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“Can you give us a few an?”

“Sure” He left the rooain

Doc studied her thoughtfully before he took her hands in his “It’s okay to cry It’s okay to grieve” Doc had gone from one extreme to the next One ht for this worieved

“No” She looked lost “That can’t be right”

“Was he your husband?”

“Yes…ex We’ve been legally separated for nearly three years”

He wondered how her ex-husband had h places Then again, the McCoy nae could be bought, he typically didn’ta McCoy’s money because they were rumored to pay extremely well

“Sable, it’s perfectly natural if you mourn—”

She looked at him with bewilderment in her expression “Mourn him?” She sed then and her expression twisted into one of pure disgust “Mourn a man who forced himself on me, a man who beat me until I blacked out? Mourn hiht with unbearable pain “I’ll neverwrath and you should, too”

“What co wrath?” Doc had seen a lot of abuse since he’d started living and working in Trouble He’d listened to the victims’ stories So many of them were similar Very often the abusers could die or end up behind bars, but none of that ht so for them or the dead would soon rise, the incarcerated would somehow break free “Sable, you’re safe now”

“I wish that were true” She sniffed and sobbed After a few minutes, she wrapped her arms around her torso and rocked back and forth “You don’t understand If Tony is dead, Doc, I’er now than I ever hen he was alive

“Tony’s father will kill me He will kill ood for you, you’ll take me back to that hospital and you’ll leave me there”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Doc assured her, cupping her left cheek and stroking her botto down the hallway, Doc pointed at the door and added, “And if I were a ga you the same”

Chapter Ten

Nicholas had hung back for about afree of its pen Mac behaved in a similar manner Once they reconnected with her, they touched her everywhere, obvious in their efforts to check her out and make sure she was okay