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He clenched his jaw, hating he couldn’t trick me into answering something wrong. “Did you answer the door for Mr. Farren?”
“Yes.”
“Did you invite him into your home?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“How did he get inside?”
My hands were beginning to sweat, Randall’s enraged face that evening flashing into my mind. “He barged his way into the house.”
Pictures suddenly flashed up onto a screen. I stared in horror at my uncovered body, the most important parts of me being covered. Caiden was holding my hand. I was crying, my face beaten and swollen. Blood was smeared all over my skin, and I was bleeding from my bite marks and scratches. Handprints were wrapped around my neck, already bruising to a dark color.
My chest began to get tight. I looked out at Christian, but he was staring at the screen. Caiden shook his head at me, trying to keep me with him, but Christian had already seen the damage.
I was ruined in his eyes.
I whimpered, no air making it into my lungs. I squeezed my eyes shut, the image of Randall’s blurry face leaning over me as he smeared his blood-covered hand down my face before roughly biting into my shoulder, drawing blood.
I screamed. Warm hands grabbed mine and arms wrapped around my shoulders. I thrashed, a terrified whimper falling from my lips. “Open your eyes. Goddammit, baby, open your fucking eyes.”
I gagged. Then, everything went dark.
Caiden
“Stop!” I shouted at the cop who was trying to barge his way in. “Jesus Christ, she’s just having a flashback,” I snapped at him. “She’s not a threat.”
She was unconscious now, her body slumped in Christian’s arms. The judge slammed her gavel, silencing the room. She looked down at me and Christian. “Does she need an ambulance?”
I shook my head. “No, your honor. She’ll come out of it in a few minutes.”
“Your honor, I think the jury and I are ready to go convene,” a man announced over the commotion.
She waved her hand. “An hour-long break begins now.” She slammed her gavel again and stood up. “Get her into some fresh air and out of this courtroom,” she ordered.
Christian swept Ally’s unconscious form into his arms and carried her down the steps. I glared at Randall from across the room as his attorney quietly spoke to him.
He clenched his jaw. When he had seen Christian earlier, he had smirked. But I guess I was a bit more intimidating than my brother—not to mention bigger. And I held no qualms about sitting in a jail cell.
Axel gripped my shoulder, drawing my eyes away from Randall. “Come on,” he told me. “I know what’s running through your head, but this isn’t the time nor the place for it. My sister needs us—she needs you, Caiden. Don’t do dumb shit today.”
I drew in a deep breath and followed him out of the door. Christian was sitting on a bench outside. Meghan was holding a fast food cup, and Ally was slowly drinking whatever was in the cup through a straw.
She looked up at me. There was so much pain and sadness in her eyes that it tore at my goddamn soul.
“He still loves you,” I told her. Christian tightened his arms around her and pressed his lips to her temple. “That picture didn’t change anything for him, baby.”
“I know,” she croaked, her voice hoarse.
God, the sound that had ripped from her throat when she screamed was still ringing in my mind. It was a sound I would never fucking forget. There had been so much terror, so much pain in that single sound.
And then the cops? They thought she was a fucking threat and were ready to detain her. It took everything in me not to lay one of the mother fuckers flat out on the floor.
I sat down and draped her legs across my lap. Taking the cup from Meghan, I held it up for Ally. “What do you think is going to happen?” Ally asked us.
I gripped her chin, locking her eyes on mine. “One way or the other, baby, justice will get served,” I promised her.
She frowned. “How?”
“Because if this court doesn’t do it for you,” Christian spoke up, drawing her eyes up to him, “I swear to you, Caiden and I will make sure he can never touch you again.”
34
VERDICT
Caiden
Ally was now sitting on the bench between me and Christian. She was leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees with the heels of her hands pressed to her forehead. Christian was rubbing her back, giving her a little time to gather herself back together. I knew she was exhausted. Panic attacks and flashbacks sucked the energy out of you.
“What if they find him not guilty? I had an entire anxiety attack in there.” She suddenly sat up, her face scrunching up as she closed her eyes. “God, they saw that I really am just a fucking lunatic.”
