She tensed again, the tremors once again picking up.
“You’re safe here, Rabbit. The tables have turned now.”
“How?” she whispered.
“You were alone before. You’re not anymore. You have people who will protect you. Stand up for you. Speak for you, if needed.”
“You?”
“Yes. Me. Cecilia. Trevor. Daniel. Frank. And Adam, if you’ll let him. We’re not going to let him get to you. Ever again. We all know what he did, Rabbit. His secret isn’t secret anymore.”
“What do you have planned?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“I just want you to meet with Adam. Talk to him. Let him talk to you.”
“Does he … know?”
“Yes, he knows, Rabbit. He hasn’t seen the pictures but he knows we have them. Trevor told him the story. He is in agreement. He thinks if he gathers everything together he can go to Brian and his lawyer, and then present the facts and your demands.”
Her brow furrowed. “My demands?”
“I assume you want a divorce, Rabbit?”
She nodded.
“Well, whatever else you want. A settlement, perhaps. That’s for you to decide.”
“I want my books and the boxes of my parent’s things in my closet.”
“I’m sure we can arrange that, Rabbit. And?”
She looked at me. “Nothing. I don’t want his money. I just want my life back. I’ll get a job and support myself.”
I felt a quiet sense of pride at her words. Of course she didn’t want his money. She didn’t want anything associated with him.
“Adam will talk to you about your options. He knows the right path for you to follow for that.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” Her voice was trembling.
“Okay,” I assured her soothingly. “You can discuss all this with Adam tomorrow, Rabbit. If you don’t like him, we’ll find you someone you do like.”
“Will you stay with me? While I talk to him?”
“Of course. Whatever you need to be comfortable.” I drew in a deep breath. “I also asked Daniel to come see you tomorrow, Rabbit. I would feel better if he checked you over.”
“My headaches are better, Joshua. Once I got my memory back, the other ones I had I knew were from tension. I know my appetite is off and I’m tired. It’s just all from stress. Really, I’m fine.”
“Please, Rabbit?” I squeezed her hands. “For me. Let me be overprotective and do this for me.”
She sighed in resignation. “If it makes you feel better, then fine, Joshua, but the doctor I saw there didn’t seem too concerned with anything.”
I snorted. “I know you saw someone, Rabbit. I don’t think you had a proper examination and I doubt he had your best interests at heart. He needs to be brought up on charges as well.”
Her voice became so quiet that I had to strain to hear her. “Brian took me to the same doctor he always took me to when he got … angry. His name is Dr. Hammond; I didn’t like him, but that didn’t matter, of course. He never really talked to me, just Brian. He looked me over and gave me a tetanus shot. That was all he did the last time I saw him.”
I was confused. “A tetanus shot?”
She nodded. “I wasn’t sure why. He muttered something about in case I had cut myself on something.” She looked at me warily. “I wasn’t really allowed to ask many questions. He gave me the shot before I even knew it was happening.” Her hand went to the back of her neck. “It itched for days.”
I kept my voice even. “Let me see, please.”
She turned and pulled down the neck of the shirt. Leaning forward, I could see an indent where a needle had been inserted into her skin just below the base of her neck. I rubbed it gently, frowning at its thickness. I wasn’t a doctor, but I knew that wasn’t the spot for a tetanus shot. Not wanting to scare her any further, I leaned forward and nuzzled the mark with my lips.
“Sloppy job.” I shrugged, after pulling the shirt back up and turning her around. My mind was racing and I knew I had to ask Daniel what they could have injected her with. Was that what was making her unwell? “Maybe Daniel can give you something for the itch. He’ll check you over and he has the name for a local woman doctor at the hospital you can see from now on. But he knew I was concerned so he agreed to come see you tomorrow.”
She sighed wearily. “Okay.”
I looked at her. “Okay? Okay to Daniel? Okay to Adam?”
She nodded. “Okay to all of it, Joshua. It all makes me nervous, but I know it needs to happen.”
“I’ll be right there with you, Rabbit. If something bothers you, we stop it. Right away.” I tilted her chin, looking into her tired eyes. “I promise. I know it seems fast, Rabbit, but I want to be ready.”
“You think he’ll come after me?”
I hesitated then nodded. “I am sure he’ll search for you. Quietly this time. If possible, I would rather send our people to him so he never knows where you are.”
Another tremor went through her body.