Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) (16 page)

Rylee

It is two o’clock, an hour before I need to be at the police
station. I have been up for the most part of forty-eight hours. Exhaustion has
taken over, and I am overwhelmed at the thought of giving my statement. Ruzek
left the hospital and promised he would be there with me the entire time. I am
praying Austin will make it so I don’t have to go alone. Eric is still asleep
and making J go through the hassles of travel doesn’t seem worth it.

Knowing I cannot go out in public in Austin’s sweatpants and
a tank top, I am now sorting through the few clothes I have over here in hopes
I can put something decent together. Given my lack of choices, I settle on a
pair of jeans and a black top with lace edges. With my black boots and jacket,
I call it an outfit.

The only makeup I have is the mascara and powder I keep in
my purse, so that goes on quickly. My hair is a mess, but without another wash
and full dry there isn’t much I can do. I throw it up in a high ponytail and
hope for the best.

As I make my way back downstairs, the front door bursts open
and the best thing I have seen in days comes barreling in. Austin looks frazzled
and travel weary, but undeniably beautiful. I want to run and jump into his
arms. Instead, I stand here admiring the view. His bags land in a pile by the
door before he looks up and our eyes meet.

There are so many things said in the look between us and,
without thought, my feet start towards him. He meets me halfway up the stairs
and hauls me into the biggest hug of my life. If I weren’t standing a step
above him, my feet would be off the floor.

He holds me so tight that it is hard to breathe and I can
feel his body shudder. With my arms wrapped around his neck, I bury my face and
find myself feeling grounded for the first time in what seems like days.

When he loosens his grip, I pull my head back to meet his
beautiful blue eyes. Tears form in the corners as he studies me and my heart
twists. It isn’t fair that Ryan had the power to hurt each of us. My arms come
up and I place my hands on his face to stroke the tears away.

“Hey, gorgeous,” I say with a soft smile.

“Hi yourself, beautiful.”

He seems cautious and I cannot figure out why until he says,
“Ry, I really want to kiss you right now. Is it OK if I kiss you?”

The confusion must show on my face. “Of course you can, Aus.
Why would you ask that?”

Instead of giving an answer, he pulls me into a kiss.
Emotion pours from him. I fall into him, longing to lose myself in him for days,
before he pulls away.

With his forehead against mine, he answers my earlier
question. “I don’t know what happened to you, Ry, and I want to make sure you
are OK. I don’t know what he did and I don’t want to hurt you. I just… I just…”

His words trail off as he takes a deep breath and pulls me
tight against him. He kisses my neck.

“I just… fuck, Ry, I just want you to be OK. Are you OK?”

For the first time today, I feel a real smile come to my
face so I force him to look at me.

“Yeah, Aus, I’m OK. Physically I am perfect and mentally I
am coping. More than anything, though, I’m happy you’re here. I missed you,
baby.”

“I missed you too, Ry. I love you.”

I hadn’t realized how much I missed him until this moment. In
the past I always relied on J when things went awry. While it helped to settle
me when J got here, Austin’s presence makes me feel like I can handle all of
this. He makes me stronger. With Austin by my side, I know I will make it
through this afternoon and that I’ll find the strength to handle anything else
that comes our way.

From the room below, J clears his throat. “All right you
two, every time I’m with you I find you making out. Can't I get a break here? Shit,
I’m still injured you know,” he deadpans before we all break out in laughter.

In an effort to further irritate my big brother, I pull
Austin into one more deep kiss before walking the rest of the way down the
stairs with him in tow. J just shakes his head and smirks at me. He knows exactly
what I was doing.

After the silent exchange with J, I turn to Austin.

“So I have to head down to the police station to give my
formal statement. Ruzek is meeting me there.”

“OK. I want to go with you, if that’s all right?” he asks.

Then Jeremy pipes up. “I’m coming too.”

I look at my big brother, who can’t walk yet, and consider
my options. I know he feels like he needs to be there, but with the media circus
surrounding us I think it would be easier to get in and out quickly if he stayed
put.

“J, you don’t need to go. I will take Austin with me and
Ruzek will be there. You stay here and take it easy,” I say, hoping he will
understand.

“Are you sure, Ry? I told you I am here for whatever you
need.”

I can tell by the look on his face that he knows why I am
asking him to stay. Ordinarily he would fight me and win. However, in this particular
situation he knows there isn’t much he can do.

“I’m sure, J. We should be in and out of there fairly quickly
from what Ruzek said. He also said there is a growing media presence because
the police update is scheduled for late this afternoon.”

Austin then chimes in. “I think she is right, J. The quicker
we can get her in and out, the better. I had several microphones shoved in my
face as I came through my front gate. The vultures are thick out there.”

J nods his head in understanding. “All right, but call me if
you need anything and let me know how it goes.”

I walk over and hug my big brother. “I will, and we will be
back before you know it.”

Rylee

I text Ruzek to let him know we are on our way. He calls
back to tell me we should park in the back and to let him know when we get
there so he can have us escorted in. Apparently there is quite the frenzy of
activity going on outside the station now that Ryan’s family has released a
statement.

After hanging up with Ruzek, I do a quick Google search to
find the statement.

“Holy shit, the nerve of those fucking people.”

I don’t realize I’d spoken out loud until Austin asks me
what I am reading.

“Well, I am reading the biggest load of horseshit ever
printed. Also known as the statement Ryan’s family just released.”

Austin spares me a quick glance as we drive down the
highway. “So what does it say?”

I begin to read aloud. “Our son, Ryan, was brutally attacked
last night by a woman who broke his heart years ago. Ryan always hoped that one
day he and Rylee would reconcile their differences. Now he is left to fight for
his life, all because he fell in love with the wrong girl. We will cooperate fully
with law enforcement and hope to see our son’s attacker punished to the fullest
extent of the law. Please pray for him in this his hour of need. We love you,
Ryan, and we will be fighting right beside you.”

My hands are shaking and my confidence is waning. “How can
they get away with releasing this? None of it is true.”

Austin’s knuckles go white around the steering wheel and
anger masks his gorgeous features. I can see the tick in his jaw and the vein
pulsing in his neck, but he answers me calmly.

“Ry, we are just going to have to ignore it. The truth will
come out. Once the police release the facts, they will look like fools. No
matter what, Ry, I am with you. We will get through this, I promise.”

I take a deep breath, hoping to calm the storm brewing
within me. I knew the aftermath would be ugly, but I certainly did not see this
coming. I cannot believe they could fabricate a story like that. These are
people I once considered family.  

“You’re right, Austin, but it’s hard. It’s not like I wanted
any of this to happen.”

Without a word, he reaches over and takes my hand. Anger is
still pulsing through him, but his gentle touch calms my nerves somewhat.

As we make our way around the police station to the back, it
becomes clear that Ruzek was not exaggerating. There is a horde of reporters
jockeying for position near the podium where the detectives will speak.

Ruzek and two other officers meet us at the car. I slowly
step out and walk straight up to Ruzek.

“How ya doing, Alex?” I ask jokingly before enveloping him
in a hug.

“I am doing pretty well. How are you holding up? You look
tired,” he says as he timidly hugs me back. No doubt he’s concerned about Austin’s
reaction.

As I release the embrace, Austin comes to take my hand and
we hurry toward the back entrance of the station.

“I am tired, but sleep seems to be my enemy,” I confide in
Ruzek. “I cannot stop the images from flooding me, so I avoid it.”

One officer holds the door open as we make our way inside.
Austin garners plenty of attention, but thankfully everyone leaves us alone. That
could be due to the deadly serious look on Ruzek’s face.

He leads us through the main office area and down a narrow
hallway before settling us in an interrogation room. They really look like the
ones on television. There is a metal table bolted to the floor and a couple of
chairs. Other than that, the walls are a dingy white and completely unremarkable.
If they added the single lightbulb hanging over the table, it would be exactly
like it is on television. I never thought I would find myself in this
situation.

Austin and I take a seat on one side of the table and Ruzek
sits at one end before explaining what is to take place.

“I cannot be the one to question you because I was involved.
I am only here as a friend, but Detective Wilde and Detective Kim are two of
the best and I trust them completely. Remember, Rylee, you have nothing to
hide. Tell them exactly what happened and we will be out of here in no time.”

I don’t know why, but I am incredibly nervous. My palms are
sweating and I cannot stop my leg from bouncing up and down beneath the table.
Austin takes notice of my nervous state and runs a hand up and down my back
before leaning in to whisper in my ear.

“I love you, Rylee. Let’s just get this over with so we can
get on with the rest of our lives. At least we know that cannot be taken from
us. We are free to be us now. Hold on to that. You have already proven how
tough you are, so this should be a piece of cake. You’re my world, Ry.”

His sweet words calm my nerves and melt my heart. He is
right: we are free to be us. It may not be easy for a little while, but the
threats are gone.

“Thank you, Aus. I love you too. Now let’s get this over
with and get on with life.”

Austin

Rylee is a fidgeting mess as we sit here in the stark
confines of the interrogation room. I wish I had the chance to hear her story
before she is forced to lay it all out in front of the detectives. The looks passing
between her and Ruzek upset my confidence. I am aware he knows the details of
the night in question. Something about the fact that he was there with her
unsettles me. I should have been with her, not him.

I am stroking her back, trying to instill every bit of
confidence I can give her. I am going into this blind. The extent of my
knowledge is that she shot Ryan to save Ruzek. To make matters worse, I can
feel my cell phone vibrating incessantly in my pocket. I know the calls, texts,
and messages are regarding the meeting I skipped to be with Ry today. Nothing
in the world could drag me away from her right now.  

I am a man split in two. The results waiting for me on the
buzzing device will not be a surprise. The child is mine. He has my eyes, my
smile, and, from the looks of him, my height. I informed my lawyer that I would
have to miss the hearing. He protested, but I was unwilling to listen. Rylee
needs me and there is no way I could've stayed and been able to live with
myself. Although I have a feeling she will be pissed when she finds out. Family
is everything to her and I have just run from my own flesh and blood.

The door opens, revealing a tall, slender detective in plain
clothes. She introduces herself as Detective Wilde. She is a pretty woman in
that plain, neighborly way. She takes notice of me, as most women do, and
smiles a little brighter when she shakes my hand. It pisses me off.

A few moments later, a short stubby man comes through the
open door. He slumps down into a chair before announcing, “I am Detective Kim.
Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

His nonchalant attitude pushes every button I have. I want
to tell the man to sit up straight and take the plight of my girlfriend seriously.
He opens a folder and peruses his notes before addressing Ruzek, not once
making eye contact with Rylee or myself. I don’t like him.

“Are you sure you should be a part of this, detective? It
looks to me like you would be considered an interested party.”

Anger flashes across Ruzek’s face and his hands tighten into
fists, much the way mine did when this guy walked into the room.

“I am only here for Rylee. If it is a problem, I can leave.”

Ruzek leans over towards Rylee and she meets him at the
corner of the table. He is whispering something to her and she eventually
rights herself in her chair, albeit with tears in her eyes. What the hell would
he say to her to make her cry? And why would he make her cry at a time like
this? What the fuck is wrong with these people? Am I the only one who gives a
shit about her?

Detective Kim sounds off again. “Ruzek, man, I think it
would be best if we refrain from impropriety with this case. The victim’s
family is out for blood.”

The victim’s family? Excuse me? I was under the impression
that Rylee and Ruzek were the victims in this disaster. I am losing my patience
and having a hard time keeping my composure, but I cannot make things worse for
Ry. I have to sit here and be supportive no matter how difficult it proves to
be. And it is proving itself fucking difficult. But I swear, if they don’t take
this shit seriously, I will take this further up the food chain. Being Austin
Black, MVP, has a few perks and I am not against using them if need be.

Ruzek looks to Rylee and something passes between them
before they both stand up. She takes a step towards him and embraces him tightly.
They whisper to one another before she takes the step back and he leaves the
room. She sits down and looks at me with, if I am not mistaken, fear in her
eyes. My heart shatters.

“OK, Ms. Ash, I have read the
reports and the statements from Detective Ruzek and Micah Jones,” Detective
Wilde says with compassion in her voice. Finally, someone with a modicum of
respect for what Ry went through. “I need to ask you a few questions and then
you can write out your statement and be on your way. Does that sound ok?”

Rylee gives a small nod. “Sure, I think I can do that. Please
call me Rylee.”

Detective Wilde peppers Ry with questions about the months
leading up to last night and seems content with all of her answers. Then she drops
the big question.

“So, Rylee, can you tell me what happened last night?”

I am holding Ry’s hand below the table and hoping I can give
her the strength she needs. She looks up at me before she begins.

“Please forgive me for what you are about to hear. I didn’t
want to, Aus, I promise.”

What in the fuck did she have to do? Why would she think I
would care? There is nothing in the world that would change my opinion of her.
Does she not know how much I love her?

When she finishes explaining how Ryan showed up in her bed
and ended up doubled over with a broken nose and bruised berries, I was
awestruck. Not only do I not care that she had to lead him on, I am so damn
proud of her that I want to pull her into me and never let go. I move our
entwined hands over into my lap and clasp my free hand around them. I am
telling her that I do not care about any of that. She seems to get the message
and takes a deep breath before recounting the rest of her horrific night.

When she finishes her story, Rylee looks down and tries to
regain her composure. Her body is shaking and her breathing is ragged. I cannot
fucking believe what that asshole put her through. If he lives, it won’t be for
long. I know that for sure, because I will end his miserable fucking existence.

Nobody fucks with my girl and gets away with it.