"Are you ready to go back and see them?"
She let out a sigh. "Alright," she said, dragging out the word.
Roger was sitting on the porch and jumped to his feet when he saw us walking up the sidewalk. "Hey, button, I'm so sorry-" he started.
"No," she said cutting him off. "I'm not leaving my mom. I was nice to your wife, because I knew something was wrong. Now that the truth is out…" she shook her head and walked inside. I followed after, not saying anything.
This was such a mess, and I wasn't sure how Roger would clean it up. When it came time to leave, Emily asked to come home with Trent and me. I didn't know how he would take her asking. He had just found out that her mother and his father were the instigators of several costly lawsuits and investigations.
He looked over at Emily, who was leaning into my side, and then he looked over at his mother. I wasn't sure if Maylene wanted to try and get to know Emily better or let her come with us. Emotions were still running pretty high, but I'd told Emily I'd help get her back with Katherine, and I think that was why she wanted to stay with us.
Maylene conceded, when she saw the glare Emily was giving Roger. I think she realized she wasn't the only one who needed cooling down. Even if Maylene wanted to believe Roger had only done her wrong, his actions had affected us all, especially Trent.
We were given Katherine's flight information, and I promised to pick her up. I didn't know what she looked like, but I knew Emily would recognize her. Trent told me to do my best not to stare. I didn't know what he was talking about, until I saw her for myself.
Emily ran up to a woman who was half bald, with a severe burn scar down the left side of her face and neck. It looked like she was missing an ear. I did my best not to look startled, when Emily ran and practically jumped into her arms. She pulled her over to me with a wide smile. "This is my mom, Aunt Katherine. Mom, this is Clara, Trent's girlfriend. They have kids, and I got to hold her baby. She's tiny, and her name is Katherine, too, but they call her Katie!"
"From what I understand, I owe you a great deal. If it wasn't for you, I don't know what would've happened to my little girl," she said pulling me into a hug. "Is Trent here?" she asked hopeful.
"He's actually at home with the kids. I didn't know if you had hotel accommodations, but I have a twin bed and a couch."
"I slept on the couch last night. You can sleep on the bed," Emily smiled.
"That's very sweet of you. I think I'll take you up on it. I'm not sure how welcoming the others in the family will be."
I put her bag in the trunk and headed for my apartment.
"How is Trent really taking it?" she finally asked.
"Sabrina's husband has been coming after him for the last few years, trying to ruin his life and reputation. He was recently abducted along with our little boy and shot, because of the mess Roger started, so I wouldn't hold my breath."
"Oh, my heavens! I had no idea! Roger doesn't tell me anything. I had no idea what was going on over here."
"Well, hopefully with Mr. Hamilton in jail, things will calm down."
"I don't know how long that's going to last."
"What do you mean?"
"I've spoken with the police here. They said he had legitimate employment papers with the camp, and when I signed her camp admission papers, I did sign one for fieldtrips, which they're claiming she was on."
"Are you serious? Are they really going to let him go?"
"It's looking that way."
"That's insane! That's going to kill Trent. The only peace he had was knowing Hamilton was put away. I have to tell Trent's lawyer and private investigator. Maybe they can come up with something, some kind of proof of something!" I cried, exasperated. It looked like our reprieve would be over sooner rather than later.
"I'm definitely not letting it go, especially now that I know what he's done to Trent as well. It's obvious now that it wasn't some crazy fluke of coincidence that Emily was his wife's daughter."
"Daughter? My birth mother is somehow involved in this?" Emily asked from the back seat.
"Not her, dear, her husband. I think it's best if you stick with an adult at all times from here on out, until we can figure out what he's trying to accomplish. I don't want him trying to take you again." Emily looked worried, so Katherine tried to reassure her. "He may be married to your birth mother, but I'm your mom, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
That seemed to appease Emily for the time being. We pulled up in front of my building, and I could see Tyler looking out the front window, jumping on the couch.
"That's Tyler, I'm his aunt," Emily announced proudly.
"That's every exciting," Katherine answered with a genuine smile.
Trent opened the door before I could.
"I told you they were back!" Tyler squealed.
I took my baby girl from Trent and watched his expression, worried how he'd react to them staying here. I knew he was okay with Emily, but I didn't know if he blamed his aunt for the mess he was in as well.
"Aunt Katherine," he said with a curt nod.
She stepped forward with tears in her eyes and cupped his cheeks. I was surprised he didn't pull away. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I had no idea how this was effecting your life."
"It's not your fault. You were just cleaning up your little brother's messes like always." It sounded almost like he was letting her off the hook, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he hadn't.
"What happened to your head?" Tyler asked and embarrassed me. He was still at that age where he would blurt out offensive questions without a second thought.
Katherine must have been used to it, because she sat on the couch with a smile and waved him over. "When I was much younger, a neighbor boy played with matches. He caught his house on fire, and it spread to my house. I couldn't get out fast enough. My parents were trapped, and I wanted to get them out, but I couldn't. I listened to my mom and saved my little brother, but not before the fire caught up with me. I was able to keep him safe, though. Now you know to never play with fire, right?" she asked in a kind voice.
Tyler's eyes were wide with promise when he nodded yes. "Does it hurt?" he asked with worry.
"No, would you like to touch it?"
He reached up and touched it gently. "It feels soft, Momma, feel."
"No, that's alright, I believe you."
"Do you want me to kiss it better?" he asked her.
"That would be very sweet. Your daddy used to kiss it better all the time, too," she said and winked at Trent. Tyler kissed her cheek lightly and then stepped back with a wide smile. "There, all better."
I showed Katherine to Tyler's room and shot off a text to Maylene that I had picked up her sister-in-law. I honestly didn't know how Maylene would react to seeing her again.
Once everyone was tucked in for the night, I found Trent sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. I climbed on the bed behind him and started to rub his shoulders.
"Seeing her…you know she and my dad were in foster care for six years. As soon as she turned eighteen, she took custody of my dad and raised him herself. They both received a huge settlement from the property owners of the apartment they'd lived in.
"The fire escapes weren't maintained, and my grandparents' window was painted shut. They'd smashed it, but had no place to go. My grandfather actually bled to death from the cut he sustained from breaking it. My grandmother was heavily pregnant at the time, and she couldn't get out of the third story window.
"When my aunt realized she couldn't get out with my dad, she went to the bathroom and broke the small window by the shower, trying to get air. She turned the water on, but that didn't stop the fire from reaching them. The fresh air from the busted window actually pulled the fire toward them faster. She hung a towel out the window, so the fire men knew where they were. My dad was only two. She held him out the window by a leg when it started getting too hot. She was holding onto him when she caught fire, but she didn't let go. They finally
came to get them. She nearly died of smoke inhalation, and then from her burns. It was a miracle she survived at all."
He got up and climbed into bed next to me and pulled me into his arms. "You know, I shouldn't be surprised that she did what she thought she had to in order to save his ass. She's been doing it since he was two. She constantly babied him. There's ten years between them. He was only eight when she took custody of him. She was more of his mother than she was his sister. Because of the damage done to her body, she wasn't able to have kids.
"They did a bunch of reconstruction on her, but…well, you saw. Life wasn't kind to her. She has the one good side, though. I don't think I've ever seen a picture with her facing the other way, exposing the burnt side of her body. She used to wear scarfs a lot to cover her missing hair. She had a lot of plastic surgery to get to the point she's at now."
He was quiet for a bit. I could tell he was still stewing. He hopped out of bed and started pacing. "You know she's my only aunt? She just dropped off the face of the earth. I have no idea what she told my mother. They used to be best friends. The pair of them used to dote on my jackass of a father. I knew they were drifting apart before the move out here. I didn't see her for months at a time, even when we lived in the same town. I wonder if she knew then already what my bastard of a father was doing."
"Trent," I called him over to me again. He flopped on the bed, and I had him roll over so I could rub his back. "This is all going to be over soon, and then we'll moved into your little house and live happily ever after."
He chuckled a little. "That's a nice bedtime story." He rolled over and pulled me into his arms. "There's just one little catch you missed."
"Yeah, what was that?"
"Well, for one, it's OUR house, and two, the handsome prince needs to marry the beautiful princess first."
"Marry?" I asked with a gasp.
He sat up and shrugged his shoulder. "I sort of saw it going there from the beginning. I've been waiting for the right time, but it seems there never is one. More shit just keeps raining down on us. I think it's starting to finally clear up, though."
"You're serious? You want to marry me?"
He chuckled nervously. "Is that so hard to believe?"
I realized I hadn't said yes. Then it hit me. He didn't know that Mr. Hamilton would be getting off. The shit storm wasn't over. I frowned.
"We don't have to…you know…if you don't want to get married, I understand. I've always known you were an independent woman and…and…"
"Trent, I'm not saying no, but you have to know, Mr. Hamilton will be getting off. The shit storm isn't over yet."
"What?"
"Katherine said he had actual employment papers from the camp, and for Emily to attend, she had to sign papers that also gave them permission to take Emily on fieldtrips. It looks like he's getting off."
"No, no, no!" He punched the wall, leaving a big hole. I glanced at the baby bed, thankful our daughter was still asleep. She wouldn't be for long if he kept going at it like he was. I couldn't hold it against him, though. The poor man couldn't catch a break. I went to reach for him, but he shot across the room and grabbed his jacket. I didn't know where he was going, and I hoped he didn't make an even bigger mess of things with his temper.
He hopped in his car and took off, only wearing his PJ's and a coat. He didn't answer when I called him, so I prayed he'd be safe and didn't do anything stupid. I glanced over at the couch where Emily was fast asleep. We were all stuck in the shit storm. I just hoped it would stop raining soon.
Chapter 30 – Painful Revelations
I went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of tea. There was no way I'd be able to sleep with Trent out this late at night doing who only knew what. I called Brian's phone, intent on leaving a message, but he picked up, sounding half asleep.
"Oh, I'm sorry to wake you. I didn't think you'd pick up."
"S'alright, Clara, what did you need?" he asked a little more awake.
"Mr. Hamilton is getting off from the kidnapping charge. When Trent heard about it, he ran out, and I have no idea where he went."
"How'd Hamilton get the charge dismissed?"
"Somehow, he has papers saying he worked for the camp Emily was attending, and the camp papers Katherine signed said she could go on fieldtrips."
"Yeah, but they left the state, not to mention the questionable conduct of traveling alone with the opposite sex and sharing a hotel room. I think I can pull a few strings and get the camp to confess to the forgery, or they'll be put out of business."
"Thank you, Brian."
Brian cut out for a moment, and he let me know Maylene was calling him. He switched back and told me Trent had laid into Roger, and Maylene wanted Brian to come get him. I told him I'd meet him at the hotel. I bundled up my baby girl and woke Aunt Katherine long enough to ask her to watch Tyler for me. She said it was no problem.
When I arrived at the hotel, there was a cop standing outside Roger and Maylene's room. I really hoped Trent wasn't getting arrested.
"Evening, Officer," I tried to give him a pleasant smile.
"Evening, Ma'am, are you staying on this floor?"
"My family is."
Maylene heard my voice and poked her head out of the open doorway. "Clara, thank heavens, maybe you can talk some sense into those men," she said ushering me inside the room.
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to take someone in-" the officer started.
"What on earth for? My husband tripped and fell into the door that smashed my son's hand. Last I checked, being clumsy wasn't against the law, was it, Brian?"
"No, it's not, and since I'm a criminal attorney, I'm very familiar with the law," Brian spoke in a smooth commanding voice.
The officer was a good man, though. He looked straight at Roger. "Just say the word, Sir, and I'll get you out of here, no questions asked."
"What precinct are you from?" Roger asked instead.
"Four. My name's Kevin Perry," he answered pulling out a card and giving it directly to Roger. "You don't have to stay here. They can't stop me from taking you out. Let me take you to a hospital."
Roger smiled and grimaced a little. The man's face was not in a good way. "I'm fine, honest. My son's a doctor," he nodded at Trent, who had his hand in an ice bucket.
I hurried to his side. "What did you do?"
"Smashed it in the door," he growled in Roger's direction.
I was pretty sure he meant Roger's face, not a door.
The cop finally left, and Brian explained his plan to go after the camp in more depth to Trent. It seemed to settle him down.
"I want you to set up a meeting with Hamilton and Sabrina. Roger is going to straighten this shit out once and for all!" Trent insisted.
His dad nodded in agreement. I was surprised he was moving much at all. Maylene said that one of the neighboring rooms had called security and then the police, when they had heard Trent attacking Roger. Trent needed to have his hand looked at, and Roger did need to see a doctor. I was honestly surprised the cop hadn't called an ambulance. Trent insisted his hand wasn't broken, but I didn't believe him. He swore it was just bruised and promised to drive straight home.
I met him at home with an ice pack and painkillers. I tucked him into bed and held my tongue. He didn't need me to yell at him for acting like a fool and trying to kill Roger. He was lucky the cop hadn't taken him in. The last thing he needed was a real criminal record.
The next morning, I told Katherine what had happened. She made the decision to just take Emily and go home. "Things need to settle down more with Roger, before we can talk about the future. I love my brother, but Emily comes first," she said before she left. I couldn't agree with her more. Emily was happy to be going home, but sad to say goodbye to us. She really was a sweet little girl, and I hoped we'd be able to stay in touch with her. The mess that had been made wasn't her fault.
It was nearly a month later before Mr. Hamilton finally agreed to meet with everyone. He was pissed that t
hey had insisted it be with Sabrina as well. Everyone flew to Boston, where her mental hospital was located. The only reason the meeting was even happening was because Brian's paperwork from the music camp was the bomb in the courtroom, which basically gave Hamilton no choice. It was either agree to the meeting or go to jail. I was honestly shocked that Trent had pushed for the meeting over jail time. I had a feeling they had something up their sleeve, so Hamilton would get both, anyways.
There was what looked like a conference room with a two-way mirror set up for the men to meet with her. Maylene and I stood outside, ready to watch them.
Roger had stopped before he went in and begged her to forgive him for what he was about to do. "I just need to get her to speak, and I think I know how. Please, believe me when I say I love you, and I'm sorry for everything. Maylene, I don't want to lose you."
"Go fix your son's life," she answered coldly.
He nodded and entered the room. We all had been informed that Sabrina had a difficult time knowing what year it was and would often mix up when she was. Apparently, she frequently thought she was still young and dating her husband. They were hoping Roger could take her back further in time and get her to speak the truth. Her not being fully lucid to her life would make it impossible for her to lie to anyone, and they all knew that. I just hoped it was enough to stop Mr. Hamilton from any further action against Trent.
Sabrina was sitting at the table, coloring in a book like a child, when Roger entered. He walked around the back of her chair, and Mr. Hamilton made to step forward, but Brian put his arm up to stop him.
"Doodling again, Ms. Carter? What am I going to do with you?" Roger asked seductively, and it really creeped me out.
She looked up at him and recognized him instantly. "Roger!"
"Shush, you know we can't draw attention to ourselves." She giggled and nodded yes. He sat down next to her. "We only have a few minutes before the conference starts, Kitten," he touched her cheek softly.
"I can be fast," she said jumping into his lap and kissing him.
Maylene gasped next to me. We both stood with our mouths hanging open. I was grateful Mr. Hamilton's lawyer was in there, because he was helping Brian hold Mr. Hamilton and Trent back. Both looked livid. Maylene just looked ready to storm out, but I took her hand and squeezed it in support.
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