Just One Kiss (Fool's Gold #10)(75)

“Everything is fine,” the man snapped. “She’ll have a small coffee. I’ll have a mocha.” He turned to his wife and gave her a shove. “Get out the money and pay her.”

The woman trembled as she reached for her purse. The sleeve of her loose shirt fell back, exposing a huge, dark bruise.

Patience’s stomach tightened as she fought back nausea. She didn’t have to be a trained professional to figure out what was going on. She rose, then paused when she realized she didn’t know what to do or say. If the man was abusing his wife, she should step in and say something. But what?

Before she could figure out what was the right thing, Felicia stood and walked over to the couple.

“Hi,” she said, stopping beside the man.

He turned to her, looked her up and down, then gave her a leering smile. “You’re a tall drink of water.”

“And you’re a bastard.” She grabbed his wrist and twisted.

Patience couldn’t see exactly what she was doing but suddenly the man was falling to his knees and screaming.

“I’m using the word bastard in the vernacular. I have no way of knowing if your parents were married or not,” she continued.

“Get off me! Somebody call the cops.”

The thin woman took a step back and looked frantically around the room. Patience wasn’t sure if she was looking for help or an opportunity to escape.

“This is your wife,” Felicia told him. “She should be the most important person in your world. You need to treat her with respect and affection.”

“She’s mine and I’ll do what I want with her.”

Felicia twisted his arm a little more, then glanced at Patience. “Did you know that the joints in the shoulder are easily disconnected? It’s a common sports injury. With the right leverage, it pops right out.” She leaned closer to the man. “Would you like me to demonstrate?”

“Who the hell are you?”

Patience walked to the woman. “Hi,” she said quietly. “Do you need help?”

The woman stared at her, her eyes wide.

“It’s okay,” Patience murmured. “You’re safe here.”

The woman stared at Patience for a long time, then shrugged out of her shirt. She wore a tank top underneath, but what was most startling were all the bruises on her arms and shoulders.

“I want help,” the woman said, not glancing at her husband.

“Damn you, Helen,” the man yelled. “I’ll make you pay for this, you bitch.”

“You’re struggling,” Felicia said, her tone conversational. “I’m not going to be able to hold you without...”

There was a loud pop; then the man began to scream.

“Hmm, he seems to have dislocated his shoulder.”

Patience led Helen outside. The screams were muffled on the sidewalk. She fished her cell phone out of her jeans pocket and pressed one of her contacts.

“Charlie? It’s Patience.” She explained what had happened as quickly as she could.

“I’ll be right there.”

The few customers who had been in the store hurried out. A few seconds later, the screaming stopped. Madeline came outside.

“Felicia put his shoulder back in place. He’s really sweating and crying and I think he peed himself. Do I have to clean that up?”

Patience stayed close to Helen. “I’ll take care of it later.”

Helen still trembled, but she didn’t move from Patience’s side. Less than a minute later, Charlie drove up in her truck. She was out of the cab and around to the sidewalk nearly before the engine had stopped rumbling.

She walked right up to the woman and faced her. “You okay?”

The woman nodded.

“Any internal injuries?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Kids?”

Tears filled Helen’s eyes. “I was pregnant once. He beat me so bad I miscarried.”

“Why don’t you leave?”

Patience winced. She knew Charlie’s question was born from frustration, but from the little she knew about abused women, this probably wasn’t the time.

But Helen surprised her by raising her head and squaring her shoulders. “I did. Twice. Then he threatened my mama. She passed nearly four months ago and I packed my bag. He put me in the hospital. I told my doctor and he said for me to be a good wife and go back home.”

She turned back toward the store. “Sam has a way of convincing people he’s not the problem. I am.”

“Not in this town,” Charlie told her.

Two police cars pulled up, with an ambulance right behind it. Mayor Marsha hurried toward them.

“I heard,” the mayor said, smiling at Helen. “Hello, child. If you want to get away from this man, we can help. I know a safe house in another town. He’ll never find you. But you have to want it.”

Helen looked at the mayor. “I want to leave him. I want to break the cycle. I swear, I won’t go back. I swear.”

In a matter of minutes Helen was whisked away in a police car. Police Chief Barns drove up and got out.

“I heard,” she said by way of greeting. “Did Felicia really dislocate his shoulder, then put it back?”

Patience bit her lower lip, knowing she had to tell the truth but not wanting to get her friend in trouble. “I, uh...”