Page 10 of Stonewall

I tried the handle finding the door unlocked. I slowly opened the door and entered at first, not hearing anything. Then I heard it.

The muffled crying of a child.

The crying was coming from down the hallway. I quietly walked back, already knowing what I would find, and knew from experience that I needed to approach Gael calmly so I wouldn’t frighten him more than he already was. Holding back was not my strong point, especially when I knew Brooke was hurt.

I came to the doorway Gael was in and peeked around the corner, my stomach dropping. Gael was crying over his mom, who was lying on the floor, trying to get her to wake up. I entered the room with the vision of another little boy crying over his mother as she lay beaten. I shoved those memories aside. I needed to help Brooke. I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest as I got closer and saw what Flex had done to her, and she wasn’t moving.

Was I too late?

“Gael,” I said softly, moving beside him and kneeling.

Tear-filled eyes the same blue as his mother’s looked at me with fear and suspicion, and he moved to lay over Brooke as if to protect her.

“Gael, I’m going to help your mom. I’m her friend. I won’t hurt her or you, and I need you to trust me,” I implored, keeping my voice calm and steady but feeling an urgency to help Brooke. I watched as he moved back a bit to let me closer.

“He hurt mommy, and now she won’t wake up,” Gael sniffled.

I felt her pulse and sighed in relief when I felt one. “Don’t worry, Gael, your mommy will be all right. I will take care of her,” I assured him. She started coming to with low moans as I checked over her injuries. “Brooke, can you hear me? It’s Lenny; we need to get you to a hospital,” I said next to her ear, trying not to upset Gael more than he already was.

“No…no hospital, promise me,” Brooke insisted, her voice raspy and low.

I knew why she didn’t want to go; the hospital would contact the Police and CPS. I continued checking her over, raising the small nightgown she was wearing to see bruising on her stomach, where I’m sure he kicked her. Her face took the brunt with a black eye, a busted lip, bruised cheek, and a bloody but not broken nose. I felt the back of her head and the bump there; he must have knocked her out, or she hit her head.

The rage was building inside me, and I had to take deep breaths; I needed to get her and Gael out of here and back to the clubhouse where Doc could treat her. “Brooke, baby? I’m going to take you and Gael out of here, understand?” I whispered in her ear, taking her hand in mine.

“Yeah,” she answered, giving my hand a soft squeeze.

I looked at Gael, sitting quietly while I helped his mom. “Gael, you and your mom are coming with me, so I need you to go get the things you want to take and come back here; I need you to hurry.”

“Okay,” he mumbled, getting to his feet and going to his room. I knew he was still afraid and unsure, but I would talk more with him on the way back to the club.

I looked around the bedroom, grabbed a blanket, and laid it over Brooke. I grabbed her purse and her phone that was on the dresser. I wasn’t worried about anything else; I would get her what she and Gael needed. I wrapped Brooke up in the blanket, shoving her purse inside next to her, and carefully lifted her into my arms. I was gritting my teeth at the sound of her pain when I moved her.

I was going to torture Flex slowly.

I turned around to see Gael standing there dressed with a small backpack in his hands and a little brown dog sitting by his side. “I’m ready,” he said, his hand going to the dog’s head. I wasn’t thrilled about taking the dog, but I knew by the determined look on Gael’s face that he loved the dog and wasn’t leaving it behind. If it made the kid happy, then I would deal.

“Gael, we will go get into my Jeep, so I need you to stay close, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, following me as we made our way out of the house and to my Jeep, where I laid the seat back before lowering Brooke onto it. I tried to make her as comfortable as possible, tucking the blanket around her to keep her warm.

“Come around to this side, Gael, and I will put you and the dog in the back.” Gael obeyed, even letting me lift him inside; I buckled him in and picked up the small squirming dog placing it beside him. The dog immediately crawls on Gael, who is watching his mom with worry.

I got in the driver’s seat, started the vehicle, turned, and headed toward the interstate. I passed Flex riding back toward the house on the way out of the neighborhood. I white-knuckled the steering wheel to keep driving and not go back to kill him. I had Brooke and Gael and needed to get them to safety. I had gotten them out just in time. Not that I would have let Flex touch either one of them.

Enjoy yourself, Flex; your days are numbered motherfucker.

I LAY THEREin the seat listening to Lenny talkto Gael, hurting and confused. My head was still swimming, and I felt nauseous with the pain. This was the first time Flex had knocked me out. The last thing I remember clearly was hearing the door open and being pulled out of bed by my feet. I had never seen Flex so angry. He was raving about Tildie being a traitor, and I was probably one too. And from that point, I didn’t remember much until I heard Lenny talking to me.

That really confused me. How did he end up at my house? Known where I lived?

Those were questions that would have to wait for answers. Right now, I was thankful that Lenny was there to help me and calm Gael. I don’t know where Lenny is taking us, but I’m glad to be going. Flex almost killed me, and the thought of Gael being left in the care of Flex if he had succeeded was very sobering.

“What’s your dog’s name?” I heard Lenny ask Gael.

“Germie,” Gael answered. When the dog first started showing up at the house as a stray, Flex would rant about how the dog was good for nothing but spreading germs. Gael didn’t understand and started calling the dog Germie.

“That’s different. Does Germie need to go to the bathroom? There is a rest stop ahead,” Lenny asked him.