Page 15 of Saving Trinity (Finding Hope #5)

Chapter Fifteen

Trinity

T he bed was empty when I woke up the next morning, and the house was quiet.

Groaning, I rolled over and grabbed my phone off the charger.

It’d been put on vibrate thanks to Jimmie, who probably didn’t want my phone disturbing me while I rested.

The first thing I noticed when I unlocked the device was a text message from him.

Jimmie:

There’re cinnamon rolls in the oven, and coffee is already brewed. Wyatt and I are dealing with a fallen tree in the back field, but we should be back by lunch time.

I glanced at the time, finding it was already almost lunch time. Damn, I’d clearly been exhausted. Not only had I missed Jimmie and Wyatt getting ready and leaving for the morning, but I’d slept the entire morning away, which was extremely unlike me.

I scrolled through more of my notifications, finding I also had a missed call from Officer Wilcox, but he’d left me a voicemail, so I quickly typed in my code to read it, since I had my phone set to give me my voicemails in text format.

Officer Wilcox:

Zachary Vale has been arrested. He does have a bond hearing for Monday morning at eight A.M., but a restraining order is already in progress. If you have any questions, please call me anytime day or night.

I knew it was Sunday, but at least I had one day of freedom from him. A day where I knew he couldn’t touch me. Where I knew he was locked up behind bars.

I blew out a soft, relieved breath, then crawled from bed and headed to Jimmie’s en-suite bathroom so I could shower and get ready to face the day. I was determined for today be a good day.

I was turning off the water when Jimmie appeared in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned his shoulder on the doorjamb, his eyes running down my body as I turned to face him. My skin flushed hotly under his intense gaze.

Wearing a pair of worn jeans and a plain, gray t-shirt with his hair in a bun on the back of his head and a backward ball cap resting on his skull, he looked damn good enough to eat.

Too bad Wyatt was awake. Because I wouldn’t mind if Jimmie took me to bed and fucked me while he was all dirty and sweaty from hard work.

But I could hear Wyatt in the living room trying to find something to watch on TV.

“Hey,” I said, stepping out and wrapping my towel around me.

“Hey yourself,” he rasped. “You sleep well? I saw you didn’t eat or have any coffee.”

I nodded. “I just got up probably about fifteen minutes ago.” Walking over to the sink, I grabbed the spare toothbrush I’d taken. “Officer Wilcox called and left me a voicemail. Zac was arrested. He has a bond hearing in the morning, but a restraining order is already being pushed for.”

Through the mirror, I could see Jimmie nod his head. “That’s good news, at least.” He strode over and pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder. “Come on out once you’re dressed. I’ll warm up a cinnamon roll for you and make you a cup of coffee.”

Holding my toothbrush, I smiled at him through the mirror. “Thank you, Jimmie.”

He just hummed and slipped from the bathroom, leaving me to myself. But for the first time in days, being alone didn’t freak me out.

For today, at least, Zac couldn’t suddenly appear and hurt me again.

When I finished in the bathroom, I grabbed my phone from the bed, pausing when I saw a text from my sister.

Carla:

I’ve been trying to give you some space, but I’m getting worried. Are you okay?

Trinity:

I’m okay. Just trying to breathe.

Carla:

I figured. Just don’t shut me out, okay?

Trinity:

I’m sorry. I won’t. I didn’t mean to.

Carla:

I know. I saw on the Jail Report this morning that Zac was arrested. Some more digging showed he’s also lost his job. It was alluded that there’s enough evidence to convict him. I guess the hospital doesn’t want to be attached to his name any longer.

My hands shook as I read her message. Not only had he been arrested, but he’d lost his job.

The one thing he’d always prided himself on having, he’d lost. And honestly, that made me feel good .

It warmed me to know that the hospital that used to value him so much no longer wanted to be affiliated with him.

Trinity:

Good. I’ll call you later, yeah?

Carla:

I’ll be waiting.

I headed out of Jimmie’s room—or was it ours now?—and made my way to the kitchen. Jimmie was leaning against the counter with a bottle of water, and resting on the bar was a warmed up cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.

“I love you so much,” I groaned as my stomach rumbled.

He and I both froze at the same time, and I swallowed thickly as we stared at each other. I wanted to take the words away, but how could I when I knew deep in my soul they weren’t a lie? I did love Jimmie. I was sure a part of me always had. I just never thought he could be mine.

“Say it again,” Jimmie rasped as he set his bottle of water down.

I licked my bottom lip, my fingers trembling at my sides. He slowly rounded the counter to come closer to me, and I didn’t dare rip my eyes from his. Drawing in a deep breath, I whispered, “I love you,” just as he reached me.

He clasped my face in his hands and lowered his head so his lips were just brushing mine. With our eyes still connected, he murmured, “Fuck, baby. I love you, too.” And then, he was kissing me softly, slowly, and deeply.

I swore, something inside of me healed at his confession.

MONDAY MORNING

“You sure you’ve got him for the day?” Jimmie asked Byron.

I’d woken up a nervous wreck about three that morning with a nightmare, thinking Zac had gotten released on bond and had come straight for me.

I’d spent the next hour sobbing in Jimmie’s arms. Neither of us had been able to fall back asleep afterward.

With Zac potentially getting released today, Jimmie had called Byron about six thirty this morning, asking if he could take Wyatt for the day. Because we both knew if Zac got released, I was going to be a disaster, and neither of us wanted Wyatt to witness that.

What happened to me would not touch our son more than it already had. I refused to let it.

“I’ve got him,” Byron assured Jimmie. We’d both already said our goodbyes to Wyatt.

He would be staying the night with Byron and having a movie night with their two kids, Millie and Alan.

He was so excited, he didn’t even notice something was wrong with me, which was exactly what Jimmie and I wanted.

He was just a child. Adult problems had no place in his life right now.

“Call me if you need anything,” I said. Jimmie wound his arm around my waist, tugging me close to his side.

Byron shook his head. “Trust me, we’ve got him.

We’ll bring him back sometime tomorrow.” Surprising me, he reached forward and drew me into a hug.

My throat closed with the threat of tears.

“He won’t touch you even if he gets released, Trinity,” he promised.

“Even if we all have to camp out here, you and Wyatt are un-fucking-touchable.”

I blew out a soft breath and nodded, stepping back from him. “Thank you.”

“Kids are in the car!” Winter called. “And Wyatt is antsy.”

Jimmie snorted. Byron clapped Jimmie’s shoulder. “One phone call, bro, and we’ll all be here.”

Jimmie nodded. “I know. Good luck with him.”

Byron snorted and disappeared out the front door, quietly shutting it behind him. And right then, my phone went off. I walked over to the coffee table and picked it up, my hand trembling when I saw Officer Wilcox’s name on the screen.

Jimmie wound his arms around me from behind as I swiped my thumb across the screen to answer it.

“Hello?” I asked, hating how fragile I sounded.

“Miss Lennon?” Officer Wilcox asked. When I made a small noise of confirmation, he sighed. And I knew . “He was released on bond until his next court date of January ninth.”

“January?” I croaked. “That’s so far away. Why is it so far away?” I demanded, already feeling myself spiraling.

“It’s the date that was given, Miss Lennon,” he said gently. “A restraining order was approved though, and you should be receiving it in the mail at the address you gave me when filing your police report.”

Would a restraining order really keep him away though? Somehow, I didn’t feel like it would. Because the Zac I’d always known would never have done this to me. So who was to say a restraining order would actually keep him away from me?

“Th-thank you,” I managed before I hung up the phone. And then, I fell apart, my knees giving out beneath me.

Jimmie sank to the floor with me, and he held me close as I sobbed into his chest. “He’s out,” I cried. “He got released and he’s out for over half a year. I can’t do this until January, Jimmie!”

He clutched me to him, his arms like steel bands around my shaking body. “He’ll never touch you or our son, baby,” Jimmie swore as he began to rock me. I sobbed, my hands balling into fists against his chest. “ Never . I’ll fucking kill him first, you hear me? I will do time to keep you safe.”

I curled my fingers into his shirt and wailed, my shoulders shaking.

January .

I couldn’t live like this until fucking January . My mental health was already in the shitter. What would it be like by the time January ninth rolled around?

Zac had already raped my body, and now, without even being around, he was raping my fucking sanity just as brutally.