What a magnificent story! Everything is there from characters first smitten, suspense, action, humor.... and one cannot miss the adorable pooches and puppy kisses. Kbois is a fantastic author and this, IMHO, is one of her absolute best.
Gut wrenching is the descriptive that comes to mind. The pain and anguish that results from abuse leave behind scars within the soul. Being a survivor, I was doing well until the final line, "The phone rang." That's when nausea kicked in. Art in its truest form connects with emotions. Obviously, from all the comments this story certainly did. Well-done and thank you for sharing!