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"I heard you and Finn come in, and I knew you were going to direct your anger at Ryan. I wanted to stop you before you did something you couldn't take back."
I gave her hip a squeeze to show my appreciation for her concern.
Conor kept his eyes on us and my movements, clearly trying to get used to seeing me and Kenna together. I knew it would take a long time before Conor would be okay with my hands on his sister. Conor grabbed the beer on the island, took a swig, wiped his mouth, and took the time to find his words.
Before he could respond to Kenna, his phone started to ring. He brought his hand to his back pocket, pulling out his phone. Looking at the screen, he then glanced up at all of us.
"It's Griff. He must be calling about Brad.” A scowl covered tugged his lips. “That asshole better be sitting in a cell right now."
He wasted no time swiping the phone to answer. "Griff, tell me that bastard is sitting in a cell right now."
Conor paced the kitchen as he listened. Kenna's body started to tighten the longer the silence stretched. I slowly tightened my grip on her hip and brought my face down so my chin was on her shoulder.
"It's okay, baby,” I whispered in her ear. “I got you." I kissed her cheek.
She leaned her back into my front, and we stayed like that, comfortable now that our bodies were touching.
“Fuck,” Conor mumbled.
I didn't let go of Kenna, but I turned my face to Finn, both of us trying to figure out what Griff could be saying to Conor.
In less than a minute, Conor spoke again. "We'll be there tomorrow, Griff, but I swear if I see him, I don't care if I'm at a police station; I will kill that asshole."
With that said, Conor ended the call and dropped the phone on the counter he was now leaning against for support. He was clearly upset, but no one spoke. We waited for Conor to get himself under control, and we knew he would speak when he was ready.
The longer Kenna waited for her brother to speak, the more I could feel her worry. Finally, after taking the time to calm himself, Conor turned to face us.
"That was Griff. They have Brad in holding, but he's claiming that he was invited to your place, Kenna, and that you attacked him when he turned down your advances. This asshole is claiming he was protecting himself."
It was as if we had all been punched in the gut. Kenna's legs began to shake. I could feel her losing her strength. I immediately grabbed onto her so she wouldn't fall, being careful of her bruised ribs. Once I had a hold of Kenna, Conor nodded.
"Kenna, you need to go in and tell them everything that happened.” Conor pushed off from the edge of the island. “Brad is threatening to file assault charges against you.”
A beer bottle smashed against the wall of my kitchen, making Kenna and I jump. We turned to Finn, who had just tossed his drink.
“This fucker is trying to claim Micky is responsible?” Finn ground his teeth. “No way this is happening right now.” He paused a moment to take a breath. “Did Griff see her face?”
23
MACKENNA
It was early morning. The sun was shining, and it was already warm. It was clear it would be a very hot day in Central Florida. Ryan and I were already in his truck, heading to the police station with Conor and Finn right behind us. I sat in the passenger's seat with my eyes closed, trying to figure out how I ever got to this point.
I couldn't grasp that I would have to defend myself. I was attacked in my home by my abusive ex-boyfriend who didn't even live in this state.
I did what I had to do to survive.If I hadn't fought back, I'm certain I wouldn't have made it out alive.
As I was deep in thought with my head leaning against the headrest, Ryan's hand grabbed hold of mine. His hands were larger and calloused, but the moment he wrapped it around mine, the tension I was holding started to melt. At that moment, I knew I could face anything with Ryan by my side.
I turned my head so I could face him. He looked over at me out of the corner of his eye, and a smile spun across my lips. He squeezed my hand. Neither one of us needed words. Our united hands provided what we needed.
Feeling like I had just gotten into Ryan's truck, I was surprised to find us already pulling into a parking spot at the police station. Finn was driving his truck with Conor in the passenger seat. He pulled into the spot right beside us.
Once we were all standing in the parking lot, Conor, Finn, and Ryan waited for my lead. They knew I would go when I was ready. The thing was, I didn't know if I would ever be ready to defend myself. At this moment, I was feeling defeated, and I wasn't sure if I had the strength to do this—to relive it all..
I took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled, then I gathered my thoughts. I still hadn't taken a step after exhaling. I was just about to turn back to Ryan's truck when I felt his hand on the small of my back.
That was all I needed, the support of Ryan's hand on me, giving me the strength that I desperately needed. With this newfound strength, I took my first step toward the police station. From that moment, I moved with new determination, the same strength and determination I felt only last night. I wasn’t going to let anyone take me down. I'd already fought my worst battle and won. I would continue to fight and would not give up.
