Bryant clears his throat and once we nod at him, he gets started. “I apologize for bothering you both and having to dredge this up for you again. We’ll try to make it as quick and painless as possible. We saved the two of you for last, since your injuries were the most severe, Mr. Jensen. You seem to be healing nicely.”
“It was really rough those first couple of weeks, but thanks to Ellie, I’m doing better than the doctors hoped. We haven’t really heard anything about what happened after, other than them being arrested. You still have them both, right?” I ask him.
“Oh yeah. They’ve been locked up since it happened.” Marks speaks up for the first time, he’s pretty enthusiastic about it too.
The whole experience has been lurking in the back of my mind since it happened. I’ve tried to keep it there, which hasn’t been too hard with all we’ve been dealing with, but it’s all flooding back front and center now. It’s a miracle either one of us, or anybody, survived that day.
“Um, the other guy who got shot, is he okay?” Ellie asks.
“He is. We saw him late last week. He’s zooming around on his crutches,” Bryant tells her with a reassuring smile. “We’ve seen the video footage and talked to everyone else. I hate to ask you, but could you both walk us through what happened. It’s standard procedure unfortunately. Neither of you is considered anything other than a victim.”
It’s certainly not fun, but we tell them everything we can remember and answer a few more questions for them. Ellie handles it really well, considering, but she keeps her palm turned up for me so I’ll continue doing my trick the whole time. It honestly helps me too. It seems I have more anxiety about it than I’ve acknowledged before now.
“It would be good if you both were at the arraignment next Thursday. The better showing we have, the more likely the judge will lean in our favor. You won’t have to speak at all; you would only be there as a show of force, so to speak. Would you both be comfortable with that? It isn’t required that you be there, but I believe it would help get the judge to set a huge bail and keep them locked up until the trial.”
Ellie’s eyes are huge when she looks at Bryant, but she stays calm. “They could be released?” she asks.
“It’s unlikely, but still possible,” he tells us.
Fuck, I never once thought that might happen.
Ellie squeezes my hand and I move my focus from the floor back to her. “We don’t have to go, if you don’t want too,” I reassure her.
The fuck if I’m letting anything else upset her. They can manage without us.
“Yes, we do,” she says, her voice strong, dark eyes glinting with anger. “They have to pay for what they did to you.”
I pull my steel magnolia against my chest and hug her, then look over at Bryant. “Tell us when and where.”
When You Say Nothing at All
Ellie
I have a death grip on Nik’s hand. I thought I was prepared for this, but turns out I was wrong – I’m an anxious mess. I guess you just can’t be prepared for stuff like this.
While I’m a nervous wreck, Nik’s more of an angry bear, ever since Thing One and Thing Two were brought into courtroom anyway.
Slimy bastards. Orange with chains is definitely the look for them.
Nik has turned sideways so I’m basically behind him instead of beside him now. I know he did it to hide me from them. They both looked at us and Jacob with hateful glares as they were pushed down into their seats. The judge slammed his gavel down and yelled at them to pay attention, but they still keep eyeballing us over their shoulders every once in awhile. I swear Nik growls every time they do.
I can’t believe they have the audacity to be angry at us. We didn’t rob or shoot at them. We’re the victims and we didn’t turn them in either. They got caught all by themselves.
You can’t rationalize with the irrational though.
I haven’t been listening to a thing the district attorney and defense lawyers are saying. Guess that would explain the shock I’m feeling right now.
Just to our right is a TV. It’s not one of those old ones on top of a tall rolling cart like in elementary school either. No, this is a huge flat screen. My heart lurches and plummets to the pit of my rolling stomach. It may as well be hooked up to a taser with the way it’s spasming. I’m frozen, trapped, when I desperately want to run. My mind is screaming at my eyes to look away, but they don’t listen. My turmoil is hidden from everyone else in the deathly silent room as we watch that nightmarish day played back in high definition.
The first bullet grazes Nik’s head. A sharp gust of air forces my lungs to expand, then they too are frozen.
“God, I’m so sorry,” Jacob whispers behind us.
One, two, three more bullets slam into the man I love, his strong, healthy body being ripped and broken violently. Blood, so much blood.
A rush of acid surges up my throat, caustic and sharply bitter. I look away before I throw up everywhere. It’s only then I feel the wetness on my cheeks and notice my hand is cold, sweaty, and shaking. The latter isn’t coming from me.
I nearly cry out when I look up at him, ghostly pale, shallow breaths, and wild eyes.
Why didn’t that fucking DA warn us? I should have thought about what this would do to Nik the second I knew what was happening! We never should have come!
He lived it, but seeing it like this, with no warning, reliving it…
My own riot of emotions vanishes, only his feelings matter right now. I hurry to sit on his other side, reaching up and turning his clammy cheek towards me and his eyes away from the grisly scene still playing out on the TV. I would have him out the door and out of this courthouse completely if he could move fast enough.
He looks back at me like a wild animal cornered. I beg him with my eyes to see me, to know it’s over and that he’s okay as I stroke his face with both hands. Touch can ground me enough sometimes to keep me from falling off the cliff. I pray with everything I am it works for him right now.
Thank God it does.
He’s breathing erratically still, but I can tell he’s with me again. His face is a moving picture of his feelings: shock, fear, sorrow, anger. He doesn’t know what to feel and who could blame him? He leans over to rest his head against my shoulder. We hold each other without a word, safe in our bubble until someone taps my shoulder.
“Those assholes just pled not guilty,” Jacob whispers and I immediately hear the rumble of angry voices growing louder throughout the courtroom.
I look up at the detectives sitting just behind the DA, hoping to see that Jacob is wrong. He isn’t. Both Bryant and Marks are shaking their heads, their expressions disgusted.
My objection soon joins theirs.
“NOT GUILTY? Are they insane?”
“Fuck, yes,” Nik growls.
The DA turns and scowls darkly at us. Shit, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Nik, I have no doubt, did.
The gavel cracks like thunder around the room. “Everyone settle down,” the judge booms with authority.
Things One and Two smirk like the complete assholes they are as the rest of us go quiet.
“DA Hardwick? I assume you have something to say?” the judge asks, clearly jaded to these types of criminals and proceedings.
“I do, Your Honor. I ask that both of the defendants be held without bail. The Court is aware that this is not the second offense or even the third for these two. Both are extreme flight risks and a threat to society.”
“Your Honor,” one of the defense attorneys starts to object, but is quickly cut off.
“After what we just saw you do not get to finish that sentence. Both will be held without bail at Coastal State until trial. The preliminary hearing is set for three weeks from today. Dismissed,” he grunts, banging the gavel again.
Most everyone gets to their feet and starts to file out the door. Neither Nik nor I move a muscle until the DA motions us to follow him. I help Nik up, and it takes some time; he’s stiff from sitting fo
r so long. Like zombies, we trail after the attorney. It’s not until we all make it into a small room filled with a sizable wood table and expensive rolling chairs that I realize we aren’t the only ones who followed.
Bryant and Marks are here, along with Jacob and the other kid from Starbucks, and two of the other customers. I’m not proud of myself, but those two kids are on my shit list. I really want to know why they had two criminals after them. I doubt we’ll ever find out though.
DA Hardwick waves his hand to get us to sit. Nik does so reluctantly. I wince as I help him, knowing it’s hurting him. He’s had two weeks of PT, but he’s by no means healed yet, and the therapy is grueling. His muscles stay stiff and sore these days.
Hardwick doesn’t waste anytime once we all sit. “Thank you all for coming. I believe it helped. Judge Baynor is known to fold to victims, nine times out of ten.”
Well, I would hope so!
“You will all be getting calls from my office about the upcoming court dates and issued subpoenas to testify at the preliminary hearing too. Times will need to be set up for me to question each of you and prep you too. Please work with my office to get that done as quickly as possible. This should be an open and shut case, easily won, but I won’t be lazy and let things slip through the cracks. I plan on them being in jail for a very long time once we’re done with them,” he assures us. “Any questions?”
“Is it completely necessary for Ellie to testify? I don’t want her up there on display for those fuckers or to be ripped into by their slimy lawyers,” Nik growls, squeezing my hand.
I know he just wants to protect me, so I don’t say anything, but I will testify. With my help, those assholes are going to jail for what they did to Nik.
Hardwick sighs. “I understand the reluctance, Mr. Jensen, but, yes, I’m afraid she does. I mean no offense to you, Miss Cochran, but women can sway a jury like no other, especially sweet, attractive women who fall in love with the dashing hero. You two will be our most important witnesses if you can control your outbursts. You both basically yelled out for them to take an insanity plea. That can’t happen again. Besides, I really don’t want to, but I can force both of you to testify if you don’t cooperate,” he says seriously.
Nik scowls at him darkly and I take that as my cue to jump in. I don’t care for Hardwick’s attitude either, but he’s right.
“I want to testify, Nik. I’ll be okay. I need to do this for us,” I whisper to him.
He stares at me unhappily, but nods his head before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Go home and rest. I’ll be in touch,” Hardwick says softly, his hard DA exterior slipping for a moment.
Bryant and Marks walk out with us to the foyer of the courthouse. Just before we get to the doors, Bryant reaches out and pats Nik’s good shoulder. “We won the first battle. We’ll keep winning them, don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Detective,” I tell him with a small smile since Nik only managed a nod.
We make the slow trek to the car, Nik refused to wait on the curb for me to pick him up, and I help him get settled. He looks so tired and I know he’s in pain too. His brow keeps drawing up over his eyes. He always does that when he’s hurting. This is his first time using the crutch for so many hours. Other than PT and sex, he’s been in bed or in the recliner at home. We left at eight this morning and it’s after three already. Most of his day was spent sitting on a hard, unforgiving bench and it’s been too much for him. Even if he hadn’t seen the video, he would be having a rough day. At least he let me cancel his PT till next week.
I start us heading towards home, staying quiet and letting him think. There’s no point in asking him if he’s okay; I know he’s not and he would just lie and say he was anyway. I take the time to think things over myself. Other than getting justice for Nik, going through a trial is the last thing I want to do. We’ve had six weeks to move on and we were doing so good too. Now we have to relive it over and over. It’s not fair. We’ve gone through enough already.
I glance over at him. His head is laid back on the seat, his eyes are closed, and he has somehow managed to slump his long body into what looks to be a very uncomfortable slouch, like he’s reverted to a teenage version of himself. I hate how much stress I see on his beautiful face.
He must feel me staring at him, because he turns to look at me. “Why don’t we pick something up for an early supper? You won’t have to cook,” he mumbles.
I reach over and run my fingers through his hair. “You know I don’t mind cooking. I love to see you inhale my food,” I tell him with a wink, hoping to get a smile out of him. It doesn’t work.
“I know you don’t, but you deserve a break. How about barbecue? If you aren’t sick of it.”
The man loves his barbecue.
“Sounds good to me. Which way?”
He directs me to a tiny place, no bigger than two food trucks put together called Bob-O’s-Que. It only has a walk-up window and an almost nonexistent drive thru. I order us two sandwich plates and teas once we make it through the ten-minute wait. When I go to pay I spot a big cake sitting under glass on the counter and add two slices to our order. It looks like something Aunt Maggie would have made, fluffy white icing with lots of pecans in it. I haven’t had a good piece of cake in ages and we deserve a treat after the day we’ve had.
I open the container and take a deep whiff of the slices before passing them over to Nik. He’s got small grin tugging at his lips and there’s a little sparkle in his eyes. He’s so beautiful it hurts. It hits me right there in the drive thru how much his happiness means to me. I never want him to be sad, upset, or anything but happy.
I tear up as I smile back at him, but hurry and get us out of the way before we make some hungry customers cranky.
“Hey. What’s wrong?” he asks worriedly, trying to lean over to me.
I stop before pulling out into traffic, turning to focus on him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just love you is all,” I explain, giving him a quick kiss.
“You’re crying because you love me?” he wonders doubtfully. “Why are you doing that?”
I smile, but keep my eyes on the road as I pull out. “Yes, I am, and because sometimes I just can’t help it. We really need to teach you what happy tears are, sweetie,” I suggest, reaching over to rub his knee.
He huffs, but with a grin. “I guess we do.”
We ride a few more miles in silence, then he asks, “Ellie?”
“Hmmm?”
He doesn’t answer right away and there’s too much traffic for me to take my eyes off the road. Finally, I hear him draw in a deep breath. “I love you too,” he whispers shakily, as he lets it out.
I immediately reach my hand out to him and he wraps his tightly around it. I don’t dare peek over at him, knowing my tears will turn into rivers if I do. So, we ride home, nothing but sniffling breaking through the quiet, our hands firmly locked together.
~
We eat in more silence. It’s very easy to see how upset he still is. He didn’t finish his food, or ask for my leftovers either. That didn’t even happen when he was in the hospital. I’m thankful I got him to take some of his migraine meds as soon as we got here. I knew he had one from the way he had been rubbing his temple and neck when he got out of the truck. It’s not until I pull out the cake that his somber mood seems to lift a tiny bit. He grins over at me as I cut off a huge chunk with my fork and stuff it in my mouth.
Soooooo good!
I can’t help the moan that slips out. It’s so rich and creamy.
“I haven’t heard you moan like that since last night,” he purrs out with that deep velvet voice of his, his eyes dark and heated as they pierce mine.
The first one wasn’t intentional, but his words immediately make me glad it slipped out. I barely manage to hold back the second one his words evoke. Last night was…
Damn, but the things that man can do with his tongue.
This is the first time I’ve gotten a
glimpse of my relaxed, happy guy since we left this morning. No way am I letting him slip away. I get up, forgetting my cake, and walk over to him, unbuttoning my blouse as I go. He pushes his chair back from the table and I straddle his lap. His big hands slide into my shirt and wrap around my waist, then he slowly lowers me down. My skirt rises up to the top of my thighs as he does.
I had in mind for us to go slow and gentle, but the second I’m settled over his stiffening erection, his lips crash against mine. He doesn’t need slow right now it seems, so I kiss him back just as hard and urgent as he kisses me. He feels desperate to get me closer, his hands gripping and needy. I give over to him and let him take what he wants. Maybe after seeing how close he came to death he needs to feel alive? I’m more than willing to help him. I know that feeling all too well.
I touch every inch of him I can reach that won’t cause him pain. As our kiss turns almost violent, it’s the saltiness I taste on his lips that makes me finally slow us down.
I pull back from him, but he follows me until I take his face in my hands to hold him still. My palms find his tears before my eyes do.
My heart feels like it’s shattering.
“Nik, my love. Please, baby? You’re here. You’re okay. Everything’s okay. You beat those assholes, honey. You won,” I whisper, stroking his face, my own tears flowing now.
“Ellie, we almost fucking died!” he yells, jerking away and looking anywhere but at me.
“I know, baby, but we didn’t. We lived, Nik. We lived because of you,” I respond, keeping my voice as calm as I can, while rubbing his chest. My words bounce right off him. Even though he isn’t looking at me I can see the pain in his eyes, the intense frustration, the fear.
“I can’t stop seeing it. I can’t stop seeing him touch you. I can feel him poking me in the chest with the gun. I’d forgotten what it felt like, but I feel all of it again. Every bullet burning through me. I keep hearing you screaming my name and I can’t make it stop,” he whispers.
Heal Me (Magnolia Series Book 2) Page 8