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Carmen woke a few hours later, her hand still clasped in Sawyers as if even in sleep, their bodies sought each other out. She lay still, listening to the rush and pull of his soft breathing and the morning welcome song of the birds beyond the window.
A strange feeling settled into her bones, and she opened her eyes. Sawyer lay on his pillow, his free hand tucked behind his head, his face turned to her. The dark gold of his lashes cast shadows over his cheeks. With a start, Carmen understood what the sensation was. Contentment: pure and simple, forged by an innate shift in who she was and what she wanted from her life.
After a few minutes, Carmen eased from the bed, glancing once more at Sawyer to make sure she had not woken him and to drink in the sweet sight of his face relaxed in sleep, then grabbing his T-shirt she pulled it on, and slipped out of the bedroom.
It took two rings for him to pick up. The slight accent in his voice thickened with worry. “Why the hell haven’ ya called me back?” he asked instead of a greeting.
“Hi, Daddy.” Tears burned the back of Carmen’s tired eyes, but she could not help but smile at his beloved voice. “I’m sorry, I’ve been having a bit of a tough time.”
A sigh of relief came from the other end of the line. “What’s going on, love?”
“Well . . .” Carmen took a deep breath. Let it ease past her pursed lips before she continued. “I left Billy.”
Silence filled only by the ticking of passing seconds from the tire clock on the wall. “Good, it’s about time,” he said at last.
“Good?” Carmen parroted.
“Yes, Carmen. Good. He was never what you needed.”
“I thought you liked him?” Her voice rose in disbelief.
“Hated the arsehole,” he said gruffly.
“Shit, Dad,” Carmen choked out, almost laughing. “You couldn’t fill me in on that fact sooner?”
Her dad snorted. “You would never have listened. If I said I hated the man, you probably would have eloped. The only thing strong enough to keep me quiet was the fear of that happening.” He chuckled, and Carmen closed her eyes, relishing the sound despite her irritation.
“So,” her dad continued. “I did what I learned to do as soon as I got married. Grin and play along.”
Sudden laughter welled in Carmen’s chest and seeped past the cracks in her resolve, drowned all the reservations and fears she harboured for so long. It went on and on until tears dripped off my chin, and she shook with it.
“Oh, Daddy, I love you.” She wiped her face with the blanket hanging from the back of the couch. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
“I love you too, sugar.” He sounded pleased if a trifle confused. “I want to see you soon.”
“Me too. I’m going to visit Jake and decide what I need to do. I told Billy we are selling the apartment, so that may take some time.”
“Speaking of absent children, say ‘hi’ to my son, would you?” There was a note of pain in his voice at the mention of Jake.
Carmen sighed. “Of course I will. You know how he is. He loves you.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m starting work, though, love. Let me know what’s going on, aye? Don’t shut me out.”
“Aye, sir. Love you.” From the bedroom, Sawyer’s phone rang. Carmen could hear the rumble of his voice as he answered it.
Carmen ended the call just as the slam of a door reverberated through the apartment. “What the?” She got to her feet and peered down the hall. “Sawyer?”
She was about to go into the bedroom when she caught the echo of raised voices floating up the stairwell. The door had bounced back open with the force Sawyer put into closing it. Thrusting her toes into her sandals, Carmen headed down the stairs.
“Just . . . Just calm down.” The rumble of Dan’s voice interrupted Sawyer, who was rattling off a string of curses that made her ears burn. Carmen paused in the shadow of the open bay door, anxiety twisting and fizzing in her empty stomach.
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Sawyer’s voice went high with incredulous anger. “I’m going to kill the little creep.”
“Who? What creep?” Dan’s voice rose, as well. It was clear, despite his words, he was anything but calm.
“The bastard who gave Carmen the bruise.” There was a loud growl that trailed off into a keen. “Oh God. My truck.”
Carmen flinched at the teeth numbing clang of metal striking metal.
“Get a grip!” Dan yelled. Carmen flinched. She longed to run back upstairs, but she forced herself to walk down the last of the stairs. Heart in her throat, Carmen forced her shaking legs to carry her out of the garage to face whatever happened.
Sawyer paced the yard wearing nothing but his boxers and unlaced boots, a tire iron clenched in his hand. He did not notice Carmen come outside. Dan turned as she left the doors’ safety, looked away, then back, taking in her attire with an alarmed grimace. That she came down wearing only Sawyer’s T-shirt was the furthest thing from Carmen’s mind.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, pressing both hands over her mouth to quell the rush of acid climbing from her stomach at the scene before her. “No. No.”
Deep dents and rivets scarred the hood of Sawyer’s prized truck. Carved into the bright blue paint was the word “SLUT.” Dan’s tow truck, parked beside it, was not unscathed. Two huge indentations warped the passenger door. Both vehicles’ windshields folded inwards, the glass a decimated sheet of lines snaking out like cobwebs.
Dan went to his son’s truck and ran a hand over the word. One side of his lip curled back in a snarl as he studied the obscenity. “It looks like he used a knife.” His broad shoulders drooped as he turned to Sawyer.
Billy had used a knife of sorts. He finally found a use for the Leatherman tool Carmen gave him for his thirtieth birthday. The one he wore on his belt but never opened. Once when they fought, Carmen mocked him for it, told him to take it off and stop pretending to be a man.
She squeezed her eyes closed, but the scene remained burned there, and she was helpless to stop the gut-wrenching sobs welling in her throat. Her fault, all of it. Neither of these wonderful men would have been dealing with such destruction if it wasn’t for her. She sank to the grass, her arms wrapped around her stomach, and her back turned to the ravished trucks. Sawyer’s boots continued to crunch on the gravel as he paced around the yard. Occasionally he hit the iron against the fence, making the whole thing shudder and jump. Carmen flinched every time.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, hunched in on herself. Her hair hung in a dishevelled sheet, and she hid her face behind it.
“Sawyer, that’s enough,” Dan barked, his voice heavy with command. A long shadow fell over her, and a large palm came to settle on the back of her neck. “Shh, hush now, darlin’. This isn’t your fault.”
“Yes. Yes, it is.” Carmen used the baggy fabric of Sawyer’s shirt to dry her face. “I’m so sorry, Dan.” She leaned into the warmth of his hand. He squeezed, easing the tension in the clenched muscles of her neck and shoulders. She straightened with a shuddering breath.
“Sawyer, get your ass over here.” Dan released her, patting her once on the head before he stepped back. The next thing Carmen knew, Sawyer was pulling her to her feet.
“Come here.” His voice was still hoarse with anger, but he gathered Carmen to his chest, brushing the tear-dampened strands of hair off her cheeks. “It’s all right.”
“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’ll pay for the damage. I promise.”
Sawyer was shaking his head. “No, we’ve got insurance. You can’t blame yourself for this.”
“Sawyer, it is my fault!” Her voice hitched into a squeak.
Sawyer was shaking his head. “It’s Billy’s fault, not yours. You didn’t turn him into a maniac.”
Doubt picked at the inside of her skull, sharp as nails on glass. “He wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for me. If I hadn’t come here.”
Dan cleared his throat loudly, interrupting her. “None of that matters. I think I speak for both Sawyer and me when I say, we’d rather have the pleasure of you in our lives than have avoided these petty troubles.”
Sawyer nodded empathetically, hugging her tight as she fought back another onslaught of waterworks at Dan’s words.
Dan stared at the trucks, shaking his head. “What I don’t understand is how you guys didn’t hear any—” He stumbled over his words, eyes swivelling to where the two of them stood, both pantless, clinging to each other. His head flopped forward in defeat, and his shoulders drooped with the force of his exhalation. “Oh, never mind,” he growled without looking at them.
They stood in abject silence, staring at the scene in front of them. The sun caught on the shards of glass and threw sparks into the late morning air. Carmen forced herself to survey the damage, heart aching. She remembered the pride in Sawyer’s eyes when he introduced her to his truck. The first time she had met Dan, watching him unfold his form from the tow truck and the instant draw she had felt to him.
She swallowed against the slippery lump in her throat. Enough was enough. She had believed she was doing what was right, protecting someone she had once cared for, but it was clear Billy had never deserved her protection. He had earned none of what Carmen had given him over the years. Sawyer was right. She was hiding behind what she believed were good intentions. Scared of facing what she must do.
“Will you guys take me to the police station?” she asked, straightening, and pulling in a deep breath. “I need to do what I should have done from the start.”
Sawyer stepped back, holding her at arm’s length so he could look into her eyes. “You’re sure?”
Carmen nodded. “Yes.”
“Then let’s go.” His hand slid down her arm and his fingers tangled with hers.
“Umm.” The rumble of Dan’s voice stopped them in their tracks. “How about I grab the tapes from the camera, and you two—” He scowled darkly at them. “Well, you may want to consider putting on some pants.”