Eye of the Hurricane

Chapter 32 - Chase

"Husband?"

It taste like acid coming off my tongue. Sage is married? 

What the fuck?

I rack my fingers through my hair trying to put all of these pieces together. Sage is in my best friend's arms. He looks like he's holding onto her like she'll fall apart into a million pieces if it lets go. 

I had to go to the storage room to get some supplies. I thought I had heard some commotion and thought that I better check it out. Nothing has ever gone down in this new shop. In the beginning at our old shop, we would stay open late. Honestly it brought in more trouble than it was worth. Once I figured that out, I changed the hours and we haven't had an incident since. The guy from yesterday was the first person to even make me feel uneasy. Sure we had some creeps come in before but I just couldn't shake off his vibe. I couldn't tell what his deal was. What if he was after Sage? I left everything where it was and came as fast as I could. 

What I saw changed everything. 

Paul had a bloody nose. The guy from yesterday was being held back by all of my guys. He had just as much blood covering him as Paul. But when I looked at Sage, an all consuming fear was smeared across her face. I saw red. I was about to throw in a few punches of my own until I heard him say that he was her husband. 

I've been sleeping with a married women. 

She's been sneaking behind his back. That can't be true. She ran away from him. That's what she told me. She never said she was married. Sage aways said her ex, right? Never once did she say that it was her husband. 

I couldn't move. My heart is being pulled to my girl. She needs me, but what if everything she's ever told me has been a lie. 

No. There's no way she's lying. Everything adds up that she was trying to get away from him right? What else would explain all of the bruises covering her entire body? That doesn't just happen. She's been abused by him for who knows how long and he's finally found her.

I wish we would have talked more about what happened that night but I could tell I was pushing Sage and she didn't want to open up anymore about it. She has been through a lot of trauma and I didn't want to add to it by forcing her to tell me what happened. I told her we would take it one step at a time but after she opened up to me and I saw all the fear behind her eyes. I didn't want to bring it up again if I didn't have to.

All I know is that he has hurt her multiple times. Enough that she had to cover the marks that he put on her perfect skin. Skin that he should have no right to touch.

Anger builds in my chest. 

I need to cool off before I lose it. I turn away from the girl that has begun to mean so much to me. The girl that I'm starting to fall in love with. I give her my back and walk away. 

I'm pacing in the alley when I hear our back door open. Not even turning to look, I know that it's Paul coming to my rescue as always. 

"What the fuck, man?" Okay, maybe not my rescue.

He stops in front of me with his hands on his hips. Staring right into my soul, he gives one of my shoulders a shove. 

"What's wrong with you?" He doesn't let me answer before he starts. "Your girl in there, just had the hands of her abuser wrapped around her neck and you walk out on her?"

Shit. I didn't know he touched her. 

"Fuck. Why is he still breathing then Paul? Why was his face still recognizable? He shouldn't have been able to walk out of here."

Yelling isn't going to change the fact that I messed up. When she needed me, I turned my back on her. My head is going in two directions. I just found out that she's married and never told me, but if I would have realized who he was yesterday, I could have stopped all of this from happening.

Paul chuckles to himself. "That's a good question, man. I was two seconds away from doing that myself but then you walked in. Care to explain yourself?"

Paul never loses his cool. Never raises his voice. He never even has an attitude. All of that is out the window now.

"She's married."

It comes out cold. Unattached.

"She has a restraining order against him." Paul yells in my face. "She has spent the last half year trying to get away from the man that obviously has been abusing her and you're throwing in the towel because she's married? Make that make sense to me, Chase."

I promised her that he would never hurt her again. I promised that I would do everything  I could so she would never have to see him again. I run my fingers through my hair and pull. I fucked everything up. She's never going to forgive me. I shove past Paul, heading back inside.

He grabs my wrist as I pass. "Don't. It's too late She's gone."

"Gone? What the fuck do you mean she's gone? Where is she?"

Paul's jaw tightens, fighting a war inside his head.

"Marcus took her. She was inconsolable, man. She couldn't stay here. I don't know where he's taking her but at least she's safe for now." He shakes his head. All I can think about is what he would have done to her had she'd been alone. 

Paul wraps an arm around my shoulder. Giving in, I feel like I can finally breathe. 

"Tell me everything that happened?" 

With a huff, Paul starts from the beginning. He tells me that Sage was pale, staring at her phone one minute. He was concerned that something was wrong. The next, a man comes in calling her baby and telling her that he's worried about her.

"He said some messed up stuff, man." Paul shakes his head like he's trying to forget everything said. "He asked if I was fucking her. I've never seen so much evil in someone's eyes before, man. Do you know if she's seen him lately?"

That's odd. Why would he ask that. "What? Why?"

Paul turns his face from me, not making eye contact. "I don't think she'd cheat on you. I know he would lie. I'm sure that's what it was."

He's not making any sense. "What are you talking about? Just spit it out."

Paul takes both of my shoulders in his hands and looks me dead in the eyes.

"He asked her if it was my cum that he licked from her pussy."

Fuck. I want to kill him. I don't know how I can get away with it. Quit frankly, I really don't give a damn. Lock me away for the rest of my life, but  he is never going to gets his hands on her again. I will murder him. 

The whole city will bleed red.