She punched the mattress again. Who was she to hope for any better? Her own mother had sold her into slavery. Most people wouldn’t even believe that sort of thing was possible. She’d actually gone through it.
If it wasn’t for the strange string of murders that wiped out the entire Los Lobos gang when she was a little girl, she’d be in some dingy whorehouse right now, forced to pleasure men for money.
She’d always thought that God had saved her from the hell of the Los Lobos gang. Out of nowhere, the gang had been wiped out, and the gang members didn’t even know who was doing it. It felt like divine intervention.
But since then, her faith had been shaken and tested, over and over. Nothing was easy. Nothing went according to plan. She worked her butt off, she gave everything to the man she thought she loved, and all she’d gotten in return was abuse.
And then Forrester came along, her knight in shining armor, and for just a brief moment she thought things were going to change. Things were going to be different.
And then he was gone, taken away from her as quickly as he’d come.
She slipped into a dreamless sleep and when she woke in the morning she felt exhausted. It was like she hadn’t slept at all. In fact, she had to check her watch to make sure it was really morning because it was still dark out.
She got ready as quickly as possible and the only good thing that happened was that the shower water was hot. Dennis had been good to his word and gotten the heat and hot water running. She tried to feel positive about it. She might be alone, but at least her life in Stone Peak was comfortable. Her apartment was cozy. She had good friends in Kelly and Grace.
I can do this, she told herself.
She grabbed her coat and made her way through a light snow to the diner.
“Elle,” Kelly said when she saw her. “Are you all right?”
Elle shrugged. “What choice do I have? Life goes on.”
“That’s the spirit,” Gracie said from back in the kitchen. “Now let me make you some pancakes before you start your shift. I’ll bet you could use a meal.”
There were no customers and Kelly, Elle and Gracie all sat at the counter together and enjoyed a stack of pancakes with bacon and real maple syrup.
“Thank you,” Elle said, to both of them at the same time.
They looked at her and smiled. “We’re in this together, Elle,” Kelly said. “Whatever happens, we’ll all help each other through it.”
“You better believe it,” Grace chimed in. “You’ll get through all of this, Elle. And don’t worry about that creep ex boyfriend of yours either. We’ve got your back.”
Elle hugged both of them and struggled to hold back yet more tears.
“You two will think I’m a real crybaby if I cry again.”
They hugged her so tightly she felt for the first time in her life that she might be a part of something. She had friends. She had support. She was only just beginning to realize how much that meant to her.
She allowed herself to think of Forrester just for a moment. She pictured his face, his beautiful eyes, his lips, his strong hands, and the way she felt when he plunged himself into her, and then she forced herself to stop. She was okay. She could get through this.
Chapter 31
Forrester
FORRESTER ACHED ALL OVER. The prison mattress couldn’t have been more than two or three inches thick. He pulled up his shirt and examined his ribs. They were purple with bruises. He tried to sit up and winced.
He called out.
“Guard? Sheriff?”
The door leading out to the police station opened and the sheriff appeared. He looked like he’d a good night’s sleep in his own bed. He was showered and shaved. In his hand was a mug of fresh coffee.
“What is it, Snow?”
Forrester looked at the man. His uniform was crisp. He took his job seriously. Forrester could respect that, even if he hated the fact that he was being locked up without due cause.
“What are you guys doing with me?”
The sheriff shrugged.
“This can’t all be because I caused trouble with your son and his buddies. You know they’re the ones who started that.”
The sheriff looked Forrester in the eye, and then nodded.
“I know the kind of kid my son is,” the sheriff said.
“I’m sure he’ll grow out of it,” Forrester said.
“I hope so, for his own sake.”
“You can’t just lock me up in here for defending myself. You at least have to charge me with something. Let me see a lawyer. Let me make a phone call.”
The sheriff looked behind him back toward his desk. There was a phone right on the table.
“And who would you call?” he said.
“My girl. Elle.”
The sheriff nodded. “I thought you’d say that.”
“I’ve got to call her. She’s going to be going through hell thinking I skipped town on her.”
“I know it, son,” the sheriff said, and Forrester could hear the sympathy in his voice.
“So are you going to let me call her?”
The sheriff sat on the seat facing Forrester.
“You know,” he said, “you sure don’t seem much like your old man.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Forrester said.