by H. H. Fowler
When Yasmine paused to blow her nose, Mitchell tried to get a word in. “Ms. Strummer, who is Ronnie?”
Yasmine spat in disgust, “Haven’t either of you been listening to a word I’ve said? Some cop you are that you can’t even read between the lines – Ronnie is my father! Stepfather, if you want to be technical. But he is my lover, my abuser, a monster…whatever the hell you want to call him. And how can I forget the most important part of the story? He’s now the presiding bishop of El Shaddai Ministries, parading under the title of Elder John Dewey. Well, not for long, since Drake is going to be exonerated. That’s part of the reason why I accused Drake of raping me – to eliminate the competition for that monster. I figured if I did this huge favor for Ronnie that he would let me go, but I was so wrong. After tonight, I realized he’s never going to let me go.”
Mitchell’s brain was still trying to register this strange flow of information, which manifested in the form of an instant headache. “Let me get this straight: you’re telling me that you were sexually and physically abused by your stepfather from the time you were fourteen?”
“Were?” Yasmine scoffed. “That bastard is still forcing me to have sex with his gross behind. The night before Drake was arrested, I made out with Ronnie. I knew if I reported that I’d been raped, I would be required to submit to a forensic exam. It was all planned to help make the rape allegations look as real as possible.”
“You ought to have known there would eventually be inconsistencies!” Mitchell spat. He’d suddenly lost all respect for Yasmine. “And that is probably why the semen sample didn’t match Mr. Beckford’s DNA, because it was another man’s seed. And I’m willing to bet that the child you’re pregnant with belongs to that man!”
When Mitchell dropped the bombshell, Levi sat up in his chair and gave Yasmine one hard look. Up to this point, he’d been doing his best to be understanding, because he could see that Yasmine was a troubled young woman with a troubled past. But Levi knew he’d heard enough. This was certainly more than he’d bargained for. He got up and began to walk toward the office door.
Yasmine panicked when she saw Levi was leaving her side. “So you’re gonna walk out on me too? I thought you were concerned about me!”
Levi shook his head and before he continued through the door, he said in a somber tone, “Sorry, lady, but I’ve got my own drama to deal with.”
Those words pierced Yasmine to the core. It didn’t matter that her pregnancy had come as a shock to her as well. She was all alone now and there would be no one to help her pick up the shattered pieces of her life. Maybe this was her punishment for falsely accusing an innocent man, but that didn’t make her feel any better. Levi was all she had and now he was gone – just as quickly as he had entered her life.
While Yasmine was busy sniveling in self-pity, Mitchell walked back to his desk and dialed the warden’s extension. “Drake Beckford will be released from police custody,” he spoke regrettably into the receiver. “The victim has admitted to perjury. However, it looks as if we will make an arrest of another suspect on the grounds of attempted murder.”
“Who is the suspect?”
“The victim’s stepfather.”
Epilogue
10:22 p.m.
When Drake called Sasha from the police station and told her the exciting news that he had been exonerated, she screamed and bolted out of the guesthouse to find Hunter. Less than fifteen minutes later, the two women were coming through the doors of the police station as if their feet were attached to rollerblades. The sheer joy of knowing that their prayers had been answered was indescribable.
Drake was sitting in the visitor’s area and could hear the women inquiring about his whereabouts. It was music to his ears to know that they were there to take him home. He could barely keep back the tears as he rose to his feet in anticipation of seeing the look on his wife’s face. He thought he’d lost her for good, but through the abundant grace of God, their marriage and their love had survived. He paused when he came behind her within ten feet.
“Sasha!” he called out, his throat taut with emotion.
Sasha spun away from the receptionist, her gaze landing squarely on her husband. All of her doubts and fears, her reservations and the questions she’d had about their future were suddenly thrown out of the window. The way that Drake called her, reminded her of all the beautiful times they’d shared in the past. Gone was the uncertainty in his eyes and the wilt in his shoulders. Her man was exuding full strength, letting her know that he was more than ready to commit to a fresh start.
Hunter walked up to her and poked her. “Oh for crying out loud. Go and hug that man before he collapses from staring at you.”
Sasha didn’t need to be told twice. She ran into her husband’s embrace and allowed herself to get lost in the moment. They touched each other’s face, as if they were trying confirm that what was happening was real. Hunter wanted a hug too, but she didn’t want to disturb the reunion. Instead, she slipped to the side and called Kevin’s cell. When she heard the rumble of his husky voice, Hunter could barely maintain her excitement.
“I have the greatness news ever!” she said without introduction.
Kevin chuckled. “By the sound of your voice, I am already excited.”
“Oh my God, Kevin, I wish you were here.”
“What’s going on?”
“Drake has been released from police custody.”
Kevin didn’t want to get too happy just yet. “What do you mean ‘released’?”
“He’s been cleared of all charges! I don’t know how it happened just yet, but Drake is free to go home.” Hunter placed a hand over her chest to help calm herself. “God is so good! He is so good!”
Kevin grinned, but his eyes were stinging with tears. “I guess there is a God, after all…wow, this is so unbelievable.”
“When are you returning to Devin’s Cay?”
“First thing tomorrow morning. I’m thrilled about my brother’s outcome, but I’ll be equally thrilled to see you.”
Hunter hung up the phone, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
The End
****
Below, check out a sneak preview of Book 3 – Hungry Hearts
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Hungry Hearts
(Real Love Series – Book 3)
Chapter One
On impulse, Levi made a U-turn at the traffic light, not too far from the police station. He didn’t even know why he made the U-turn. All he knew was that he felt terrible abandoning Yasmine to face her demons alone. However, Levi wished he’d never laid eyes on Yasmine because he was now suddenly wedged between feeling sorry for her, while at the same time feeling an incredible amount of disdain for what she had done to Drake. Yet, the irony of the situation didn’t escape Levi, because he too had almost destroyed Drake’s life by trying to steal Sasha away from him.
Granted, the motivation behind his and Yasmine’s actions were different, but in some ways they shared a common bond. And that bond was what made Levi abandon Yasmine in the first place. Levi didn’t even have the courage to stick around to see if Drake had been released from the false charges against him. Mostly because Levi felt it was his fault Drake’s life was the way it was. What could he ever say to a man who’d once been his best friend, that could erase all the pain and misery he’d caused him? Levi was about to find out.
He saw Drake exiting the police station, his steps brisk with excitement. Now Levi expected Drake would have been released from police custody after Yasmine admitted to lying about the rape allegations. But what Levi didn’t expect was to see Sasha, holding on to Drake’s arm as if they were about to enjoy a romantic evening together. Levi’s initial reaction was to stick his tail between his legs and scamper away like a frightened little mutt, but instead, he stiffened his sp
ine, continuing his walk to face the inevitable.
Without question, Levi knew it would be harder for him to look at Sasha and pretend as if he didn’t still desire her, even after all the drama that went down between them. If anything, he desired her even more, especially within the last six months of her keeping her distance from him. However, mastering those inner pangs and intense gazes, which seemed to effortlessly drift in Sasha’s direction, was the least of Levi’s worries at the moment. Drake had moved a step ahead of his wife, as if ready to do battle.
FROM THE DESK OF H H FOWLER
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