Several weeks before her first graduate semester was scheduled to begin, everything changed. She stepped out of her apartment into a nightmare. She’d lived four years away from Mossy Creek, away from the fear of running into her family. She’d had peace and it exploded that morning when she stepped out of her apartment and straight into a living Hell.
Miss Olivia leaned forward and handed me a copy of a police report. My mother’s face stared out at me. At least I thought it was Mom. Her face was swollen and bruised. Her right eye so swollen, she couldn’t open it. My breath caught and my heart pounded as I stared at the picture. Without a word, I handed the report to Drew.
“What happened?” My voice, barely more than a whisper, broke the silence of the room.
“Her brothers and several others were waiting for her. From what she told the police, Mathew said it was time for her to come home. She refused and tried to run back inside.” Miss Olivia paused, as if giving me time to stop her if I wanted to. Part of me wanted to do just that, but I didn’t. Instead, I nodded for her to continue.
And wished I hadn’t.
The four men surrounded Mom. When she refused to go with them, they forced her back into her apartment. She’d tried to scream and one of them hit her in the stomach, cutting her off. Once behind locked doors, they beat her, telling her she’d asked for it. All she had to do was agree to come home with them. She had to agree.
Tears ran down my cheeks. Those four men, two of whom were her brothers and should have protected her, beat Mom. Then her brothers stood back and encouraged the others to rape her. She was a slut, they all knew it. Let her spread her legs for them since she’d been spreading them for so many others.
“Only one of the men did as the Luíseach brothers demanded. The other one left the apartment, waiting outside for them. The one who remained was a member of the same church.” Miss Olivia spat out the word. “He didn’t hesitate. With the others urging him on, he raped your mother and more. They left her in her room, threatening worse if she ever told anyone or if she ever came back to Mossy Creek.”
“The police report?” I asked coldly.
“Friends came to check on Faith because she didn’t show up for breakfast. They found her unconscious and called the police. Even though she named her attackers, the district attorney chose not to file charges. The four alibied one another as being more than an hour away at the time of the attack and he didn’t want to get into a he said-she-said situation.”
I stared at her for a moment, unable to believe my ears. Then, fury filling me, I was on my feet and moving toward the front door. The authorities might not have given my mother justice but, by God, I would. I would avenge what they’d done to her. They would pay, especially her brothers.
Brothers! They were anything but. Brothers were supposed to protect their sisters, look out for them. Not defile and assault them.
Energies swirled around me, fed by my fury. As if from a distance, I heard Drew call my name. Quinn dove for me, whether to tackle me or what, I didn’t know and I didn’t care. I thrust my left hand in her direction and a gust of wind struck her and pushed her back. She cursed and rolled along the floor.
“Meg, no!” Miss Serena said.
At the same time, I felt the house reacting, probably to both Quinn and her mother. The sounds of the doors and windows locking were barely audible over the wind whirling around me. Not that a locked door could, or would, stop me. Just as I had with Quinn, I thrust my left hand out in front of me. A gust of wind battered the door. My eyes widened, and I bared my teeth as nothing happened. Anger built. Fools! Did they really think they could stop me?
Stop.
“Meg, no.”
Annie’s voice, calm and reasonable, stopped me. Hands fisted at my sides, I turned from the door that refused to open. The others, all except for Quinn, stood there, expressions worried, maybe even scared. Annie stepped forward, stopping to help Quinn to her feet. Together, they moved closer.
“Meg, you can’t,” Annie said softly. The compassion in her eyes almost broke me but my anger was too great.
“They raped her!” I rasped. “Those bastards beat her and raped her. You saw the pictures.” I motioned to the police report laying forgotten for the moment on the sofa.
“And we will get them for it,” Quinn said. “But not like this.”
“How?” I demanded. “You know as well as I do that the statute of limitations has run. They got away with it, just like they got away with everything else they did to her.” Tears streaked my face as my heart broke for my mother and all she’d suffered.
“There are other ways, more effective ways, to deal with them, Meg.” Annie took another step forward. She kept her eyes locked on mine, as if willing me to believe her, to trust her.
“They raped her.” Pain tore through me. “Oh, God.”
I pushed past Annie and Quinn as I ran for the nearest bathroom. As I threw myself at the commode, I heard them telling everyone else to stay back. My stomach rebelled and heaved as the truth hit me. They’d raped Mom and I was the result.
“Shh,” Annie soothed as she pulled my hair back.
Water ran in the sink and a moment later a damp washcloth was laid against the back of my neck. My friends knelt on either side of me, holding me, supporting me physically and emotionally, as I emptied my stomach. Unfortunately, I couldn’t purge the realization not only of what Mom went through but of the rest of it. I’d known she was strong but I’d never known how strong.
Oh God, what she went through.
“Come here,” Annie said as Quinn helped me to my feet a lifetime later.
She held out her arms and drew me close. I don’t know how long we stood there, our arms around one another, Quinn joining us. These two women, my friends – my sisters – cried with me. Then, when I finally stepped back, not as easy as it sounds with the three of us in a rather small half-bath, they waited, giving me the chance to be the first to speak.
“Quinn!” I reached out to touch the cut running down her cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She shrugged it off. “We’ll give you all the time you need.” She hugged me once again and waited as Annie did the same. Then they left the bathroom, closing the door behind them.
Tempting as it was to stay in the bathroom, I couldn’t. Nor could I forget what those bastards did to Mom or all she sacrificed for me. She could have had an abortion. She could have given me up for adoption. But she didn’t. Despite what happened, she gave birth to me and she raised me. She loved me. Now I owed her justice and I would get it.
But before I did that, I needed to do something else. Someone else was hurting just as much as I was. I might have made a mad dash to the bathroom so I wouldn’t vomit in the middle of the living room, but I’d seen the pain on Miss Serena’s face. Worse, I’d seen how she blamed herself. I couldn’t let that continue.
I felt everyone’s eyes on me as I returned to the living. I nodded, my eyes on Miss Serena. Pale, tears pooling in her eyes, she looked as if someone had ripped her heart out. I rushed to her, kneeling next to her chair. We reached for one another and held on. Just held on as we cried for a woman we’d both loved so much.
“Miss Olivia,” I began, running a hand under my nose and sniffling. “Thanks for not trying to hide it or protect me.”
She didn’t say anything, just nodded once.
“I want to know the rest of it.” I blew out a breath.
“Not right now,” Judith said firmly, much to my surprise.
When I opened my mouth to object, she shook her head. To my surprise, she looked angry. Instead of explaining, she moved to stand in front of me and pulled my shirt up. The bandage Miss Serena had applied earlier needed changing. Blood seeped from it. I swallowed hard and felt my knees grow weak. Instantly, Drew appeared at my side. He gently lifted me in his arms.
“Take her up to her room. I’ll be right there,” Judith said.
“We will be right there,” Miss
Serena corrected.
“Miss Olivia?” I twisted in Drew’s arms, looking at the woman.
“We can talk later, Meg.” She set the files down and hurried to where Drew stood. Her hand rested on my shoulder and then slid down my arm to grip my hand. “You have done your mother proud. I didn’t know her well, but I knew enough to know she loved you with her whole heart. You remember that and call me when you’re ready to talk.”
She turned and, with Beth at her side, left the house. Before the door closed behind her, Lucas stepped forward. His expression stormy, he shoved his fists into his pockets. Then, as Quinn slid her arm around his waist, he took a deep breath and shook himself. Then he leaned over and lightly kissed my cheek.
“I have enough to start asking certain people some very hard questions, Meg. If you have no objections.”
Tears once again pricked at my eyes. He wanted to get to the bottom of what had been going on, but he would step away from it if I asked. God, was this what having real friends was like?
“Find your answers, Lucas. I need to know.”
“Then I’m going to get things rolling. I’ll be back later and will fill you in if you’re up to it.”
I watched as Quinn walked him to the door, their heads together as they spoke so softly I couldn’t hear them.
“Let’s get you upstairs,” Drew said softly.
I nodded, too tired to talk. Hell, I was too tired to think. I wanted nothing more than to hide from the world for a while.
I woke to a soft knocking at the door. As I prepared to get up, an arm tightened around my waist, holding me close. A smile touched my lips to feel Drew stretched out at my back. But another knock, not to mention my bladder, reminded me I had other things to deal with before my life was my own again.
I slid out of bed and pulled the sheet over Drew. Affection filled me as I looked down at him. He’d kicked off his shoes and stretched out, holding me close, after Miss Serena and Judith finished treating me. Then he’d talked, just talked, his soft voice soothing me, reminding me there was still good in the world. Obviously, he’d fallen asleep and I didn’t have the heart to wake him.
I opened the door enough to slip through before closing it behind me. Quinn stood in the hallway. For a moment, she studied me. Then she gave me a quick hug before telling me to come downstairs with her. As we started down the hallway, Apollo and Athena padded after us and I realized then they must have been outside the door while Drew and I slept.
“What is it?” I asked. “Has something else happened?”
“Someone tried to get onto Miss Serena’s property.” She shook her head before I could ask any of the questions that popped into my head. “He didn’t manage it, and Lucas has him in custody. Believe me, that house and the grounds are even better protected than this one is.”
“Miss Serena and Amy?”
“Miss Serena was here and Amy was in the gatehouse. Both are fine, just pissed.” She led me into the kitchen and motioned for me to have a seat. “Sam took Annie home after Drew carried you upstairs. Mom and Miss Serena are resting.” She poured us both mugs of coffee before joining me.
“But?”
“You and I need to talk.”
I nodded grimly, pretty sure I knew what she wanted to talk about. I’d turned my talent on her. Fortunately, she hadn’t been hurt badly. But even that was too much.
“Quinn, don’t worry. I’ll be out of here a soon as I can call a cab.” I’d go to Miss Serena’s and check on Amy. Then I’d find someplace else to stay. I’d done the unthinkable earlier. I’d lost control and used my talents against innocents.
“What?” She looked at me in surprise. Then she rolled her eyes. “No, stupid. That’s not what I was going to say.” She tilted her head back and stared that the ceiling for a moment before looking back at me. “God, you thought I was going to kick you out because you tossed me on my ass?”
I nodded.
“Hell, Meg. I would have been shooting fire at anyone foolish enough to get in my way had I been in your position. Don’t worry about it. I’m certainly not.” She waited until I nodded. “What I was going to say is we now have another motive, maybe two, for what’s been going on since your arrival.”
Another nod. I’d already thought of that.
“No one will blame you if you don’t want to learn who the bastards were who went with your uncles and hurt your mother.” She covered my hand with hers and, when I looked up from my mug, anger burned in her eyes. “But I want your permission for Miss Olivia to tell me who they were and who the attorneys in Dallas are.” The look she gave me stopped me from interrupting. “Meg, this is my sort of fight, not yours. Hell, it’s my job. We need to know if the attorneys said anything to the Luíseachs about finding your mother. We need to know if they said anything about you. That’s the first line of inquiry.”
“I know.” I lifted my mug and sipped, not tasting the coffee. It was simply something to do with my hands as I considered what she said. “I need those answers, Quinn, as well as a description of the estate now. Miss Olivia will have the original documents, but they won’t be up-to-date.” Unless she found trustee reports from over the years.
“Annie can handle that for you. In fact, it will be best if she does.”
“I’ll talk with her about it in the morning.”
“Thank you.” Quinn leaned back and smiled slightly. “If you’ll also talk with Miss Olivia and tell her you’re letting me handle the rest of it.”
It wasn’t quite a question but not an order either. What it was, I realized, was Quinn’s desire to not only help me but to protect me as well.
“She’s going to let us handle it,” Drew said firmly from the doorway. He moved to the counter and poured himself a mug of coffee and then joined us at the table. As he did, he squeezed my shoulder and then sat next to me.
“No,” I corrected. “What we’re going to do is let me think about everything I’ve learned. I need to look at my mother’s papers again.”
“Meg,” Quinn started. She closed her mouth when Drew shook his head.
“There is one thing that bothers me about this latest attack.” I moved my mug across the tabletop, drawing circles with it as I tried to put my thoughts into words. “My mother’s birth family hates Others. I don’t know if it’s because they are scared of our talents or jealous of them. But it does bring up a question: would they trust an Other to do their dirty work?”
For a moment, neither answered. I waited, giving them time to consider what I’d said. Drew took my hand and held it, as if anchoring us together. A smile touched my lips as his thumb traced lazy circles on the back of my hand. Then, seeing the look of approval in Quinn’s eyes, I scooted closer to Drew and rested my head against his shoulder.
“I’ll admit you have a point,” he said finally. “But it is the only thing that makes sense right now, at least until we know more about what happened to your mother and if there’s any chance it ties into the other day.”
“But,” Quinn took up and I remembered what she’d said about one of her talents. She saw patterns in events and, from the unfocused look in her eyes, I wondered if she saw those patterns now and, if so, what conclusions they led to. “As twisted as old lady Luíseach is, I can see her doing it to not only throw suspicion off of them but to turn public opinion against the Others in town.”
I didn’t like it, but she could be right.
“All right. We don’t mark them off the list of suspects.” I stood and moved away from the table. As I did, Apollo prepared to follow me. I gave the hand signal for him to stay. A moment later, I stared out the kitchen window, a little surprised to realize it was now early evening. How long had Drew and I been asleep? Not that it mattered. “Quinn, give Annie a call and tell her we talked. I’d like to meet with her and Miss Olivia in the morning before docket call.”
“Meg.”
Something in Drew’s voice had me turning to face him. When I did, he looked torn and I remembered Lucas telli
ng him he needed to report for duty the next day. Affection and understanding filled me. He knew his duty to the sheriff’s department and to Mossy Creek, but he wanted to be with me.
“Drew, I’ll tell you everything when we meet for lunch. I promise.”
Funny how I assumed we’d meet for lunch as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“You’d better,” was all he said.
“I will.” Then I turned my attention to Quinn. “You can’t be involved either, Quinn. I won’t risk you getting involved in something that can blow back on you professionally.”
“Screw that, Meg.” When I said nothing, just stood there with my arms crossed as I stared her down, she frowned and shook her head in frustration. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go with you tomorrow because, whether you realize it or not, whoever attacked you came into my jurisdiction with whatever the perp tainted his blade with. However, if it begins to look like we need someone to work outside the boundaries, we’ll bring in Sam.”
For a moment, I considered what she said. As I did, I remembered Annie telling me how Sam had worked to help clear her mother of the murder charges against her. Since then, I’d done some research of my own and learned he was one of the best investigators in this part of the state. Rather than argue, I nodded once and Quinn accepted that as my agreement.
“Now that’s settled, I’m going to take the dogs for a walk and then go pick up Ali.” Quinn pushed back her chair and climbed to her feet. “Promise me you won’t go outside the fence, Meg.”
“I promise.” I had too much to think about to consider going out, much less going anywhere else. “But I’m going to need a car tomorrow.”
Oh God, Miss Serena’s Land Rover was still at the office!
Drew took one look at my face and broke out laughing. Quinn followed suit. I’m glad someone found the situation funny because I sure as hell didn’t. Anything could have happened to the SUV in the last few days. Birds could have pooped on it. Dogs could have peed on it. Someone might have dinged a door. Hell, it could have gotten dirty.
I was halfway out the kitchen in search of my wallet and keys when Drew caught up with me. His hand closed around my arm and he stopped me. Amusement danced in his eyes as he backed me up against the wall. I narrowed my eyes at him and waited, trying to decide if I should push past him or wait to see what he had to say.
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