“It’s no bother,” Anya said, quick to reassure her. The last thing she wanted was for Helga to feel guilty for seeking help. “You did the right thing. Sometimes the best thing to do to defuse an argument is to walk away.”
“But that’s the thing,” Helga said, her eyes confused. “We weren’t even arguing. He just came home, his face dark as midnight, and started shouting at me. For no reason.” She shook her head, almost in a helpless gesture. “It’s not like I provoked him or anything.”
“Had he been drinking?” Anya asked. “Did he smell like it?”
Again, Helga shook her head. “Not this time. It looks like he came home straight from the office. I don’t know what could have made him so angry,” she gave a hiccup, “with me. I didn’t do anything.” Her face crumpled again and fresh tears began to flow.
“Did he threaten you?” Anya asked. Helga had run to her for refuge before but this time she seemed even more distressed than usual. “Did he hurt you?”
Helga didn’t speak. She couldn’t. Not with the way her shoulders were shaking and her lips were trembling. Instead, she put her hand to her lips and nodded.
Anya’s brows fell. “He hit you?”
Again, the agitated woman nodded. “And…and this time I was really scared. It wasn’t like before.” She dropped her eyes and looked away. “This time,” she whispered, “he looked like he wanted to kill me.”
That did it for Anya. Immediately, she got up. “Come, Helga. We’re going to the police. Right now.”
Helga’s head jerked up and she stared at Anya, eyes wide. “But that will make him furious.”
“You can’t help that,” Anya said, her voice firm. “What you can do is put a stop to this. You’ve got to protect yourself, Helga. You can’t live like this. Now come.” She held out her hands and when Helga took them she pulled her neighbor to her feet. “This time you’re going to make a formal report to the police,” she said, giving the trembling hands a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll take you there myself.”
At those words Helga bit her lip but she was nodding. She was doing the right thing. After months of abuse it looked like she’d finally found the courage to stand up for herself.
That evening as Anya drove Helga into town it was as if that gesture of support boosted her confidence because the flood gates opened and she began to spill so many secrets she’d kept hidden all that time. It was then that Anya realized that Helga hadn’t been suffering for months. The abuse had been going on for over two years, soon after she’d married Karl. The poor woman had been living in hell almost all her married life.
Later, as Helga gave her report to the kind-faced police officer, Anya sat by her side and held her hand. When Helga squeezed her hand and gave her a brave little smile she knew she’d done the right thing in pressing her to make the report. It was a big step for her neighbor and it was a step in the right direction.
“Tonight you’ll stay with me,” Anya said and when Helga began to shake her head as if in protest, she held up her hand. “No, I insist. The restraining order is being prepared. You will not go back into that house until he’s out of there. Think of your safety.”
It was those words that made Helga heave a resigned sigh. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I’ve got to stop being so stupid. Karl doesn’t love me anymore. I’ve got to stop thinking about him and start looking out for myself.”
Anya didn’t respond to that. She’d been saying the same thing to Helga for ages. It had taken a perceived threat against her life to make her take things seriously. Well, better late than never.
When they made their way back home and she parked the car it was already way past Anya’s regular nine o’clock bedtime. She was an early-to-bed, early-to-rise girl who was up hours before sunrise. She didn’t mind the disruption to her routine, though. That was an insignificant price to pay to help someone in need.
She hopped out of the car and ran around to the passenger’s side to help Helga out.
And that was when she saw him. Lean and wiry, his face was half hidden in shadows, but there was an unmistakable sneer on his lips. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted a cigarette to his lips but his eyes never left her face.
Although Karl Gruber was on the other side of the street the menace in his eyes was unmistakable. The dark scowl on his face was clear testament to his rage but this time it was not directed at his wife. He didn’t even spare her a glance.
This time the target of his fury was Anya.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What are you guys doing here?” Rafe growled as he walked out onto the back patio. “I thought Ransom and Solie were doing this barbecue in my honor.”
Ridge laughed and walked over to slap his younger brother on the back. “Sorry to disillusion you, Rafe. The only reason you were invited is that they need somebody to do the dishes afterwards. Now come here, you runt. Long time no see.” His words were followed by a bone-crushing bear hug.
Rafe groaned. He should have known better. There was no way Ransom would do a barbecue and not have all brothers present. Ryder, the third in the family, he didn’t mind. But Ridge? With the family troublemaker present there was no telling what could go down.
When Ridge finally released him he stepped back, flexed his shoulders and grimaced. “Still working out in the gym, I see. You didn’t have to take it out on me, though.”
“Stop being such a wimp.” Ridge only laughed and gave him another hearty slap on the shoulder, almost dislocating it. It didn’t help that his older brother at six feet four inches was even taller than he was and big and brawny to boot. The man didn’t know his own strength. “Those weeks you spent in Europe turned you soft, kiddo?”
“Far from it.” They both turned to see Ransom, the oldest brother in the clan, stepping out the back door. He had a crooked grin on his lips. “From what I heard our kid brother was anything but soft as he went from city to city. Seems he left lots of lonely ladies in his wake.”
Rafe’s eyes narrowed as he turned to face his brother. “Where did you hear that?”
Ransom shrugged. “Let’s just say I have my sources.”
That made Rafe snort as he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from Ransom’s mocking grin. He didn’t have to think long and hard to figure out the 'source’. His friends weren’t strangers to his family and keeping secrets had never been Lion’s strong point. He’d learned his lesson. At all costs, keep his friends and his family as far away as possible.