Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

asleep on the couch. I texted Doc O’Neal. He should be here within the hour.” The Sheriff could see the anxiousness in Stitch, and he couldn’t blame him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stick around until she wakes up and you guys talk to her. If there is a chance that trouble could be following her, I’d like to know and help where I can.”

“Absolutely.”

Ace then stepped forward, “I can’t thank you enough for sensing she was feeding you a line of bullshit. Mia can be stubborn.”

The Sheriff grinned, “No thanks needed. Your sister is a tough cookie. Exhausted, but to make it here in the condition she is in, she is tough. You guys can buy me a beer later.”

◆◆◆

Every step closer Stitch got to the front door, the more nervous he became. His body was practically shaking from the adrenalin surging through him. For the last hour, he had so many different thoughts and images of Mia running through his brain that it made his head spin.

He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants before opening the door.  It was quiet except for the sound of the crackling fire. He looked over at Ace, who nodded his head for him to go first.

They made their way into the living room and came around the couch, and Stitch fell to his knees next to the sofa the moment his eyes landed on Mia’s bruised face. Jesus, her eyes, cheek, and lip were all swollen and discolored. The blanket covered the rest of her frame, and quite frankly, he was afraid to see the rest of the damage to her body. Stitch took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. Ace, on the other hand, wasn’t fairing too well. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head, and his jaw appeared to tick.

“Jesus Christ.”  Ace spoke in a low voice, and Stitch could hear the pain and anguish. Stitch pushed a couple of stray hairs from her face.  His fingers traced the bruising over her cheek. Whoever the fuck did this to her was a dead man.

“My God,” Derek stated, followed by Tink’s comment, “Car accident my ass. Those are fucking finger marks on her neck.”

Stitch looked at the Sheriff, who stood behind the couch looking down at Mia.

“Were you able to get anything from her? Who may have done this?”

“No.”

“She definitely needs to go to the hospital.”

“I think so too, but she was very adamant about not going.”

Stitch ran his hand through his hair. Mia was stubborn. She inherited that trait from her brother.

“Stitch, we need to wake her up.” Ace told him, but part of Stitch didn’t want to. She looked so peaceful lying there, but Ace was right; they needed answers, especially if there was a chance that someone could be looking for her. But more importantly to get a better understanding of what her injuries were.

Stitch gently rubbed her shoulder, and she moaned, causing him to pull his hand back. Christ, he was afraid to touch her. “Hey, Mia, come on, you need to wake up. It’s me, Stitch. Ace is here too.”

She started to stir a bit. “Stitch…Ace…” She said, and Stitch wasn’t sure if her voice sounded froggy from her sleep or if her throat was injured.

Ace squatted down next to the couch, and Stitch gave him a little room. This had to be so difficult for Ace to see his sister battered and bruised.

Suddenly, Mia let out an earsplitting scream as her eyes popped open. She shot up off the couch and stumbled over the coffee table. Her unexpected movement had caught Ace off guard, and he fell backward. If it weren’t for Derek standing nearby and able to steady her, she might have fallen into the fireplace.

“No! Let me go!” She shouted, trying to wriggler out of Derek’s grasp.

She was stuck in a flashback or something, but before she hurt herself any further, Stitch called out to her in a loud, stern tone. “Mia, stop!”

Mia froze, and her teary eyes widened, then darted around the room.  Nobody moved a muscle waiting to see what her next move would be. It wasn’t until she locked gazes with Stitch that she realized her surroundings. She blinked rapidly then burst into tears as she sunk to her knees.

Stitch stepped over Ace and rushed to Mia’s side. She grabbed onto him, clutching the front of his shirt.

“Your safe, baby. We’re here now.” He cooed to her as he rubbed her back. She buried her face in his chest, and he held her while her hot tears soaked through his shirt.  He glanced around the room and met Ace’s gaze. Stitch couldn’t read his expression. He’d never talked to Ace about his feelings for Mia, and now was not the time to do so, but soon he would.

“Let’s get you back on the couch.” He said to her. She started to stand then yelped as her leg gave out, almost making them both fall. Thankfully, Stitch caught them both. He swung her up into his arms and walked to the couch.

Her body trembled as he held her. She had her eyes closed.

“It hurts too much to move.” She cried, and his temper flared, seeing her like this.  Knowing that some piece of shit with no respect for a human life did this to her pissed him off seven ways to Sunday.

◆◆◆

Not only was Mia in extreme pain, but she was embarrassed. She couldn’t believe she had totally flipped out the way she had. But between the pain medicine and anxiety, the guys’ presence had caught her off guard. She was on edge, and on the verge of passing out.

After several tense and silent moments, Mia’s tears turned into hiccups as she tried to get herself under control. Now that her adrenalin rush had subsided, the pain seemed to spike to a level she could no longer tolerate. It made her sick to her stomach.

She laid her head against