Breaking Conviction by Greer Rivers
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“You ready for this?”
Naomi snorted at Nora’s question before answering. “You always ask me that, and the answer is always no. I don’t think anyone is ever really ready to talk to a survivor. Everyone’s just hopin’ and prayin’ the right words will fall outta their mouth at the right time.”
“Look at you...” Nora twisted her hands up against her chest and gave a wistful sigh before swiping at a fake tear. “My lil’ girl’s all growed up.”
“Good Lord, shut up.” She rolled her eyes at the theatrics, but couldn’t help her chuckle. The woman had a knack for making Naomi laugh away her nerves. “Let’s go. I’ve had a shitty day and I’m in the mood to save someone.”
Nora winced before giving her a smile. “I’m sorry about your job, Naomi. That sucks big donkey balls.”
“Thanks girl, but you are so damn crass, I can’t take it. Somehow you always know what I need, though.”
Nora shrugged and stepped through the hospital double entrance vestibule with a smile. “Such is the fate of the side character BFF trope, Naynay. We just hang out on the sidelines waiting to cheer on the FMCs or die for their character growth.”
“Nora, do you really feel that way?”
Nora stopped short at the question. When the automatic door entrance tried to close on her, she yelped to get out of the way. “What? Oh, um. No. It’s just a joke.” She waved her hand. “You know me. Can’t be serious if my life depended on it.”
Naomi scowled, thinking of the many, many times Nora had reined it in to comfort survivors. “Well, we both know that’s not true.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Whatevs girl, don’t worry ‘bout it. We have someone who needs our help. So anyway, like I was sayin’. The caller said his daughter would be here, so he asked if we could get someone who was good with kids, maybe who could even bring her kid—”
“And I said I would absolutely not let Thea anywhere near a hospital. She’s been through too damn much. But I’m here and I’ll just have to do—wait... you said it was a man?”
Nora narrowed her eyes. “Girl, you know the stats. DV survivors are overwhelmingly women, but men can suffer from abusers, too.”
Naomi waved her hand at Nora’s reprimand. “I know, it’s just I haven’t worked with a male survivor yet, is all.”
“Just treat him like anyone else. Except don’t let him do that macho BS where he tries to say since he’s the man he can’t be abused by a woman. That’s a sexist trope more tired than the BFF.”
Naomi cut her eyes at Nora again, but they continued down the hallways to the ER, where they’d been told the survivor would be waiting.
When they got there, it was bustling with people and hard to get a nurse to pause for long enough to show them the way. Finally, when they found someone to help, she directed them to a curtained-off corner.
“Knock-knock,” Nora announced. “Can we come in? We’re from that clinic you asked for?”
There was a deep grumbled assent before Nora pulled back the curtain.
“Hi, my name is Nora, and this is—”
“Dean? What the fuck are you doin’ here?”
Nora’s head whipped from Naomi to her ex that lay on the hospital table. No doubt he’d connived his way into the ER with a fake name to add to his real injuries he’d received days earlier. The place was swarming and probably too busy to recognize him.
“Naomi...” His smug smile made her blood boil. “Good to see you again, sweets.”
“Dean, I have a protective order against you. This is a violation. I could have you arrested.” She hissed the last and noticed Nora was backing away, her fingers subtly pressing against her phone screen. Naomi stepped between the two to keep Dean’s attention off the woman, who was no doubt calling for help.
“We need to talk, sweets. That place you’re stayin’ at ain’t safe. That maniac you’re fuckin’ has enemies and you and Thea need to come on home. Drop this bullshit DV charge. You know I didn’t mean it. If we get outta Ashland, it’ll be better, I promise. It’s all this stress we’re under that’s fuckin’ us up, but I can get us outta Ashland, once and for all.” He reached out his hand. “Come away with me, Naomi. We’ll be that family you want so bad. It’ll be different this time, I swear. Everything will be better if it’s just you, me, and our baby girl.”
She whipped her hand back, hoping that Nora’s call had gone through so she could get away from this man as fast as possible.
“Wait...” He looked around. “Where is Thea? I requested you bring her.”
Naomi scoffed. “You’re un-fucking-believable, you know that? Of course I’m not gonna bring our four-year-old daughter to a hospital. Are you outta your damn mind?”
Dean’s bruised face blanched, and she couldn’t help but feel a weird sense of karmic retribution that he was now the one on the patient bed.
“Where is she, Naomi?”
Something in his voice made her pause and she narrowed her eyes at him. “She’s not here, Dean. I’m not bringing her—”
“Where is she? I’m not fuckin’ playin’ around. Where the fuck is she—”
“With Wes,” she spat out finally.
“You left her with him? At BlackStone?”
Dean’s shout made her jump, but she relaxed a fraction when she noticed an officer make his way to their corner.
“Dean, what’s wrong?”
“She’s at BlackStone, isn’t she? Fuckin’ A. Fuck, fuck, fuck! You only had to do this one thing, Naomi, why didn’t you just bring her?” He grabbed his phone and started jabbing his fingers at the screen. “Call your stupid boyfriend. Get her out of there now.”
“Sir, you’re gonna have to keep it do—”
“Why, Dean? What are you sayin’—”
“Call him now! I’m not fuckin’ around.”
Naomi snatched her phone from her purse and began the call just as Dean took his from his ear and started to curse.
Nora went back to her phone while Naomi dialed Wes. But after several rings, it went to voice mail. Nora frowned at her phone and shook her head, telling her whoever she’d called hadn’t answered either.
Dean cursed again and threw his phone on his lap. He ripped his hands into his hair and stared at her with wide eyes.
“Did you get him? Anyone there?”
Naomi shook her head. “No, it’s goin’ to voice mail. What the hell’s goin’ on Dean? Is Thea in trouble? Nora, call the cops again.”
“Naomi, God. You just had to bring her. That’s all you had to do. Now…” Dean collapsed back against the bed, shaking his head as his eyes grew glossy and red-rimmed. The officer made his way toward Dean and Naomi vaguely registered that Nora stopped him to talk. Naomi couldn’t get her eyes off Dean’s though, as he began to plead and shout incoherently.
“Dean, what is goin’ on? Is Thea in danger?” At his sudden silence, Naomi clutched her purse closer and cursed. “Nora, I’ve gotta g—”
“It’s too late.” Dean’s voice came out robotic as he stared off. “You won’t get there in time.”
Naomi snarled. “In time for what, Dean? What do you mean ‘it’s too late?’”
Dean’s eyes finally moved toward hers, although whether he actually saw her, she wasn’t sure. “Everything’s already in motion. It was all supposed to happen when you got here. You were supposed to bring her... You were supposed to...”
“Dean, I swear to God—what is goin’ on? Fuck it, I’m leavin’.”
“You’re too late.” He looked at his watch and winced before a tear leaked from his eyes. “She’s gone.”
