Those muscles seized as a tremor cascaded through me. “If she was attacked, she’s not fine,” I ground out.
Images flashed in my mind, each one worse than the previous. They spun into memories. The feel of a boot cracking my ribs. A blow to the head.
“Roan, I need you to breathe, or I’ll have to pull over,” Lawson warned.
“Keep driving,” I snapped.
“She’s okay.” He stole a glance at me. “I’m not sure this fixation on Aspen’s safety is healthy.”
I wanted to deck my brother. He didn’t get it. Didn’t understand. “I just need her to be all right.”
“And she is.”
“Won’t know that until I see her.”
“Okay,” Lawson muttered.
He flicked on his lights and pressed the accelerator. A second later, we were pulling up in front of The Brew as two officers jogged down from the station.
The second Lawson hit the brakes, I was out of the SUV and running for the door. I jerked it open and stormed inside.
“Back here,” Jonesy called.
I stalked toward the back hall. Only a piece of me recognized the man on the floor. The piece that wanted his blood. But I only had eyes for Aspen.
Her body trembled as she leaned against the wall. Her cheek was red and swelling.
I crossed to her in three long strides, my hands hovering over her cheeks, needing to touch her but not wanting to hurt her. “Aspen.”
“I’m okay.”
But she wasn’t. Aspen’s voice trembled just like the rest of her.
I pulled her gently into my arms, needing to feel the rise and fall of her chest against mine. “Where does it hurt?”
She swallowed hard. “Just my cheek. He surprised me. I don’t know how he got in. But I got him pretty good.”
I glanced down at the man cursing and writhing on the floor. He’d been hog-tied with something.
“Are those…aprons?” Lawson asked.
Elsie blushed. “It was all that was around.”
“Quick thinking. I like it.” He turned to Clint and Officer Adams. “Can you get this piece of garbage up and book him for assault?”
“With pleasure,” Adams said, bending down to replace the aprons with cuffs.
“Everyone’s going to know you’re a liar. They’ll come for you,” Oren screamed.
“He’s crazy,” Aspen whispered as Clint and Adams tugged him down the hallway.
I forced myself to pull back and look at Aspen’s face. “I think we need to take you to Doc and get you checked out, just to make sure you’re okay.”
She shook her head but winced. “It’s just a shiner. It’d hurt worse if anything was broken.”
I scowled. “You don’t know that.”
Aspen sent me a pleading look. “I don’t want to go to the doctor. I just want to go home.”
Lawson studied her for a moment. “You lose consciousness at all?”
“No. I didn’t even hit the floor.”
My gut twisted. Aspen had been in this hall fighting for survival. Alone.
“Roan,” she whispered.
My gaze jerked to her.
“Stay with me.”
I knew what she meant. Stay in the here and now. Don’t let myself get pulled into the past. Into memories she knew could drown me.
I pressed my forehead to hers. “I’m with you, Tender Heart.”
Aspen let out a long breath. “Good. Then you can listen to me tell Law how I broke the asshole’s balls.”
I wanted to laugh because I knew it was what Aspen was going for. But I couldn’t quite get myself there.
As she recounted every moment of the encounter to Lawson, my body strung tighter. Oren Randal was clearly unstable and obviously fixated on Aspen. It was a recipe for disaster.
Lawson moved to the back door and motioned to an evidence tech. “Grab a photo of this and see if you can get any prints. Someone tampered with the lock.”
I glared at the door. “We’re getting you better locks and an alarm system here.”
“Roan—”
“Don’t,” I snapped. “I’m doing everything I can not to lose it right now. Please just let me do what I can to make you safe.”
Aspen pressed a hand to my chest and stretched up onto her tiptoes. Her mouth took mine in a long, slow kiss. “Okay. Just promise me you won’t get lost in the woods. That you’ll stay with me.”
The woods of my mind could be a dangerous place. It was easy to spiral there. But I had Aspen and Cady to fight for, so I’d always come back.
“Not going anywhere,” I promised.
“Good,” she said with a pat to my chest.
Lawson cleared his throat. “Gonna need to take a few pictures of your face now, and then again after the bruises develop.”
“Not now,” I gritted out.
Aspen squeezed my arm. “It’s okay. I can do it.”
But I didn’t miss the tremor in her hand as it dropped from my arm. She’d likely been photographed after John’s attack and now battled with her memories.
The evidence tech, who didn’t look older than twenty-one at most, held up his camera. “Just look into the lens.”
The camera flashed, and Aspen jerked.
I let out a curse.
Lawson squeezed my shoulder hard. “Keep it together.”
The tech eyed me skeptically. “Look to the left.”
Another flash and jerk.
“To the right.”
Bright light and twitch.
“That’s enough,” I barked. “I’m taking her home.”
“That’s all I need,” the tech said softly.
Aspen turned to face me, worry etched into her expression. “The worst is over.”
“You don’t need to comfort me,” I growled. “I should be taking care of you.”
Her lips twitched. “You are kind of like a grizzly bear with a thorn in his paw right now.”
Lawson snorted, pulling out his phone as it rang. “She’s not wrong there.” He tapped the screen. “Hartley.” His entire demeanor changed as he listened. Then his gaze shot to mine. “There’s another body.”
43
ROAN
“Stop snarling,” Lawson said as he turned onto the back road.
“I’m not snarling,” I snapped.
He shot a look in my direction. “You’re practically spitting and muttering things under your breath.”
I turned to look out the window. “I didn’t want to leave her.”
Lawson was quiet for a moment. “I get it, man. But she’s going to be fine. Mom’s clucking over her like a mother hen, and Dad’s keeping an eye out—not that he needs to because Oren’s locked up.”
“Don’t say his name,” I growled. The asshole’s face filled my mind, stirring a fresh wave of rage. I knew he wouldn’t be in lockup forever. He’d make bail and be free to come after Aspen again.
“I’ve already got Clint on the restraining order. Oren’ll be served before he gets out. He comes close, we’ll get him.”
I just grunted. It wasn’t good enough. Nothing would be.
“If you can’t get your head in the game, it’s better if you’re home,” Lawson said low.
I glared at him. “Name one time my head hasn’t been in the game. We’re not at the crime scene yet. Get off my back.”
Lawson snapped his mouth closed, his hands tightening on the wheel. “I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Because I’ve never cared about anyone like this before,” I muttered.
He glanced at me before returning his focus to the road. “You’re going to have to figure out how to deal with all the stuff coming up. I don’t know if it’s about what happened around the shooting or—”