......able to thank them enough

Bella’s POV

They checked me three times because Raymond would not stop asking. Other than the marks on my neck, I was fine. Rex’s hand had left a clear sign there, like he wrapped his fingers around my throat and decided to leave proof. My wrist had a dark blue mark too, from how hard Raymond had held me. I did not mind that one. My shoulder had been pushed out and forced back in, and it hurt like fuck. My ribs and back were covered in marks from the rope I had tied around myself. There was glass in my hands and legs. Still, I was alive. The baby was fine.

The boys were not the same. Thomas had no marks on his body, but his mind was broken in ways no scan could show. Jemson had a head injury and his forehead was torn open. What hurt them inside was far worse than what showed on the outside.

I was cleared to go home. They were not. They were admitted, and Raymond and I agreed to stay the night with them.

Hospitals used to feel safe to me. They used to feel like shelter. Whenever life b