommended reading:

• Why Does He Do That?
  Lundy Bancroft. Berkeley Trade, 2003
  
• Saving Beauty from the Beast.
  Vicki Crompton & Ellen Zelda Kessner. Little, Brown, 2003
  
• In Love and In Danger.
  Barrie Levy. Seal Press, 1998
  
• When Violence Begins at Home: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Ending Domestic Abuse.
  K. J. Wilson, Ed.D. Hunter House, 1997
  
• Helping Her Get Free: A Guide for Families and Friends of Abused Women.
  Susan Brewster. Seal Press, 2006