the man who’d hit me was not safely tucked away behind bars. He knew.
“I get you, Hadley—”
“I’m getting up and I’m ID-ing the men who took me. I’m ID-ing the man who hit me. So either one of you can help me or I’m asking Pearson here to walk me over. Your choice.”
“Motherfucking goddammit,” my dad hissed. “You’re going to the hospital, Hadley. The rest can wait.”
“Help me up?” I asked the EMT.
“Doll, I understand why you want to do this. But I cannot help you out of the back of this ambulance. You’re injured and it’s against regulation.”
No help.
Fine.
I struggled to sit only using my abdominal muscles and silently cursed myself for not going to the stupid yoga classes with Addy.
“Core muscles are important for back health.”
How many times had I heard my twin tell me that? Too many to count.
The pain was extraordinary as I fought to get up.
“Jesus Christ, Hadley. You’re gonna hurt yourself worse.” Brady leaned over me to stop me from moving.
“Then help me.”
“No. You’re—”
“Help. Me.” Brady’s cold eyes bore into mine. Storms once again darkened his beautiful gray eyes and I hated I’d put them there. “I won’t let you do it.”
“Hadley—”
“You know I won’t. You saved me, Brady. You pulled me from the water. I know that was hard for you, honey. But you did it and you saved me. I’m not gonna let you do anything else. So either you help me one more time or I do it alone. But I’m doing it.”
None of the fire left his gaze as he stared down at me.
I was not stupid, at least not about this. I knew what Brady had to have been thinking about when he saw me in that water. I knew he had to fight demons to get to me. I knew he was seeing his sister as he pulled me up.
I also knew with a hundred percent certainty the man he was, he’d exact revenge. He wouldn’t allow a man to hit me. Neither would my father.
I couldn’t save myself.
But I would save them.
36
Walker determination.
Christ.
Relentless.
I tucked the blanket around Hadley and her scowl deepened.
Fierce.
“It’s cute you trying to shoot laser beams from your eyes, baby, but they’re unnecessary.”
I started to pick her up when the EMT stopped me.
“You can’t take her out of here.”
“Move aside,” Ethan commanded and Hadley smiled.
Time to burst her bubble.
“You have two minutes, then you’re on your way to the hospital.”
“But—”
“No buts. You’re getting your way. You got two minutes.”
I glanced over at Jasper, his face hard as a rock, his posture stiff, his jaw grinding.
“Brady,” he clipped as I started to move.
“It’s my call,” I reminded him and his glare hardened.
“No one’s gonna hurt you,” I reminded her.
“I know.”
No hesitation.
Jesus.
She trusted me. Fully and completely.
“I love you, Hadley.”
“I know that, too.”
A new burn started. One I welcomed. The kind that made you want to never forget the moment, even if everything else about the moment was fucked.
But I’d never forget, not for a second, the trust, the certainty in her voice. After everything that had happened to her, she was standing strong.
Well, not technically standing.
But…
“We got the men separated,” Ethan said from behind me. “Fucked-up shit seeing those fucking cowards hide behind the women. But worse seeing those women place the children in front of them.”
Fucked-up didn’t begin to cover it. Neither did cowardly. There was a special place in hell for men like these. And hopefully, with Hadley’s help, I’d have the three I wanted to dispatch first.
A line of officers kept the men corralled until Ethan directed them to let us through.
It took Hadley less than two minutes to point out the three who’d harmed her. Though in their own way, every person who belonged to Faithful had hurt her. The women had stood by and done nothing. Not a single one of them had spoken up or helped.
But it wouldn’t be until much later. Until Hadley’s shoulders were reset and the determination was made she wouldn’t need surgery. Until after she’d been given pain relievers that had put her to sleep. And later still, until after she woke and told her story to the police, that I would come to understand the severity of what happened to her.
And not a single motherfucking person had helped her. Not a woman, child, or man.
Through the police interview, I remained silent, supporting Hadley the way she needed.
I held her hand, I wiped her tears, I kissed her cheek and encouraged her to finish. What