by Lexy Timms
“Oh my gosh! He did that?” Rachel asked, moving the shirt up her arm.
“It’s no big deal. I bruise easy.”
Rachel scoffed. “I hope Ben got a few good licks in.”
Katherine actually laughed. “He did. He beat the shit out of Tim. Tim is a big guy, like football linebacker big. Ben tackled him not once, but twice.”
Rachel grinned. “That’s my boy.”
“Tim is at the hospital. He’s pressing charges.”
“Katherine, don’t worry about Ben. Not only does he have the best lawyer in town, he’s got money and power. This isn’t the end of the world. Ben is going to be fine,” she assured her.
“I hope so. Ben got hit a couple times. I hope they let a doctor look at him,” she murmured.
“Ben boxes. I know you know that. He’s been hit before. He’s going to be okay. I should call Will though. Sit tight,” she said, and went back to the desk.
Katherine listened as Rachel filled the man in as to what was happening. When she hung up the phone, she was smiling.
“Is he mad?” she asked hesitantly.
“At you? God no. He just wanted to know who won.”
Katherine thought about it. “I think Ben definitely won, but I also think Tim let him. He attacked him a second time because he knew the police were on their way. When the police got there, Ben was on top of Tim hitting him. Tim was the innocent victim and Ben was the crazy man beating on the poor man who was just trying to talk to his wife. I wished I could have hit him once.”
Rachel was smiling. “I have a feeling Ben got in a few good punches for you. I’m sorry it happened, but you have to trust me when I say this is all going to work out. Do you have somewhere to stay? I’m assuming Tim wasn’t arrested which means he is going to be coming for you.”
“I’m staying with a friend for now.”
Rachel looked at her and she could see the understanding in her eyes. “Don’t do anything until you’ve had a chance to talk to Ben, okay?”
Katherine nodded. “I won’t.”
“Promise me. Don’t run. Give him a chance to make this go away,” she said in a soft voice.
Katherine wanted to promise but couldn’t. If it looked like Tim was going to make it his mission to take Ben down, she would leave. She would not let Ben pay for her mistakes. It was bad enough he was sitting in jail, probably getting fingerprinted and his mug shot taken while she sat on his comfy couch in his office where he should have been.
It wasn’t right. Tim was going to make her life a living hell until she went back. If she did go back, her living hell would include physical torture. Her future did not look bright.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ben
BEN WAS PISSED. BEYOND pissed. He was furious. He was still stuck inside a holding cell in some bullshit limbo. He wasn’t officially in jail, but he wasn’t free to go. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he had a feeling Tim was behind it. He’d had to sleep on a hard bench with three other guys that looked like they wanted to eat him for breakfast.
He looked down at his knuckles. They were bruised and swollen. He smiled. They hurt, but it was all worth it. He would slam his fist into Tim’s face again and again.
“What are you smiling about, pretty boy?” one of his cellmates asked.
Ben looked up to see a bald man that probably weighed about three-hundred pounds glaring at him. The man had a tattoo of a knife on his neck, making him appear even more menacing.
“I’m not smiling at anyone or anything,” Ben retorted.
The giant stepped forward. Ben stood up. He wasn’t going to be intimidated. He’d probably get his ass kicked, but he wasn’t going to back down from anyone.
“You’re a smartass. A smartass pretty boy.”
Ben smiled. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“I’m already in trouble and since you’re in here with us, I’d say you were as well. Trouble has found you my friend,” the man said, his breath nearly knocking Ben backwards with its pungent aroma.
Ben braced himself to get hit. The man looked him up and down and must have decided he wasn’t worth it. He took a few steps back and returned to his bench on the other side of the cell. Ben exhaled the breath he’d been holding. His eyes drifted to the man sitting on the other end of the bench he’d been occupying all night. His bench mate was smaller than the bald dude, but the evil radiated off of him. He could feel the menacing stares coming from all three men. It was why he’d stayed up most of the night, afraid to fall asleep.
“Keep looking at me and I’m going to blind you,” the man said in a growl.
Ben knew he wasn’t lying. The man had beady dark eyes. The blood under his fingernails was slightly alarming. Ben had blood on his hands, but he had a feeling it was for very different reasons. The guy looked like a murderer, or at least what he imagined a murderer to look like. He didn’t have any real knowledge or experience. His social circles were a little different than what he was encountering in the new accommodations he was being forced to live in.
“Benson,” the guard called out and the man that had been sharing his bench stood, smiling at Ben before sauntering towards the open cell door.
Ben watched the man be led away and wondered how a man like that could get sprung from jail before him. He was witnessing the justice system first hand and came to the conclusion it was seriously broken. It wasn’t long before their little jail cell was stuffed with a fourth man. The smell of liquor was practically rolling off him in waves.
The drunken fool looked around the cell and his eyes stopped on Ben. He mumbled something and headed for Ben.
He stepped on Ben’s shoe, on accident or purpose, Ben didn’t know, but it wasn’t going to go unnoticed. He stood up, coming nose to nose with the man and nearly dropping back down on the bench. The smell of the man was sickening, but he managed to keep his cool.
“Need something?” he asked.
The man belched in his face. The smell was thick with liquor and stale cigarettes. Ben didn’t flinch.
“I want to sit right there,” he said, slurring the words.
Ben shrugged. “I guess if you think my seat is better, you go right ahead and have it.”
Ben stepped to the side, hoping the little conflict was over. It wasn’t. Tattooed bald man stepped up to him. Now he was facing off two men. The bald guy grabbed Ben by the shirt front and spun him around, slamming him into the bars of the cell.
Ben kept his cool, not flinching and not breaking eye contact. These men were used to beating the shit out of guys and probably women. He wasn’t a shrinking violet and didn’t cave in to anyone. The man sneered at him.
“Done?” Ben asked.
“Hell no, I’m not done. You seem to think you’re some hot shit in here, like your shit don’t stink,” the man growled.
Ben smiled. “I think the main difference here is that I don’t stink.”
He knew he was tempting fate. Showing any one of these men an ounce of fear would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He had to fight back with his best asset—his brain.
“You think you’re funny,” the man growled, slamming him against the bars one more time.
Ben shrugged. “I think I’m a little funny.”
The drunk behind him burst into laughter. “He is kind of funny.”
The tattooed man released his shirt and spun around to face off with his new nemesis. Ben stayed put. He felt like he’d gotten a stay of execution but wasn’t sure how long it would last. He had to get out of the cell before one of the men decided an extra ten to fifteen years tacked onto whatever charges they were facing was worth it.
“O’Leary,” the guard called out, giving Ben the escape he’d been hoping for.
He turned to face the guard. “That’s me.”
“You get your phone call,” he sneered.
Ben rolled his eyes. “My phone call? I’ve been in here how long?”
“Stay in there. I don’t give a shit.”
He was led down the hall, the guard standing over him as he picked up the phone. He didn’t think twice about who to call. He dialed Katherine’s cell phone number and held his breath, hoping she would answer.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice questioning the caller.
“It’s me. Are you okay?”
“Ben!”
“Yes. Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m at Talia’s. Where are you? Where are you calling me from?”
“Jail,” he said trying to hide the exasperation in his voice.
“What?” she gasped.
He was wondering if she hit her head. “Where did you think I was?”
“I thought you were out. Ben, I’m so sorry. I’ll call Rachel and find out what’s going on.”
“Has he called you?” he asked.
She didn’t immediately answer. “Ben, I’m going to get you out of there. Are they treating you okay?”
“He’s called you, hasn’t he?”
“I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. How’s your hand? Your eye? Did they let you see a doctor?” she asked the questions rapid fire.
“Katherine, I’m okay, really. It’s jail. I’ll survive,” he whispered into the phone, not appreciating the audience behind him.
He heard her sob and knew she was crying. “Ben, I can’t believe this is happening.”
He took a deep breath. “Katherine, I need you to stay safe. Stay out of harm’s way. I’ll be fine.”
“Ben, I’ll figure out what’s going on. I’ll make sure you’re out soon.”
He smiled, happy to know she hadn’t run. He could deal with his cellmates as long as she was outside waiting for him. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get it all worked out. I’m fine.”
The guard tapped him on the shoulder, indicating his phone call was over. He’d accomplished nothing, but hearing her voice made him feel better. He’d been unable to relax all night, terrified Tim had found her and punished her for what he had done. Every time he closed his eyes he had a vision of her being slammed into the ground, Tim’s large body smothering her as he used his fists on her.
“Katherine, call Rachel and tell her to call my lawyer, please. I have to go,” he said, rushing out the words as the guard demanded he hang up.
“Ben,” he heard her say his name, but the phone was slammed down.
He stood up, dreading his return to the cell, but glad he got to hear her voice. It would have to be enough. Hopefully she heard what he’d said. Rachel would have to be wondering where he was. She’d probably already filed a missing person’s report. Katherine said she would call Rachel. He had to assume they’d already been in touch. If that was the case, why was he still sitting in jail? His lawyer should have had him out within hours.
“Back to your cell,” the guard ordered, shoving him in the back.
Ben was already writing complaint letters in his head. The whole roughing him up thing was bullshit. Innocent until proven guilty was a real thing. These guys needed to learn that.
“Shouldn’t I be arraigned soon or something like that?” Ben asked. “You waited sixteen hours before you let me have a phone call. Is this standard operating procedure?”
The guard smirked. “Something like that. Your money doesn’t buy you shit in here. You might be rich outside this place, but in here, it’s guys like me that run the show.”
Ben turned to look at him. “Have I done something to you that I don’t know about?”
The guy shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t like guys like you. You think you can buy your way out of anything.”
Ben wasn’t going to argue. Not in here. He would pick his battles.
The cell door slid open and Ben found himself facing the most unwelcoming faces he’d ever seen.
“Looks like our pretty boy is back. Who gets first dibs?” the drunk man asked.
“Settle down boys, there’s enough of me to go around,” Ben said in a joking manner.
“Not by the time we’re finished with you,” tattooed guy replied.
For the first time since the guy had been brought into the cell, the older gentleman who’d not said a word finally spoke. “Guys like him can buy and sell you dumbasses all day long.”
The other two men stopped talking and looked at him before turning back to study Ben more carefully
“Look at those shoes. I bet they cost more than any of you will make in your lifetime.”
Ben looked at the man and wondered how he would know something like that. It wasn’t smart to go around advertising you were a billionaire, especially with men like them.
“I bought them secondhand,” Ben replied.
The older man looked him in the eyes. “Bullshit.”
“You one of those Hollywood guys? Are we sitting in the midst of greatness?” the drunk man guffawed.
Ben shrugged a shoulder. “I’m just here to do my time.”
“What’d you do?” the old man asked.
Ben smiled. “Ran a stoplight.”
All three of his cellmates chuckled. “Stick to that story and you’ll be just fine.”
Ben relaxed, taking a seat and leaning his head against the wall. He bought some time, but he knew he needed to get his ass out of that cell sooner rather than later. The next guy to come into the cell might not be quite as friendly.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was laughing at the situation. No one he knew at the office would ever believe he had spent the night in jail after beating a man to a bloody pulp. It wasn’t exactly his style. He shook his head thinking about what Rachel was going to say. He knew she wouldn’t be mad, but she was going to give him a rash of shit for it.
“He’s smiling again,” one of the guys said.
Ben’s eyes popped open and his head came forward, staring at the three men all looking back at him. This was not going to end well if he had to spend another day in that cell.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Katherine
SHE WALKED INTO THE police department and demanded to speak to someone in charge. Of course, she was essentially laughed at. She made her case again, demanding someone talk with her about Ben’s case. She was asked to wait and after thirty minutes, she was finally escorted to a desk in an open area.
“How can I help you?” a desk cop asked.
Katherine did her best not to lose her cool. She hadn’t slept all night and was ready to scream at the injustice over what was happening to Ben.
“You can help me by telling me why my boyfriend is locked up for saving my life and the man that was trying to hurt me is out free,” she said in a cool voice.
The cop, Bowers, smirked. “Miss, do you know how many times a day we hear this exact story?”
Katherine leaned forward, a dangerous smiled on her lips. “No, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I can testify to my story and that’s the one I’m here to talk about. I don’t care about anyone else or what their stories are.”
“Okay, so what can I do for you?” he asked.
She took a deep breath. “Yesterday, my husband, who I left because he beats me, showed up at my work place. My boyfriend, Ben O’Leary showed up at the right time and kept my husband from dragging me out the door to do who knows what.”
Bowers was nodding his head. “Sounds like you’ve got a rough situation on your hands.”
Katherine could see the guy didn’t care about what she was trying to say. “Ben saved me. When the police showed up, who we called in the first place, Ben was arrested, and my husband was allowed to walk free.”
“Are you in fear for your life?” Bowers asked in a far more serious tone.
She gulped down the lump in her throat. “Yes,” she whispered.
“I can’t do much about this Ben guy, that has to go through the courts, but I can give you a card with a list of services for victims of domestic violence.”
Katherine closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’v
e tried that. You’re not listening to what I’m saying. Tim Marshall is dangerous. Ben is not. Ben is locked up while Tim is roaming free. He’s going to come after me and you people have the wrong man locked up,” her voice was high-pitched as she fought back the hysteria.
She’d been trying her best to stay calm, but she knew her situation had just been magnified. Tim was going to find her. She wanted to run, but she couldn’t do that until she knew Ben was out of jail and not going to be charged with the assault.
“Does your husband live here?” Bowers asked.
“No, he lives in Los Angeles. He came here because he found me.”
“You were hiding?”
Katherine nodded. “I’ve been on the run for two years. He always finds me.”
An idea came to mind. She leaned back in the chair and lifted her shirt, pointing to the faded yellowing around her ribcage. “This is from two weeks ago. That’s what happens when he finds me.”
Bowers let out a long sigh. “Did you report the assault when it happened?” he asked in a low voice.
Katherine smiled. “No.”
“Ma’am, we can’t do anything unless you report it to the police when it happens,” he said softly.
She nodded her head, tears clouding her vision. “I’ve filed plenty of reports. Nothing ever happens. My husband is a defense attorney. A very wealthy attorney. He knows a lot of people and a lot of people owe him favors. I could file a hundred reports, it will never stick. All it does it make it worse for me. I’m only telling you this because Ben does not deserve to have his life ruined for dating me.”
Bowers looked properly sympathetic. “I’m sorry, I truly am. I’m going to make a report right now, but I need you to sign it. Will you do that?”
She nodded. “I will, but I need to find out what is holding up Ben’s release. He should have been bailed out by now.”
“Does he have a lawyer?”
Katherine grinned. “He does.”
“Sometimes, this can take a full day, especially if it’s been a busy day. I’ll tell you what, I’ll get this report made and then I’ll call the jail and see if he’s scheduled to be arraigned.”