Page 29

“The hospital? Is she okay? What the hell happened?” Teddy asked and he stood there in shock as the details of the attack were explained to him.

He ran a hand through his hair and paced the hallway. He had to get to her. He would leave immediately.

“I can let you talk with her now. They did give her some pain medication so she may sound a bit groggy.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

He waited until he heard her voice and his heart ached for her. She sounded so tired and upset. He knew that she was crying as she spoke to him. She was trying to explain what happened. He got the gist of it. Some asshole at work who harassed women had set his eyes on her. She was attacked outside of her hotel room.

Fuck!

“Please don’t worry. My boss is here. He’s going to take me back to the hotel and

we’ll be heading home.”

“I can fly out there tonight.”

“No, Teddy, don’t be crazy. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m handling it fine. Just please don’t tell the guys.”

He thought about that a moment. Garrett, Wes, and Gunny missed her terribly. They were going to flip out.

“I can’t not tell them, honey. They miss you.”

“Then explain that I’ll be back tomorrow. Really, I can handle this. The police are involved, and there are witnesses and a video from the cameras in the hotel. Please, Teddy.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

He spoke to her for another few minutes and then she put the detective back on. He couldn’t believe that this had happened to Gia. As he got off the phone he slammed his fist against the wall.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

He turned to see Wes standing there, a look of concern on his face. If it was Deanna, he’d want to know. He had to tell Wes and Garrett.

“There’s been a situation in Dallas. It’s Gia.”

* * * *

Dale and Teddy picked her up from the airport. Both of them looked angrier than she had ever seen them before. She knew she looked battered. Her cheek was black and blue across the entire right side and her hand was bandaged up, completely cut to the knuckles. She’d needed stitches. Aside from a lump on her head, no concussion, and a badly bruised shoulder blade, she was in pretty good shape. They hugged her and she nearly cried.

“I love you so much. I would have flown out there to get you and see you through this.”

“I know, Teddy. I was running on adrenaline and trying to be strong and independent. I couldn’t show fear or weakness afterward.”

He held her shoulders. “Still, Gia, I’m your family. I told you when you first came here from New York that I would always be here for you. I mean it. To think that some asshole from work did this.”

He shook his head. She had explained about the accusations against Robert to Jim and Teddy over the phone. She’d told them about the note and the rose and ignoring his advances at work.

“The good thing is that I had spoken to Robert like fifteen minutes before the assault. Robert fired him on the spot. It was coming anyway and who would have thought so many women would come forward like they have been.”

“Well, that won’t be the only punishment that asshole gets. The DA is involved now. He’s been doing this shit for years, Gia. You’re the first woman he didn’t succeed in raping. Everyone is talking about it and how he raped and harassed those women so they wouldn’t press charges.”

“Yeah. All the guys in school were really upset. They can’t wait to see you, Gia. You look like a boxer with the bruises and the wrapped hand. You really kicked his ass, huh? Pretty cool, Cuz,” Dale teased her, interrupting the conversation and she hugged him next.

“I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I just want to rest,” she said as they exited the airport with her travel bag in hand.

They got out to the unmarked police cruiser.

“Taking advantage of your badge, huh, Cuz?” she teased.