Chapter 50

“Get out!” Billie snapped angrily, but her attempt at a stern, commanding tone was spoiled as she spilled coffee across the bed, the cup almost dropping from her hand as she jolted upright. Dimly, she felt pain flash through her, but right now it was overridden by anger and fear.

“Now that’s not very friendly.” Nick said, smirking as he jerked his thumb toward the flowers. “Especially after I pitched in my twenty bucks for those. Seemed fair payment to me…….though I have to wonder what ‘services’ you’ve provided the rest of the team that they decided to send flowers.”

“I guess they sent them because - unlike you - they’re decent men. Now get the fuck out of my room!”

“Not friendly at all.” Nick chided, the smile fading away as he stepped closer to the bed. “Not like how…….ah……accommodating you were the other night, darlin’.”

Bile rose in Billie’s throat at the memory of the previous night, but she forced herself to keep staring straight at Nick, staring him down like one of her dogs when they misbehaved. Unfortunately, though, Nick wasn’t so attuned to her as the dogs were, and he moved closer to her, laying his hand deliberately onto her left shoulder, squeezing the already tender joint just enough to make her gasp in pain.

“And, of course, our little bit of fun isn’t anybody’s business but ours, is it, Billie?” Nick applied a fraction more pressure to her shoulder. “You don’t need to be running your mouth to anybody about it, unless you want………”

“No.” Billie whispered, but instead of actually agreeing, she was playing for time, racking her brain for inspiration, trying to figure out if Jon had had enough time to explain everything to his wife and children.

Another spike of pain rolled through her lower body, and Billie couldn’t be sure if the wet heat spreading on the bed was from the spilled coffee or if she’d tugged on her stitches yet again with her incautious movement. She had a feeling it wasn’t coffee, though, since it was combined with pain.

“I’m glad you’re being so sensible about this.” Nick smiled, mock-reasonable as he tightened his grip on her shoulder once more, until Billie gave a soft whimper of pain, then his smile broadened to a grin. “God, I love when you do that.” He sneered.

“Fucker.” Billie spat, blinking back the tears.

“You got a dirty mouth.” Nick shook his head sorrowfully. “I can see we’ll need to work on that when……….”

Before he could finish, the bathroom door opened and Kadie stepped out, still in her scrubs, her hair still scraped back in that professional ponytail since she’d given up on trying to make anything pretty out of it.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” She said, startled. “I didn’t realise you had company, Billie.”

“That’s all right.” Nick smiled at the pretty nurse. Damn, but nurses were cute these days, even in the shapeless green of scrubs. Her hair was in a high ponytail, making him think of cheerleaders and the like, and he could almost feel the long tresses in his hands as his eyes licked over her appreciatively.

“I…….I don’t need anything else, nurse.” Billie stared hard at Kadie, willing her to understand and get the hell out, disgusted by the obvious interest Nick was showing.

“Now that’s not very polite, Billie.” Nick leaned surreptitiously on her shoulder, then stepped away, offering his right hand to Kadie. “I’m Nick - friend of Billie’s. And you are……?”

“Sorry - Nick…..?” Kadie avoided answering as she shot a glance at Billie, seeing the pain on her face. Sweet Jesus, surely this isn’t the guy? Surely he wouldn’t be dumb enough…..wouldn’t have the balls to……..

“Nick Fabian. I’m……Billie’s son is a football player, and I work with his team.”

Kadie had just taken his hand, and she allowed herself to follow through with what her instincts - as a woman, not as a nurse - said, moving in a little closer then raising a knee into his crotch, the bone of her kneecap connecting with soft flesh in a brutally accurate impact.

Nick made a high pitched keening sound of pain, not even able to draw breath enough to yell, and his hand yanked free of Kadie’s, flying down to join his other hand in cupping his aching genitals.

“You crazy fucking bitch.” He groaned, his eyes watering.

“Are you okay, Billie?” Kadie turned her attention away from the injured man, looking closely at Billie, not liking the pale tone of her face.

“I don’t think so.” Billie whispered. “I think I’m bleeding.”

“Shit.” Kadie muttered. “Okay, don’t move. Just let me…….oww!”

While Kadie’s attention was distracted, Nick had recovered enough to reach out and grab a handful of her hair, pulling her toward him, his face contorted with anger.

“Fuckin’ bitch.” He snarled again, any fragment of common sense blasted away by the pain, his free hand rearing back to slap her.

Billie jerked forward again, reaching to grab his arm, heedless of the pain tearing into her again, then like the answer to a prayer, there was a soft knock at the door before it opened.

“Ms Kelsall? I’m………..what the…….?”

The detective standing in the doorway was stunned by the scene, but he was a man given to swift decision, and he moved swiftly into the room, grabbing Nick in an armlock. Right now, he didn’t know the whys and wherefores of what was going on, but a man about to smack a woman looked pretty damned guilty to him. His female colleague brushed past Nick like he was some kind of cockroach - or lower on the food chain - and moved to the bed.

“Ms Kelsall? Is everything okay? Nurse?”

“That crazy bitch nurse attacked me!” Nick snapped, then grunted in pain as the detective pulled his arm an inch higher.

Billie looked at Kadie, then at the female detective, before switching her gaze to Nick. She knew what she was going to say, and she wished she could say it was because she was confident Jon’s family knew, but the truth was that, right at that moment, she didn’t care. She wanted to see Nick handcuffed and dragged out of there like the sorry piece of shit he was. In the back of her mind, too, was a fear that she might not be so lucky this time, that the bleeding felt worse than before, but perhaps that was just because she was more aware this time around. Drawing a deep breath, clutching at Kadie’s hand as the pain rocked her again, she looked up at the female detective.

“That……man…..” She pointed at Nick, the inflection on the word ‘man’ filled with scorn. “Raped me night before last. Raped me and…….” Her voice broke into a gasp of pain, and her fingernails jammed into Kadie’s hand.

“That’s all we need right now.” The female detective said firmly, seeing the worry in the nurse’s face. She turned to her partner. “You heard the lady.”

“Yes, I did.” He grunted, reaching to his belt for handcuffs, focusing his next words on Nick as he snapped the steel onto his left wrist. “You have the right to remain silent………”

Those blessed words were the last Billie heard as the pain hit her again, and she let herself fall into the blackness where there was no pain.

Where there was nothing.