Yes, Chef

Chapter 29: Not At Fault

~Benedict's POV~

My heart hasn't settled down since Kurt announced that Garrison was waiting to see me. That was hours ago. I'm pretty sure something is broken in my arm but the adrenaline of seeing Mads roughed up and her brother's crazy rambling has me on high alert. They took Mads into the other room and I don't know what's going on.

"Sir, can you tell me what you were doing when you injured your arm?" The paramedic is checking my arm, although I don't know how because I'm still cuffed.

"This jackass tackled me when I got here. I must have smacked it going down." I inform her. She moves it slightly and pain shoots through the length of my arm, causing me to hiss in discomfort.

"Alright, we need to transport you to the hospital for x-rays. What's your name?" She pulls out a clipboard.

I groan, trying to look past her. "My girlfriend..."

"No!" Vic hollers from his spot near us.

"Lover's triangle?" The paramedic asks quietly.

"That's her brother." I comment in disgust.

She shrugs. "Wouldn't be a first for me. Oh, star-crossed lovers. Two households, both alike in dignity..."

"I don't know, okay? All I know is he hurt her." I grit out.

"You did that." Vic counters. "And I'm going to make sure you never hurt her again."

Mads comes around the corner, relief flooding her features when she sees me. She rushes over, a small frown hitting her lips when she sees the handcuffs. "Get these off him. Now, please."

She touches my face which draws my attention to all the scratches and bruises on hers. My throat is thick with emotion. I can't bear the thought of what might have happened if I hadn't trusted my gut to leave when I saw that missed call from her. Something about Garrison's warning weighed on me. That when Mads called, I wasn't going to ignore it. God, it could have been a situation like Britt all over again.

"Hey, look at me." Mads's voice is raspy. The hand-shaped bruising on her slender throat tells me why. I feel her push away tears I didn't realize I shed. My eyes meet hers and everything else fades away. "I'm okay. You came and I'm okay now."

I want to wrap my arms around her and hold her to me but the damned cuffs. Mads sees my agitation. A group of officers has coalesced as they talk in hushed tones. Mads yells at them, shocking everyone in the room. "Get these off him now! He did nothing wrong!"

As she says it, Vic climbs to his feet in protest but one of the cops rushes over and guides him back by his shoulder. Another finally comes over and unlocks my cuffs. Mads thumps into my chest immediately, her arms encircling my waist. I wrap my one good arm around her and rest my cheek on top of her head.

I hear the paramedic tell the cop that I need to go to the hospital. The cop responds that they'll get my statement there. The paramedic allows us to have a moment.

Mads releases me and it's like she's learning all over again that I'm injured. I think her adrenaline is wearing off. "Oh my God, your arm!"

"It's fine." I grunt, getting an unimpressed look from the paramedic. "How about you? Have you been checked out?"

She shakes her head, tears sparkling along her lower lashes. I look at the paramedic who hops to. As she talks to Mads, I hear some of what she experienced at Vic's hands tonight. I look to where he sits, awaiting his fate. I want to hate him, to make him feel every bit of pain that he put Mads through, but there's something Mads hasn't revealed about what set him off. Given the way he's muttering, I'm guessing he's on something. She said he needed a psych evaluation. Maybe he is legitimately crazy.