Rescue Me(52)

“D…did they catch him?” Erin responds first but I know they didn’t catch him. I can tell just by looking at Luke, there is more to why he is here than that. I take a seat on the couch next to Erin and place my hand on her leg.

“No. They haven’t and there’s more,” Luke continues, confirming my suspicions. He runs his hands up and down his face in frustration.

“What is it?” I demand.

“By the time the waitress noticed it was him and called the cops, he was gone.”

“How did she know it was him? I mean, I don’t understand,” injects Erin as she glances back and forth between the two of us.

“The local television stations have been blasting his picture on the news for the last twenty four hours. He has a warrant out for his arrest, not only here but back in Texas as well,” Luke advises.

“What? Oh my God, what has he done?”

“Erin, calm down babe and let him finish.”

“He’s a drug dealer, Erin,” Luke informs her.

“I knew it,” she whispers. Both Luke and I jerk our heads her way.

“What do you mean, you knew it?” I question, a little too harshly.

“Well, I mean I didn’t know it know it, but I suspected he was on something yesterday when he was here. The way his eyes were glazed over and... Wait. You both knew too, didn’t you?” She stands and places her hands on her hips. “And the cops this morning, why didn’t they tell me?”

There is silence in the room for a few minutes until I stand up and speak.

“I asked them not to tell you because I wanted to tell you myself. I just haven’t had the chance to. We just got home five minutes before Luke got here.”

Erin looks at me solemnly. “I’m sorry. This is all just too much. Like I said, I suspected it, but when the cops didn’t mention it, I figured I was wrong. I didn’t mean to snap at you all.”

Luke holds his hands up and chuckles a little. “I would say you have every reason to snap, Erin.”

“So that is why he went to prison then, isn’t it, I am guessing?”

“Yes it is. And once he is found I don’t think he will be getting out anytime soon,” adds Luke. “I am sorry for busting in on you two and for you finding out this way.”

“Don’t be sorry, Luke. You only confirmed my suspicions.”

Luke clears his throat. “There is one more thing I need to tell you.” He stands and puts his hands into his front pockets. “He was with Tonya.”

WHAT. IN. THE. MOTHER. FUCK?

“You have got to be kidding me!” I shout as Erin gasps beside me.

“Your ex, Tonya?” she asks, eyes wide.

“Yes. The one and only.”

If I was a pot of water right now, I would be fucking boiling over. How in the hell did she get mixed up with him? I stand and face Luke.

“Do the cops have her?”

“No. They are looking for her, too.”

“Good Lord, this is messed up, man. We have to find them!”

“Look,” injects Luke. “I have no idea how the two of them hooked up or what the hell is going on, but you are not doing anything, Adam, but staying here and keeping Erin safe. That is the way you can help. Let the cops and Big Neil do their jobs. I mean it.”

“I hear you man. I won’t be leaving her side,” I vow. Damn it all to fucking hell, Tonya, what have you gone and done? If anything happens to her, I know Erin will blame herself. Fuck!

“I need to get back to work. Again, I am sorry to bring you this kind of shit news but I wanted you to hear it from me and not anyone else.”

“Luke, please find her and get her away from him. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he did this or worse to her,” Erin pleads, pointing at her face and neck.

“We’re on it, Erin. And we will keep you informed.”

“Thanks for stopping by and letting us know. I really do appreciate everything you’re doing,” Erin says with a steady voice.

With a nod and a pat on my back, Luke leaves. When I spin around and look at Erin after shutting the door behind him, she is in tears.

“Oh, baby. Don’t cry.” I can’t stand it when she cries. “Come here. I need to hold you in my arms.”

She complies easily. I take her in my arms and let out a deep breath, burying my face into her hair and taking in the scent that is uniquely Erin.

As she sits there in my embrace with tears streaming down her face, she is so quiet that I can hardly hear her.

“You know, I never liked her because she had you,” she finally sniffs. “And now I feel guilty for thinking that way. I don’t want him to hurt her.”

I don’t want to pull myself away from her warmth, which is so tightly pressed against me, but nevertheless I need to look into her stunning eyes when I tell her what I know she so desperately needs to hear. As I cup her face tenderly in my hands I give her the words.