“We…we were always so close until Leland moved in.” Jessica’s voice filled with tears.
“You will be again, Jess. Give it time. Besides, once you’ve started this process, it’s no longer yours to continue. Your mother may not want Leland to be charged with a crime, but it is now in the District Attorney’s hands.”
“But what if I don’t testify?” Jessica sniffed and drew away. “Mother told me to withdraw the complaint and not to testify.”
“It’s out of our hands. And you had a rape test, remember? They have the evidence.” She wouldn’t tell the girl how much they needed her testimony to ensure a conviction. “Your mother is not thinking this through. I suspected she’d talked with Leland. What did he tell her?”
“That I tried to seduce him. That I got undressed just to entice him, and that he locked me in the room and was waiting until she got there – so that she could deal with me.”
“That will all be disproved once we get the rape test results. And I was there, remember? I’ll testify and Professor Stephens will, too.”
Jessica leaned her head back against Alexis’ shoulder. The tears started again. “I don’t know if it will matter. Leland will think of something else to tell her. And, Professor Jergenson?”
“Yes?”
“Mom thinks I should get an abortion.”
***
Bam. Bam. Bam.
The sound echoed throughout the house. Luke stared into the darkness and rolled over in bed to see the clock. The fluorescent glow showed after midnight.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
What in the world? Who would pound his door this time of night? Whoever it was, whatever it was, it had to be important. He sat up and leaned forward. Grabbing the crutches that leaned against the dresser, he slipped his arms into the cuffs, stood and made his way to the living room.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
When he checked the side window, surprise ricocheted through him. He flipped the lock on the door and swung it wide. “Alexis?”
Her arms were crossed over her chest, hands clutching each forearm, the car keys dangling from one fist. “I’m sorry, I…” Her eyes darted to his crutches then dropped to his leg.
He opened the door wider and limped backward.
Her gaze rose to meet his. “You…are you okay?”
“Yes. Come in.” The flannels he wore tonight had one leg cut off below the stump. That look jolted most people into his reality, and Alexis had never seen him with the crutches, either. He focused on her a moment then closed the door. “I don’t wear the prosthetic at night. I use the forearm crutches if I have to get up.”
Her eyes dropped again. “You didn’t that first night.”
“Because I knew you’d wake at some point. I waited.” And this discussion could wait, too. Something else had forced her from the warmth and safety of her condo. “What’s wrong?”
“I…” She brought her gaze back to his. “Jessica. The baby. I…”
“Is she okay?”
“Yes. I…”
“The baby?”
“Yes. For now. Her mom’s been pushing for an abortion, though. I just found out tonight. Plus. I…” She stopped.
He bent his head, saw the moisture start around her eyes. The urge to pull her into his arms flooded him. He dropped his focus to the crutches, fought the frustration. “Come sit down. The fire’s barely alive, but I’ll stoke it.”
He let her precede him into the room and find a chair – the same one she’d slept in the night of the storm. She curled up in it and put her head down. He went to the fire.
She’d come all this way in the middle of the night – to him. The thought both warmed and bothered him. What had happened?
When the flames began to jump, he turned and studied her. Her head was still bent, but her shoulders shook. A jolt went through him. He’d seen the tears but heard nothing. Her soundless crying shook him.
He put the poker back and slipped his arm back into the other crutch. He hadn’t felt awkward in awhile. He did now, but it was nothing compared to whatever had brought her here.
Three steps, and he stopped beside her. “Come sit with me.”
She shook her head. “I’m…fine.”
“I can’t fight you and handle the crutches. Be good. Come on over.” He enclosed her hand in his and gave it a gentle tug.
She didn’t move. He tugged again, swung around and moved to the couch.
“Alexis?” He slid his arms out of the crutches and set them down beside the sofa. When she glanced at him, he put out his hand.
Slipping off the chair, she walked to the sofa. He reached for her, entwined her fingers with his and pulled her down next to him. She came to rest against the leg that ended in a stump, but he couldn’t help that.
His eyes focused on the chair she’d just left. No purse there. She hadn’t brought her gun? She’d come to talk to him and left her purse with the gun in the car? Was that an oversight or did she trust him?
“They’re going to withdraw the complaint.”
He brought his mind back. “Who? Jessica and her mom?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded thick.
No wonder she’d come. He slipped an arm around her. “I can’t believe Jessica wants to withdraw the complaint. It must be Dawn.”
“It is. Jessica is struggling, but…she really wants to do the right thing.”
“Is this something that happens often? People withdrawing the complaint?”
“Yes, too often.”
“She’ll change her mind.”
“Maybe.”
She leaned into him, her face against his chest. He stilled for a moment, not moving, just looking down at the firelight playing off her hair. Slowly, he tightened his arm and dropped his mouth against the top of her head.
“Alexis?”
She said nothing. The spot under her face felt cool and wet. Her tears soaked his t-shirt. He reached behind her and drew the throw from the back of the couch and wrapped it around them. Her shoulders began to shake.
Lord, tell me what to do.
“If God is so good…” Her voice came muffled and thick, and he strained to understand what she was saying. “Why does he allow this? Over and over?”
Luke stroked her hair. “I wondered the same thing when my foot was blown off, and when Teresa left. Why is this happening, God? I think everyone does when things go wrong. It doesn’t mean He’s not there. The world we live in has so many problems, so much evil. We choose the good; not everyone does. At least, we know we have a choice, and we know what to choose.”
She lifted her head. The firelight caught her tears, and his heart jerked. He brushed them off with his thumb.
“You were unsure of Dawn from the start, weren’t you? I want justice in this, too. More than I’ve wanted a lot of things. Even if they won’t testify, we will.”
“This guy deserves to go to jail,” Alexis said.
“Agreed. Did she say why?”
“Jessica? She’s just doing what her mom wants. Her mom thinks she’s lying and believes Leland’s version of the story.”
“What?” A fire started inside him. “What version? We saw her. We were there. Doesn’t her mother know that?”
“She’s listening to Leland.”
“How can the woman do that?” He fought to control the rising anger. It wouldn’t help Alexis. “Doesn’t she care about her daughter?”
“She thinks by ignoring it, by aborting the baby, Jessica’s life will get back to normal. She has no idea what she’s saying. Life is never the same. You can’t just wish it away. And aborting the baby? When Jessica believes the way she does? That would add more trauma. There is no easy fix for this. It is a tragedy and must be treated as such, not ignored.”
He let the silence hang for a second as he digested her words. “But Dawn was at the hospital with Jessica. Isn’t she still angry about what Leland did?”
“She arrived after the rape test. Jessica had cleaned up and put on that pai
r of scrubs the nurse gave her, remember? Her mother wasn’t there to see what she looked like before. And Leland told her Jessica fought him when he locked her in the room. That’s why she was beat up.”
“The rape test will have his DNA, won’t it?”
“Yes, but it takes a while for the results to come.”
“Still, it will prove her daughter is telling the truth, prove that the rape happened.”
“No, it doesn’t prove rape. It only proves they had sex. They have her deposition, but Jessica’s testimony is still critical. It’s amazing how much people can ignore when they want to believe a lie.” He blew out a breath in frustration. “You tried to convince Jessica, I’m sure. Do you want me to talk with her?”
“You can.” She swiped at a tear.
“So, without her testimony…?”
“They’ll offer him a plea bargain. Have him plea to a lesser crime or get a lesser sentence.” Her voice grated. “It happens more than you think.”
“You hate it.”
Her eyes rose to search his. “The perpetrator gets off. He’s out. To do it again. But often you have to do it to get a conviction, but back in Atlanta, my boss pushed for trial whenever he could.”
Luke tightened his arms once more. After a minute, she drew away, leaving cool dampness in place of her warmth.
“I’m sorry.” She straightened. “I shouldn’t have come. You were asleep.”
“Don’t apologize. I don’t mind.”
“I moved here to get away from this. The…the cases, the abuse, the rape. I didn’t think I could take anymore, and I’m right in the middle again. I talked with the prosecutor after Jessica and her mom went, but they are much more laid back here than we are in Atlanta. And, of course, they want a solid case to prosecute. I wanted to shake the woman.”
He tried to see her face. “Are they more laid back here or more laid back than you want them to be?”
Her eyes focused on his for a moment then dropped. “Every time I prosecuted a case and the defendant got off, it was like it happened all over again.”
He stilled. “What happened all over again?”
She didn’t answer. The silence lengthened. Finally, she cleared her throat. “If the victim gives testimony, we often have a good case; but too often, the victim bails.”
“Like now.”
“Yes.”
“It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t take it personally.” He moved a thumb across her jaw. “Alexis, it’s like what happened all over again?”
Her head dipped. Silence. He waited, watching the fire, praying wordlessly.
“I…I was raped at sixteen.”
His insides clenched, and his arm across her shoulders tightened. He’d known it. Inside, he’d known it.
“He held a knife to my throat and…and threatened to kill me.” Her voice broke. She cleared it again. “Every time one of them gets off, it’s like he’s getting away with it again. Like they’re both getting away with it.”
“Both?”
“Yes, I…”
Two men had raped her when she was sixteen, or she’d been raped at sixteen and again later? A fire started inside. Either way, he’d like to get hold of the men for five minutes. Just five minutes. His jaw tightened, but he waited a moment before he spoke. “They never caught them?”
“No. I mean…I…” She stopped.
“Did you know them? What hap—” He hesitated, swallowed, and forced a gentler tone into his next question. “Can you tell me about it?”
Her hesitation was longer. “I can try.”
Chapter 12
Alexis’ hands tightened on the wheel. The drive to Luke’s place felt odd this time. Calling this a date threw her, even if he hadn’t said the word. She hadn’t either until this morning. When he asked yesterday, between classes, she could tell he had waited for her.
“Come ride,” he said. “Mandy and Sandy need the exercise, and so do I. It’s great to ride through the trees this time of year, but the leaves are almost gone. They’ll be bare soon.”
“I don’t—”
“You pick the time – morning or afternoon. Don’t say no.”
Students passed and turned their heads toward them. Everyone would be aware he’d asked her out if she didn’t move this along.
“Okay. All right, but I have a few errands in the morning.”
He winked at her and turned. “Any time tomorrow is fine.” And he disappeared in the opposite direction.
Just exercising the horses, that’s all they were doing.
His care the other night, the gentleness that followed his anger and had surprised her. She understood anger against the perpetrators, had felt it many years; but his concern for her touched something deep that she hadn’t dealt with yet.
Pulling into the long drive, she remembered the downpour that first night. He had said, “Trust me,” and while she had not depended on it, she found out that she could, indeed, trust him. Everything he did, he did with integrity.
She liked his solidness – not just the physical – but the solid way he lived his life. He followed his beliefs. She always admired people who lived what they believed, acted out the main precepts in their lives.
The cool November air rushed around her as she climbed from the Jaguar. She grabbed her jacket from the passenger seat and slipped it on. The sky shimmered with an intense aqua shade, and the huge sassafras tree in front of the big bay window glowed with a thin covering of orange and red leaves. The colors against the sky awed her for a minute.
Such beauty, like when she’d spotted Maximus running along the road. That same wonder filled her now. She understood belief in God on days like these.
The bang, bang, bang of hammering reached her. She listened until it ceased and headed toward the back. Rounding the corner of the house, she saw Luke and stopped.
He held a long section of wooden fencing in front of him. He was shirtless. As he swung the rail toward the fence, the muscles in his arms and across his chest jumped.
“Give me a minute, Alexis.”
He’d seen her. So had the dog. Farley ran forward, circled and lifted his head. She patted it, watching Luke as he turned and settled the rail into the notched poles that were ready for it. Muscles bulged across his back.
She wasn’t a prude, but, really, couldn’t the man wear a shirt? It was cool today.
He straightened, turned her way and gave a welcoming smile. “I’m doing away with the wire fence. When I sit on the deck, I want to see wood. What do you think?”
Think? For a moment, she wondered what he’d asked. She stared at a large tattoo of a cross on the inside of his right arm before looking past him to the rolling land. “You mean about the fence?”
“Yes.” He waved at a long section that he’d finished. “What do you think?”
She focused on the fence. “It’s nice. I understand what you mean.” She shifted her gaze over to the barn then back to the fence. “I like it.”
He nodded and smiled and walked her way.
Alexis looked past him again and took a step backward. “Are the horses in the barn?”
“Yes. You’re up to a ride, right? I didn’t mean to push you yesterday.”
“I’m fine. Yes, I’d love to ride.” One of the horses whinnied. She turned and headed to the barn.
Luke studied her. Her quick, long steps took her to the building, and she disappeared through the doorway. He frowned.
Except for one glance, she’d looked every place but at him and took off like Farley after a squirrel. What was wrong? He hadn’t had time to upset her, but she sure hadn’t wanted to look at him. He glanced at the barn, staring at the doorway where she’d disappeared.
She’d acted as if…
He walked over to the fence post, grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. He didn’t need the jacket. The morning had started cool but felt warm as he worked. So, he’d taken his shirt off and dropped it next to his jacket.
Nah. That could
n’t be what bothered her. Could it? He felt the beginnings of a grin and swallowed it before heading her way.
She stood at the far end, brushing Mandy. His body blocked some of the sunlight, but she didn’t turn around.
“Alexis.”
She didn’t look at him. “Yeah?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’m fine. I told you. I use to do this at the stable.”
“I brushed them and cleaned their hooves earlier.”
He walked over to her, leaned forward and took the brush from her hand. In slow motion, she turned and raised her head. He watched closely. Relief filled her eyes when she looked at him, but her cheeks were flushed.
Putting on the shirt had been a smart move, but he couldn’t control his grin this time. “Are you hot?”
Her eyes rounded, and she twisted back to the mare.
He sucked in his breath. Idiot. What kind of question was that? The one at the top of his head, but he hadn’t meant to say it. “I meant…you look warm. Do you want something to drink?”
“I’m fine.” She shoved past him and marched out of the barn.
She was fine all right, but warmth wouldn’t flush her cheeks today. It had to be something else. His grin was back. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her, but she’d caught him off guard. Better get the horses saddled before she stalked off and went home.
“Alexis.” He made his voice rough. “I can’t get all three. Come help, will you?”
When she appeared again, he kept his look and tone level. “If you can saddle Mandy, I’ll get Sandy and then Max.
“We’re taking all three?”
“I’ll ride Sandy. You can lead with Mandy.” He led Sandy to where the saddles sat on the wall mounts he’d made. He threw a blanket on and straightened it, before settling the saddle on top. “We’ll take her out for a while then bring her back, then take a better ride with just Max and Mandy.”
“Okay.”
“You want a run, too?” He pointed to the other saddle. Blankets sat on top of it. As he moved away, she brought Mandy to the saddle mounts.
“I’d love a good run.”
“How long has it been since you’ve ridden?”
Looking for Justice: Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense (Dangerous Series Book 4) Page 11