Lies Beneath the Surface (Buried Secrets #2) (36 page)

“
Josh PLEASE! She’s pregnant, oh my God, please don’t hurt her.” I beg, but he’s not sympathetic to my pleas. Squeezing her throat tighter in his grip, he shoots me a wicked smile before smashing his fist against her delicate face. He drops her to the floor and steps back, cracking his knuckles.

Taking two wide steps he eyes the
candle holder in my hand. I swing at him, but he catches my elbow in his fist, and twists my arm up high behind my back. Searing pain rips through my arm and I bite down on my cheek so hard that I taste bitter metallic as he twists my arm harder. My vision blurs as the hot pain radiates through my shoulder and down my back. Crack! My breathing stops and I fall lifelessly to the floor. I cry out, but my sob is broken as he thrusts the heel of his foot into my ribs repeatedly. Reaching down, he grips my hair in his fist and spits in my face.

“You fuckin’ whore. I told you didn’t I?
I hope coal means as much to you as it does your fuckin’ stupid sister because you’re both about to be buried deep in the shit.” He whispers against my cheek. I see movement from the corner of my eye and Josh suddenly falls over top of me. His head snaps to the side and he stares up at Carly as confusion washes over his face. Stumbling up to his feet, he rubs his head swaying dizzily as Carly tries to shove him backwards.

“RUN SAVANNAH!” She yells.
I try to force myself to my feet, but my body screams in protest. My right arm hangs limply at my side, and each breath I take feels like fire roils through my chest. I scoot to the corner and pull my cell phone from my pocket to call for help. Josh’s main attention is on Carly and I don’t have time waste. I can’t let him hurt her, but I have to call for help before he kills up both.

I scan through my contacts and
my hand shakes nervously as I search for Colton’s number. Pressing send, it rings a few times before going to voicemail. A piercing shriek bellows through the foyer followed by a thud that shakes the wall. Thinking quickly, I dial Luke’s number and as soon as he answers I yell, “HELP!” Dropping the phone I look up in sheer terror at the monster approaching me. Clutching his hands around my throat he lifts me up to eye level, my feet dangling beneath me.

“
Say goodnight, beautiful. ‘Cause you’re about to check the fuck out.” He fumes before crashing his lips against mine, kissing me with anger laced passion. This kiss terrifies me. I fight against him, clawing at his face as bile crawls up my throat as his tongue swirls against mine. He bites down on my lip drawing the blood almost instantly, then tears away quickly. He thrusts me up against the wall with so much force that my vision clouds and my eyes roll back. Crashing his fist into the side of my face, my breath stills in my chest as the world falls black around me.

I pace the hospital floors impatiently waitin’ for anybody to let me know how Savannah and Carly are doin’. I’ve begged and pleaded with the nurse every way I know how, but since I’m not family they can’t release any information. As soon as I saw Savannah’s name flash across the screen of my phone, I knew she was in trouble, but I wasn’t prepared for what I walked into. Seein’ Savannah and Carly laying in two lifeless heaps against the hardwood floor nearly ripped my heart from my chest and it’s a memory seared so deep into my brain it will haunt me forever.

Colton rushes through the hallway of the hospital leaving a trail of grainy, black soot in his wake.
I sigh in relief seein’ him enter the hospital. He was underground when this shit happened. Nearly knocking me over as he stumbles into me, he grips my shirt in his hands as his empty eyes plead with me. He’s silently searching my face for answers, answers I wish like hell I had. I open my mouth to speak, but the words escape me. Releasing my shirt he steps backwards and rakes his hand through his hair in obvious frustration, a loud tortured cry rattling its way out of his chest. Scrubbin’ his face with his hand, I can see the waves of emotions rollin’ through him. I can’t just stand back and watch him crumble like this.

Claspin’ my hand over his shoulder, I gauge his reaction before pullin’ him into a hug, tryin’ to offer him the stre
ngth that he needs. Holdin’ onto me for a brief moment, he pats my back then releases me before steppin’ over to the nurses’ station. I can’t sit still, so I continue to pace the floor keepin’ a close eye on Colton. He barks out at the nurse then punches the top of the counter before stompin’ past me and out the double doors.

I give him a few minutes alone to compose himself before goin’ out to check on him.
He’s sittin’ on a bench holdin’ his head in his hands. I take a seat beside him and remain quiet while he sulks. Minutes pass before he finally looks up and the misery that yells from his dark eyes is frightening.

“
I’ll kill him. You know that.” He spits through clenched teeth, grippin’ his fists together tightly on his thighs.

“M
an, focus on Carly. Let the police handle Josh.” I warn him shakin’ my head. I know he’s pissed, but he ain’t thinkin’ with a clear head. “Think about your family, Colton, before you go off half-cocked.” He stands up, stretches his arms over his head then rolls his head from side to side. I mock his stance, meetin’ him toe to toe.

“Mark
my words, Ashton.” He says, pointin’ his dirty finger in my chest. “For every bone he broke, I’ll crush two. His blood will stain my hands and I’ll bask in every damn second of watchin’ that asshole suffer.”

Once they finally have assessed her injuries, they move Carly Jo from
the emergency department to labor and delivery for observation. I pull the heavy wooden door back and quietly walk into her room. My heart drops to my stomach and my knees go weak seein’ her curled into a heap in the hospital bed. A sight for sore eyes, I silently praise God that she is alive and safe; but, I’ve never felt so much fury rip through me as I did in this very second. Sittin’ on the side of her bed, I trail the tips of my fingers down the side of her cheek, causin’ her to wake in a state of panic. She peeks up at me through heavily swollen lids and her panic filled eyes soften, hazin’ over with unshed tears. She tries to speak but her throat is swollen from strangulation, so she hiccups a broken sob through her raspy voice. Chokin’ back my frustration, I gently cradle her head softly in my palms, pressin’ a soft kiss to her temple. She leans into my chest, soakin’ my shirt immediately with heavy tears and I cry right along with her. My heart breaks for my beautiful wife. She shouldn’t have endured this, but I’ll avenge her afflictions if it’s the last damn thing I do.

Crawlin’ in the bed beside her, I brush
her caramel waves away from her tear stained face, she melts into me allowin’ sleep to claim her once more. I just need to hold her close to me. I take in her injuries through clenched teeth. Her soft face and throat are swollen, black with bruising. Her beautiful sunflower filled irises are blood shot and puffy. She has a small gash on the side of her head, but they were able to stitch it up neatly. A fetal monitor is strapped to her belly and the swooshing sound that quietly fills the room is music to my ears. The baby is perfectly fine, just a little stressed from the external trauma that Carly Jo suffered. Dr. Staton and Kaylee have been by her side since she came in, keeping a close eye on her and the baby. She told me that Carly Jo’s injuries look worse than what they are.

Savannah on the other hand is a totally different story. My God, to look at her, I didn’t even recognize her. She has three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a collapsed lung. The swelling and bruising of her face made her barely recognizable, but the doctor said she’s lucky that her facial bones weren’t broken or dislocated.
When she finally came to she was so distraught, thrashing and screaming in obvious terror the doctor had to sedate her just to perform testing. She was admitted to intensive care due to the extensive trauma. Luke is grief stricken. He argued with the staff that although he wasn’t family or a spouse, he was her friend and she needed someone familiar by her side when she finally woke up. Realizin’ that he was right, they relented and allowed him to stay by Savannah’s side.

Carly Jo
lets out a small whimper, wincing in her sleep. Shushin’ her, I rub small circles across her belly and lightly kiss her cheek to calm her down. This hospital bed is a tight fit for the two of us, but she’s still in shock and every time my hand leaves her stomach she panics immediately, joltin’ up from her sleep. She’s sub-consciously worried about the baby and finds solace in my touch. I’ll take it. Even if I’m squished up in a tiny bed with my feet hangin’ from the edge. As long as my darlin’ feels safe and is restin’ easy I’ll not leave her side.

My eyes open to a cloudy haze.
Pressing my lids together then fluttering them open a few times, I rub my eyes sleepily and wince in pain. SHIT.

Why the hell does my face feel like it’s been smashed
repeatedly with a frickin’ meat tenderizer?

A soft swooshing sound
fills the room with white noise. The bend of my elbow pinches as I shift in the bed. My eyes scan the room, taking in my surroundings. Small, cold room with a ceiling to floor locker in the corner next to the window. An IV pole stands by the top of the bed with a line connecting to my stiff arm. A chair sits by the bed, empty. The hospital?

Panic ensues, crawling through my chest slowly tightening around my throat as I struggle to speak. Damn, that hurts.

Why is my throat so scratchy?

My chest begins to heave wi
th anxiety as the nightmare replays through my mind. I try to sit up but a cold steel grip keeps me pressed firmly to the bed. Looking down, I see a coal covered hand wrapped tightly around my stomach and I relax into the bed knowing that I’m safe.

“
Lay still, darlin’. Rest.” He whispers against my ear. I try to speak but my throat is so tight I can’t force the words to break free. I need to pee…bad…like really frickin’ bad. I tap Colton’s hand, gauging his attention then motion towards the bathroom. He springs up, makes his way around the bed and helps me sit up to gain my bearings.

The room tilts and
spins. Colorful spots flash in my field of vision and my body trembles.

My eyes flutter shut and I
pull in a deep, ragged breath. “Take a sip.” He instructs pressing a straw to my lips. The cool liquid trails down my throat and the restricted feeling slowly dissipates. Finally feeling confident enough to stand, Colton unsnaps the fetal monitor from the band around my waist before he gently pulls me up to my feet. I slowly shuffle to the bathroom.

Relieving my bladder, I
sway lightly from side to side, but Colton keeps his hands firmly on my shoulders to keep me sliding from the toilet. When he gets me back in the bed, I try to speak and my voice finally forms a small whisper.

“Drink, please.”
My throat burns, but at least I can form words now. Colton presses the straw to my lips and I can’t seem to quench my thirst. It feels like I’ve been sucking on cotton for days, and each sip I take, I crave more.

“How long have I been out?” I whisper.

“Bout eighteen hours, baby.”

“Is Savannah okay?”

Colton rakes his hand over his face roughly and replies, “She’s hangin’ in there.”

I hear a light knock, then the door opens filtering a streak of light into the room.

“Well, would you look at that…she finally decides to roll her lazy ass outta bed.” A bubbly Kaylee sings through the room. “You look terrible, but seeing you sitting up makes me very happy. It’s progress, so I’ll take it.”

I smile weakly to Kaylee. She
repositions the fetal monitor on my stomach, then wraps a cuff around my arm and begins to check my vitals. The loud swooshing sound fills the room and I smile to myself, ecstatic that my little monkey is thriving. Such a strong little fighter. Kaylee flashes a small flash light over my eyes, marking my chart as she goes.

“Alright sweets, everything is looking great. Well except you. You look like hell.” She shrugs. Thanks, Kaylee. “The police have been impatiently waiting for you to wake up, so they can get your statement. When you feel li
ke talking to them let me know, ‘kay?” I nod. “Do you need anything before I go?”

“Savannah.” I whisper. She looks to me sadly, then glances up at Colton.
He nods at her as his eyes drift closed.

“I’ll get you a wheel chair. Sit tight.”
She replies, patting my hand lightly.

A few short minutes later she pushes a wheelchair into the room, then disconnects me from all of the monitors, damn lines leadin’ everywhere.
“I called downstairs and let the nurse know you would be down shortly. It’s not visiting hours, but they’re understanding.” She says as she helps Colton seat me in the wheel chair. After Kaylee leaves the room, Colton kneels beside me and laces his fingers in mine.

“Baby, listen closely. Savannah don’t look so good right now.
Are you sure you wanna see her?” His eyes soften as he speaks. I nod and fight back the hiccup in my chest. He kisses my forehead then stands tall on his feet and pushes me out of the room into the brightly lit hallway. We take the elevator down a few floors then exit in front of large double doors with a keypad and intercom on the wall. Colton speaks into the intercom, giving the nurse our names and after the doors swing open, he pushes me down a long sterile hallway. Loud beeping shrills from every direction. Stopping in the hallway, Colton peeks into the dark window then rakes his knuckles over the heavy steel door before entering. My eyes fall upon Luke first as his eyes widen in surprise when Colton wheels me into the room. A heavy sigh falls from his lips and after gazing at me for a few seconds, he smiles.

“
How’re ya feelin’ beauts?” He says quietly.

“Te-terrible. How’s my sister?” I ask, then
look to the body that lays lifelessly in the bed. I gasp, covering my mouth with my hands and I choke on a ragged sob. Tears fall quickly and all air seems to have escaped my body. Colton wraps his arms around my shoulders, blanketing me in his protection as he shushes my cries.

“Darlin’, I told ya she wasn’t well. She’s sedated right now, but she’ll wake up once the med
ication wears off and her body’s no longer in shock. It’s just gonna take time Carly Jo. But she’s gonna make it.”

Guilt grips me, shaking the ever-lovin’ shit outta me.
This is all my fault. I tried to protect Savannah by hiding the truth, and here she lies on death’s bed. I could have protected my sister from so many beatings if only I had the courage to be honest about Daddy’s secrets. I should have told Savannah about Drew to begin with, but I was so ashamed of the hidden family secret.

“How bad did he hurt her?” I mutter. Luke looks up to Colton, shaking his head.

“Beauts, she’s alive. She’s got a long road of recovery ahead of her, but we’ll see her through it.” He pauses, pinching the bridge of his nose. His piercing blue eyes are softer, filled with exhaustion and worry. “I promise you this, Carly. She’ll never be hurt again.” Standing up quickly, Luke charges out of the room trying to hide his ever present emotions.

Luk
e has a strange visibility of empathizing with people. Somehow, he can see every emotion a person evokes and I often wonder if he sees a person’s pain, recognizing it before they do. People are prideful. I think Savannah lied to herself for so long, pretending to lead the perfect fairytale life that she began to believe it. She believed that she deserved to suffer at Josh’s hand. She believed that she was unworthy of love. But Luke saw through her façade and that’s when she began to crack. She knew that her mask had slipped and someone saw her pain in the rawest form. Not only did Luke see Savannah’s pain, but he felt it.

It pains me that I was oblivious to Savannah’s plight for so long. Had it not been for Luke, I probably never would have known. I was too busy in my own life and trying to
protect Savannah from Drew, when she was literally sleeping with the Devil himself.

I just want to embrace her
and wash away all of her pain, but I’m terrified to touch her because of her frail state. So many thoughts flood my mind at once that I begin to ramble endlessly. Apologies for my mistakes, things that should have been said well before now. But then I remember, she may not even hear me and she ain’t able to respond. I flinch in pain when reality strikes me like the bitch that it is. Savannah may never recover from this and it’s all my fault.