Justice (5 page)

Macey turned to look at her best friend, who held a cup with a straw close to her. “Yes.”

Payton guided the straw to Macey’s lips and she took a deep draw from it.

“Do you remember what happened?” Alec asked.

“Um…" As she thought back, Macey’s breath came in shallow gasps. “I… he… no kilt.” Macey dissolved into sobs as memories of horror flooded her mind. The sound of a zipper. His body on top of hers. The pain. “Make it stop!”

“Everyone out,” Alec demanded.

Macey slid back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Dallas ran down the halls toward recovery where Macey had been moved after surgery. He knew nothing other than she was rushed to emergency and had to have surgery. He’d left his seminar a day early and sped from Salem to Portland, utilizing the lights and sirens on his undercover vehicle.

He arrived to find Brock with his arms wrapped around Payton, Macey’s grandparents sitting with Brock and Payton’s parents, and Jaxon Quinn speaking with a few local uniforms just off to the side of the group.

Bruce Daniels was also there… alone. He looked surprised to see Dallas, but gave him a chin lift in greeting. Dallas didn’t respond.

“What happened?” Dallas demanded to no one in particular.

Brock separated himself from Payton and walked toward him. “Macey was raped, brother.”

“What do you mean? She was supposed to be at my place.”

“It happened before she met up with Payton.”

“Fuck!” Dallas snapped. “Did you get the bastard?”

“Yeah,” Brock said. “I killed him.”

“Was it the Highland guy?”

“He wasn’t wearing a kilt.”

“What the hell, Brock?” Dallas fisted his hand in Brock’s shirt. “You better start talking.”

“Macey was on the phone with Payton and she heard a man’s voice, but the call disconnected soon after. Payton tried to call her back, but Macey wasn’t answering her calls and I was close, so I promised I’d check on her. I got there just before the cops. Apparently, neighbors had heard screaming coming from her unit. I walked in on… well… yeah, I shot him.”

“Walked in on what, Brock?”

Brock shook his head “I’m not gonna give you anymore details, Dal. I told Jax everything, but you need to keep that shit out of your head.”

“Fuck, fuck,
fuck
!” he bellowed. “I want to see her.”

“She’s out. Alec gave her a heavy sedative.”

“Where’s my brother now?” Dallas demanded.

“He was at the nurse’s station a little while ago.”

“I’m gonna sit with Macey.”

“Just gotta warn you, Dal. She’s in bad shape,” Brock said. “Her face is swollen pretty bad. He cut her up, but Alec said the cuts were superficial.”

Dallas stamped down his rage. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what she looks like, Brock. You need to get the hell out of my way so I can go and see her.”

Brock nodded and stepped back, his hands raised in surrender.

Dallas headed into Macey’s room, dim from the pulled curtains, but not dark enough to hide the damage done to the beautiful woman. He pulled the chair beside her bed and tried to find a place on her face that wasn’t bruised or damaged to kiss, but it didn’t exist, so he took the hand that didn’t have a monitor on it and lifted it to his lips. He could smell her perfume. The vanilla and citrus scent that made him smile whenever she was close.

Dallas forced back tears. “Hey, baby. I’m here.”

She didn’t answer him, not that he expected her to, but if he could just hear her voice, he’d know she was okay. The thought of anyone touching her filled him with a rage he couldn’t fathom. Light spilled into the room and he looked up to see his brother walking inside.

“Hey, Dal,” Alec whispered.

Dr. Alec Stone was older than Dallas by two years, and the golden boy of the family. Dark blond hair, green eyes, he and Dallas resembled each other structurally, but their coloring was very different.

“How is she, really?” Dallas demanded.

“She’s stable.”

“Details, Alec.”

Alec took her pulse. “Legally, I can’t give you details. You know that.”

“But you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“No, I’m not,” Alec countered. “Not unless she says it’s okay.”

“Fuck you, Alec.” Dallas pushed up from the chair and advanced on his brother. “You know what she means to me.”

“I’m sorry, Dal. Truly. I know you had plans this weekend, and I’m pretty confident of what that outcome would have been, but even so, my hands are tied.”

Yeah, he had plans. Plans to make life with Macey forever. “Tell me,” Dallas demanded.

“I
can’t
.” Alec shook his head. “Now, are you gonna give me room to take care of my patient?”

Dallas dragged his hands through his hair, stepping back so his brother could examine Macey. After that, Dallas was awarded no more time alone with her. A barrage of family and friends were ever-present, partially to check on her, but mostly, he suspected, to make sure he was okay.

“Dallas, honey.” Brock’s mother, Melissa, laid a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to get something to eat. Why don’t you join us?”

He shook his head, smiling up at the woman who’d become like a second mother to him. “I’m gonna stay.”

She stroked his cheek. “We’ll bring you something back.”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

Melissa squeezed his chin. “She’s going to heal and you’re going to help her.”

“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“I know, honey.” She smiled. “You’re a good man, Dallas. She knows it. I know it. We all know it.”

Not good enough to protect her,
he thought to himself, but said out loud, “Thanks.”

Melissa released him and walked out of the room. Payton turned from the door and rushed to his side, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “I love you, Dallas. So does she.”

“Thanks, babe.”

Payton slipped out the door and Dallas lifted Macey’s hand to his lips again. “Hey, beautiful. I’d really like to see you wake up soon. I miss you.”

She didn’t even twitch. Dallas linked his fingers with hers and settled back in the chair to wait. He was exhausted. After his brief conversation with Macey, he’d stayed up late going over scenarios with his commanding officer, made it to his hotel close to one, checking his phone he’d forgot to charge. He found the voicemail from Brock and shoved what he could into a bag and driven in the dead of night for the hospital.

He should have stayed.

“Dallas?” Macey whispered.

Dallas rose to his feet and leaned over her. “Hey, beautiful. You okay?”

“I need some water.”

He released her long enough to pour some into a cup and help her drink it. “Are you in pain?”

“I just gave myself a dose,” she said, and smiled. “Best drugs ever?”

“Dilaudid?”

“Fentanyl,” she countered. “Thank God for pain pumps.”

Dallas sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her cheek. It was covered with a bandage, but he didn’t care. He had to touch her. “Alec said your surgery went well.”

“I had surgery?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “Why?”

“Don’t you remember?”

She stared at him for several tense seconds and then gasped, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t know I had surgery.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” he promised.

“I… don’t… I... ”

“Hey,” he whispered. “Just rest. You’ll heal and we’ll put all of this behind us.”

“What was the surgery for?” she asked, but quickly closed her eyes. “Wait, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

“You don’t need to know anything you don’t want to know right now, sweetheart,” Dallas said. “Just rest.”

After several minutes of looming silence, she said, “He didn’t wear a kilt.”

“What, honey?”

“It wasn’t the Highland Hunter. He didn’t wear a kilt.” She let out a quiet cry. “I’m really sorry.”

“What for, baby?”

“I forgot to lock the downstairs window,” she said with a sob.

“None of this was your fault, Mase. It’s all going to be okay. I promise.” He kissed her palm. “I love you.”

CHAPTER FOUR

M
ACEY WOKE WITH a start. Dallas wasn’t in her room, in fact, no one was. She was alone. No. Not alone. “Well, hi there, pretty.” She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out and then blackness again.

“Macey! Wake up! You’re having a nightmare,” Alec said. “You’re gonna hurt yourself if you don’t stop thrashing around.”

She wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t still dreaming.

“What the hell is going on?” Dallas demanded.

Macey swam through the pain and forced her eyes open. “Ouch.”

Alec nodded and helped her drink. “Pain? One to ten.”

“Nine,” she rasped.

Alec nodded and looked for her pain pump wire. “Looks like you got this tangled, Mase.” He smiled and pressed the button for the pain pump. “Better?”

After the instant relief, she nodded and Alec set the pump button close to her again.

Dallas leaned over her and smiled. God, he was gorgeous.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said.

Macey licked her lips. “Hi.”

“Bad dream?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Really bad.”

He sat on the edge of her bed. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

She blinked back tears and shook her head.

“You don’t have to. The dreams will come, honey. Just know they’ll fade away.” He kissed her palm. “And I’m here, okay?”

She didn’t say anything. As much as she loved him and as much as he said he wanted to be there, she knew he didn’t deserve to be saddled with this. Macey had to figure out a way to break up with him. For good.

“I told a few of your friends you’re not up to seeing them,” Dallas said.

“Who?”

He scowled. “Bruce for one. He’s been here for a while and he won’t leave.”

Macey’s heart raced, fear rearing its ugly head for no apparent reason. “I don’t want to see anyone.”

“Did you hear that, Alec?” Dallas asked. “No one to see her.”

“I heard her, Dal. I’ll make sure it’s noted in the records.”

“Thanks,” Macey said. “What happened to the man?”

“Brock killed him, honey. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Are you sure?”

Dallas nodded. “Promise, baby.”

Alec pulled open the door and nodded at someone before returning to Macey’s bedside. “I need to check your stitches now that you’re awake.”

Macey swallowed. “Right. I had surgery.”

Dallas leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her head. “No.”

“It’s all gonna be okay, Mase,” he promised.

“Time to go, Dallas,” Alec said.

“Not leaving,” Dallas replied.

“Go, Dallas,” Macey said.

“Babe.”

“Please?” she begged.

He stared at her few seconds before nodding, and then Alec pushed him from the room and one of the on-call nurses walked in. She must have been new because Macey didn’t recognize her.

“Mase, this is Vicki,” Alec said. “She’s on nights.”

“Hi, hon,” Vicki said gently. “I’m going to sit you up.”

Macey tried to smile, but it hurt. “Why does my face hurt so bad?”

“You had surgery on your abdomen and face, Macey.”

“I had surgery on my
face
?” She reached for the bandages, but Vicki pulled her hands away. “How bad?”

Alec crossed his arms. “Do you want me to talk to you like a patient or a nurse?”

“Nurse.”

He nodded. “As well as the stab wounds to your torso, you have a few facial lacerations.”

“A few,” she repeated, her voice flat.

“Four to be exact.” He stepped forward and started to cut the bandages secured behind her head. “But Dr. Isaacs fixed those.”

“
Four
?” she cried. “Ow.”

“Yes, but Dr. Isaacs said the scars will fade.”

“How bad are they, Alec?”

“I won’t know until I have a look.”

“Bullshit. Tell me how bad.”

He sighed, but continued to unwrap her bandages. “Six stitches in one, nine in the other, two in the third and four in the last one.”

“Oh my god.” Macey choked on a sob. “That’s why I tasted blood.”

“Don’t panic on me, Mase. There was no muscle damage, so you’ll make a complete recovery.” He smiled. “Let’s just have a look, okay?”

“Mirror.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Alec said. “They’re going to look much worse for a little while.”

“I want a mirror, Alec.”

He frowned at her, but nodded to Vicki who retrieved one from a drawer. Macey laid it mirror-side down and waited while Alec finished with the bandages. She waited while he studied each cut and she waited while he gave Vicki general care orders and information to load into her chart.

It wasn’t until he stood that she raised the mirror to her face. And lost her shit. She threw the mirror across the room as she screamed, which brought Dallas and Payton running to her side.

“Get out!” she bellowed. “Get out, get out, get out.”

“Babe.” Dallas tried to walk toward her, but she pulled the sheet up to her face.

“Get out, Dallas. Go home. Don’t come back.
Ever
!”

“Baby, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

“It does matter. Get out.” She turned to Payton. “Payton,
please
. Get him out.”

“Just go, Dal,” Payton said. “I’ll call you later.”

Macey peeked around the sheet as Dallas took a deep breath, his face losing all expression, his eyes, however, were a little scary.

“I’m not going to say this again,” he said slowly. “I. Am.
Not
. Leaving. Just get that thought out of your fucking heads.”

“Please, Dallas,” Macey begged. “Go away. There’s no point in you being here.”

Dallas shook his head.

“Then wait in the hall,” Alec said.

“Mase, honey, look at me,” Dallas pleaded.

“No, get out,” she snapped from under the sheet.

“I love you, Mase.”

“Please, just go,” she whispered.

“I’ll be right outside,” he said.

A few seconds ticked by before Alec said, “He’s gone, Macey.”

She slid the sheet slowly down her face and then pulled it back up again. “You too, Payton.”

“No way in hell.”

“Pay, get out.”

Before Macey could respond, the sheet had been ripped away. “No.” Payton crossed her arms. “You are my best friend and I’m not leaving.”

Macey swallowed. “I don’t want you to see this.”

“Too late,” Payton said, and sat in the chair beside the bed. “Plus, it’s not that bad.”

“I look like Frankenstein’s monster.”

“You do not.”

Macey closed her eyes. She was too tired to fight, so she didn’t. But as the hours stretched into days and then weeks, she realized everything she’d ever hoped for was gone.