When Doom Found Violet

Chapter 5- Hands off

Violet

"Ethan, it was an accident."

My brother's fists were still clenched as he stared at Doom.

"The man didn't gun for me. It was literally the wrong place, wrong time."

"He got me out of the car and made sure I was checked over."

Ethan took a breath.

Slowly, he nodded.

Doom looked at him.

"You know what that piece of s**t did to your baby sis?"

"I just f*****g found out not too long ago." Ethan's jaw tightened.

"Might put his ass through my wood chipper."

"Yeah, well, the fucker's been blowing up her phone."

Doom pulled my phone from his vest and handed it to Ethan.

"I'm giving this s**t to you."

Ethan took it.

"Want a beer?"

Doom shook his head.

"I'm outta here."

"All right."

Doom headed toward the door.

"Hey."

He stopped and looked back at me.

"Thanks for the ride. And for getting me out of the car. I appreciate it."

Doom gave me a single nod.

Then he walked out.

A few seconds later, I heard the SUV pull away.

Ethan looked at me.

"I'll order pizza. Then we're gonna talk."

I sighed.

"Okay."

I picked up the manila envelope.

"Hey, E? Can you put this somewhere safe for me?"

He took it.

"What's this?"

"The money Doom gave me for totaling the Camaro."

Ethan opened the envelope.

"Holy s**t, V."

His eyes snapped to mine.

"How much is in here?"

"Thirty thousand."

His expression changed.

"You spent thirty f*****g thousand dollars on a car for that piece of s**t?"

I looked down at my lap.

"I loved him, Ethan."

That took some of the anger out of his face.

"I thought we were going to be together until death did us part."

"I wanted Paul to have something he'd always wanted."

Ethan dropped the envelope onto the table and immediately wrapped his arms around me.

Carefully.

"You deserve so much more than that asshole, baby sis."

I rested my head against him.

"I know that now."

My stomach growled loudly.

I pulled back.

"Pizza, please."

Ethan laughed.

"Yeah. Pizza."

He ordered from Genaro's, one of my favorite pizzerias.

While we waited, I shifted carefully on the couch.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"Doc told me I had to take a few days off. Would it be okay if I stayed here?"

His expression immediately turned offended.

"You're seriously asking me that?"

"I don't want to intrude."

"Hell yeah, you're staying here. No f*****g way are you going back to that piece of shit."

Relief washed through me.

"I'll go over there tomorrow and get your clothes."

"Thank you."

The pizza eventually arrived, and I managed to eat more than I expected.

Ethan told me he'd get my prescriptions filled in the morning.

He'd also pick up my car from the dealership since I'd left it there when I drove Paul's present home.

I'd originally planned for Paul to drive me back to get it.

Funny how much could change in one day.

By the time Ethan helped me settle into his guest bedroom, I was exhausted.

I fell asleep almost immediately.

..........

The next morning, I discovered something important.

Yesterday's pain had apparently been the preview.

Today was the main event.

Everything hurt.

My head.

My neck.

My back.

My shoulder.

Muscles I hadn't even known existed were screaming at me.

Moving seemed impossible.

A knock came at the bedroom door.

"V?"

"Ethan?"

"Yeah."

"Can you come in, please?"

The door opened.

One look at me and his face changed.

"Damn, baby sis. You look like you're in a s**t ton of pain."

"I am."

My eyes watered.

"It hurts so bad, Ethan."

He immediately came to the bed.

"All right. Easy."

He helped me sit up.

Even that nearly brought tears to my eyes.

After helping me to the bathroom, he got me settled on the couch.

"I'm gonna give you some Tylenol to take the edge off, then I'm going to the pharmacy."

I nodded.

"You need something stronger than the s**t I've got in my medicine cabinet."

"Please."

He brought me the Tylenol and some water before making sure I had everything I needed.

"Don't move."

I stared at him.

"Trust me. Wasn't planning on it."

"I'll be back."

Ethan left.

I carefully settled against the couch.

My goal was simple.

Do not move until my brother returned with better drugs.

I reached around for my phone before remembering Ethan still had it.

Probably for the best.

I didn't want to talk to anyone anyway.

I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

After flipping through channels, I landed on the cooking network.

Giada was making some kind of pasta dish that looked incredible.

For a few minutes, I managed to forget how much everything hurt.

Then someone knocked on the door.

I stared at it.

No.

Another knock.

"You've got to be kidding me."

I waited.

Maybe they'd leave.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I groaned.

Apparently not.

Getting off the couch was torture.

Every movement sent pain radiating through my body.

By the time I reached the door, my breathing was labored.

I opened it.

And immediately wished I hadn't.

Paul.

My cheating husband stood on Ethan's porch looking freshly showered and shaved.

The asshole didn't even look like he'd lost sleep.

I immediately tried to shut the door.

Paul shoved his hand against it.

"Baby, what happened to you?"

He reached toward me.

I jerked away.

"Don't touch me. God only knows where those hands have been."

"Violet, please. It was a one-time mistake."

I glared at him.

"That's the same line every cheating asshole uses."

"Baby—"

"And it was my cousin, Paul! Now I have to get an STD test because, apparently, I don't even know where my husband's been putting his dick."

His face tightened.

"Just tell me what happened to you. Please."

"I was in a car accident yesterday."

Paul looked me over.

"Shit."

For half a second, I thought he might actually be concerned.

Then—

"Is the car okay?"

I stared at him.

Surely I'd heard that wrong.

"What?"

"The Camaro. Is it—"

"Are you f*****g serious?"

Paul stopped.

I gestured toward myself with my good arm.

"I look like this, and you're asking me about the car?"

"It's not like that, baby. I don't care about the car."

I scoffed.

For the first time, I realized how easily Paul had played me throughout our relationship.

That soft voice.

That caring expression.

I'd always believed it.

Now I could hear how fake it was.

"For your information, the Camaro was totaled."

Paul's face fell.

Actually fell.

He looked devastated.

Not because his wife had been hurt.

Because the Camaro was gone.

I felt a sense of justice with his look.

Before something inside me hardened.

"Leave, Paul."

"Vi—"

"I'll have divorce papers sent to you. Ethan's coming by later to get my clothes."

I tried closing the door.

Paul stuck his foot in the way.

"No. Baby, please. You can't throw away a three-year marriage over one mistake."

My anger flared.

"I didn't throw our marriage away."

"Violet—"

"You did that when you slept with my cousin in our bed."

"It was a mistake."

"No. Forgetting to pick up milk is a mistake. Sleeping with my cousin is a conscious decision."

Paul's face tightened.

"Now leave before I call Ethan."

I tried closing the door again.

This time, Paul grabbed me.

His hand wrapped around my injured arm.

The same arm still secured in the sling.

Pain shot through me.

"Paul, let go!"

"We need to work this out, Vi. I'm not losing you over this."

"You already lost me!"

I tried pulling away, but my entire body hurt too much to fight him.

"I'm not staying with you. Now let me go!"

Something changed in Paul's face.

Anger.

He yanked me toward him.

Agony exploded through my shoulder.

I screamed.

Pop.

Oh God.

My shoulder.

He'd pulled it out again.

"PAUL!"

He yanked me forward a second time.

My legs gave out.

I started falling—

Then Paul disappeared.

One second his hand was wrapped around my arm.

The next, someone ripped him backward so violently he flew away from the doorway.

A massive arm caught me before I hit the floor.

Doom.

I looked up.

The expression on his face terrified even me.

Pure rage.

His eyes went from my face to my shoulder.

Then to Paul.

"Doc."

Doc appeared behind him.

"Check Violet."

Doom transferred me carefully into Doc's arms.

Then he turned.

Paul was trying to get back to his feet.

Doom stalked toward him.

Oh, crap.

"Wait—"

Paul never finished.

Doom hit him.

Hard.

The sound of the punch made me flinch.

Paul went down.

Doom grabbed him and hauled him back up.

"DOOM—"

The door closed as Doc pulled me inside.

A second later, I heard Paul scream.

I stared at the door.

Doc didn't even look concerned.

"Doc..."

"Yeah, Flower?"

"I think my shoulder's dislocated again."

He examined it.

"Yeah, Flower. You're f*****g correct on that one."

I whimpered.

"This is gonna hurt."

"Ready?"

"No."

Doc moved anyway.

One quick maneuver—

Pop.

Pain exploded through me.

My knees nearly gave out.

Doc caught me.

"Easy."

"God..."

"I got you."

He helped me to the couch and carefully lowered me onto it.

"Where are your pain meds?"

"Ethan went to the pharmacy to get them."

I tried taking slow breaths.

My head had started pounding again.

I could feel my pulse beating behind my eyes.

"Flower, look at me."

I did.

"Slow breaths. This s**t will pass."

I nodded.

"In."

I breathed in.

"Out."

I released it.

"Everything hurts today."

Doc chuckled.

"Yep. That's why my ass wrote those scripts."

Another muffled yell came from outside.

I looked toward the door.

"Should we..."

"Nope."

"But Doom—"

"Prez has it handled."

Another thud.

I winced.

Doc didn't even blink.

Apparently, around here, Doom beating the hell out of my husband counted as having the situation handled.

I leaned my head carefully against the couch.

Maybe I didn't want to know what was happening outside.