Page 93 of Truck Up
I take a deep breath, regretting that I didn’t have this conversation with Edge sooner. “Amelia is there.”
I feel Edge’s eyes on me, and I glance in his direction. I can’t interpret his expression.
“Do you trust her?” he asks.
“With my life.” I don’t hesitate.
“Okay.” He turns back to his phone. “Then I trust her too.”
He hits a couple of buttons and then holds his phone to his ear.
“Hey,” he says after one ring. “Need you ASAP. Can you meet me at the pin I’ll text you?”
He pauses while whoever he called responds. “Maybe fifteen minutes.”
Another pause. “Stitches for sure. There are some deep cuts. Maybe some broken bones. I can’t tell.”
He pauses again. “Don’t know. She’s passed out right now.”
There’s another pause. This pause is longer than all the others. I can’t tell if it’s because the doctor is talking or checking on something. “Yeah, bring it all. She’s in serious pain. Thanks.”
Then he hangs up. Hits a few more buttons on his phone, then it dings with an incoming message. “The doctor will be at your cabin in ten.”
An ache filled moan escapes Hannah as she lifts her head. “Cameron,” she cries out.
Cameron reaches around Edge and rests his hand on his mom’s shoulder. “I’m right here.”
“Okay.” She falls against Edge’s chest and relaxes. She takes a few deep breaths before she looks over at me and I meet her gaze. The look in her eyes tells me all I need to know. Cameron is Liam’s son.
Tears well up in her eyes and a sob escapes her.
“Mom!” Cameron launches forward. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m fine.”
“Does this mean he can’t ever hurt you again?” he asks. For the first time since meeting him, he sounds like a scared child. He’s been so strong, and now his vulnerable side is coming out.
Instead of answering him, Hannah cries harder.
Edge turns around and faces Cameron. “That’s exactly what this means. Your dad will never lay a hand on your mom again.”
Cameron goes quiet. A few minutes pass before he finally responds. “He’s not my dad.”
I look over my shoulder and he’s slumped over with his head in his hands. “Do you mind elaborating on that?”
Cameron shrugs. “That asshole isn’t my dad.”
“Cam, don’t.” Hannah cries.
Cameron ignores her plea. “That's why he beats her. Or at least part of the reason. Because I’m not his son.”
I huff and beat my hand against the steering wheel. “This is not your fault, kid. Charlie is a sick man. He beats your mom because he’s weak. It has nothing to do with you or who you are.”
I glance over at Hannah, and she’s staring at me like she doesn’t know what to think. Then she mouths the words ‘thank you.’ I nod and turn my attention back to the road. The turn to my cabin is coming up soon, and I can’t miss it because I’m distracted by this new revelation. I have a twelve-year-old nephew.
We remain silent for the rest of the drive. Every few minutes I hear a sniffle come from Hannah, but otherwise she seems to have relaxed.
When I pull up to the cabin, I throw my truck in park and stare at the man standing on my porch next to Amelia.