“Did he stop?”
“Yes he did. The three of them left the room and I did not see any of them until Drew Injected me with something and I lost consciousness.”
“After you regained consciousness what happened?”
“I woke up as I was being dragged up a flight of stairs. There was daylight coming through the windows. I struggled, one of the women pushed the barrel of a gun to my head and told me to walk. I do not know which woman it was. My hands were tied in front of me. When we reached the room I was pushed to the floor, I attempted to escape, but was stopped by a blow to the head. I blacked out and when I came to, I was tied to a chair in the middle of a larger room and the sun had long set.”
“Did they talk about anything in front of you?”
“They did. Kitty told me she was going to kill me in front of Ember, that she needed to teach her a lesson. At that point I still did not know her ties to Ember. I tried to speak but realized my mouth had been taped shut. They spoke about how to get Ember to come to them. They were going to send her a photo of me, but Drew stopped them.”
Jepson looks at me, then the jury, and finally to Ember. “Why did he stop them from sending the photo?”
“He told them they were stupid and would just be leaving evidince. Karen decided to take care of it herself. I don't know what the text said, but she told me I had one hour of life left. After about twenty minutes, Karen took out a knife and sat on my lap. She put the blade against my face and ran it down to my stomach. She looked me in the eyes as she pushed it into my abdomen just a few inches from the stab wound Drew had given me. She twisted the blade while it was still inside me.”
“Did she say anything while she stabbed you?”
“No, she was quiet. Kitty yelled at her, asking why she did it. All she replied that she was bored and needed something to occupy her time. Kitty told Karen that if she wanted something to do then she should use her hands because she needed me to live till she could kill me in front of Ember.”
I finally looked to Ember again. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't rage. Her face was red and the look she was giving Kitty was murderous. Her small fists were balled so tight her knuckles were white. Her normally honey golden eyes were now dark and filled with hate. I wanted her to look at me, but she would not take her eyes off of her.
I went on with the rest of the events that transpired. Eventually Ember looked at me again. All I could see when she looked at me was pure love, it made me feel better knowing she was past the anger.
There was a small recess before Ember took the stand. I learned how she found the email and went searching for me. I can't believe she was so reckless, she never should have gone alone. As she recounted the events that happened while I was missing, my heart broke at the thought of her shutting down and shutting everyone out.
By the end of the day we had both given our testimony. Kittys lawyer tried to find holes, but there was none to be found. Ember had it worse with him than I did. He basically tried telling the jury that she was at fault due to her sluty behavior. I watned to puch that bastard so fucking hard in his lying face. He dove into our relationship and tried to make it something dirty.
Even if things were complicated between us, and the whole Kade thing, that is no reason to try to kill someone. He made it seem like we were having sex while she was still in a relationsip with Kade. She was quick to put out that fire though. We may have kissed but she never let it go further than that. The jury seemed to be disgusted with him by the end of it and Jepson said that was good for us.
∞∞∞
Day three of the trial. It seems to be the longest day of all. Both sides were calling witness after witness. Some in our favor, some not. Kittys whole family was called, but when Kade took his turn things got interesting.
“Mr. Graham, can you tell me about your relationship with your sister Kitty?” the defense attorney asked.
“Both of my sisters and I grew up very close to each other, we are only just over a year apart. We maintained that relationship.” he answered.
Ember and I were both watching him waiting for him to go on, but he said nothing else on the topic.
“Well, that is expected in such a close knit family, but tell me about you and Kitty in particular.” the lawyer asks as he grits his teeth.
“As I said, we are close in age, so growing up we were very close. We were not only siblings but friends.” Kade replied without emotion.
The defense attorney obviously figured he was going to get nowhere with this line of inquiry so he decided to move to his relationship with Ember.
“Tell the court how you met Ember Beauvoir.”
“I was introduced to Em by my father. He had been working with her mother at the time. The two of them set up a blind date for her and I to meet. We met at a small Italian restaurant for dinner.” he still spoke without an ounce of emotion in his voice or eyes.
“I see. And what was it that your father was working on with Miss Beauvoir's mother?”
“A divorce.”
“This being her second divorce after being widowed, is that correct?” he says, looking at the jury.
“I was not her lawyer, I do not know the details of it.” Kade said calmly.
“Right, but you spent over a year with Miss Beauvoir, did it never come up?”
“Her mother was none of my concern, we saw her at social events but rarely outside of that, so even if I had cared enough to ask her myself there was never a time that would have been appropriate.”
What is this guy getting at? He is trying to bring up the shitty relationship she has with her mother, using Kade as a gateway. Why?
“How would you say Miss Beauvoir and her mothers relationship was?”
Jepson cocked his head at the question, but said nothing.
“From my understanding Em was alway closer to her father and after his death she and her mother were not on the best terms.”
“Why is that?”
“I supposed that is a question for Em and her mom. I cannot answer that question as I have no knowledge of all the events in their lives.” Kade answers irritation clear in his tone. The lawyer just nods and moves on.
“How was your relationship with Miss Beauvoir in the beginning?” he asked with a smug smile.
“The beginning was like any relationship in its initial stage. She was shy and sweet. We spent nearly every spare minute together. We were happy getting to know each other.” he said staring straight at me with hate filled eyes.
Ember placed my hand in hers and squeezed it lightly. I look at her beautiful face and her growing belly. My heart fills with joy and I can tell it pissed him off.
“When would you say things began to change in your relationship with Miss Beauvoir?”
“I believe things started to change when we both let our jobs take over our lives. We neglected each other, and started to become easily agitated by each other. I think that was about eight months into our relationship.”
That was not the answer I was expecting. I was sure he was going to put the blame on me, saying she changed when I showed up.
“When did you feel that the relationship was beyond saving?” he pushed
“I never felt that way.” Kade stated, still burning holes in me with his eyes.
“Then please tell us why it ended.”
“It ended because I took her for granted. It ended because even though I still love her, she fell out of love with me.”
“She fell out of love with you? What happened to make you think that?” the lawyer pried.
“I do not think it, I know it for a fact. She told me herself.” now his gaze lays on my beautiful girlfriend. I can see the pain and sadness in his eyes, but I could never feel sorry for him. I know the way he treated her, he never deserved her.
“She told you that she was no longer in love with you? Did she give any reason?” he seems to be trying to make her out to be the one in the wrong.
“She informed me that I had been a l
ess than satisfactory boyfriend, and that I had hurt her many times with my words. So many times.” for the first time his voice shows his pain. He really does seem to love her in his own fucked up way.
“How did Miss Beauvoir and your sister Kitty get along while the two of you were in a relationship?”
“Neither of my sisters ever liked Em. They said she was beneath us and not worth my time and affections. Both of them showed their feelings openly, not caring that it affected my relationship with Em.”
“What did your sister Kitty say when you told her you had planned to propose to Miss Beauvoir?
“She informed me that she thought I was making a mistake, that I needed someone better to give the Graham name to.” he was back to being emotionless.
“And what did you say to that?”
“I told her that it was my choice and Em was the woman I chose.”
“Please tell the court how you first met Mr. Drakos.”
“I believe it was at the North Winds Gala last winter. He was speaking with Em, she introduced us.”
“What were they talking about when you got to them?”
“Honestly I have no idea what they were discussing. She was the event coordinator, so it could have been any number of things.”
“So you had no reason to think that there was something going on between them?”
“Objection.” Jepson said loudly and confidently as he stood from his seat ready to give more if needed.
“Let me rephrase the question, your honor.” he says, looking at the judge.
“Very well.” the judge waves his hand in dismissal.
“When did you begin to think that Mr. Drakos and Miss Beauvoir were more than friends?”
“The night of his launch party.” Kade says with a slight smirk. Shit, he is going to try to make me look bad.
“What happened that night that made you think there was more than friendship between Mr. Drakos and Miss Beauvoir?”
“I was speaking with Em outside, she was walking away from me, so I took her hand to get her attention. Jonas showed up at that moment and ripped her from my hands. I told me to stay away from her. To that I informed him that she was my girlfriend and it was none of his business. He punched me in the face.”
“So it was a physical altercation?”
“Yes.”
“Did Miss Beauvoir leave with you after the altercation?”
“She was working the event, so no she did not.”
The defence lawyer looked irritated that he defended her at every turn. Honestly I was thankful for it. He can paint me to be as awful as he wants but so long as he keeps her in a good light, I really don't care.
“When did you learn that Mr. Drakos and Miss Beauvoir were in a relationship?”
“I did not make it a point to keep tabs on them. I did not know of their relationship until he went missing.”
I was shocked to say the least. He really didn't know? I thought he would have had her followed with the kind of crazy he is. The lawyer didn't seem pleased by this either. Apparently he and I finally had a similar thought.
The prosecutor finally gets to take his turn questioning Kade. He stands slowly and buttons his dark gray suit jacket. He approaches Kade and smiles.
“Mr. Graham, I would like to revisit some of the questions you have answered. To start, please tell the court what happened when you did finally propose to Ember.”
“She rejected me.”
“Rejected you? Did she give you a reason?”
“As I already stated, she was no longer in love with me, and I had caused her too much pain.” I could sense the anger in him as he had to repeat that bit of information.
“While growing up, you stated you and both sisters were close. Did that ever change? Did you ever feel closer to one sister over the other?”
“I did not see either of my sisters differently from the other. Not until recently that is.”
“What was it that changed those feelings, and for which sister?”
“My feeling for Kitty changed when I learned of her involvement in causing harm to the woman I love.”
“That woman being who?”
Kade gritted his teeth and took in a deep breath. “Ember.”
Jepson turned to the jury taking small slow steps in front of them. “What was the change you felt towards Kitty?”
“I felt hurt, betrayed even.”
“When you heard that she had been taken into custody, what was your reaction?”
“I was angry that someone had dared to accuse my sister of anything that would have resulted in her being arrested.”
“At that time did you know what she was arrested for?”
Kade's jaw clenched. “No.”
“When you were informed of the charges, being a lawyer yourself, what were your first thoughts?”
“Objection your honor, this is irrelevant.” the defence lawyer shouted.
Before the judge could say anything, Jepson spoke. “Your honor I assure you that my questions will give relevant information about the character of the witness.”
The judge nods. “Overruled, please answer the question Mr. Graham.”
Kade nods at the judge before returning his attention to Jepson. “When I was informed of the charges I was contemplating how to help Kitty. I admit that once I learned that Em was one of the people she was accused of hurting, I changed my mind.”
“Why did knowing who the victim was change your attempts to help your sister?”
Kade looked down to his hands. “It changed things because I felt responsible for what Kitty did to Em.”
“Why would you feel responsible? You were not even in the country at the time of the incident?”
“If I had never confided in my sisters after being rejected, Kitty might not have done what she did.”
“Are you saying you told both of your sisters at the same time?” Jepson asks as he walks a line in front of the jury
“I did, yes.”
“How did each of them react?”
“Kara was sympathetic, she hugged me and told me I deserved better anyway. Kitty was angry at first, she yelled insults toward Em, but after a few minutes she was sympathetic.”
Jepson nods. “Please explain what you mean by feeling responsible for.” he says as he walks to stand directly in front of Kade.
He shakes his head, obviously not wanting to elaborate. “I told my sisters the details of the attempted proposal, the rejection and my suspicions of Jonas and Em. I was very angry and hurt by losing her, I don't remember everything I said, but I know that it was out of anger and jealousy. I did not mean the cruel things I said about Em, him yes, but not Em.” he says staring daggers at me.
“Ah, right. What exactly was it that you suspected Jonas and Ember of?”
“I'm not really sure. I know she would never cheat, she is too kind hearted for that, but I was afraid he would take her from me. I suppose I was entertaining the idea of the emotional bond between them growing stronger.”
“When you and Jonas got into the altercation at the plantation, did you hit him back?” he walked back to the jury again.
“I did.”
“Did that stop the altercation?”
“No.”
“Please give the court the full details of the altercation.”
Kade sighed, “We each hit the other a few times before tumbling on the ground still hitting each other. I am not sure how long the altercation was, but we were pulled apart by the security staff of the plantation.”
“What was the end result of the altercation?”
Kade looked at the prosecutor and raised his eyebrow.
“Apologies, let me rephrase. What injuries did you and Jonas have after the fight was broken up?”
“My nose was broken and my lip was split open. From what I could see of him he too had a split lip and was bleeding from somewhere above his eye.”
“After you and Jonas were pulled apart, were either of you charged?”
/>
“No, neither of us pressed charges. Nor did the plantation.”
“When you found out that Ember and Jonas are expecting a child, how did you react?”
“I reacted poorly. I trashed my house and spent the night drinking alone.”
“Ember having another man's child upset you that much?”
“Yes, and no. I was hurt by the news, I still love her and wanted the chance to win her back. The anger I felt was never directed at Em. It was at the man that now has her love, and Kitty. She could have not only killed Em, but an unborn child. An innocent baby that had no say in any of the events that preceded that night.”
It seemed like Jepson had finally gotten through the barricade Kade had put up around his emotions. A single tear slid down his right cheek. She was right when she told me that the baby being in danger would be his breaking point.
Ember had her eyes on her hands folded in her lap, she had hardly looked up the whole time Kade was on the stand. I raised my eyes past her and saw most of the jury looking at her with kind or sympathetic eyes.
“No further questions.” he says as he walks back to his seat with a satisfied look.
Chapter 29
Ember
After three days the trial is finally over, the jury has been in deliberation for over an hour. That has me worried. Will they actually buy that she is off her rocker? Well, I mean she is fucking crazy for all the shit she did, but she knew exatly what she was doing.
Jonas has been so quiet ever since yesterday when we both had to relive the events that will leave us physically and emotionally scared for the rest of our lives.
We are just sitting here with our friends and family, praying that justice will be served. I can feel all the love around me from the many people that have come to support us. All the queens are here, some of Jonas's new business associates and of course Melanie.
Melanie has been a big help over the past two months. I had to work from home for the first month, until I was able to get myself in and out of the wheelchair on my own. She came to see me almost everyday. She took care of all the things I was not able to physically do for the Blanes party. I can honestly say I would have had to give it up if she had not been there to help me.
Ribbon of Fate: Love or lust? Page 27