When he pulled in Ed's driveway, he saw that Emily's car was there along with Hanks' truck, Gregs car and Tyler's sheriffs car. Parker jumped from the truck and ran into the house.

"Parker, thank God you're here. She won't listen to reason." Ed said when Parker came in.

"Where is she?" Parker asked but then she came into the living room with two suitcases in her hands and the diaper bag and purse over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide and full of panic.

"Where are you going?" Parker asked her calmly. She didn't answer, just went about snapping Wyatt into his carrier. Parker looked around at the other men in the room but they all shrugged.

"Em, where do you think your going?" Parker asked more loudly. Emily's eyes flew up to him and he was shocked by how much she looked like a panicked wild animal ready to bolt.

"He's coming! I have to get away! I have to get Wyatt out of here!" She said with just as much panic in her voice as he could see in her eyes. Parker stood in front of the door, blocking her exit.

"You aren't going anywhere." he said sternly.

"I have to, Parker! He'll kill me!" she exclaimed.

"I would never let that happen." he replied. Emily shook her head and tried to push past him. He raised his hand to grab her shoulder and she fell to her knees, cowering in front of him and covering her head with her arms.

"What the hell…." Tyler said rubbing his jaw.

"Poor girl." Hank added. Parker dropped to his knees in front of her and grabbed her arms gently moving them away from her head. She had tears pouring down her face when she looked at him.

"He will kill me." she said. Parker shook his head.

"I won't let that happen." he said gently as he smoothed her hair from her face. "And what have I told you about flinching every time I move?" he asked with a smile. His smile seemed to break through her panic and she slid the diaper bag and purse from her arm and threw her arms around his neck. He held her tight smoothing her hair with his hand. He looked up at Tyler and Greg who were standing together by the kitchen table.

"Nothing is going to happen to you or to Wyatt. I won't let it." Parker said. Both Tyler and Greg could tell by the look in Parker's eyes that he was asking for their help whenever the time came to deal with John and they nodded.

"I love you, Parker." she whispered in his ear. Parker smiled and kissed her hair.

"I love you too." he replied. Then he stood up pulling her to her feet as well. He wrapped his arm tight around her shoulders.

"Can we all go sit down in the living room and talk?" he asked the room full of people. Everyone nodded.

Ed sat in his recliner, Tyler and Greg sat on the couch while Hank stood against the wall. Emily sat down on the loveseat while Parker pulled Wyatt from his carrier and sat him gently in his swing taking the time to turn it on and get it rocking and playing a gentle lullaby before he joined Emily.

"What can we do legally Greg?" Parker asked. Greg sighed. He wasn't sure what they could do but he didn't want to tell Parker that. He still had the crown on his tooth from the last time he'd pissed Parker off.

"I'm not sure. I did get the medical reports from Emily's trips to the hospital." he said holding up a folder. Parker reached out and took it from him and looked through the pages. His face grew angrier and more pale with every page he turned.

"You lied, Emily." he said finally. Emily looked at him nervously and bit her lip.

"No…." he cut her off.

"You said he broke your ribs, and your arm and caused you to miscarry. You didn't say anything about the concussions or the broken nose…." he flipped another page and cursed. "Internal bleeding?" he demanded looking over at her.

Emily blushed with embarrassment and shame and looked down at her feet.

"Oh yeah." she said.

"Yeah… How?" Parker asked.

"You don't really want to know that." she replied. Parker growled.

"Hell yes I do. That way I can punch him once for it." he said. She sighed but didn't say anything.

"I want to know, Emily." he insisted. "I want to know what that man put you through."

"Hell." she said simply. She stared down at her hands wringing them together nervously. "The bleeding happened after we'd been married about a month. I was still trying to learn to act how he wanted me to act. It was his birthday so I went out while he was gone to work to buy him a gift and to buy him a cake mix…..

"When he got home the kitchen was a mess and I was just pulling the cake from the oven… I could tell he was upset about the mess so I thought maybe if I showed him the watch I had gotten for him he would be happy…. He taught me quick that a good wife never leaves the house without her husband, never spends his money without his permission and never lets him come home to a mess."

The living room was silent except for the music coming from the swing. Parker continued looking through the pages… There were hundreds of them..

"Greg, what are our options?" Parker asked finally. Greg shrugged.

"I mean we can force the divorce through since she isn't asking for any financial support but as far as custody goes I can't make any promises."

"Why the hell not?" Parker demanded. He could feel Emily shaking with fear beside him. Greg scratched at his leg.

"None of the abuse is documented. The doctors always heard a different story than the truth. The police were never contacted. I mean it would be his word against hers and then even if the judge believes her there is no indication that he would be abusive to the baby."

"That's a bunch of bullshit. If a man will do this to a woman he claims to love…" Parker said holding up the file. "Then he will do it to a child."

"I didn't say it's fair, Parker. That's just the way it is. And add to that that John is a respected well known lawyer in New York and has a lot of connections… Her odds aren't very good."

"See I have to go… I have to get Wyatt out of here." Emily said matter-of-factly. Parker shook his head.

"No you have to stay. I won't let you leave again." he said still looking down at the folder in his hand. "I could just shoot his ass when he comes into town. I was one hell of a sniper."

"I'll pretend I didn't just hear that." Tyler said crossing his arms over his chest. "Parker, you know I'll have your back in self defense but I can't have your back in cold blooded murder."

"You can't kill him, Parker. You can't spend the rest of your life in prison." Ed said matter-of-factly. Parker nodded.. His mind was racing. He had to think of a way to save Emily and Wyatt. To keep them safe and do it without putting his friend in a tight spot.

Suddenly an idea starting forming in his mind.

"Em, do people know what kind of man John is?" he asked. Emily shook her head.

"No, definitely not. In public he always acted like the perfect doting husband. He has plans of one day becoming a judge and joining the supreme court.. If others were to learn what kind of man he really was he could kiss those dreams goodbye." she replied. Parker smiled.

"I gotta go." he said knowing that he had finally figured out what he could do to end this and end it now.

"No, you can't leave me!" Emily said and he could see the panic coming back to her eyes. Parker laid his hand over hers.

"You're going to be fine." he promised. "I won't let anything happen to you or to our child." he said remembering that she had called Wyatt their child earlier.

"Parker…" Emily started but he shook his head. She wanted Parker to be Wyatt's father. She knew he would be a good father but she didn't want him to feel like he had to be.

"I won't let you down this time, Em. You know I'd never let anything happen to you" he said. He was fully aware of what had happened the last time he'd told her those words. Emily laid her hand on his cheek and he leaned his face against it, not caring what anyone else in this room thought.

"I trust you." she said. Parker nodded and stood up.

"Ok. Emily I want you and Wyatt to stay in this house with my dad. Hank is going to stay here too." Parker said matter-of-factly as he looked at his uncle. Hank looked around the room and then cleared his throat and stood up straight laying his hands on his large belly.

"Sure. I'm staying here." he said.

"And Tyler is going to stay on patrol watching for John." Parker added. Tyler nodded.

"Of course." he said.

"And Greg is going to come with me and get some paperwork ready." Parker finished. Greg nodded and stood up walking toward the door.

"Paperwork?" Emily asked. Parker poked her nose and grinned.

"Thought you said you trusted me?" he asked. She managed a small smile and nodded. "Do you have to work tomorrow?" he asked. Emily nodded again. "I'll see you there then." Parker turned and patted Wyatt on the leg before leaving the house with Greg and Tyler.

"Who wants to play some rummy?" Hank asked.

888

Emily had never been so scared to leave Wyatt before in her life but she knew that Ed was right when he told her that even if John was in town that he would have no idea where to find Wyatt. Hank had insisted on following her to work and then he gone over to the garage to get some work done and keep an eye on who came to the diner.

Emily was doing her best to focus on doing her job. She wondered where Parker was. She had not seen or heard from him since he'd left Ed's house the night before. The breakfast rush was starting to show up so she pushed her worries aside and got to work.

888

John pulled up to the small garage cursing at the sputtering he heard in the engine of this hunk of junk rental car. He knew Emily was here in town somewhere and he would find her. He got out of the car and walked up to a young teenage boy who was under the hood of a car in the garage.

"Excuse me." John said. "I need someone to look at my car." The boy stood up and looked at him.

"The garage ain't really open today. Hank just called me in here to get some overtime. He's in the back for a minute if you want to wait and schedule an appointment for later in the week." John shook his head.

"No, I am leaving town today. It's making some kind of sputtering noise. I'll make it very worth your while if you check it out for me." he said pulling several fifty dollar bills from his pocket and holding them out to the boy.

The boy wiped one greasy hand on his blue jeans and took the money, stuffing it into his pocket with a smile.

"Yes sir." he said. John smiled.

"Where can I get a bite to eat?" he asked. The boy pointed over at the small diner as he popped the hood of John's rental car. John nodded and walked across the street.

He was wondering how long it would take him to find Emily when he saw her through the diner window. She had her side to him but he would recognize her anywhere. He felt his blood boiling when he saw the happy smile on her face.

She would pay for leaving him. She would pay for her disobedience. He was her husband and she would be going home with him today.

He walked into the small diner. It was nearly empty except for the old couple that Emily was currently talking to. When the bell above the door rang Emily looked over at him and her notepad fell to the floor, her pen rolling across the tile.

John stopped it with the toe of his leather shoe, bent down and picked it up.

"Hello wife." he said keeping his voice friendly enough but Emily could see the anger in his eyes.

"John…." she said knowing that her voice was shaking. She looked out the window wondering where Parker was.

"Are you ready to go home, sweetheart?" he asked. At first Emily thought about running.. She thought about begging.. But that would have been what Emily Barron would have done. She was not that woman anymore. She was Emily Thompson and Emily Thompson never backed down from anything. Emily forced herself to hold her head up high and square her shoulders.

"My home is here now, John." she said her voice sounding stronger. She saw his nostrils flare and his lips formed a sneer.

"Your home is with me." he said. Emily shook her head.

"I don't want to be with you anymore, John. Just give me the divorce I want." she replied.

"How dare you talk back to me like that." John snapped. John didn't care who saw or heard his temper at this point. This bitch was coming home with him even if he had to drag her out of here by her hair.

"John, I'm not afraid of you anymore." Emily lied. The bell above the door chimed but John was too angry to hear it.

"I'll teach you to talk to me that way!" he roared angrily as he stormed toward her. His arm was raised to strike her when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He found himself looking up at a very angry pair of brown eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" John demanded. He saw that the man was so angry that he was shaking and a muscle was twitching in his jaw.

"Internal bleeding? Really….?" the man asked and before John could reply he felt the big mans fist slam into his face and he fell unconscious to the floor.