Nothing was happening, Kade and Steven had opened her, and she couldn't stop the pain.
"You back the fuck down, William."
Holly heard the sheriff's voice, and seconds later she heard Kade and Steven.
"Stay the fuck back, Kade. This is my job," Matt said, yelling. Suddenly she was pulled up by her hair. Her father smashed the glass bottle and pressed the smashed end toward her face.
She cringed, trying to pull away. His hands shook, and if he pressed the glass was going into her face and she would be dead.
"Let me go," she said. Her stomach hurt, and so did her face. His blows had been erratic.
"No. They've seen me. You fucking set me up. There is no getting away from this."
Her mother stood by the door looking over at Matt Dawson, Kade, and Steven. John pulled up seconds later along with the rest of her family. Holly closed her eyes trying to block it all out. They couldn't see her like this.
"You take my money and my kids. You're not taking my daughter," William said.
Opening her eyes she saw Steven and one of the deputies holding Kade back. He looked ready to do murder.
"Do you really think you're escaping this, William? Put the bottle down and come willingly, or you'll be making it hard for yourself."
She felt her father's eyes on her. Holly tried to turn away. The stench of cigarettes and alcohol was too much. Her stomach turned at the smell.
"Do you think they'll want you with a scarred face? I could cut you and make you ugly," he said, laughing.
"I thought you said I was ugly enough."
John broke through the crowd. "You leave her out of this, Dad."
She closed her eyes hoping someone would put a stop to it.
"What are you going to do, son? You're a pussy and let your sister deal with me since you left. You've got no dick. You're a cunt like the rest of them."
"You're not like him, John," Holly said. She knew her brother feared turning out like him.
"I didn't leave her alone. Holly is with me every day."
William snarled. "You fucking your boss as well? She's a slut, and all sluts need to be punished." The glass pressed to her face.
Holly couldn't contain the scream. She screamed for help. In that instant she begged, pleaded, and wished to God someone would answer. No one answered her silent prayers, but maybe someone would answer her now.
A shot rang out. The sound echoed, and the arm holding the glass dropped.
She fell to the floor hoping to get out of firing range. Covering her ears she tried to shut it all out.
Arms surrounded her filling her with warmth.
****
Kade held her tightly as she shook. Her hands didn't drop from her ears. Glancing over at Matt he saw him restraining her father, and he was pleased his arms were around her. If not he'd have killed the bastard. There were a few cuts on her face from the glass, but nothing would leave any permanent damage.
Seeing the danger she was in would stay with him forever. She'd looked so small and fragile caught in her father's grip. John knelt in front of her.
"Holly, I'm here, sweetie."
Her eyes opened, and she pulled away from Kade and wrapped her arms around her brother. They stood, and he saw John breathe a sigh of relief.
"I shouldn't have come here," she said. "I knew it the moment the taxi was gone."
"Why did you come here?" John asked.
"I wanted to make sure there were no other problems. He'll never let it slide. I needed to make sure he wasn't planning anything. I'm so stupid, John."
His brother looked at him. Kade's heart went out to her.
She turned to look at him. "Are you angry with me?" she asked.
Tugging her out of her brother's arms, Kade inhaled her strawberry scent and hoped to calm his raging emotions. She could have died. When he'd pulled up in the truck to see her father kicking her, anger had filled him. There was no way she would have come away unscathed. Her soul-shattering pleas for help would stay with him forever.
Steven made his way over to where they stood. "They're arresting her mother as well. Her brothers and sisters are putting in a complaint. My lawyer says if they agree to live with John then he could keep guardianship. He's working out all the problems with it. My lawyer's been working on this case for the last year. From the moment I first saw her I knew I wanted Holly. She's the woman for us. This with her father was the final straw. We've got all the witnesses to prove his rash, angry, and violent behaviour."
Kade nodded and held a shaking Holly against him. Steven reached out, stroking her hair. "You scared the shit out of me."
"I'm so sorry. I needed to check."
Matt Dawson walked over to them with a paramedic. "I called an ambulance. I want Holly to go with them. After the beating she took, I want her looked over and the findings put down in evidence. There is no way they're getting away from this one. I want them both put away."
Kade recognised the anger in the sheriff. He felt the same kind of anger.
"I'll take her, Kade. You follow us to the hospital," Steven said.
Kade let her go, and he hated not having her in his arms. "I'll follow you, baby. You do what you're told, and I'll be there soon."
She nodded. Kade handed her over to Steven. Besides her brother, he was the only other guy he trusted with her.
John looked at him with surprise.
"What?" Kade asked.
"I knew Steven had feelings for my sister, but I wasn't sure about you. You're always frowning at her. I never thought you'd love her," John said.
Matt cleared his throat and left them to it.
"What are you trying to say?" Kade faced her brother waiting for some kind of derogatory comment.
"You're Steven's partner. We know you're in a relationship with him. I didn't think you'd want my sister. I knew Steven did. I saw you looking at her, and I thought you were jealous, but you're in love with her, aren't you?"
Kade stared at her brother and wished he could deny his feelings. He'd only ever been in love with Steven. There was a time when he believed he could only ever love one person. Holly was changing all of his beliefs. His feelings for her were powerful. He couldn't change the way she was invading his heart and making him feel.
"Yes, I love her." He'd taken her virginity and made her his woman to love and be with. Turning back to John he tapped the man on the shoulder. "Your sister is going to be well taken care of. I can guarantee it. Nothing is ever going to happen to her."
Once he'd cleared everything up with Matt Kade climbed into his truck and made his way toward the hospital. He couldn't get rid of the image of William kicking her in the stomach. Revulsion consumed him as he thought about the danger she was in. The glass against her throat could have easily taken her life and he'd be travelling to the hospital for an entirely different reason.
Leaving his car in the visitors' parking lot, Kade made his way inside. He found Steven sat in the waiting room of the emergency room.
"What are you doing here?" Kade asked, taking a seat next to him.
"Holly wanted to be checked over alone. She didn't want me there."
Kade frowned. "How come?"
"The paramedic hurt her, and I went off on him. I think I scared her a little. It's my own fault. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I couldn't help it. I can't stand the thought of her being in any kind of pain," Steven said.
Settling down, Kade looked toward the closed off area. "She through there?"
"Yeah. I'm never going to get that shit out of my mind."
"Me neither. She's a hard woman."
"You can't deny she isn't the one. We both know she's the one," Steven said.
"Of course she's the one. I don't deny it. We've got to let Holly know she's the one. We're not letting her get away again."
The nurse came out to find them. "Holly is waiting for you."
They followed the nurse back to the room. Their woman sat on the bed waiting for them. She smiled the instant they walked through the doors.
"I'll get your discharge forms," the nurse said, leaving them alone.
Holly tucked some hair behind her ear. "I know you guys are angry with me, but I had to do something. Neither of you know what he's like. He's a hard man to live with and to deal with."
****
Steven's heart went out to her. She clearly didn't think they knew what she'd been through all these years. They really didn't have a clue, but they could guess. Going to her, Steven wrapped his arms around her trying to give her comfort.
"You don't need to say a thing," Steven said.
"If I wasn't worried about how you'd react I'd have you over my knee," Kade said.