“I really think –” the doctor hesitated, eyes on Hector.
“She’s been raped,” Hector said for him.
The doctor did another group scan then nodded and took a step toward Hector. “I’m sorry but yes, Sadie’s been raped.”
“Fucking hell,” Hank muttered from behind Eddie and the atmosphere in the room changed to a strange, uneasy hopelessness. It wasn’t a feeling they were used to and it didn’t sit well with a single one of them.
“We’ve done a rape kit and called the police. She’s sleeping now. Sir, if you can –”
“Take me to her,” Hector cut in.
“You have to understand what you’ll –” the doctor started.
“I found her, I brought her in, I know what I’ll see,” Hector bit out. “Fucking… take… me… to… her.”
The doctor nodded. “Follow me.”
Eddie’s eyes cut to Lee then to Darius. Then Eddie followed Hector as Hector and the doctor walked away. Darius followed Eddie.
Luke turned on his boot and without a word left the room.
Lee turned to Bobby and said simply, “Follow him. He has an alibi everywhere he goes.”
Bobby nodded and followed Luke.
Lee’s eyes stopped on Ava. Ava was Luke’s woman, she was watching the door Luke just walked out and her face was pale.
Finally Lee turned to Indy. “Phone Daisy.”
“But –” Indy began.
“Do it, gorgeous. Now.”
Indy dug in her purse for her cell.
*
Marcus
The phone rang and Marcus Sloan slid away from Daisy’s body, rolled and grabbed it from its cradle.
With his eyes on the clock, he said, his voice curt, “It’s barely five o’clock in the morning.”
“Marcus? I’m sorry, it’s Indy. Is Daisy there?”
Marcus felt an unaccustomed chill slide up his spine as Daisy moved, rolled and he felt her eyes on him in the dark.
“Is everything okay?” he asked Indy, as always wanting to make any fall his wife was going to take a softer one. She’d already had more than her fair share of the hard ones. These days she only experienced some bumpy rides with the Rock Chicks, though some were bumpier than others.
So far, they’d been lucky.
“No. Everything isn’t okay. Lee wanted me to call her. I’m not sure why but…” She hesitated and he could tell she was seeking privacy before she started talking again. Daisy was up on an elbow now and he could feel her body getting tense. “The thing is, Sadie Townsend was beaten up really badly tonight.”
Marcus felt it like a punch in the stomach.
Ricky fucking Balducci. Or one of his fucking brothers.
“Fuck,” he whispered.
“What?” Daisy was sitting up and Marcus sat up too.
Marcus turned and snapped on the light. Twisting back to his wife, he shook his head.
“Is she going to be all right?” Marcus asked.
“I… there’s more,” Indy replied.
Marcus waited and Daisy slid closer.
“What is it?” Marcus prompted.
“She was raped.”
Marcus threw the covers back on the bed and knifed out.
“Where is she?” he snapped.
“Denver Health,” Indy answered.
“We’ll be there in thirty minutes.” He didn’t say good-bye; he put down the phone then walked to the closet.
“Marcus, honey bunch, you’re scarin’ me,” Daisy said from the bed.
“Get up, darling. Get dressed. Sadie Townsend is at Denver Health. She’s been beaten up and raped.”
Daisy’s gasp was sharp and Marcus heard rather than saw her jump from the bed.
That was his wife. She still thought Sadie had shoved a knife in her back and yet she was out of the bed like a shot.
He didn’t look forward to telling her what he was going to have to tell her.
He got dressed, Daisy got dressed and he stood over her while she pulled on her boots.
“I have to tell you something,” he said to her bent head and it snapped up so she was looking at him.
“Tell me later, we have to –”
Marcus shook his head then crouched in front of her. Daisy took a breath at his unusual actions and he knew she was preparing.
“First, you must know I did what I did because Seth Townsend was a dangerous man. I didn’t want you anywhere near him. Not even if near him meant being around Sadie.”
Daisy’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”
“It’s what I didn’t do.”
She stood and put her hands on her hips.
Marcus knew this was a very dangerous pose for Daisy to assume.
“Okay then, what didn’t you do?” she asked, looking down her nose at him.
Marcus stood too then pulled his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t tell you about Sadie.”
Daisy jutted out a hip. This was an even more dangerous pose.
“What didn’t you tell me about Sadie?”
He ignored her and continued, “And, I didn’t tell you about Nanette and Monica.”
“Marcus, honey bunches of love –” Daisy said warningly, losing patience when Marcus hesitated.