Renovation (A Golden Beach Novel) Read online

  She sighed, overwhelmed by a combination of lust and angst. He was right. She couldn’t keep avoiding the elephant in the room.

  “Let’s get some dinner,” Grace called back to them as they stopped in front of her favorite pizza place. “You get a table, I’ll get the pizza?”

  “Sounds good to me. Drew, can we talk about Mick while those two order?” Valerie fought the hammering of her heart in her ears when Drew nodded and offered his arm as they headed to a table that overlooked the beach.

  “Thanks for helping me.” Her cheeks burned with the knowledge that he’d seen the photos.

  “Of course. I’ve been waiting for a quiet moment to have a proper chat.”

  “Can you get the pictures taken down, get rid of them?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not as easy as all that. I’ve sent in a formal complaint to each of the social media sites. They should get them down quickly, but getting Mick to surrender the photos will likely be impossible.”

  “Okay. That’s good news, though. I mean, they’ll get taken off the internet at least.”

  “Unless he puts them back up.”

  Her stomach churned. “Can I sue him for sexual harassment or something?”

  “It’s costly, and likely won’t accomplish much. Have you tried contacting him?”

  “No. I . . . I don’t want to talk to him again, ever.”

  Drew’s brow furrowed in irritation as his phone buzzed. “Sorry, Val, I need to take this call. It’s about Mick.”

  She chewed her lip furiously as she watched Drew’s tall, lanky form pace back and forth down the boardwalk. His hand raked through his hair compulsively when he wasn’t using it in erratic gestures.

  “What’s going on with Drew?” Grace asked, placing a plastic disc on the table and sipping at her drink.

  “Phone call, about Mick,” Valerie offered.

  Donovan handed her a fountain drink and folded himself onto the bench seat next to her, his warmth a soothing presence.

  “It’s going to be fine, Val,” Grace said, her face serene and confident.

  Drew came bounding back to the group with a tight smile on his face.

  “Well, there’s been a development,” he announced as he slid in next to Grace.

  “Development?” Donovan asked.

  “Mick’s been arrested for raping a woman at a club in London.”

  Valerie’s stomach dropped. “God.”

  “He’s also been accused by three other women of stalking, harassing, and raping them over the last three years.”

  Grace’s face went pale. “Oh, Valerie.”

  Valerie fought the rising nausea. She’d gone to bed with this piece of shit. Willingly. She couldn’t face Donovan as the tears pooled in her eyes.

  “I need a minute,” she whispered as she made a dash down the stairs toward the waiting shore.

  The waves crashed and pulled back over and over—a rhythmic and mesmerizing focal point. The light touch of a hand on her shoulder made her jump.

  “Why didn’t you tell me he raped you?” Grace’s voice was soft and sad.

  “Donovan shouldn’t have told you. That wasn’t his story.”

  Her arms wrapped protectively around her body, trying to hold back the tidal wave of emotions.

  “You obviously weren’t going to tell me.”

  “It’s over, done. I want to move on.”

  “He’s done this to more people. You’re not the only one who got caught up in him. He’s charming, handsome, charismatic, and he’ll keep on doing it because he’s—”

  “Crazy,” she interjected.

  “Are you all right?”

  Valerie nodded and turned her gaze from the swirling waters of the Atlantic. Grace pulled her into a fierce hug and the walls came crashing down. Valerie’s body shook with sob after sob as the weight of her secret finally lifted. The sobs turned to hiccups and eventually stopped. By the time she lifted her face from Grace’s shoulder, her friend’s shirt was wet and she was exhausted.

  “Come on, I bet the pizza’s here. Let’s eat before I pass out, and we can get a plan together. You can decide what you want to do, if anything, about adding to the charges Mick will have to face.”

  Grace took her arm and pulled her back to face the rest of the world.

  It hurt him—full-on hurt—to watch Valerie grapple with the knowledge that Mick hadn’t just abused her, but was a crazy-ass stalker. Donovan held fast, knowing he couldn’t make the choice for her. He watched with his heart in his throat as Grace and Valerie stood on the beach.

  “What should she do?” he asked Drew.

  Drew let out a heavy sigh and raked a hand through his hair. “There’s loads of ways this could go. She could do nothing, remain silent, hope he goes to prison. Or, she could throw her accusation in there, accompanied by the photos, that’s a lot against him.”

  “She’d have to face him again?”

  “Most likely. We may be able to use a sworn statement, particularly if the other women are willing to face him.”

  A sinking feeling took hold in his gut. The idea that she’d have to see the man who’d hurt her cut through him like a knife.

  Drew gave him a sympathetic look. “I’ll do what I can on my end to keep her from having to go back for this. Strictly speaking, I’m not practicing anymore. There’s only so much I can do before it gets passed on to someone else. That being said, I’ll do my best to make sure she’s taken care of.”

  Drew Tensley was a stand-up guy, he realized. “Thank you.”

  Their plastic buzzer started dancing around on the table and lighting up, indicating the pizza was ready. Drew started to rise, but Donovan held up a hand.

  “I’ll get it. Can I buy you a beer?”

  A grin spread on Drew’s face. “Definitely.”

  When he came back with the pizza, a pitcher of Hefeweizen, and two plastic cups, the girls were back. Valerie sent him a watery smile and his heart ached to realize the brightness of her eyes wasn’t from happiness.

  “Mmm, that smells amazing. I might eat it all,” Grace warned.

  “Go on, then. I’ll buy us another,” Drew countered.

  She smiled at him as he passed out the paper plates. Donovan watched as they all dug into the pizza, chatting and laughing. Even Valerie had loosened up and started really smiling.

  “So, how’s your mom taking the news that she’s going to be a grandma?” Valerie asked.

  “Drew is her favorite person now. It’s funny, if she knew I got knocked up before we got married, she would have cut his balls off and served them in a cobbler. But as far as she’s concerned now, he can do no wrong.”

  Drew spluttered on his beer, making them all laugh. “Lucky me.”

  Valerie laid a gentle hand on Donovan’s knee, squeezing a little and sending shockwaves straight to his crotch. He squirmed and let out a soft breath of warning.

  “I’m stuffed,” she said and made a show of stretching her arms above her head.

  Her breasts pressed enticingly against the thin fabric of her T-shirt and a new, stronger, wave of lust hit him right between the eyes.

  “Me, too,” Grace agreed. She sent Drew a look.

  Donovan knew that look. It was the one that said take me home and screw me. He shot a glance at Valerie and nodded.

  “Well, that’s us sorted for the day. I think I need to get my lovely wife home and off her feet.” Drew’s ears had gone pink as he gathered the garbage and rose to throw it away.

  “Thanks for everything.” Valerie hugged them both.

  Donovan shook Drew’s hand and offered one to Grace, but she snagged him in a tight hug.

  “I’m glad you’re happy, Gracie.”

  “Ditto, Miller.�
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  Chapter 28

  Donovan’s feet pounded the pavement as he ran at a punishing pace. The late September sun cast a red glow over the ocean as it rose, signaling a storm brewing. He bumped up the volume on his phone and headed off the pavement and down the beach trail to the coast. He’d left Valerie sleeping soundly in his bed, her hair fanned out over the pillow, breathing steady and even.

  A wave of shame hit him unexpectedly as he remembered the slight bruise on her cheek, and his conversation with Grace a little over a week before. How could he have done that to her? Her words—discounting what he’d done as an accident—had been so like his mother’s constant excuses. Then to top it off, he’d gone and accused her of being unfaithful in a desperate attempt to change the focus of conversation. She had enough on her mind. She didn’t need to deal with a stupid, jealous boyfriend, too.

  The sand shifted under his feet as he ran hard, his breaths coming in heavy gasps. He needed to push himself, exhaust his body and mind before going back to her. Fear gripped him, a cold and sinister thing. He couldn’t risk hurting her again.

  He’d woken before the sun this morning, a cold sheen of sticky sweat covering him, panic in his chest, the remnants of another nightmare. He needed help, needed to call Dr. Zeman, and get in for regular appointments again. As if on cue, his phone rang causing him to slow his pace and check the caller ID. Dread sat on his chest, a heavy weight as he processed the name displayed.

  “Aunt Viv? What’s wrong?” He knew only one reason for her to call this early—someone was in trouble.

  “It’s your mom, honey. She . . . they found her on the kitchen floor, unconscious, badly beaten. They’ve put her in a medically-induced coma, but don’t know if she’s going to make it.”

  His stomach churned before he asked, “Do they have him?”

  “Yes. He’s in custody. They’re charging him with attempted murder.”

  “Murder?”

  “He went after her with a baseball bat.”

  A cold sweat joined the sick feeling in his gut and he fought back the rising bile. “The girls?”

  “With me. I’m their guardian for now.”

  “Should I come?”

  “Yes, soon.”

  He took a heavy breath. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll have a bed here for you.”

  He hung up, heart hammering and blood boiling. His dad was a fucking sick bastard and his mom was comatose because of a life-threatening choice to stay with him.

  He screamed at the coming storm, at the dark clouds approaching, looming heavy over the ocean. A certain desperation grasped him. Ten minutes later, after a quick call to Michael, he’d traded shifts at the firehouse and was rifling through his closet so he could pack a bag.

  Valerie’s soft murmur of, “Where’s the fire, hotshot?” startled him.

  “Jesus, sweetheart. Did I wake you?”

  Her hair tumbled around her shoulders as she sat up, covering herself with his sheets. He wanted nothing more than to forget his worries and fall into bed with her.

  “I’ve got to go to DC today. My mom needs me.”

  She nodded, not asking if he wanted her to come with him this time.

  “I’ll be back tonight, but it’ll be late. I might just sleep at the station. I’ve got a shift tomorrow.”

  “I thought you were working today.”

  He shrugged. “Traded with Michael.”

  With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and crossed the room, giving in to his need to touch her.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he murmured against her lips.

  She cupped his jaw with her hand and smiled at him. “I’ll be here.”

  He was out the door and on the road with her scent lingering on his clothes.

  Valerie leaned against the outer brick of the firehouse after handing Donovan a to-go carrier filled with steaming coffee, upon which a box of bagels balanced precariously.

  “Breakfast?” he asked, a faint smile on his lips.

  “You left so early this morning, I wanted an excuse to see you.”

  He dropped a light kiss on her mouth. “You never need an excuse.”

  Fat drops of rain began to spill from the sky, threatening a downpour at any moment. With a cursory glance upward, he motioned for her to follow him inside.

  “I think I’ve decided what I want to do about school.”

  “Oh, yeah? What’s the plan?” He led her into the kitchen where Klipper and Michael sat.

  “What’s this? Good coffee? Bagels? Donovan, you need to marry her or I will!” Klipper exclaimed with a cocky grin on his face.

  A blush crept up Valerie’s cheeks, embarrassment causing her to turn away from the firefighters and grab a bagel.

  “Shut up, Klip. Grab yourself a bagel and stuff it in your mouth.”

  Donovan put one hand on the small of her back and grabbed a coffee before gently nudging her back toward the exterior of the firehouse. He grinned at her and rested one arm on the frame of the open garage bay. “So, what’s your plan?”

  “Well, I figure I can’t waste any more time waiting for this Mick issue to go away. So, I found a school about twenty miles from here. They’ll let me finish my last year and start a teaching program. It’s kind of a commute, but the program will get me a specialization in special education.”

  “So, do you have paperwork you need to do? Financial aid forms? When would you start?”

  His excitement warmed her heart.

  “I think I could start in January. I missed registration for this semester, but I’m meeting with an admissions counselor in a few weeks to get more information.”

  “You feel good about it?”

  She nodded, ripping a piece from her bagel and popping it into her mouth.

  “That’s good.” His phone buzzed, turning his attention from her. As he glanced at the screen, an alarmed expression passed over his face.

  “You need to get that?”

  “Nah, it can wait.” He tucked his phone back into his pocket and sipped at his coffee while she looked on, concern and doubt sneaking into her thoughts.

  “Oh, is it your other girlfriend?” She was only half-teasing. Blake’s comments about the nurses at the hospital had wormed their way into her heart. What if he was so distant at times because there was someone else? What if he really hadn’t changed his playboy ways?

  His face turned stony. “Don’t say shit like that, sweetheart. Where did that even come from?”

  “Just something Blake said. I don’t want to get into it now.”

  She watched as he began to shut down. His jaw set, eyebrows drawn together, lips pursed as he worked to control his anger.

  “Blake. What did the ass-hat say?”

  “Just that the nurses at the hospital have a lot to say about you. Apparently you’ve gotten around quite a bit, and fairly recently.”

  Her heart thudded against her ribcage. She sent up a prayer that he’d be able to deny it, that he wouldn’t look back at her with guilt-ridden eyes.

  “Not since you. Never again.”

  She sagged in relief at the truth in his eyes. “Blake must have been mistaken.”

  “Mistaken, or manipulative?”

  “Maybe both.”

  He took her hand and squeezed. “I told you he’s after you. I’ll never do something like that to you, sweetheart. I love you.”

  Her heart flipped. She wanted to say it but the words stuck in her throat. All she could do was wrap up in him. His fingers stroked her hair and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. As he turned her face up to his, the station alarm came to life, jolting them out of their moment.

  “Saved by the bell.” His voice was calm, quiet, and ti
nged with sadness as he moved away from her and headed off to be a hero.

  Donovan’s phone buzzed for the tenth time since his shift started. It was his dad’s best friend, always known as Uncle Brian. Over and over, the man kept calling, not taking silence as an acceptable answer. Frustrated and annoyed beyond measure, he finally gave in and answered the call.

  “Brian.” His voice came out harsher than he’d intended.

  “Donnie. Hey, bud.”

  “What do you want, Brian?”

  “Your dad’s in a bad way, kiddo. Jail is not the place for him.”

  Anger boiled close to the surface. “The hell it’s not. I think jail is the only place for him.”

  Brian’s voice sounded tired—exhausted, really. “He needs help making bail. Viv is no help. She wants nothing to do with him. You’re the only one I can get ahold of.”

  “There’s no way I’m bailing him out. He’s made his bed. I can’t even believe you’d ask me that.”

  “Listen, kid, your dad is sick. He needs help. He’s an alcoholic with a serious anger problem. He needs to be in a rehab facility, not jail.”

  “Yeah? What about my mom? She needs to be in a home where she’s not getting the shit beat out of her. Instead, she’s dying in the hospital. As far as I’m concerned, he’s getting exactly what he deserves.”

  The sound of Brian’s frustrated breaths on the other end of the line should have caused guilt, worry—anything other than the hatred he felt for the man he was forced to call his father.

  “Fine. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  He hung up, hands shaking. “Fuck!” His shout bounced off the walls of the empty weight room. “Fuck! Fuck!”

  Heavy breaths turned to shuddering sobs as he gave in to the tidal wave of emotions finally breaking through. His mom, beaten within an inch of her life, his sisters, terrified of their father, his dad, asking for help. He stared at his reflection in the mirrored wall. All he saw was a broken little boy who looked so much like his father, afraid to stand up for his mother, only able to hide behind the couch and cry.