Phantom Scars (12 page)

Chapter 24 – Unsettled

It took a while to settle Emma down enough to move, but I was eventually able to carry her inside her parents’ house and sit on the couch with her. Her father sat pouting in a well-worn chair, and her momma sat next to us, caressing Emma's hair.

Her momma suddenly burst into tears. "Sweetheart, can you ever forgive me? I had no idea Wayne was such a…" She was cut off by Emma launching into her arms from my lap. I smiled at the pair, as they hugged and rocked each other.

"I know she was terribly worried about you, and she's happy to see you're okay. She knows it's not your fault," I said trying to comfort her momma.

"How the hell do you know anything?" her dad grumped at me.

"She keeps journals that she shares with me sometimes. She had me read about her momma one night," I defended, and I felt my girl pushing back into my arms and straddling my lap, nervous about the loud voice of her father. I looked to her momma worriedly. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I've got you, you're safe," I whispered.

She whimpered lightly. I noticed her momma glaring at her father. "Clark, why don't you go order us some pizza?" she said dismissing him then looked to me. "You both will be staying here, right?" she asked.

I looked at the door Clark had just disappeared through. "As long as he can keep it down and not upset her, we'll stay, but if he sets her off again, we're leaving. I won't put up with anyone upsetting her, even if it's family," I said sternly, thinking I might be offending Paige, but she just smiled at me and then kissed the top of my head, as she left to go talk to him.

Once they were out of the room, Emma relaxed a little in my arms, and I smiled down at her. "How are you doing?" I asked.

She gave me a little smile.

"Things are going good with your momma," I said, brushing her hair off her face. "I think she'll keep your daddy under control."

She let out a sigh and turned in my arms, leaning into me more while straddling me. I was sure her position did not help my case with her father any, but he was just going to have to get over it. Emma could sit on me and use me any way she needed to settle herself down. I didn't mind, as long as she was comfortable.

Dinner was quiet. I guess Paige got to Clark, because he scowled at his plate a lot and then would look worriedly at Emma. I was pretty sure he was plotting to kill me in my sleep.

"We still have your old room set up. It was left untouched," Paige said. "I wasn't able to bring your things from Florida, because I left in such a hurry," she said, sounding a little pained. Clark put his hand on her shoulder, and she fell into his arms.

"Would you like to see your room?" I asked her. She peeked up at me and nodded yes.

Paige stood and led the way up a narrow staircase. I wrapped my arm around Emma, but I let her walk up the steps. She was practically sandwiched between me and her momma, and I was glad her father chose not to follow us.

Paige opened the door to the room at the top of the stairs on the right. It was small, with a desk, twin bed and a rocking chair in the corner. Paige shut the door behind us, and Emma looked up at me smiling and stepped away from me. I smiled at Paige, who looked relieved that Emma seemed to actually feel comfortable in her old room.

She moved to her desk and touched her old drawings and looked at her bed. She walked over to it and sat down, bouncing lightly.

"At least it doesn't squeak," I said. Our bed at home squeaked horribly every time we shifted positions. Of course, I kind of liked to listen to her sit on it when I was in the front room, because I knew where she was, even if I couldn't see her. I didn't know how often she shifted on the bed. I didn't count it out like she did in her journal, but I knew it was often enough to make me feel like I didn’t have to check on her every few minutes.

"I'll get some fresh bedding for you both," Paige said, but I could see she looked a little worried. I had a feeling Detective Declan was not going to be happy about me sleeping with Emma.

We could hear a muffled dispute in the hall. "He is
not
sleeping in there with her! I don't give a crap, Paige! He can be the damn pope; he will not lay a hand on my baby girl under my roof! He may have you fooled, but I can see it. He's taking advantage of our baby girl's delicate state! I will not have it! No one is touching her!" He paused, and then I heard him start up again. "Don't you get it, Paige? He's probably the bastard who bought her! He was caught and is trying to play it off as something else!" he snapped. "Our baby girl has Stockholm syndrome. I'm not letting him get to her again!"

I couldn't hear what Paige was saying, but I could tell she was upset.

Emma climbed into my lap and started crying. "Please don't leave me, please," she begged, holding onto me so tightly it almost hurt.

I wrapped my arms around her and tried to calm her. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise," I said kissing her hair. I hoped she’d never ask me to leave, but I was afraid that once her parents were able to get through to her, she would decide to stay. Really, who was I to her anyway but a stranger who had just helped her? This was her family. I would not expect her to choose me over them.

Her momma came into the room, wearing a tight smile that quickly fell, when she saw Emma shaking in my arms. "She heard that?"

I nodded yes, and she let out a defeated sigh. She came and sat on the bed next to us and reached out to touch Emma's back. Emma flinched away from her, and I calmed her again. Her momma looked up at me with watery eyes. "I don't know how to help," she said.

I looked across the room at the clock. It was close to bedtime, when Emma took her regular prescription. "She's due for another pill. Can you get her some water?"

"Yes, of course." She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at me. "What are the pills, exactly?"

"Well, the one she's taking now is an anti-anxiety medicine she has to keep in her system, because it takes a while for it to work. It helps her be around people," I said rubbing her back. "The other pill she took earlier is another anxiety medicine she takes to help with her panic attacks."

Her momma frowned and nodded in understanding.

"She's seeing a doctor back home, so hopefully she'll be able to get past what happened to her," I said. "I really have been trying to help her as much as I can," I promised.

"I know, Devin, I can see in the way you handle her that you do care for her."

"I do, Ma'am."

She smiled and left to get the water. I gently moved Emma to the bed and dug out her pills from her bag her father had brought up here earlier. I had just pulled the pills out, when her momma returned and stood in the doorway. She saw Emma was watching her nervously and waited for me to be at her side before she approached us.

Emma smiled up at her momma and took the water, downing her pill.

"It usually knocks her out. That's why she takes it at bedtime," I told Paige.

"There are new toothbrushes and such in the bathroom for you both," she said smiling at Emma and kissed her forehead then left us.

"You want to get ready for bed?" I asked. She nodded yes, and I walked her to the bathroom in the hallway.

"Are you going to be okay in here?" I asked.

"Don't leave, please, don't leave me," she begged.

"I'll be right here outside the door, just like always," I said and hugged her. "I'm not leaving you," I promised her and sat down in the hall. "See, I'm right here waiting for you, just like always."

She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself. I recognized her trying to do her breathing exercise to keep things under control, and she finally shut the door.

I let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed my face. Things were not going nearly as well as I'd hoped. The chances that her parents would let me take her home were practically zero.

"Like always, huh? Don't think you have me fooled. What were you, some guard who helped her escape?"

"No, Sir," I said sadly shaking my head. I didn't even bother to say anything else, just returned my focus to the door, where Emma was getting ready for bed.

"You're not sleeping with my little girl. I'll not have some sick bastard defiling her in my house, saying he's her husband!"

"I'm not defiling your daughter," I growled. "I've never laid a finger on her," I snapped.

"I don't believe you!" he snarled at me.

I just put my head in my hands. "I don't expect you to, but I haven't."

"She's just a baby, you realize that? She should be in high school for her senior year, excited about the spring dance, not worrying if some sick bastard who calls himself her husband is going to touch her!" he yelled in my face.

I glared at him. "I don't touch her!" I said standing up and getting in his face. "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I know she's just a baby! I have never, nor will I ever, lay a hand on her! I’d never do anything to upset her! When are you going to get it through your thick skull that it's you who's upsetting her?" I shouted back.

Paige was suddenly between us. "I could hear you all the way downstairs," she said panicked, knowing we had probably set Emma off again.

"Ah, geez." I looked at the door in frustration and then to her momma. "Can you make sure she's dressed?" I asked.

She nodded, smiling sadly at me, and stepped into the bathroom. "Emma?" she shrieked and came back out into the hall, freaking out. "She's gone!"

I ran into the bathroom and looked around for a minute. I searched for the vent and found it. I stepped up on the vanity, knowing that was how she had gotten in there, and her parents watched as I opened the vent.

"What are you doing? She's not in there. There's no way she can fit in..." Her father ate his own words, as I reached in and gently pulled my girl out.

"I’ve got you, baby, I'm right here. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled," I said cradling her trembling form in my arms and jumped down from the vanity. "You're safe, I'm here, and I'm not leaving you. I promise you I won't," I said, as I pushed past them and went into her bedroom, shutting the door.

My girl needed me, and I would not let anyone stop me from helping her.

Chapter 25 – Tact

Emma fell asleep on me, on her bed. I didn't want to disturb her, but my belt was cutting into my waist, and the bars from her metal headboard were cutting into my back in a bad way. Of course, I was so tired and worn out from the day's events that I was dozing off anyway.

Paige stepped into the room, and I opened my tired eyes and gave her a weak smile.

"Is she going to be alright?" she asked.

I nodded yes, not wanting to wake Emma up.

"Do you want me to sit with her while you get ready for bed?" she asked.

That might work. She was getting comfortable around her momma, and they would be in her room where she felt safe. She was also asleep, which was a bonus. I didn't think I could have left her if she was awake. I motioned for Paige to come over to the bed and gently shifted Emma to lay on her a little. I stood and stretched. My back popped loudly, and I saw Paige cringe. "There's some pain medicine in the bathroom cabinet," she offered.

"Thank you," I said stretching and twisting, letting out several more loud pops. "I think I'll take you up on it."

"Does she do that often?" Paige asked before I left the room.

"What?"

"Fall asleep on you like that?"

I rolled my shoulders, still trying to loosen up, and then looked at the ceiling. "Sometimes, if she has bad dreams, but since Dr. Greyson suggested we start sleeping in the same bed, there are fewer nights up."

"Dr. Greyson suggested you sleep together? You weren't before?" she asked a little surprised.

I frowned. "No, we weren't. We have two twin beds at home." I rubbed my face, trying to wake up a little more. "He explained that her sleeping well was important to her getting a handle on her anxiety, and she’d told him that my scent helped her relax."

"Your scent?"

I shrugged. "You'll have to ask her about that one. I did start noticing that when she's upset, she hides her face in my shirt. That's usually how she sleeps as well."

"Oh," she smiled softly. "She finds you safe and comforting."

I blushed a little. "I hope so. I feel bad for letting her hear me raise my voice," I said shaking my head. "I shouldn't have yelled. I know better."

"You were provoked, Devin, it's not your fault," she tried to dismiss my guilt, but I knew better. I shouldn't have let her father get to me like that. I should have held it together for my girl.

I frowned. "Yeah, but I still know better," I said and left the room. I did take some pain pills and climbed into the shower. I dressed in my PJ's, and I wasn't surprised to see Detective Declan standing in the hall, waiting for me with a scowl. I knew better than to fight with him and raise my voice. I would not be waking and upsetting my girl no matter what this idiot said.

"I left your sleeping bag on the couch downstairs. You can sleep there. My wife has our daughter taken care of," he growled.

I took a deep breath and debated whether or not I should fight him on this, but I was tired. "Fine," I said and made my way downstairs to sleep. I was out like a light. It had been a while since I had slept without being squished. Twin beds did not make for comfortable sleeping arrangements. It was sad when a couch felt roomy.

I woke to Paige shouting for Emma. She and Clark came thundering down the stairs. I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

"Where is she?" Clark snapped at me.

Paige pushed forward. "We can't find her!" She was panicking.

I went to shift my legs and felt a familiar weight. "I have her, she's here. She must’ve had a bad dream," I said reaching down into my sleeping bag and pulling my girl out.

"What the hell was she doing down there?" her father shouted, and my disoriented girl scuttled back down into the bag against my pull.

I dropped my head in frustration and then gave Paige a pleading look.

"You better have all your damn clothes on under there, or so help me God I'll kill you!" he yelled, and we all heard a sob come from the bottom of my bag.

"Clark, you're scaring her again!" Paige snapped, frantic. I knew she wanted Emma to come out, but I knew she wouldn't as long as Clark was yelling.

"She's scared of him, not me!" he shouted, and my girl sobbed harder.

"I'm sorry. We can't do this," I said and surprised them by unzipping the sleeping bag and pulled out my sobbing girl. "Paige, could you please get her one of her blue pills from her bag?" I asked.

She nodded yes and was gone in an instant. She returned with the pill and a bottle of water.

"I don't know what the hell that is, but I don't want you giving it to my baby girl!" Clark shouted and tried to knock the pill from my hand, causing Emma to cringe and practically climb behind me to hide from him. She was trembling and whimpering loudly. I'd had enough.

"I'm giving her the pill, and you can look up her prescriptions online if you wish, they're exactly what I told Paige they were," I snapped at Clark. Emma took her pill, and then the front door slammed open, causing her to scramble behind me all over again.

Agent Green stood there, smiling widely. "I have great news, everybody! Dante was caught raping a girl and is going to prison!"

We all gasped in shock, and I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to hit that idiot. I punched him hard in the face, knocking him back into the wall, where he slid down and looked up at me shocked.

"A woman having her virtue stolen is never good news, you idiot!" I snapped. "Learn some tact!" I grabbed my girl to get us away from that mess of fools, before I really lost it and scared her by yelling anymore. I carried her upstairs to her room. They didn't know it yet, but we were leaving. I was glad to hear Dante had been caught, and it made my decision to take her home all the more easy.

I pulled out my cell phone and called for a cab. I could not believe it would take a freaking hour for them to get here from the next town. Apparently, Kingman didn't have a cab service. I packed up our stuff, and then I turned my back and waited, as Emma quickly got dressed. She did the same for me, but I swore I could feel her eyes on my back. When I peeked over my shoulder to see if she was looking, she wasn't, but her face was red with a deep blush. I felt bad for making her feel uncomfortable, but we couldn't leave with me in my PJ's, and she was in no shape to let me leave the room yet.

"I'm sorry, baby, but I think we should go," I said softly once I was dressed. I picked her up and cradled her in my arms. "Your dad just can't seem to settle down, and you're having such a hard time. I think we should go home and let you visit with Dr. Greyson for a while."

She frowned, pouting, and moved down on the bed next to me. I was scared she was going to ask to stay. I had to tell her I wanted her momma to come visit. I hoped that would sway her and make her want to come home with me.

"I plan on inviting your momma for a visit, though. Do you think you could handle that?" I asked.

She nodded yes.

I smiled widely. "Good, I was thinking we can clear the junk out of that second room, so she could stay with us," I offered, and she smiled wider and nodded her head yes eagerly. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her head. "Okay, honey, I'm sorry things aren't working out with your dad. Maybe with time, he'll start to settle down more, and we can try and visit again when you're doing better." She whimpered a little, which saddened me. As annoyed and angry as I was with Detective Declan, I knew he loved his daughter. "You know he loves you, right? He's just trying to protect you. He doesn't mean to scare you like that."

I heard a soft sob and realized it came from the doorway. It was Paige; she had heard me talking to her daughter about Detective Declan. When she saw that we had noticed her there, she came over, and I pulled her down into a hug, so she could hug Emma. I felt Emma shift in my arms, and I moved back a little, as Paige took my place. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry your dad is such a thick-headed jerk. I remember now why I left that idiot in the first place." She let out a sigh, as Emma frowned.

I pulled a card out for
The Magnolia
and gave it to Paige. "This is our address, we live over the restaurant my momma owns. We’d be happy to have you visit us, but we really need to go. I can't have my girl getting so upset. I'm worried she's going to have serious setbacks," I said sadly.

Paige kissed my cheek and then Emma's. "I’d love to come for a visit. Thank you." I smiled widely, and then we heard the honk of the cab waiting for us. I picked up our bags and started down the stairs with Emma in tow.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Detective Declan roared at me. "You're not taking her anywhere!"

"We're going home," I said calmly and started for the door.

He jumped in front of it. "Like hell you are! She's my daughter, and I'm not letting you take her anywhere!"

Emma, who was behind me, climbed up my back and was hiding her face in my neck.

"Clark Declan, you will stop scaring our daughter!" Paige snapped.

"He's not taking her!"

"She's an adult!"

"No, she's not, she's just a child! She should be in school, not warming his bed!" he shouted back at Paige.

"You have it all wrong, and she's eighteen, Clark, let her go!"

"I'll have her deemed incompetent; she obviously is, look at what a mess he has her in!" he yelled motioning to Emma. She let out a whimper. "She's staying here and will never see that crook again!" he yelled in a threatening tone.

"I'm her husband. She’d be awarded to me if she was deemed incompetent. Regardless, we're leaving," I said firmly. "I'll not have you upsetting my wife again!" I charged forward. It looked like Clark was going to try and stop me, but Paige butted in and stopped him, pushing him back.

"Let them go, Clark, or you'll never see her again. Don't you see what you're doing to her?"

"But he..."

"NO, Clark, you're wrong, he's a good man."

"You're one to talk, woman! Who are you to judge a man's character? You're the one who got her into this mess in the first place with that filthy rat, Wayne!" he yelled at her.

We were out the door and quickly into the cab. We didn't hear the end of that fight, and I didn't think I wanted to. Sadly, that visit didn't go anywhere near like I’d hoped it would, and I was glad it was over. I was glad I was able to leave with my girl. I had been so worried I was going to lose her. I hugged her tightly in the back of the cab, as we drove off toward the airport. She seemed to settle down more, as we got further away.

"I don't want them to take me," she whispered to me.

I frowned down at her. "I told you, baby, I’d never let anyone take you from me." She let out a relieved sigh. "You're mine," I reminded her. "You said I could keep you."

She looked up at me, smiling slightly, and then snuggled down into my chest. She was mine, and I would keep her. Even if I had to fight her family for her, I would keep her.

She was my wife, and no one would take her from me.