𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌, 𝗂𝗌𝖺𝖺𝖼 𝗅𝖺𝗁𝖾𝗒²

𝟭.𝟭. 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗚𝗘

Adelaide looked over at Amber before looking at Tatum. “Who did she call first?”

“She called you before she called Amber. You weren't answering your phone,” Tatum said. Adelaide bit her lip as she looked over at her sister-in-law. They had inconvenienced her again with their problems. She was pregnant and it was a high-risk pregnancy. She shouldn't be the dealing with them and their problems.

“I'm so sorry, Amber. I was busy helping with the school newspaper and I didn't check my phone,” Adelaide apologized. “Hey, it's okay. You guys are my family too.”

She smiled at the woman. “In what state was she in when you found her?” Adelaide questioned. She was afraid to know what the man did to her but she had to know. Amber glanced at Tatum before looking back at Adelaide.

“Her whole face was swollen and her clothes were ripped,” Amber told her. Chills ran down Adelaide's spine. He had beat them but he never went as far as that. She had hoped he would never go as far as that. “Did he—”

Amber shook her head and Adelaide let out a relieved sigh. “No, he didn't. But he had beaten her to the point of unconsciousness. She had a concussion, a broken rib, sprained ankle and a broken arm."

Adelaide's hands balled into fists. “And the police have done nothing?! This is absolute bullshit. They know what he's been doing for months and they haven't done shit!”

“Adelaide, lower your voice.”

“I won't! This town's deputies is full of shit. How many times did we report that man and everytime he was set free!” Adelaide yelled not caring that they were attracting attention to them. “I am tired of this.”

Amber's eyes moved down the corridor to where the two deputies came walking down with the Sheriff. She grabbed on to Tatum's arm and he looked at her. She gestured to the men down the corridor and he looked down. He looked at his younger sister. “Addy, don't say anything you might regret later, okay?”

Adelaide frowned but nodded. The three men stopped at their side. “Sheriff.”

“Tatum, how are things?” Noah asked the young man. “Not so great as you can expect.”

“Did you arrest him?” Amber asked the man. Noah nodded his head. “He is currently in custody. We need Emily's statement to finalize this and finally put him behind bars.”

Noah looked at Adelaide before he gestured to the room. “Is she inside? May we go in?”

Tatum nodded, going to Emmy's room. The Sheriff told the two deputies to wait outside while he and the two siblings entered the room.

They entered her room to see the girl wide awake. Adelaide had stopped in her tracks when she took in the girl's swollen and bruised face. The one side of her face was swollen and bloodied, her right eye were swollen shut. Her body was covered in blue bruises. There was no way Greg was going to be able to say she had an accident this time.

Adelaide immediately went to her sister's side. “Oh my, Emmy.”

The girl looked at Adelaide, tears forming in her eyes. She tried to reach over to touch her sister but she was afraid she'd hurt the girl. That's how fragile Emmy looked to her.