“Not my house, not ever,” she said, panic at the edges of her voice. “Take me to the condo please, Matt. If that’s okay with you, Kyle.”

“Of course it is, Red. Whatever you want, baby.” Kyle looked back at Edward and his father’s eyes softened at the sound of anguish in Maggie’s voice.

All three men helped her into the house, even though she was perfectly capable of walking. She let them fuss over her a bit and thanked Matt and Edward for their help. She turned to Edward as he was leaving. “They won’t let him go will they?”

“Honey, I want you to know I am on the prosecutor’s ass about this. He was denied bail at his arraignment. I don’t foresee that changing. Alex will do time. They’ll charge him with everything they can, I promise you. Oh baby, I’m sorry,” he said and swept her into an embrace.

She nodded up at him and blinked back tears. “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered and his heart nearly broke in half.

She looked at Kyle and kissed the hand holding hers. “I’m going to take a shower and change. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Hey, Red, afterwards we’ll get tucked up on the couch. I’ll order in Chinese and we’ll get pay-per-view. Holler if you need me all right?” Kyle asked gently and she nodded and walked up the stairs.

“Daddy, I know Momma wants to come over but can we hold off for at least a day? I can’t see that she’s got much reserve left to go on right now.”

“Yes, I’ll talk to her. You take care of my future daughter-in-law you hear? And yourself, too. You look like hell. I love you, son.” Edward hugged Kyle tightly.

“I want to kill him, Daddy. She has a bruise in the shape of his hand on her breast. He gave her a concussion. He tried to rape her. Damn it, I want his blood!”

Matt grabbed his brother’s arm. “She needs you, Kyle. I know you’re angry. We all are. But you have to deal with this so you can help her through. We’ll do all we can to be sure he does time but you can’t go off half cocked because she needs you. Now, do you have to work tomorrow? Marc, Shane and I will do shifts here with her around your schedule if you need us.”

“No, I don’t have anything until next week. She’s due back in class on the third, we’ll see how it goes. I want to wait to talk with her until she’s had a chance to settle in. Thank you, though.”

“We’ll go and leave you two be.”

Kyle watched them drive away and then called and ordered dinner, built a fire and went to change his own clothes. Worried that she still wasn’t out of the bathroom, he went and knocked softly on the door. “Honey? Can I help you with anything?”

“No.” She sniffed and pulled herself together. She’d scrubbed her skin for the last fifteen minutes and she still couldn’t get the feeling of his hands off her skin.

“Maggie, I’m going to come in now,” Kyle said seriously and slowly opened the door to see her sitting in the shower, the water still on. “Honey, let’s get you out of there,” he said gently and turned the water off. He hadn’t seen her naked and the sight of all of the bruises she bore made his stomach tighten with rage. He dried her carefully and helped her get her clothes on and led her downstairs.

They ate from the cartons and watched a comedy and he massaged her temples as she lay tucked into his body. She looked at her ring, back safely on her finger. “You know, you don’t have to marry me if you don’t want to.”

He moved so that she was facing him. “What? Why on earth wouldn’t I want to marry you?”

“Well, I mean, I’m trouble. I can sense that you feel differently about my body. You’re angry with me. I swear that I didn’t do anything to lead him on.”

“Oh my god, Maggie, how could you think that I’d ever imagine that what happened to you was your fault? Of course you didn’t do a damned thing to deserve what he did to you! No woman who’s been raped ever does. And I don’t feel differently about you or your body. I just want to kill him when I see what he’s done to you. I love you—god, I love you so much. I thought I’d die when I saw the bloody handprint that you left on your front door. I failed you. Maybe you don’t want me because I didn’t protect you. I should have gone with you to your house that night. I could have protected you.” He started crying.

“I want to kill him, too,” she whispered and kissed his tears away. “You didn’t fail me. You didn’t give up. You saved me. I love you, too.”

He led her upstairs and sheltered her with his body and she slept, the first time in several days, she slept feeling safe.

Chapter Eleven

Maggie walked into the conference room at City Hall and total silence fell. “Hi, everyone. I brought the spreadsheets from last year’s auction, I thought they might be helpful,” she said, trying to keep a professional tone in her voice.

Kyle took a seat away from the table and pulled out a book. He attempted to pretend he didn’t want to run interference for her with the Historical Society members seated around the table. All of whom looked at her with shock and pity.

“I’m glad you’re here, honey,” Maude Sheckley said and got up to hug her. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Thank you, Maude. I am too.” Maggie said softly.

In the following moments, every member of the Society got up and gave Maggie a hug and the tension was broken. People were laughing and joking around when the click clack of high heels on the wood hallway greeted their ears. Suddenly, the talking stopped. Polly swept into the room, gave Maggie a quick kiss and went to her seat at the head of the table, gave her hair a fluff and threw her massive purse down.