Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(107)

“It’s only a few days, Brooks.”

“I know you’re in good hands. Just take care of yourself so you can get home to me. We’ll figure everything else out together.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Don’t make me worry, Kat. I love you too much to hear you having doubts.” She could deny it all she wanted. Something was different. She was holding back, and I hated it.

“I love you, Brooks. I always have and I always will, no matter what happens.”

Her words made me feel sick to my stomach. I had to end the call before I got upset over it. “I love you too. I’m counting down the minutes until we’re together again. I’ll call you later to tell B good night.”

When we hung up I carried my things into my room and plopped down on the bed. I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to sleep. After setting my alarm to get up and call my daughter, I changed out of my fatigues and climbed under the covers, wishing I was back in my larger bed surrounded by my girls.





Chapter 53


Twenty-four hours after leaving Kat back in D.C., I was miserable. She couldn’t realize how hard it was to be away from them. It was like giving a child a candy factory and then taking it away. I wanted my girls with me. I needed them.

It was so nice to get an early call displaying her number. I’d been sitting at my desk going through my phone looking at pictures from our week together. Each one made me smile a little more. Maybe I was partial because she was mine, but I swore I had the most beautiful little girl.



I answered professionally since I was at work. “Sergeant Valentine.”

“Hey, it’s me.” I already knew it was.

“Are you okay?”

I wasn’t upset for her calling. If I could have kept her on the phone all day I would have.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Kat, please tell me you’re not calling to give me bad news. I’m having a terrible time being here when you’re both there. I can’t take much more this week.”

Not only had I been missing them like crazy, but I’d been by her house, and from looking in the windows it was obvious she wasn’t going to be happy when she got home. From the one room I could see, Bobby had paid the house a visit before going after her. Furniture was turned over and items were strewn all over the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that, not yet at least.

“I’m not. I’m calling because I’m coming home. Your mom is going to drive us and stay with me. She wanted me to call and tell you that we’ll be home late tonight.”

I didn’t know what to say. Above being highly excited, I was also worried. Why did my mom have to suggested her to call me? “She wanted you to call? So you weren’t going to?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Yeah. You didn’t. So, do you want me to head over to your place when I get off?”

I needed to clear out as much mess as I could. If Kat walked into that mess she’d lose it. Her perfect house was now damaged, and I was determined to assess the full damage for myself. “Yes. There’s a hidden key attached to a magnet underneath the fender to the riding mower. It’s in the shed. That key opens the front and kitchen door. I have no idea what’s there to eat, but help yourself. We’ll call when we get close.”

“I can’t wait to see you. We’re going to get through this, Kat.”

She was quiet when she replied. “Okay.”

Kat was withdrawing. If she thought she could push me away she had another thing coming. Nothing would stand in my way this time, especially not a dead guy. “Don’t you dare give up on us. I know what you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything,”

“You’re pushing me away because you think it’s the right thing to do. You think you caused all of this to happen. Kat, you didn’t make him put that bottle to his mouth. You didn’t make him raise his hand to a woman. He did all of that himself. I know you feel guilty, but he could have chosen other paths. He didn’t have to viciously hunt you down and you know it. If he found my parents address, he very well could have gotten their phone number. Please, Kat, just think about it. We all know you’d never hurt someone intentionally. You did what you had to do to get free. You said it yourself.”

“He’s dead because of me. Nothing you say will change that. Now, I’ve got to come home and face all the people that loved him. They never believed he did those things to me, so they’ll never understand that this was an accident.”

“He was drunk. It was confirmed through blood tests. Those people can say whatever they want, but they can’t deny the damn truth.” I hated fighting with her, but didn’t see an end to it. Kat couldn’t let herself heal. Instead she was determined to keep punishing herself because she felt it was the right thing to do. I would convince her she was wrong. I just wasn’t sure how to do it yet.

“I love you, so much,” I whispered into the receiver.

“I love you, too.” I could hear her sniffling on the other end of the call. It tormented me.

“I’ll be there waiting for you tonight. We’ll get through this together. I promise.”

When the call ended, I was set on getting my workload done early so I could make my way over to Kat’s place. Unfortunately, from being gone for a week, I had a pile to sift through. Hours went by before I was able to finish up. My intentions of getting to the house in time to clean up anything out of place was turning to crap.