Never Been Ready (Ready #2)(36)

"Do you want Declan here?"

Before she could even respond, I answered for her, "I'm not leaving."

She didn't protest, so Logan proceeded and asked to sit on the edge of the bed. He checked out her eye, which had already been cleaned up. The bruises and marks on her arm were looked at as well, and then the questions came.

"Leah, did he hurt you anywhere else?" Logan asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"You're not sure?"

"I blacked out after he backhanded me," she answered softly.

I bit back a curse but remained quiet. Logan just nodded and asked her to lie down, so he could check her abdomen for any signs of injury. When that appeared fine, one last question was necessary, and I felt my breath quickening, knowing Logan would have to ask.

"Did he...has he ever hurt you...sexually?"

"No. Never. The only thing that gets my father off is booze," she said with little to no emotion.

Oh thank God. I didn't know if I would have been able to let the motherf*cker live for another minute if he had ever touched her. Even now, I wasn't sure how long his life expectancy was going to be.

Logan finished up and gave directions on how to care for the bruises and cuts. The directions were more for me than Leah since she obviously knew how to treat wounds with her medical background.

I walked Logan and Clare to the door and thanked them for taking the time to come over. I knew they'd had to drop Maddie off at Clare's parents' house in a rush to make it over here so quickly. I just didn't know what I would have done without their help.

"It's nothing, really. We would do anything for our family," Logan said, looking at me.

I nodded and pulled him into a brotherly hug.

Clare came next, and I whispered in her ear, "She didn't mean it."

She pulled back, smiling. "I know. Twenty plus years of friendship with Leah have taught me a thing or two. I'll get an apology call from her tomorrow."

After locking the door, I made my way back to the bedroom, finding Leah in the same position as before, curled in a ball on her bed. She looked so small and frail in her cotton shorts and T-shirt. Her robe was still in a heap on the floor where I'd dropped it. I picked it up and hung it on the hook where I'd seen her hang it so many times before. I padded to the other side of the bed. I removed my shoes and started to unbuckle my belt.

"You don't have to stay, Declan."

I finished undressing before lying down next to her. I pulled her around, so we were face-to-face.

"Look at me, Leah. That shit you throw out at others might work most of the time. Hell, your short tongue alone might send others running. But let me tell you something right now. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here while you cry, scream, and let it all out...because all of us, even you, need someone to hold us when we cry."

The rest of the tears she'd been holding in while Clare and Logan had been here came spilling out. It was like the breaking of a dam. I held her until she cried herself to sleep, and then I held her while she slept, hoping my arms would protect her from all the harm life had shown her. While she slept, I remained wide-awake, gently stroking her hair, as I decided how to get rid of her father...for good.

Chapter Eleven

~Leah~

I awoke slowly, covered in a warmth I'd grown accustomed to since Declan had come into my life. I smiled briefly, feeling his heated body flush against mine, as I listened to the even tone of his breathing. I felt peaceful...until my smile grew too big, and my lip started to split back open.

Then, the memories of the day before came roaring back —the trip to my father's house, the stupid trip when I'd asked questions I'd known I would never get the answers to. The trip had only proven what an even bigger soulless ass**le my father was. And the anger...the anger was what I thought of the most. His eyes had glazed over and his rage was unleashed, as his nails had bitten into my delicate skin. I remembered the things he'd said. It wasn't the first time I'd heard them. My father loved to remind me of his sacrifices all the time. I'd like to share a few of mine with him, but I usually managed to keep my mouth shut.

Declan stirred a bit, and I turned so that our noses touched, and I could watch him sleep. He looked younger this way, vulnerable. What he had done for me last night...there were no words.

"Hey..." a groggy Declan said, bending his head down to briefly capture my lips.

"Hi," I answered quietly.

A still silence grew between us, and I knew he was waiting for me to speak, to say something. After yesterday, he deserved some answers. And for the first time in my life, I actually wanted to share them with someone. I took a deep breath and began to share a part of me I never thought I'd be willing to give up.

"It didn't happen all the time," I said slowly. "The...hitting. I was usually able to avoid it —well, usually being the key word. I was still a kid, and being me...I wasn't the greatest at keeping my mouth shut...at least in the beginning. Growing up with an alcoholic father taught me to censor what I said in front of certain people. And that certain person in my life was him."

"How many times, Leah?" he asked. "How many times has he hit you?"

Declan's eyes locked with mine, and I saw compassion, acceptance...and something else. It was something I wouldn't allow myself to think about.