Chapter 59

• Chapter Fifty Nine
• Dave stood at the hospital room door, his arms crossed over his chest and his mind replaying Edna’s words like a record player stuck on a loop, as he stared at the sleeping Maria. With all the bruises on her face, she looked peaceful, like she hadn’t been through a traumatic experience just a few hours ago, of course thanks to the strong sedatives they gave her, which he wouldn’t mind taking himself.
• He rubbed his hand over his face, and then blinked a few times just to make sure he wasn’t in a drunken dream. She was in that bed, bruised and broken, but alive and safe and at that moment that’s all that mattered. He felt his throat tighten as his eyes stung with tears. He had promised she would be safe, that nothing like this would ever happen to her again, but it did, and worst of all, under his watch.