Following Me(85)

“Someone like me.”

COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT Court was about a twenty-minute drive outside of the Loop in downtown Chicago. Devon stared up at the imposing building with its all-glass entrance. Her hands were shaking, but when Brennan touched her back, she began to relax. She could do this. She could be strong.

The wait was to be expected, and more than a half-dozen times she had tried to convince Brennan that they should just leave. He had smiled at her for strength before he told her that they had made the drive out for a reason. He was happy to wait it out with her.

He had called in at work again. Devon had heard Jenn bitching at him through the line, but he had carefully explained that Devon had a concussion. Jenn hadn’t sounded pleased, but really, Devon needed Brennan around to help take care of her. She was doing a lot better, but she didn’t trust herself to be alone.

“Devon Sawyer,” a woman in a suit called when it was her turn.

She looked over at Brennan anxiously. “I can’t do this. I can’t. Brennan, what am I going to tell them?” She was panicking.

“The truth, Belle. Just tell them the truth, just like you told me. I’ll be here waiting for you when you get done,” he reassured her.

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he said with a smile.

Devon stood stiffly and walked across the room with her head hanging down. “I’m Devon,” she told the woman.

“Come with me,” the woman said. She had a comforting voice, not what Devon had been expecting.

They walked down a hallway, and the woman took a seat behind a desk at a cubicle. Devon sat across from her and folded her hands.

“How can we help you today, Ms. Sawyer?”

“I, uh…want to file a restraining order against my ex-boyfriend,” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

“Of course. Let me get you the paperwork.” She rifled through a file cabinet against the wall and handed it to Devon. “Just fill this out, and then I’ll see when we can get you in to see the judge to plead your case.”

“Thank you,” Devon said softly, staring down at the paperwork in front of her. There was no turning back now.

A FEW HOURS after her arrival, Devon exited the Circuit Court office with a temporary restraining order in her shaking hand. The judge had approved her case and scheduled an official hearing in three weeks. She didn’t like the thought of what might lead up to that. Reid would get served papers. He would realize what she had done—that she had taken legal action. It was a complicated system, and she would have to face him in court to make it permanent. The thought of seeing him again made her stomach twist.

Brennan seemed pleased that it had worked out in her favor. He had suspected it wouldn’t take a lot of effort to get a restraining order. Her face was pretty beat-up, and she hadn’t even had makeup at his place to hide any of it. She was a pro at covering bruises with makeup.

The drive back into the city had a calming effect, and Devon found her eyes drooping. It had been a long couple of days, and with her head injury, she was just so tired.

“Hey,” Brennan said, shaking her shoulder softly.

She peeled open her eyes and saw that they were parked somewhere. She rubbed her eyes, and immediately, she regretted it as pain shot through one side.

“Where are we?” she asked with a yawn.

“Jenn’s. I just wanted to stop by and get my check. Is that alright?” he asked, his face showing concern very clearly.

“Yeah. I’m not going inside though,” she said, looking around. She could see they were parked in the alley behind the restaurant.

“I didn’t expect you to. Want me to grab yours while I’m in there?” he asked.

“I got mine last week. I don’t know how you could even forget.”

“Distracted by a beautiful woman, I guess,” he said with a smile. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips. “I’ll only be a minute.”

“Alright. See you soon,” she said sleepily.

Devon closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. She could fall asleep again. When they got back to Brennan’s, maybe she could sleep through the afternoon. She hoped he would hold her. Being with him calmed her nerves and allowed her to actually rest.

She felt herself drifting away when the handle of the car door clicked. Her reaction time was off, and when the door swung open, she tumbled sideways out of the car. She landed heavily on her hip as her hand struck the pavement.

“Ugh,” she grumbled. She wiped gravel off her clothes and picked it out of her hand. A sharp piece had embedded itself into her palm, and blood pooled at the point of injury. “Great. Add that to the list.”

She turned her head to look up at what had been the cause of her fall, and her vision blurred. She scrambled backward, but he was on top of her before she moved two feet.

“Did you think I would just let you leave?” Reid grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

He looked terrible. His clothes were a mess. His usually perfectly manicured hair was tousled. His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept all night. Still, it was nothing compared to how she looked.

“Reid, stop! Leave me alone,” she said, trying to pull away from him.

He ignored her and started dragging her down the alleyway. Her balance was shot, and she kept tripping over her feet and falling.