Page 8 of Tethered

I stand up, but she reaches out and grabs my wrist. “What happens now? I don’t know what to do. Tell me what to do.”

I sigh and sit back down, taking her hand in mine. “You rest. You heal, and you leave all the bullshit to me. Riggs and I will get what you need and bring it here, where you and Hannah will be staying from now on.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask. I offered. And Dawn, you’re going to take me up on that offer.”

She lets out a watery laugh, tears of relief flooding her eyes. She blows out a shallow breath and nods. “I could eat a cookie.”

“Then let’s start there. All the rest can wait.”

Chapter Three

We walk downstairs and head to the kitchen. As soon as Hannah spots her mom, she climbs down off the chair and runs over to us, wrapping her arms around her mom’s legs, far too gently for someone her age to be conscious of. Unless, of course, they’re used to having to be careful of their mother’s injuries.

“Hey, baby. I hear you’re making cookies,” Dawn says softly.

Hannah looks up at her. “We have to have sandwiches first, and then Mr. Riggs and I are going to make some.”

“Sounds good.”

Hannah beams a toothy grin at her mom before walking back around the counter and climbing back up onto the chair that Riggs holds steady for her.

“We’ll go set up in the living room and find a movie to watch,” I tell them, knowing Dawn needs to rest.

“No worries. We’re good here,” Riggs replies, sending a reassuring wink Dawn’s way.

I lead her to the sofa and wait for her to sit before I tug the fleecy blanket over her. I hand her the remote and move the side table closer. “I’m going to grab you some sandwiches and a drink. Find something to watch. It will help distract you a little. You want something warm or something cold?”

“Oh, um, just water, please.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back.”

I walk away, giving her a little space, as I head back to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “Anything here ready to go?”

“That’s mom’s sandwich there. She doesn’t like mayo,” Hannah tells me, pointing at the blue plate.

“Perfect. Thank you, Hannah.”

I take the food and the bottle of water out to Dawn and place them on the table next to her. “I’m going to grab you some Tylenol.”

“I’m okay.”

“I’m going to grab you some anyway, and then I’m going to call my lawyer, Jen.”

She tenses, her head spinning around to look at me, the no ready on her tongue.

I stop her before she can say it. “He put his hands on Hannah, Dawn. That’s without touching what he did to you.Take it from someone who knows how this story plays out. It won’t stop here. A slap will turn into a punch and then a kick, and before you know it, that little girl will be taking the same kind of punishments that you are.”

She looks like she wants to throw up at my words, but there is no pussyfooting around the truth.

“If you go back and something happens to you, who gets Hannah?”

She grips the back of the sofa, looking like she might melt right off it.

“That’s what I thought. When you’re in survival mode, all you can focus on is the here and now and making it through each day. Now you have space to breathe, you’re going to be hit with a lot of ugly truths that will hurt just as much as his fists do. I’m going to need you to push through it for me, okay? There is power in taking control of your own life. In putting protections in place for your daughter that you perhaps wished someone had put in place for you. I’m going to be here with you every step of the way, but you have to be with me on this.”

She releases a shaky breath. “I’m scared.”