Searching for Beautiful by Jennifer Probst

  "When I'm done." He thrust his hips against hers. His growing erection made her moan in agony, the sick feeling in her stomach rising and expanding. "Did he teach you the right way to do a blow job? Did you act like a bitch in heat when he fucked you? 'Cause you never did with me. Oh, you had the technique right, but you were like a blow-up doll. A pretty moan here, a fake orgasm there. Think I didn't know? Bet if I put my hand under those jeans you'd be dry as a bone."

  The assault on her ears was almost as bad as the one on her body. A deep trembling shook her, until her teeth began to rattle in fear and shame. She'd dreaded making love with him, knowing something was lacking and desperately trying to please him, please herself, always hoping for more. He criticized and suggested so much there was no feeling left, just a yawning emptiness that could never be filled.

  "Please leave me alone," she whispered.

  He grinned. "Just pretend like you always did, baby." The snap on her jeans rang like a bullet in the air.

  She lost it.

  Half near hysteria, she shoved and pushed like a demon, ready to use her teeth and nails and anything else to get him off her.

  Suddenly he was flying through the air backward and she was blessedly free.

  Gen watched Wolfe stand over the sprawled man. Like an avenging demon, fists clenched, blue eyes shooting sparks of fury, he hovered between civilized man and primate. "Are you okay?" His calm tone was in complete contradiction to the fury pulsing in waves around his figure.

  "Yes."

  "Good."

  David rolled to his feet and straightened his scrubs. "How convenient. The knight in armor to the rescue. No worries, Wolfe. She'll always be my sloppy seconds." He sneered. "Maybe I'll try again after you get done with her. See if she got any better."

  Wolfe gave an easy grin. "I'm gonna enjoy this." His fist snapped. David staggered, holding his jaw in disbelief at the direct hit. "You come near her, think about her, or even say her name, I swear to God I'll kill you."

  Gen gasped as Wolfe moved again. Wicked fast, he punched David in the stomach, then followed with a brutal uppercut. Blood spurted, and David slumped back down to the floor. Something dark flickered in Wolfe's gaze, as if he had neared a precipice and could easily snap. Gen knew if she didn't try and stop him, he'd go over the edge and she might never get him back.

  She stumbled over and threw herself into his arms, clinging tight as the mad sheen of rage slowly cleared. "Wolfe! Don't!"

  David coughed and held his stomach. "You're done. I'm going to sue you!"

  Wolfe took another step forward. Gen grabbed his face, half sobbing, and forced him to meet his gaze. "No more, please, Wolfe, he's not worth it, he's not worth it." He blinked, as if coming back from another world. With frantic urgency, he touched her all over, caressing her hair, cheeks, arms, hips.

  His voice shook. "Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"

  "No, you came in time, it's over. He didn't do anything to me."

  Wolfe cupped her cheeks, staring down into her face. Then yanked her into his arms.

  His body heat leaked into hers and stopped the shaking. Gen hung on, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her head against his chest.

  "Stop! Police!"

  The blur of flashing lights lit up the window. Two police officers stepped through the half-open door. "Let her go. Now."

  Gen gulped for breath. "He didn't do anything wrong, Officer."

  "No one move. Ma'am, please step away from him. Slowly." Gen obeyed, allowing a few inches of separation. David groaned and rolled over in a half-bent posture. "Everyone stay where they are. Sir, do you need an ambulance?"

  "I don't think so. This son of a bitch hit me. I want him arrested."

  "That's not true!" Gen turned toward the cops. They wore the Verily blue uniform, pistols on hips, taking in the scene. She got a quick impression of opposites. One had dark hair cropped close to the scalp, which only emphasized his rough goatee and staggering height. Damn, his head almost hit the doorway. Lean, sharp features took on an almost brutal look. His lips curled in a bit of a natural sneer. She'd never want to meet this man in a deserted alley. The other looked as if he'd stepped out of Hollywood, with tousled caramel hair, hazel eyes, and a face meant for the movies. Finely sculpted features, full lips, with a boy-next-door aura. He was half the height of his partner. "Officer, he was assaulting me. Wolfe broke it up in time before anything happened."

  David got to his feet, cradling his jaw with his palm. His eyes filled with hurt. "Are you playing this game again with me, Genevieve? You called me to come over. Begged me. Now this asshole catches us and you throw me to the cops? Jesus, don't I mean anything to you?"

  "This man is a liar!"

  They all turned as the female voice rang out in the room with pure authority. Arilyn raced past the cops as if she had every right and hugged Gen tight. Gen slumped in her arms, feeling as if she were in a weird combination of mixed-up television dramas. Did this ever happen on NCIS? Oh, that was military. Government. Something like that, oh, God, she was losing her mind.

  The scary officer narrowed his gaze. "Who are you?" he cracked out.

  "Arilyn Meadows. I'm the one who called."

  "How?" Gen whispered. "How did you know?"

  "I came by to drop off the manual since I never got back into the office today. When I saw his car out front, I sensed trouble. I didn't want to do anything by myself so I called the cops. But Wolfe beat them to it." She stuck her nose in the air and sniffed like she smelled something bad. "I called in with an emergency and it took you forever to get here." She glared at the cops. "I thought Verily would be better prepared. You've been quite disappointing."

  The beautiful one grinned. His partner grunted and looked annoyed. "You got a set of balls on you, lady. How about we get past the tea-and-cookies part of this and I get some answers?" He motioned toward Wolfe. "Don't move, Rambo, got it?" Wolfe lifted his hands so they were in plain sight. "Let's keep our distance and go one at a time. You. Tell me what happened."

  David spoke. "Genevieve and I went through a breakup, but we discussed getting back together. She called me this afternoon while I was at the hospital and asked me to come over. Wanted to talk. Said she was sorry about cheating with Wolfe--that guy." He motioned to him. "Things were going well, got heated in a good way, and we were against the wall, kissing. Then this psycho roars in, grabs me, and starts beating the shit out of me."

  Gen grabbed Arilyn's hand for strength. "Not true," she said raggedly. "It's a lie."

  Both officers studied David, then nodded. Beauty spoke. "Ma'am? What's your side of it?"

  She began shaking again. "David and I broke up. We were never getting back together. He called and said he'd bring some of my stuff over from his apartment. When he got here, I asked him where it was and he said it was in the car. Then he started getting verbally abusive, pushed me against the wall, and intended to . . . intended to . . . to--"

  "Hurt her!" Arilyn finished. "Rape her. For goodness' sake, Officers, do your job and arrest this man."

  Brute gave her a sharp look. Arilyn fell silent.

  Beauty strolled forward and guided them toward the kitchen. "Ladies, why don't you come over here. I can get more specific details on your story."

  Brute turned toward Wolfe. "And you? What's your side in this?"

  "Gen and I had plans for dinner at seven. I got here early. Saw his car. Heard her yelling when I was at the door, so I busted in and found him trying to assault her. I pulled him off and hit him."

  David shook his head. "You son of a bitch! You set me up! You have Gen so scared over your temper she's afraid to tell you we're back together. Why do you think I got a restraining order?"

  Gen froze. "What?"

  Brute gave Wolfe a look. "Is that true? Is there an order of protection out on your behalf?"

  Wolfe's jaw tightened. "I just found out about that today. He's been manipulating this whole scene from the beginning."

  The cop muttere
d something under his breath. "I need to check this out. Let me call it in."

  Beauty looked at her with concern. "Ma'am, do you need to go to the hospital? Were you assaulted?"

  Gen rubbed her hands up and down her arms for warmth. The room began to blur. "David threatened me. I'm not sure what would've happened if Wolfe hadn't come in."

  David stabbed a finger through the air. "Do you realize my whole medical career can be destroyed by your lies? Hell, I can prove it. She called me on my private number. She's the one who set up the whole encounter. Check her cell phone for proof."

  "No, no, you called me! Well, I mean, Sally called me and asked if I would . . ." She trailed off, the whole scenario suddenly making sick sense. "You told her to do it." She pressed a trembling hand against her mouth. "You made me call you so it would be on record."

  "I've had enough. I want to press charges against him. I'm calling my lawyer right now. He'll prove there's a restraining order that he failed to obey. I want him in jail."

  "No!"

  "I'm her witness!" Arilyn shouted. "We're pressing our own charges."

  Brute raised his voice. "Everyone calm down now. No more speaking and stay separated." He muttered something foul under his breath, communicated with his partner via psychic silent communication, and grabbed his radio. Beauty took some notes on her story in his pad, nodding as Arilyn faltered from her usual calm center and began babbling on her behalf.

  Finally, Brute turned toward Wolfe. "I'll have to ask you to come with me down to the station. There is a legal restriction against you being in the same vicinity, and proof of physical abuse."

  Wolfe nodded. The cop took out the cuffs.

  "Oh my God, no. This is ridiculous--I'm coming with you," Gen said shakily.

  "That's probably a good idea. I'd like all of you to come. We'll take official statements there."

  David glared, his face full of dried blood. "I'll drive myself. My lawyer will meet you downtown."

  Brute rolled his eyes. "We're not downtown, sir. You'll find us on Main Street. It's actually uptown."

  Beauty looked amused. "I'll take him in my car."

  Wolfe took a few steps toward Gen, but Brute grabbed his arms. "Not yet. I'd rather you not talk to her until we get everyone's story."

  Uh-oh. She watched Wolfe struggle with his temper, grinding his teeth with vicious purpose. "I'm fine," she said strongly. "Go with him and I'll meet you at the station."

  "What's wrong with you?" Wolfe ground out to the officer. "She's just been attacked. Get her a blanket and some water."

  Brute narrowed his gaze. "Get him out of here," he directed his partner, motioning toward the door. She watched helplessly as Beauty guided him out. Arilyn growled something undignified under her breath while Brute settled them in his police car. He shut the door, disappeared, and returned with a blanket and two bottles of water from the trunk. "Here." He thrust them into Arilyn's hands and took his place in the driver's seat.

  Arilyn covered Gen up, tucking the blanket carefully around her legs and opening the bottle. Gen took a few sips. The blessed warmth of the scratchy material relaxed her a bit. She was so stupid. It was all her fault for calling David. Believing his story. How had their relationship disintegrated to such violence and hate?

  And a restraining order? Had David bribed a judge or falsified evidence? Wolfe had never threatened or touched him before. She had to fix this somehow, but now that David had shown his true colors, she was afraid of making things worse for Wolfe. David had so many connections in the community, he'd be able to make Wolfe's life a living hell. Her thoughts spun and she lapsed into silence as they drove to the station.

  Arilyn patted her knee and launched an attack.

  "I hope you're not one of these cops in the good old boys' club," she said, voice dripping icicles. "Officer--?"

  "Petty. Stone Petty."

  Stone? Huh, the name fit perfectly. Even his tone was stone-cold, challenging Arilyn's tit for tat.

  "Why don't you tell me what the good old boys' club is, Mrs.--"

  "Ms. Arilyn Meadows. I told you my name on the phone."

  "I didn't take the call, Ms. Meadows." He placed emphasis on the Ms. "I only respond to Dispatch."

  "Verily isn't that big. Were you on break when you received the call? I imagine you were doing something else, since it took fifteen minutes to get here."

  Half-fascinated, Gen watched her kind, calm friend turn into a bitch.

  "Yeah. I was getting a donut and talking to my good old boys."

  Arilyn tightened her lips. "I'm just concerned about appearances. Police seem to judge by first impressions, and David is a liar. He's abused my friend and manipulated the situation, and I also suspect he set up the whole thing to get caught by Wolfe. I would hate justice not to be served because of some surface charm and connections."

  The temperature in the cop car dropped like a ghost had just visited. "I see. I'll try not to be blinded by a charming smile and give the rocks in my brain a workout. Amazing how lucky I got passing all those tests and physicals and training. Hell, at least I get my daily jelly donuts and get to ride in a cool car."

  Arilyn huffed out a breath. "You're being ridiculous and mocking me. I'm just warning you to examine the entire situation and look at the facts."

  "Yes, ma'am. You're the taxpayer. And you are correct about wrong judgments. Why, my initial impressions of you were completely wrong."

  Her friend's brows snapped together. "What do you mean?"

  Stone Petty's voice held true innocence. "I originally thought you were a sweet, calm, hippie do-gooder."

  "Oh. And now?"

  Gen held her breath. Some strange kind of tension squeezed between them, and she was caught in the middle. It was so unlike Arilyn to go on the offensive, especially with someone in authority. She usually respected teachers or anyone in a uniform a bit too much.

  "Now I don't."

  The unspoken insult hit the target. Arilyn gasped, but he'd already pulled up to the small station and parked by the curb. He opened the door, escorted them out, and brought them inside.

  Gen had never been in the police station before. It looked like the typical small-town, Main Street facility like the firehouse and ambulance volunteer corps. The lobby held a high counter, a few chairs, and the stale scent of coffee, sweat, and guilt. Officer Petty guided them through a long hallway, which opened up on a room with a few battered desks, filing cabinets, a makeshift kitchen, and a few doors she imagined led to private offices. Definitely nothing to regale Kate and Kennedy about. She bet they would ask her a million questions regarding the inside.

  Petty settled them at a corner desk by the wall. She sat down on the metal chair, noting various photos and mishmash pinned to the wall behind each desk, but nothing personal lay on Officer Petty's. Files. Computer. Desk calendar. Clock. Seemed he liked his sweets, judging from the multiple crumbled cookie bags. Half a pack of Marlboro cigarettes lay open. Oh no. Maybe Arilyn wouldn't see. Maybe she'd realize they were in a dicey situation and not go on a rant. Maybe--

  "You smoke?"

  The high pitch of her friend's voice made Gen wince. Too late. Petty cocked an eyebrow, slid the pack into the top drawer of his desk, and stared at her.

  "You got a problem with that?"

  Arilyn leaned her elbows on the chipped wood. "Yes. I have a huge problem. Besides polluting the environment and killing others with secondhand smoke, you're a time bomb of health issues. Cancer. Pain. Death. Still worth it?"

  Gen kept still. The tension between them tightened another notch like a noose, and the stare-off was too intense for breathing. Finally, Petty grinned real slow and deliberate.

  "Yeah. It is. Now, why don't you tell me your side of the story before you piss me off enough to put you in jail for something."

  She gasped. "You can't talk to me that way."

  "Yeah, I can. You're on my turf, little one. Better get used to it."

  Gen almost closed her eyes but it w
as too fascinating to miss. Her usually centered friend glowered, muttered something violent under her breath, and slammed her butt down on the uncomfortable chair.

  "Where's Wolfe?" Gen asked.

  "With Officer Devine. Ms. Meadows, you can start. What did you see or hear before you called us?"

  Arilyn recounted her side of story with just a bit of a sulk. Gen took it slow when it was her turn, trying not to leave anything out. She gave Petty her cell phone so he could see the initial call from the hospital and her subsequent one to David. Petty kept focus, interrupting with an occasional question. Finally he closed the folder and looked up.

  "We'll go over the facts and be in touch."

  Arilyn leaped to her feet. "That's it? That's all? Aren't you going to arrest David?"

  "Are you pressing charges?"

  "Yes."

  "No," Gen said. Arilyn jerked her head around. "I can't right now. I just want to get Wolfe out of here and go home."

  Her friend grasped her hand. "He assaulted you," she said quietly. "I know you're scared, but we'll all help you. Report it."

  "Not now. Please, A, don't push this. This is so much bigger. I have to think of the hospital, legal issues, publicity, Wolfe. I'll apply for a restraining order against him so he'll stay away from me. I never want to see him again."

  Arilyn bit her lip, obviously frustrated but not wanting to push. "Fine. Let's get Wolfe and go home."

  "Sorry, ladies, we'll have to hold your friend overnight." Officer Devine, aka Beauty, strolled over and looked at them with a bit of sympathy. "He violated the restraining order and assaulted Dr. Riscetti. We'll have to wait for bail in the morning when the courts open."

  Gen battled tears, then realized Wolfe would hate her crying. She swallowed them back, tilted her chin, and swore she'd be practical. She'd been the one to drag him into this mess, and she was going to get him out. "Did he call for a lawyer?"

  Devine shook his head. "Not yet."

  "We have some work to do, then. A, let's get Kate on the phone and talk to Slade. Then we'll call Max. He always knows what to do."

  "Got it."

  "Can I take you ladies home?" Petty asked.

  Arilyn treated him to a glowering look. "I think you've done enough." She paused. "Or not."

  The man actually sputtered out a laugh. "I'll be in touch, Dr. MacKenzie." Suddenly he turned his head and gave Arilyn a blistering look. "And you, Ms. Meadows. I will see you soon."