Page 46 of Grave Possession (Grave #2)

Chapter Thirty-seven

Graves

“ Y ou’re so beautiful,” I slur, laying my head in her lap as we cruise down the highway towards our house.

“And you’re high as a kite,” Mallory replies.

“Doesn’t make my statement any less true.”

We were in and out of the emergency department pretty quick, the clinic near empty in the middle of the night. Mallory’s fingers pass through my hair, the repetitive motion soothing, lulling me into contentment along with the vibrations of the truck.

“Nox?”

“Yeah, babe?” I murmur, snuggling into Mallory’s thigh while she continues to play with my hair, twirling the longer strands around her finger.

“He raped me,” she whispers.

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Mallory, I’m the police captain. I know they asked if you needed a rape-kit done and you agreed. ”

A choked sob leaves her. I try to sit up to comfort her, but she pushes me back down. “No, stay. It’s easier this way,” she softly says.

I return to my position, waiting for her to open up again. It’s a long way home to sit in this tense silence.

“My father used to do that to my mother,” I disclose. I don’t know why, it just comes out. It’s not like I can relate to her trauma, but the pained sounds of my mother haunt me, knowing that’s what happened to my Mallory.

“What?” she gasps. “You were just a child, you shouldn’t have witnessed that.”

“Yeah, he didn’t care.”

“I’m so sorry, Nox.”

The silence hangs between us. I don’t know what to say, or do.

Suddenly a torrent pours out of her. She brings up the things that set her off tonight: showering, the sandwich, and how he gave her a bruise that matched the one she gave him.

She tells me he assaulted her, used her, beat her, and tried to break her.

Then he threw her in a dog cage and left her alone in the cold darkness.

Oh, I want to raise him from the dead just so I can kill him this time.

I’m sure this is still barely scratching the surface of what happened to her, but she’s opened up, and that’s all I can ask for.

“Can I ask you something?” I query.

She tenses, and I feel like a dick.

“Sure…” she hesitates.

“Do you know who the woman was? Umm… the one that was down there with you.”

She releases the breath she was holding and shakes her head. “No, he just showed up with her. She was already half dead when he brought her to the cellar. H-He said he hit her with his car beforehand.”

“Okay. I’m sorry for asking, we just can’t get an ID on her.”

“It’s okay, I’d like to help if I can.”

“I’ll let you know.”

“Okay.”

I poke my head up from her lap to see where we are. “Turn up here,” I say, pointing out the window toward an upcoming dirt road turn off.

“What? Nox, we have to get you home. Doctor’s orders. You need to rest.”

“Can you just do it? Pretty, pretty, please?” I put on my best puppy dog eyes, sticking my bottom lip out in an outrageous pout.

“Don’t,” she laughs. “You need to sleep.”

“It’s just a small detour, I promise.”

“Fine,” she huffs.

I direct her down the gravel road, rocks tinkling beneath the undercarriage while we sit in a tense silence. Through the wilderness, the road leads us to a place I found while searching the woods. The spot is elevated and overlooks the forest. No light pollution, or view of civilization at all.

“Turn the truck around and back up to the fence,” I direct. “Please,” I add on softly.

She does, and before she even puts the truck in park, I’m hobbling out of the passenger side, making my way to the back to drop the tailgate. I try to jump up, but I can’t make it with the new injuries.

“Need some help, stud?” Mallory’s humour-laced voice comes from in front of me. Looking up, she’s standing in the box of the truck, watching me struggle.

“How did you get up there?” I exclaim.

“Climbed up on the tire?”

Extending my hand, “Yes, can you help me?” She comes over and damn near pulls my arm out of its socket trying to haul me up into the box. Together we manage to lug my hulking form into the truck bed, and I crawl over to the toolbox in the back, retrieving a sleeping bag.

“Nox, why are we here?” she huffs.

“Come…sit.” I pat the space beside me and pout again.

“That won’t work on me a second time.” She narrows her eyes, waiting for me to answer her.

“I just want to watch the sunrise with you,” I admit.

Her face softens and flushes as she sinks down next to me. “Okay, we can watch the sunrise.” she concedes, curling into me.

“I think I want to go back to work,” Mal says from the kitchen.

It’s been a few days since I injured my feet, and things have been good, aside from her nightmares.

“Do you think they’d hire me back?” She makes her way over to me, handing me a steaming mug of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage.

She plunks her cute little ass down next to me, sipping a coffee of her own. “I’ll arrest them if they don’t take you back.” I smile around my fork as she laughs.

“You can’t do that! ”

“Watch me.” I stare into her eyes, proving my devotion.

“Stop it,” she breathes.

“Why?” This is what I love, watching her melt for me. Guaranteed her pussy is dripping and clenching around nothing, begging to be filled.

“You know why.” She breaks our eye contact and it thrills me. I’m desperate for that dominant side of her to pop out again. Every small touch, gentle kiss, and lingering eye contact is driving her wild for me.

Clearing my throat, I say, “You don’t think it’s too soon to go back?”

“Maybe, but I need something to do.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you may become something of a spectacle.

I kept the fact you were kidnapped from everyone except my uncle, but Carla found out, which means Rita probably knows.

” Her eyes drop as she worries her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I can have Greyson swing by the hotel and talk to Rita if you’d like?

Maybe find out if she told anyone else? I don’t want you to become a show pony, that’s all.

It’s not that I don’t want you working.”

“No, I get it. Thank you. Maybe I can call Rita myself.” She looks up at me then back down to her coffee. I know what she wants to ask me, but is too ashamed to since they aren’t talking. “Umm…”

“No, Victoria hasn’t gone back to work yet. She has no reason to since I’m not charging her rent.”

“Oh… Is she doing okay?”

“I’m honestly not sure. Grey is worried about her.” Her entire being deflates against the corner of the couch as that far away look takes hold. She’s remembering it.

Placing my hand on her knee, she jumps. “It’s me,” I whisper, waiting until recognition takes hold.

Smiling pitifully after she floats back to me, I ask, “Have you two talked since the hospital?” Mallory shakes her head.

“Why don’t you give her a call? I can drop you off and swing into the station for a bit.

I should make an appearance.” She shakes her head again, digging her teeth into her bottom lip, using the physical pain to distract her from the emotional anguish.

“Baby.” I thumb her lip from between her teeth. “She needs you.”

“She ignored me!” she snaps.

“Oh, I didn’t?—”

“Of course you don’t know. I didn’t tell you. She probably fucking hates me. I do. If I had killed him when he handed me that knife, he wouldn’t have been able to take her. Did he hurt her too, Nox?” she cries.

He handed her a knife? When? I’ll be circling back to that later, although there will never be a right time to broach any subject involving her abduction.

My mouth is a grim line as I choose not to answer her question. She breaks apart anyway, sobbing and throwing herself against me.

No answer is still an answer, dumbass, I chastise myself.

Coffee spills as I catch her in my arms. Stretching to place the plate and mug on the side table without disrupting her.

I soothe her the best I can, rubbing her back, playing with her hair, and trying to be whatever the fuck she needs in this moment.

“I have to tell you something. It may not make you feel better, but you need to know. Also…it doesn’t paint me in the best light, so try not to get too mad at me. ”

She pulls away from me, eyeing me warily. “What?” she sniffles, wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

“Victoria’s the one who alerted me that something was wrong.

” Her eyes go wide, and I feel like I need to explain myself.

“New evidence was dropped off at the station, it was a distraction, but I didn’t know it then.

I was so wrapped up in the case, the days just slipped away from me, I didn’t even realize how much time had passed since we last saw each other.

I’m so sorry, Mallory. I should have noticed sooner.

If I had been more aware, listened to the things you said about seeing me when I wasn’t there, maybe I could have prevented all this. Can you forgive me?”

Mallory cups my cheek, fingers scraping through the five o’clock shadow that’s quickly turning into a beard. “Nox…” She smiles, but I need to get this out and off my chest. Admitting my shortcomings won’t stop the guilt, but it may help Mallory to realize her friendship with Vic isn’t done for.

I take her hands in mine, “I can’t promise I won’t fail you again in some way, but I’ll spend the rest of my days making it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

“Of course, I’ll always be yours, if you’ll have me,” she replies, eyes glassy.