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She paused and squirmed, telling us in so many words that having sex with him bothered her. I didn’t know if she thought we would judge her, but if that were the case, we were the wrong ones to hold that against anyone.

“He bought me flowers and gifts and treated me like a queen. A couple of months after we were intimate, he declared he loved me and begged me to move in with him. I knew it was too fast, but I thought I was in love. I was stupid and said yes. After I did, he continued to treat me so well. I thought I had met my soulmate. He was interested in all the same things I was, and we were living the perfect life. The ones who knew me envied me.”

When she paused again, Eliana said softly, “Then it turned bad. What was the trigger?”

Blythe nodded. I was covering her hand scrapes with antibiotic ointment before wrapping them, but she still wouldn’t make eye contact.

“The trigger was that I found out I was pregnant. He changed overnight when I told him.”

She was pregnant? I scanned her body again and thought of what I had seen earlier. Her stomach didn’t appear pregnant. She was either not far along, or something had happened. My gut churned at the thought that she lost it or had an abortion.

“He was unhappy? He didn’t want the baby?” Dare said. The growl in his voice was faint, but it was there.

“Oh, no, he wants the baby. That wasn’t the issue.

He became controlling and paranoid. He didn’t want me to work anymore.

He got upset if I spoke to or texted with anyone I knew.

He had to know where I was at all times.

It got so bad that I wasn’t allowed to leave the house without him.

I tried to tell myself it was because he was concerned about me and the baby, but it wasn’t. I discovered the truth tonight.”

This time, she stopped and took several deep breaths. I secured her bandages with tape. Blythe’s head came up. Tears ran down her face. I wanted to pick her up and hold her.

“He was at work today. He had to go in for a short while, even though he was supposed to be off. I was ordered, as usual, to stay in the house. While he was gone, one of my friends, whom he forbade me to talk to, stopped by. She wanted to see me and catch up. She talked me into going to lunch with her. We had plenty of time to do it without him knowing. I was tired of being cooped up at home. He’d carried on so severely that I quit my job.

She and I went to lunch and had a great time.

“When I got home, he was there. He wasn’t supposed to be home for another hour.

I knew he’d be upset with me, but it was time for him to stop being overprotective and controlling.

Nothing was going to happen to me and the baby.

That was his excuse whenever I asked why he acted the way he did.

He said he was terrified I’d get hurt, and he’d lose us.

I entered the house ready to argue. Instead, I was slapped as soon as he saw me.

He screamed at me and kept slapping me, asking where I was and who I was with.

He accused me of trying to leave him. He wondered who I was having an affair with.

I denied it, but he yelled that I’d left my phone at home so he couldn’t call me.

It was true, it was there, but I had simply forgotten it.

“His slaps progressed to punches. I tried to fight back and block them, but he was fast, much bigger, and stronger than me. When he got me down on the ground, I couldn’t get away.

As he beat and screamed at me, I cried and asked him why he was hurting me.

I thought he loved me. That’s when he told me the truth while he laughed.

“He didn’t love or want a relationship with me.

It was all a trick. He’d studied me without my knowledge, then educated himself on antiques and more to get my attention.

I was asked to live with him to isolate me and get me pregnant.

He told me he did it intentionally. He replaced my birth control with sugar pills, and he poked holes in the condoms. He wanted me to get pregnant. ” She was sobbing by this point.

The fury in the room was palpable. I had to force myself not to put a fist through the wall.

You heard about things like this, but it was indescribable when you saw it firsthand.

The things she said he did were a problem and growing.

I read about them in a recent medical journal article.

With shit like this, why would anyone date?

All of them were forms of sexual assault and punishable by jail time if proven. All of us wore pissed-off expressions.

I rubbed her arms lightly, trying to soothe her.

We let her cry. She deserved to let it out.

It took her five minutes or more to compose herself.

Eliana handed her more tissues to wipe her face and blow her nose.

When Blythe was finished, she looked at us again.

Those tears made her eyes shine a brighter bronze color.

Even with red eyes and bruises, she shone so brightly that you couldn’t help but look at her.

“Sorry about that. Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, getting me pregnant on purpose. I kept begging him to stop and told him he would hurt the baby that he claimed to want so much. Finally, that sank in, and he got off me. He warned me never to do it again. I was sent to the bedroom to clean up and to get out of his sight. When I got the courage to see what he was doing, he was in the living room, where he could watch the front and back doors. He was watching television with a gun next to him. I was terrified and didn’t know what to do.

My cell phone was next to the gun. I couldn’t call anyone.

I was trapped. I was scared to death of what he would do next. ”

“No need to apologize, honey. So, how did you get away?” Eliana asked. I noted Agony was busy tapping on his phone. I figured I knew what he was doing.

“I stayed in the bedroom for hours. It was late when I went out to check on him again. He’d gotten quiet.

Up until then, he’d yell at the television and walk around.

He was passed out in the chair. There were empty bottles of alcohol all around him.

He was drunk. I didn’t think. I grabbed my phone, car keys, and wallet by the door.

I ran to my car and took off. I had no destination in mind.

I headed east and planned to drive until I needed to stop or hit the ocean. You know the rest.”

“Can I ask why you didn’t take his gun or shoot the bastard?” Dare asked.

“The gun wasn’t there. He must’ve put it somewhere, but I didn’t want to take the time to search and risk him waking up and catching me. I figured this was my only chance to escape, and I took it.”

“You did the right thing. And though you didn’t make it to the ocean, you’re safe. We’ll protect you from that son of a bitch,” Agony growled.

“But I don’t want you to get involved. I appreciate what you’ve done, but he’s dangerous.

He warned me when he beat me that he had friends, and no matter where I went, they’d find me and bring me back to him if I left.

I don’t know if that’s true. He’s crazy.

You can’t risk it.” Fear was evident on her face.

“Blythe, calm down. No one is going to get hurt, including you. If this man has friends like he says, we have even more. I can guarantee you ours are tougher and scarier. You have no one to go to. Plus, you’re pregnant. How far along are you?” I asked.

“Just over three months. The baby is due December eighth, according to the doctor.”

“So he allowed you to go to a doctor,” Eliana stated.

“Oh yes. He was religious about those and ensured I took my vitamins. Of course, he went with me and never left me alone, so that I couldn’t ask for help.”

“Who do you see?” I asked, wanting her permission to have her medical files sent to me. I knew the doctors here, but not in Nantahala. Eliana might.

“Dr. Deidre Charming here in Cherokee. He insisted I see her rather than someone in Nantahala.”

That was a relief. We knew Dr. Charming well. She was the OB/GYN for all the old ladies in the club. She had delivered all the babies.

“We love Dr. Charming. She’s the best. You’re in great hands with her.” Eliana smiled.

As we talked, I felt my phone vibrate in my cut. I slipped it out to find what I expected. Agony had asked the members to gather for an emergency church in fifteen minutes. Some might be worse for wear, but they would be more so in the morning.

“Blythe, you need your rest. One more question before we let you get some. We need to know the name of this man and his date of birth. Believe me, we can and will help,” Agony pledged.

She bit her bottom lip, then answered, “His name is Deon Morton. He’s forty years old and was born on April eleventh.”

With that, we could get our club brother, Wire, to work on finding everything he could on this fucker.

“Eliana will stay with you. We have to have a short meeting. When we’re done, we’ll move you to a more comfortable place and a real bed,” Agony assured her.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She appeared to be dazed, and no wonder.

Before leaving the women, all three of us assured them we’d be back, it wouldn’t take long, and to holler if they needed us.

Walking down the hall and then over to where church was, we barely heard the partying coming from the common area or outside.

It was getting late, which meant guests, old ladies, and children would head home and go to bed.

Once that happened, adult entertainment would arrive in the form of hang-arounds.

They’d provide company for the single guys.