Swearing to Love You

How the hell can she talk while pinning me down? I can see Meredith and Aubree trying to pull her off me, but every time one of then yank on her, it pulls my head because of the freaking vice grip she has on my hair.

I have no clue how long we are like this before I feel her take my head and slam it against the wall. Everything goes blurry. All I can hear is shouting, cursing and screaming. Then, I blackout.

Chapter Nine

Leif

I took the guys to Missy’s for a quick burger and now I am showing Dallas and Cal the tattoo shop when my phone rings.

“Lanie,” I say in lieu of hello. All I can hear is a cacophony of shouting. I can make out Maddy’s voice shouting the loudest.

“LEIF. Get here now!” she shouts before hanging up on me. What the fuck? She’d only call me and not 911 if Maddy was involved. I feel a weight settle on my chest.

“We gotta go, now,” I say exiting the shop and taking off at a run down the street towards my truck. The guys dive into the truck with me. I peel away and drive as fast as I can. The normally twenty-minute drive from Bleak to Moosehead takes me only ten. I skid to a stop in front of the boutique and jump out of the truck. I can tell the guys are behind me, so I throw the door open. Then I see Maddy lying on the ground in a heap and a crusty looking woman standing over her actually kicking her while she’s down. The fuck? It takes everything in me to remember that I’m a cop and that I don’t hit women. I get why no one is helping her though, all these ladies are in various stages of pregnancy.

“What the fuck is going on here?” I demand and the unknown woman stops her assault. Assessing the threat, I determine that I need to get her away from my girl, then I can focus on her.

“This is Maddy’s former step-mother. She assaulted Maddy. We tried to help but it was no use,” Meredith says.

“Ma’am, step away from Maddy.” When she doesn’t, I move forward, pulling my cuffs out as I go.

“I’m her stepmother. I can discipline her as I see fit,” she says. Is this bitch delusional?

“Former stepmother,” Aubree chimes in.

“Besides the fact that Madalyn is over the age of eighteen,” I say. “That makes this assault and battery,” I inform her.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she spits at me.

“No, ma’am. Please put your hands before your back. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”

“Fuck you,” she says.

“I’m gonna take that as a no,” I say moving her away from Maddy. I pull my phone out and call dispatch. “Ella, can you send Jacobs over to the Crawford’s boutique? I made an arrest, but he needs to finish the collar.”

“10-4, sir. His eta is four minutes.”

“Thanks, Ella.”

Hanging up, I walk the stepmother from Hell over to Dallas.

“Can you?” I ask him.

“Of course,” he says nodding. When I get back over to Maddy she is sitting up holding her head.

“Baby, are you okay?” I ask kneeling down next to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“See, the little whore is fine.”

“I’d be quiet if I were you,” Dallas says.

“Do you know she led a guy on until it was too late for him to stop himself. She’s such a little bitch. That boy is still in jail,” she says shaking her head. The venom she’s spewing makes no fucking sense.

“Veronica, you know that’s not true,” Maddy says, trying to stand. “He’s where he belongs.” I help her up and she leans on me.

“What is this about?” I ask my fists clenched. Someone attacked my girl.

“My stepmother here set me up on a date with a guy and implied I’d do more,” she says trying to laugh. “Ow, fuck that hurts.”

Jacobs bursts into the shop from the street. “Sir?”

“This is her,” I say pointing him in the direction of Veronica. “Take her down to the station for processing. She’s been Mirandized. I am going take Maddy home.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Jacobs leaves with Veronica and I gather Maddy up in my arms. I walk out and over to my truck that I parked in front of the dinner. I put her in the passenger seat and get us home.

“Baby, are you okay?”

“I’m better now,” she says once we are inside.

“Your face is messed up baby.”

“It’s nothing new, trust me.”