Fractured

Sydney Landon

FRACTURED

Copyright 2014 Sydney Landon

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organisations, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Graphic Content Warning:

This novel contains depictions of violence, sexual abuse and child abuse.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Also By

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Coming Soon

Acknowledgements

Connect

About the Author

Preview Chapter One

Barred Preview

Barred Chapter One

Also by Sydney Landon

The Danvers Novels

Weekends Required

Not Planning on You

Fall For Me

Fighting For You

Betting on You (A Danvers Novella)

No Denying You

Always Loving You (Coming 2/15/15)

The Pierced Series

Pierced

Fractured

Mended (Spring 2015)

Rose (Late 2015)

Aidan (Spring 2016)

Chapter One

Lucian

My beautiful girl is almost completely nude and lifeless. Her pants are around her ankles, and her panties are lying to the side, visibly torn. Her shirt and bra look like they’ve literally been cut from her body. There are marks, which resemble handprints all over her small body. Her face is noticeably swollen and streaked with either dirt or mascara. Her nostrils are rimmed in red and were bleeding at some point. Gashes on her stomach and thighs steadily drip blood. I hear a gasp from behind me and feel a hand on my shoulder. Oh, Christ, Luc, Sam says as he steps slowly forward. I am shaken from the trance I had fallen into when he drapes his jacket over her. I hear sirens wailing in the distance as I sit next to her.

I cup her head in my hand, saying, Baby, it’s Luc. Can you hear me? Lia, please open your eyes, sweetheart. I’ve got you; I’m right here.

Sam holds her wrist. Luc, her pulse is slow, but it’s there. I am stroking her hair, afraid to touch her anywhere else. I whisper repeatedly that I’m here, that I have her. I have no idea if she can hear me; she’s so still. Sam has to pull me away when the EMTs arrive. Let them work on her. She needs them now. He has Rose tucked against his side, trying to calm her down while they work on Lia.

As they are loading Lia onto the stretcher, she moans low in her throat and I leap forward. Baby, can you hear me?

Tears leak from the corners of her eyes as a cry like that of a wounded animal escapes from her throat. She struggles to move and seems to panic when she feels the straps from the gurney around her. I speak soothingly against her ear, trying to calm her before she hurts herself further. Luc. She gasps before collapsing back as if that little bit of effort was too much.

They rush her into the waiting ambulance. We follow closely behind, and I am momentarily surprised at the crowd of people who have gathered outside the apartment building. Word has spread quickly, and I want to push them all away; I don’t want strangers gawking at her.

I try to accompany her into the ambulance but they refuse, saying they need the space to work on her. Instead, Sam pushes me toward the Mercedes and both Rose and I get in the back. Sam takes off at a fast clip, following the ambulance through the city and to the emergency entrance of Memorial Hospital. Rose sobs quietly beside me, but I am incapable of offering her comfort. I can’t get past the image of Lia’s broken body. Guilt reaches out to choke me. I should have taken better care of her. How could I have let her out of my sight? Jim Dawson is a fucking dead man. It’s too coincidental to me that he was released earlier today.

When my phone buzzes, I pick it up with the intention of hitting the ignore button. When I see Max’s name on the ID, I decide to take it instead; I need him on this, now. With no preliminaries, I say, Max, he fucking got her.

He doesn’t need to ask whom I’m talking about; he knows. Goddammit to fucking Hell! What happened?

He pulled her into a damn storage room in her apartment building. He beat the hell out of her and I think…shit, I think he raped her. I choke on the last words, feeling them burn like bile in my throat. I take a deep breath as Max curses, sounding as shaken as I feel. Her clothes had been cut off in places, and Jesus, she was bleeding and bruised all over. She was unconscious but came to for a moment as they were wheeling her out.

Which hospital, Luc? When I answer, he says, I’m sure the police will be waiting when you arrive, but I’m going to call my friend, Carly, and have her meet us there. She’s an investigator in the violent crimes division, and she’ll do what she can to get things moving. Luc…I’m so sorry. I end the call without replying. There’s no shortage of sorrow and guilt right now. In such a short amount of time, Lia has gained the admiration of my friends. Everyone in my inner circle cares about her, and this will hit them hard. Even now, in the rearview mirror, I see Sam wiping away tears.

I want nothing more than to disconnect, but I force myself to reach for Rose’s hand and offer her what comfort I can. She is Lia’s best friend, and she’s falling apart. As if reading my mind, Sam says, Miss Rose, Jake is meeting you at the hospital. Rose nods gratefully, mumbling her thanks. I don’t even bother to ask how Sam knew to contact Rose’s boyfriend. He is used to working behind the scenes and handling the details others don’t think of; of course, he would do what he could for the distraught young woman sitting next to me.

I continue to stroke Rose’s hand soothingly but lay my head back on the headrest to regroup. I am equal parts shattered and furious. I want to fucking kill the bastard who hurt her. The only thing that gives me any peace is knowing I’ll find him. He will never touch a hair on her head again as long as I’m alive.

The ambulance doors are open and Lia is being unloaded when we arrive. Sam drops Rose and me at the curb so he can park the car. Lia has an oxygen mask over her mouth and an IV line in her wrist as they wheel her quickly past us. Her eyes are closed and her body still. We follow them into the hospital and only make it as far as the double doors, which lead into the emergency department before we are stopped. A nurse in blue scrubs blocks our path, shaking her head. I’m sorry, but only patients and staff are allowed past this point.

I want to ignore her and follow Lia, but I know she’s just trying to do her job. Is Fae Quinn on duty?

She looks surprised but recovers quickly. Yes, I believe she’s still here.

Relieved, I say, Could you please tell her that her nephew is here? The nurse relaxes; probably relieved I’m not going to give her any trouble. I’m sure they have their hands full here most days.

Sure, just a minute. She walks through the double doors, and within a few moments, a worried-looking Aunt Fae comes rushing out.

Luc, what’re you doing here? What’s going on?

Running an agitated hand through my hair, I say, It’s Lia. She was assaulted at her apartment. She…fuck, I don’t know what’s happening. Other than one brief moment, she was unconscious when we found her. Before I can ask, she’s running back through the doors. My chest lightens just a tiny bit for the first time since seeing Lia. I trust Aunt Fae with my life; if anyone can help Lia, she can.

Jake, Max, and the police arrive within seconds of each other. I realize Rose is still clutching my hand. I unwrap her fingers gently and hand her over to the arms of her boyfriend, who pulls her to a sofa in the corner.

Max walks up, clasping my shoulder. Do we know anything yet, Luc?

No, but my aunt is checking on her now. We should have news soon. I turn to the attractive woman standing at his side. I assume she’s the detective he spoke of, but her attire gives me pause. She’s wearing an above-the-knee fitted dress with high heels, and her long, brown hair is curly and hangs loose on her shoulders. Maybe there’s a reason Max is on a first-name basis with her.

Luc, this is Carly Michaels. She’s the lead investigator in the violent crimes division.

Mr. Quinn, I’m sorry to meet under these circumstances. I know it’s tough, but I need to take a statement from you and also from the young woman who was with you. Also, just to let you know where things stand, I have a couple of detectives at Miss Adams’ apartment now overseeing the evidence collection. She motions for Max and me to follow her to a quiet area of the waiting room. Max gives me a hard look, which I can’t interpret before she pulls an iPad from her purse and motions for us to sit. The nervous energy and my anxiety make this difficult for me, but I manage to lower myself to the edge of a chair, my feet moving restlessly. She had my complete attention with her next sentence. Mr. Quinn, I understand you’re Miss Adams’ fiancé, is that correct? She is busy typing, allowing Max a brief moment to nod just once. I have no idea what’s going on but know there must be a reason for this deception.

Yes, that’s correct, I answer easily. It surprises me that I feel no panic at the thought. I answer her questions, giving her as much information as I have. After about ten minutes, she moves across the room to speak with Rose. I look to Max who exhales wearily.

I told her you were engaged to Lia because otherwise they would have to limit the information given to you. I’d advise you to carry that forward with the hospital if your aunt will go along with it. Not one of my greatest moments as a lawyer, but Lia needs you. Lowering his voice, he looks at me with concern while asking, How are you holding up? I wonder if he has noticed the slight tremor in my hands. I have the fleeting urge to admit that I’m fucking falling apart, but showing weakness is something I rarely do.

Instead, I ignore the question. I want that fucker found. I don’t care how many people you need to put on it; I want to know every step he has taken since the moment he left prison.

I’ve already made the calls, and we should have something soon. Is there anyone I should contact for Lia? Max looks pained as he asks the question. Our minds both go to her mother knowing that’s not even remotely an option. One person does come to mind, though.

She has a friend she’s close to. Her name is Debra. I don’t recall the last name, though.

Max nods. That’s not a problem. I remember her from Lia’s background report. I’ll pull the information and contact her. Is there anything else I can do for either of you? Before I can answer, the sound of a loud slap fills the room. Both of our heads twist around to see an angry Rose and a swiftly retreating Jake. I grit my teeth, not wanting to deal with any drama.

Yeah, how about seeing what in the hell’s going on with her and handling it. Without complaint, Max stands and walks toward Rose. He raises his hand in a wave to Carly who is standing outside the hospital doors now on her phone. She looks curious, having obviously witnessed some of the scene through the clear-glass walls.

Unable to sit still any longer, I start to pace again. I see Sam sitting in the narrow hallway with his eyes closed and his head bowed. I think he’s praying, and for the first time in so long, I have the urge to drop to my knees next to him. A life filled with loss and tragedy had long ago turned me away from asking for miracles. Now I wonder if maybe having Lia come so suddenly into my life was indeed some act of divine intervention. If so, it would be a dagger to the heart to have her pulled from me in such a brutal and sudden fashion. Surely, God wouldn’t be that cruel.

As I make another lap, there’s a hand on my arm. Jerking around, I encounter the worried eyes of my aunt. She leads me past Sam until we have relative privacy. I shouldn’t be talking to you since you aren’t her family, she says while looking back over her shoulder.

I’m her fiancé, I say quietly. She simply looks at me for a long moment without comment.

Lia is stable and sedated right now. The trauma team is working on her. It’s going to be a while before the extent of her injuries is known. I…

Before she can finish, I interrupt her. Why is she sedated? She’s been unconscious except for a brief time. Was she awake?

She rubs her temple, as if debating her answer. Finally, she says, She awoke right after she was brought back. She…asked for you, and then in the next instant became almost hysterical trying to move from the gurney. She had to be sedated before…

That’s all I hear. I’m down the hallway in an instant pounding on the locked double doors of the emergency entrance. Open the fucking door, I snap to the startled receptionist gaping at me from the desk nearby. She hurriedly picks up her phone, just as my shoulders are grasped from behind. I shrug the hold off as my aunt steps between the doors and me.

She shakes her head at the receptionist, possibly trying to reassure her I’m not a lunatic, which is exactly what I am right now. Lia is lying somewhere beyond those metal doors, scared and needing me. All rational thought has left my body and I’m focused only on getting to her. Luc! she snaps. Stop this right now! If you keep this up, you’ll be banned from the hospital and you won’t be able to see Lia. If you cannot think of yourself, then think of that girl who is going to need you.

As her words hit me like arrows, I allow the hands, which are once again on my shoulders to pull me away. As if expecting me to bolt, Sam and Max take up positions on either side and steer me down the hall and into an empty restroom. My frustration boils over as I brace my hands on the porcelain sink before throwing a fist through the mirror above it. Both Sam and Max are utterly still as I pull my hand back and send it through the now-shattered glass. Shards fly all around me as I prepare to do it again. Strangely enough, the pain searing through my knuckles grounds me, helping me to find an outlet for the torment, which is suffocating me.

Max grabs my fist before it can make contact this time. Enough, Luc. Fucking get it together before they have you locked up. When I make no effort to fight his hold, he slowly releases me and slumps against a wall. What in the hell happened to bring this on?

My aunt walks into the restroom, followed closely by Sam. I hadn’t even noticed him leave. She curses under her breath as she takes in the mess I’ve made. I’m shocked when she holds my hand up, shaking her head at the steady stream of blood staining the white sink scarlet. With little sympathy for my self-inflicted injuries, she takes a bottle out of a plastic caddy that she brought in with her and liberally douses my shredded skin in something akin to liquid fire. As I flinch and try to pull away, she holds me firmly until she’s satisfied the area is clean.

Next, she brings out some tweezers and begins pulling out the pieces of glass, which had embedded themselves in my skin, and fuck, once again the pain is severe but almost welcome. This I can handle. Physical pain is a pleasure compared to the emotional pain, which has gripped me since finding Lia. That type of pain is sheer torment. My soul feels like it’s been ripped from my body when I think of her. Without looking up, she says, You’ll be making a donation to this hospital because in a few moments, I’m going to report that this bathroom was damaged by someone unknown and have it cleaned up. I’m doing this for Lia because she’s going to need you when she awakes again. When she finishes bandaging my hand, she finally looks up. Promise me you have yourself together now? If you don’t, I’ll have Sam take you home.

I stare into her concerned eyes before nodding my head. I’ve got it.

Okay then. She starts repacking her supplies. I’m going to go check in on Lia. I’ll keep you updated as long as you can handle it.

Her meaning is clear: one more outburst from me and the information flow stops. Regardless of whether we are family or not, she can’t have me wrecking the hospital every time I hear something I can’t deal with. I don’t bother to reply because we both understand each other. She leaves the restroom followed by Max. As I start toward the door, Sam stops me.

Luc, do you need to take the edge off? I open my mouth, wanting to say yes more than I want my next breath, but a sense of shame washes over me. It seems pathetic and cowardly that I need something to help me cope with Lia’s attack while she is the one really suffering. What kind of pussy does that make me?

No, I say as I pull the door open. A part of me knows this is probably the worst time to go cold turkey, but I refuse to attempt to alleviate my pain when Lia cannot. I walk back to the waiting room in a much calmer manner than I left it. My aunt is right: Lia needs and deserves someone strong, and I’ll be that person…I’ll be anything for her.

Chapter Two

Lucian

I’ve long since given up pacing the floor, and I’m slumped in a chair in the corner. Nighttime in a hospital emergency department is bustling. I’ve moved away from crying babies and loud-talking people too many times to count. On her last visit, my aunt pulled a chair into the hallway for me, knowing I had no desire to be in a group of strangers.

Lia is bruised and banged up pretty badly. She has fractures to her wrist, fingers, and her nose. What we’re watching closely right now though is the small amount of swelling she has on her brain. At the look of panic on my face, she takes my hand reassuringly. The doctor believes we can treat her with medication as long as the swelling doesn’t continue to increase further. At this point, we are monitoring that. I notice vaguely that my aunt looks tired; I know she’s working a double shift so she can be near Lia. I sent Sam, Max, and Rose home hours ago. I was in no mood for company, but I know they would be back in a moment’s notice if I said the word. I’ve lived for years, though, as mostly a loner…until Lia, and it’s something I’ve fallen back on for comfort today. Luc…the old scar on her back…did he do that, as well? I nod but don’t bother to elaborate. In her years at the hospital, she has probably seen more women like Lia than I can imagine. Very little shocks her anymore.

I try to stand up from my chair, knowing my aunt needs to get off her feet for a few minutes, but she motions me back down before squatting next to me. We’re going to be moving Lia to a room in the ICU soon. One person can stay with her tonight. Have you reached any of her friends or family?

I think briefly of Max’s revelation that Lee Jacks is quite possibly Lia’s biological father. That’s a bridge to be crossed another day, though. She doesn’t really have any family. Max has called her close friend Debra. She was out of town but is on her way back now. I don’t expect her until sometime tomorrow, though. If Debra was as upset as Max said she was, I figure she’s burning the road up trying to get to Lia.

There is one piece of news I think you’ll be relieved to hear, my aunt says softly. I just look at her, not knowing if anything other than seeing Lia will give me relief. Luc, it doesn’t appear she was raped. There is no evidence to support it. If that was her attacker’s intent, then possibly he was interrupted before he could do it.

I drop my head into my hands, feeling the urge once again to cry. My aunt was right; the feeling of relief is overwhelming. To know that Lia hadn’t been violated in that way is enough to bring me to my knees. The bastard hadn’t been able to take that from her. I have no doubt that she fought him with everything she had. The skin they removed from under Lia’s nails gave validity to that fact. When her stepfather is found, Lia will have collected the