Forcing the clutch down and shifting into fifth, I pushed the car harder than I had on any city street before. I usually saved these speeds for the highway.
The evening traffic meant that even with my speed, the journey took longer than I would have liked but, finally, I pulled up out the front of her apartment. I jumped from the car, slamming the door behind me. Of all of the things I hated, being ignored was up there with the best of them, so if Tess wanted a fight, that’s exactly what she was going to get.
The blood was pounding in my ears by the time I reached her place, and I had a very loose grip on my temper as I beat on the door with my fist.
“Tess, open this motherfuckin’ door right now before I kick it in. You and I are going to talk about this.”
Still nothing.
My hands shook as I held them at my side. I was abso-fucking-lutely done. Taking a step back, I ran at the door with my shoulder, pushing all my weight against it, stumbling into the room as the lock gave way and the door swung open. All the lights but the one coming from the kitchen were off.
Leaving the front door wide open, the evening breeze whistling through, making the air warm in the otherwise freezing cold apartment, I stalked through her living room, toward the light. But as soon as I crossed the threshold, I stopped dead in my tracks and my heart leapt into my throat.
There on the floor was Tess, a puddle of blood surrounding her limp body, cuts and bruises marring her perfect skin.
“Oh fuck.” I ran and dropped on my knees beside her, fumbling around in my jacket for my phone to call for an ambulance. I’d inflicted enough of my own damage over the years to know that this kind of a beating might have caused internal bleeding. This was more than I could take care of myself. She needed a hospital, and fast.
Afraid of causing any more damage by moving her but needing her to know I was there, I took one hand in mine and gently caressed her face with the other.
“Come on, Tess. You’re a fighter. Stay with me.”
Her chest rose and fell but the movements were shallow and choppy. Whatever motherfucker had laid a hand on her would deal with me, and the torture I’d inflict on them would be worse than they could ever imagine.
The sounds of sirens in the distance made me breathe a little easier.
“They’re almost here, baby. Just hang on a little longer.”
One of her eyes was almost completely swollen shut and her nose sat at an awkward angle. My stomach churned thinking how long she might have been lying here, all because I thought she needed time.
A knock sounded on the door.
“In here,” I called, refusing to leave her side until I had no choice.
The paramedics raced into the room, immediately moving in next to Tess to work on her.
“What’s her name?” one of them asked.
“Tess.” I moved aside to let them see to her but I wouldn’t be far away.
They took care of the injuries they could see before moving her to a back board and wheeling her out to the waiting ambulance. By that time, the police had arrived to investigate. Given my previous interactions with local law enforcement, I was all fired up for them to give me a hard time. I was genuinely surprised when they didn’t.
“How do you know the victim, Mr. Hawes?”
“She’s my girlfriend. We had a fight earlier and I came to talk to her about it when I finished work. She wouldn’t answer so I pushed the door in and found her lying on the floor.” I took a deep breath in through my nose, my stomach rolling as I thought about what might have happened had I not come over.
He nodded toward the paramedics, who were strapping Tess into the back of the ambulance. “Why don’t you go with her and we’ll meet you at the hospital when we’re done here.”
“Okay.” I was confused. Hawes boys were always assumed guilty until proven innocent. This was new territory for me but I wasn’t going to wait around for him to change his mind.
I turned and jogged over to the ambulance. Thankfully, they’d managed to stabilize her so I was able to ride in the back with her.
The sounds of the sirens wailing filled the air as we darted back through the evening traffic, my mind on the bastard who’d put his hands on her. Whoever it was was still out there. And I had no idea if they planned on coming back.
My gaze dropped to the woman on the gurney. She looked so vulnerable lying there; although, some color had returned to her cheeks and her breathing was more stable. The paramedic explained that the IV in her arm was delivering enough pain medication to keep her comfortable until the doctor could examine her.
Every time I looked at her I saw more clearly the damage that was done to her, the swelling around her eyes causing her face to appear distorted. I knew it was Tess, yet the woman whose hand I held tight in my own didn’t look anything like the Tess I knew. Fear and rage warred within me.