7. Dale

7

DALE

Undoing the chains from around the tree, I'm relieved that I'm able to get the road cleared away so I can get Bella to the hospital. I'm hoping the delay in care won't cause any permanent damage, but we'll handle whatever happens together. Just because I slowed us down and protected the both of us from getting too involved with each other doesn't mean it will last long. The more time I spend with her, the more my resolve will crumble because it takes all the strength I have now to stop myself from kissing her or touching her, and even then, it's barely tolerable.

I glance over at Bella and give her a smile as she frowns at me for not letting her help, which is the cutest thing. Everything she does is the cutest. Her curvy body, with wide hips and voluptuous chest with her sweet angel face and kind smile. She's the complete package, and it kills me not to touch her.

A shuffling of feet with the crunch of snow has me lifting my head to pinpoint where the sound comes from. I glance over at one of the dunes that lines the road from the beach, and a man with torn muddy clothes and dried blood stumbles out before me. I observe him because something seems off about him. I can't say what exactly. It's a feeling I get, and I've learned to trust my instincts. Plus, with Bella around, I'm extra cautious of everybody.

"Hey, oh thank God. I've been trying to find anybody in this godforsaken place, but with the storm I had to shelter in the trees. Can you believe that shit?"

I eye him warily and stand guard, ready to strike at any moment. "Yeah, the storm was nasty last night. It's been all over the news and radio though to shelter in place. What happened?"

The man rolls his eyes. "I got stuck on the road and when the storm hit, I got in an accident."

I nod, but there's more to his story. He's not giving me many details. "You alone?"

"Yeah. I was trying to get home, but I'm an idiot and should've stopped at the motel I saw a few miles back, but eager to get home to the wife and kids, you know?"

I nod, and there's no way I'm buying what this guy is saying about wanting to get home to the wife and kids. He's battered and beat up which appears to come from an accident, but the open skin marks on his knuckles and his overall appearance with the dark rings under his eyes and greasy hair tells me there are no children, or at least any he's concerned about. I wouldn't be surprised if he's an addict.

"Could I bum a ride off you into town?" He rubs his hand behind his neck and tries to come off as humble, but I don't trust him. Even more so, I'm more inclined to believe this man is the reason my Bella is hurt and has no memory of what happened to her.

I glance over at Bella to check on her. I freeze as her face is white as a ghost. Her eyes are wide and she's breathing erratically.

Anger whips through me like a wave and I clench the chain in my hands tighter, ready to protect Bella with everything I have. We don't know her story, but her reaction proves she knows this guy.

The man takes a soft step back when he spots the tension straining my body and what must've come over my face. He turns toward the truck, then glances back at me but swivels his head again and a rage takes him over as he shifts with a one eighty and makes a beeline for Bella.

It amazes me how he doesn't even put on a front. He screams, "You fucking bitch. Where the hell have you been? Get out of the truck, Amelia."

Nothing phases me. I chase after him, but he's closer to the truck than I am. Bella gets her head together and locks the truck and I'm relieved, she thought quickly.

The guy pulls on the handle, and when it doesn't budge, he screams into the window. "Open the fucking door now."

With every word and action, I see red. I grab hold of his arm as he slams his hand into the window again and I yank him back.

"Leave her alone," I snarl.

The man gets a little sense into him and tries to pull off an easygoing grin. "Whoa, dude. It's all good. That's my girlfriend. I'm sorry she bothered you. I'll get her out of your hair."

I glare down at the pissant as he stands at around five-ten.

"You don't touch her. You don't look at her. You don't talk to her. You hear me?"

The man's so-called congenial act wipes away and he smirks. "Oh, is she playing the innocent act with you? Is that why you're helping her? Trust me, she pulls it all the time. Let me do you a solid and take her away. You don't want her drama."

Furious, I get in front of him, forcing myself in between him and the truck. He'll have to go through me before he gets to her.

The man shakes his head and chuckles. "I wish you didn't do that." The man pulls a gun from behind his back and points it at me.

Bella screams in the car, and I lift my hands as I keep him locked in my sights.

"Now, Amelia, open the door so we can leave. And thanks, buddy, for clearing the road for us. It would've been a bitch to move it aside."

I work my jaw and tense my shoulders when I hear the lock on the truck click. The other man smirks.

"She always does what I tell her to in the end."

Before I can think twice, I push the gun away, raise my fist and punch him across the jaw and again with my other arm. The man drops the gun and spits out some blood and launches toward me, but I block him and push him back. He waves a punch at me, but the so-called man doesn't know how to fight. He's only capable of carrying a gun and not even using it. "Did you wave that gun around her? Have you hurt her? What makes you think of going after somebody smaller than you?"

"What the fuck? Have you seen her? She ain't small. She's a lard ass who eats away all my money."

I'm done with this. I can't believe he would talk about her that way, or anybody that way. Bella's an angel, the most perfect woman I've ever laid eyes on, and he needs to learn some manners and respect.

With as much force as I can muster, I launch after him and punch him with a right jab, a cross swing, and an uppercut. He flies backward onto the ground and groans. Not wasting a beat, I run over on top of him and flip him onto his stomach. I pull my belt off and tie his hands.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"What does it look like, asshole? I'm wrapping you up to give you to the cops. It's a shame I don't have a pretty red bow."

I get off him and run over to the chain I dropped, and I wrap the chain around him, till I know he won't be able to get up on his own. Once I'm certain he's secured and won't get up, I check on my girl, because she's scared out of her mind.

Turning around, I see tears pour down her cheeks, but there's nothing in her gaze. It's like she's checked out at the moment. The door's locked and I tap on the window, but nothing sinks through to her. She watches the man chained, and I tap again. This time she jumps in the seat, and glances at me and our eyes lock.

A little bit of life sparks in her gaze and she licks her lips.

"Open the door, baby," I say. Pointing at the lock.

She shakes her head.

"It's okay, baby. I won't let him get to you, but I want to check on you, okay? Open the door."

Bella takes a steady breath, hesitates, but moves slowly to unlock the door. As soon as the lock clicks, I pull the door open and wrap her in my arms. "You're gonna be okay, Bella. I won't let him hurt you ever again."

She breaks down in my arms and cries. Slow hiccups escape her. "I. Was. So. Scared."

I rub her back and let her cry into my chest. "I know, Bella, but he's not going to hurt you ever again."

"I remember. As soon as I saw him, I remembered."

It pains me that she's in pain and I don't know what memories are flooding her right now, but for a little while, she had a reprieve. Only now she has to relive them all over again.

"Easy breaths, Bella. Just like before."

"Amelia. My name is Amelia," she cries.

"It's a beautiful name, but you'll always be my Bella."

She cries harder and clutches my shirt tighter as she buries her face in my chest. I stand in between her legs, and she wraps herself around me and it's the most heart-wrenching and most wonderful thing to experience with her. I wish it was under different circumstances.

"You've been fucking this guy. It hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours. I knew you were a whore, Amelia, but fuck."

Bella and I stiffen, her with fear and me with anger, but I continue to soothe her and stroke her back. I whisper in her ear. "Don't listen to him, baby. Whatever he says, it's nothing, you hear me? Nothing."

She nods against me, but she doesn't believe it. I can tell. She's only wanting to placate me and I vow to make her see herself differently. And for her life to be different. I'm not letting her go.

Not now, not ever.

She is mine, and now I need to convince her of it. I'm going to start by taking care of her.

"Come on, baby. Get settled in. We're going to the hospital and we'll call the police when we get there."

Her body quakes in my arms and she shakes her head. "No, no, no. That's a bad idea. He'll be so mad."

"He will, but I don't give a fuck. We need to get him out of your life, okay? I'm going to be with you the whole time. And I'm not leaving your side, ever." I cup her cheek and gaze into her eyes, but she's far too stressed out and worried that she's not accepting what I'm saying, so I'm taking the reins for a while. Just until she's back to herself and can make her own decisions.

If she chooses not to be with me in the future it will gut me, but I'll accept it. No matter how much it kills me, protecting her and getting her away from the douchebag is the most important thing right now.

"This needs to happen, okay? Charges need to be filed against him, but I'm here for you."

A few sniffles leave her, and a little more clarity comes into her gaze as she studies me closely. "Promise?"

"I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

She nods and hugs me again, tucking her face into my neck and she inhales deep. "Okay." She whispers so softly I wonder if I'm hearing things, but then she says it again. "Okay."

I hug her tighter and kiss her neck below her ear. "Thatta girl. You're so brave."