Unworthy

by Evans, A. K.

  I did.

  And he wasn’t wrong.

  While I’d initially placed my order for the flowers online, we stopped on our way to the cemetery to pick them up. I got to meet the owner, Zara. Not only was she a stunningly attractive woman, but she was also one of the sweetest I’d ever met. Add that to the fact that she knew what she was doing when it came to floral arrangements, and she was one great catch.

  Of course, it was no surprise then while we were picking up my order, I got to see the lucky man who’d captured her heart. I’d already met Pierce, but I took him in then. He was a clean-cut guy who was also very attractive. He took to Tate in a matter of seconds. Looking between him and Zara I made a mental note to talk to Trent about keeping me informed on them. I wanted to know when they had babies because I had no doubt that their children were going to be beautiful.

  As much as I would have loved to stand around chatting, getting to know Zara better, it was my mom’s birthday and Tate and I had flowers to give her.

  I glanced back to where Trent had his truck parked and saw that he and Tate were both warm inside it. When I brought my gaze back to my mom’s headstone, I shared, “I didn’t tell you this when Tate was over here before because I wanted you to hear all about him instead. But now I want to talk to you about me. Do you remember when I came to talk to you years ago about what Dad made me do? I’m sure you recall it because I told you that next to losing you, it was the worst day of my life. Well, Trent is back in my life now.”

  I paused, thinking about everything I wanted to tell her. There was so much about him that I thought she needed to know, stuff I thought she’d want to know.

  “He’s incredible,” I sighed. “He treats me so well and he loves Tate. He’s actually watching him right now so that I could have some time to talk to you alone. I wish you could have known him better; you would have loved him. He goes above and beyond to do things to protect me and Tate, or to keep me from just stressing out too much. He got up with Tate when my baby was sick just so I could sleep. And he gives him these kisses on the top of the head that melts my heart. I love him so much, Mom.”

  I took in a deep breath, letting the peace I felt finally having Trent back in my life settle me. It only settled for so long before I went on to give her the rest.

  “He wants me and Tate to move in with him,” I shared. “It hasn’t even been a month that we’ve been back in each other’s lives, and he still wants that. I’m doing it, too. I’m doing it because ever since you left, things haven’t been the best for me. They seemed to turn around for a bit when Keith came into my life. I was working a job I loved with a man that I loved. That love has burned out, though. Now, I’ve got a long road ahead of me to keep myself and my baby safe. But Trent is traveling that road with me, so I know we’re going to be alright. And I’m going to let myself have the happiness that I should have had for years by moving in with the man who’s been worthy of my heart since the day I gave it to him more than sixteen years ago. If it hadn’t been for what Dad did, I wouldn’t have lost that. I know you loved him, but as one mother to another, I can’t imagine you would have stood by and watched while he did to your child what my father did to me.”

  Closing my eyes, I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms and the blanket around them.

  “I miss you so much, Mom. Sometimes, I sit and wonder how things would be different if you were still here. I often find myself wanting to call you to tell you something, usually about Tate. But then it hits me that you’re not here anymore, and sometimes it’s like having to lose you all over again. So, I do my best to work through those moments. In the end, I resolve to become a mother to Tate like you were to me because I know if I can give him that, I will have given him everything that matters.”

  With those words, I stopped talking. I just sat there with my mom, hoping she knew just how much I loved and missed her. When the wind picked up and it got too cold, I said, “I’m going to get going now. But I’ll be back at Christmastime. And Tate and I will bring Trent back with us. I love you, Mom.”

  I pressed a kiss to my fingertips and touched the stone right over her name. Then, I stood and gathered up my blanket before walking back to the truck. Long before I made it there, Trent was out and standing by my door. When I was close enough to touch, I saw his expression was soft and warm. He offered me a smile as he opened the door and took the blanket out of my arms.

  The minute I got in, I glanced back and saw Tate was strapped in his car seat swatting away at the toys hanging from the handle above him. My gaze moved to the seat opposite of mine where Trent was sitting behind the wheel looking at me.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I gave him a nod. “When Tate and I come back at Christmas, I’d like you to come with us.”

  “Sure. If you need that time with your mom, I can keep Tate in the truck with me again.”

  I shook my head. “No, baby. I want you to come with us to see Mom. She liked you for me. I just told her about you being back in my life now, and I think she’d love a visit from you at Christmas, too.”

  Something changed in Trent’s expression. He reached a hand out and ran it through my hair back behind my head. “That I can absolutely do.”

  I was just barely able to give him a smile before he leaned across the center console, tugged me toward him, and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips.

  “Love you, sweet cheeks,” he whispered there.

  “I know. I love you, too.”

  Trent gave me one more kiss. He hadn’t quite pulled his mouth from mine when we heard Tate squeal, “Ma, ma, ma.”

  With that, Trent and I burst out laughing.

  And that’s when I knew that while losing my mom was extraordinarily painful and that I’d always miss her, I’d always be grateful for the lessons she taught me to make me the mother I was today.

  One who could feel like her world started and stopped with the sound of her son’s little voice calling her name.

  “Michaels,” I answered my phone.

  “It’s Detective Baines, Michaels. You have a minute?” he asked.

  I sat back in my office chair and replied, “Yeah. What do you have?”

  He hesitated before he answered, “I wish I had better news for you.”

  I knew it.

  I didn’t know why, but something told me this wasn’t going to go the way I’d hoped it would.

  Detective Baines continued, “After Delaney made her statement and mentioned when you two came in over the weekend that her son was in Pearson’s care, we decided to hold off on making any moves. We followed him Monday morning when he dropped his kid off at daycare. Then, we made our move.”

  “You picked him up and brought him in?” I asked.

  “Yes, but he wasn’t talking. He refused to answer any questions without his attorney present.”

  That wasn’t surprising.

  “Did you get anything?”

  “Out of him?” Baines retorted. “Nothing. And unfortunately, despite me offering an abundance of encouragement, the prosecutor has decided not to file charges.”

  “Did he give any good explanation as to why not?” I pressed.

  Detective Baines harrumphed. “He doesn’t owe me any explanations but was kind enough to give me one in this case. Keith Pearson has a squeaky-clean record, not even so much as a parking ticket. He runs a successful business in the community and people seem to like him from what we’ve been able to gather.”

  “But what about the pictures?” I asked. “Did you show the prosecutor what he did to her arms? Did you mention she has a little boy who just turned eight months old?”

  I heard him let out a sigh. “Michaels, trust me, I’m just as pissed as you are. Sometimes, these things don’t go the way we want them to. I gave him everything we had. It shits me to have to say this, but bruises weren’t enough. If she’d have had broken bones, that might have been a different story.”

  “Are you telling me that they aren’t willing
to file the charges because she only had matching bruises on her arms? Christ, it’s no wonder so many women don’t report things. If nothing is going to come of it that’ll help to ensure their safety, they probably believe they’re better off staying where they are. What an awful way to live.”

  I was pissed.

  It was infuriating that simply because he hadn’t screwed up badly enough yet that Delaney received no justice. The thought that the prosecutor believed Delaney would have needed to have been beaten severely in order for charges to be filed was mind-numbing.

  “I don’t disagree with you,” Baines insisted. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to make the call. At this point, I can only tell you the same thing we tell everyone who has been in a similar situation. Make sure she’s not around him alone and try to get the details of the baby’s custody sorted as quickly as possible.”

  “I already told her a few days ago that she wasn’t going to be dropping him off alone. And quite frankly, I’m going to suggest that part of the custody arrangement be that she doesn’t drop her son off at all with his father. It’s not like he ever brings the baby to Delaney.”

  Baines didn’t hesitate to agree. “That sounds like the best-case scenario.”

  “Alright, well, thanks for giving me a call and updating me on the case.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not exactly the outcome I was hoping for,” he started. “And I know you don’t have plans to leave her alone with this guy, but if anything changes and he finds a way to give her any more problems, see to it that we’re called immediately. At a minimum, if we can establish a pattern of declining behavior, it’ll help.”

  There was no way I was leaving Delaney to drop Tate off on her own anymore, so I knew this wasn’t going to be an issue. Even still, I confirmed, “We’ll do that.”

  Detective Baines and I disconnected our call. My frustration got the best of me, and I tossed my phone carelessly down. It clattered onto the desk at the precise moment Holden appeared in the doorway to my office.

  “Perhaps I should come back,” he suggested.

  I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. I just got off the phone with Detective Baines.”

  Holden straightened and walked over to sit in one of the chairs opposite my desk carrying a file in his hands. “I assume it’s about Delaney’s case with her ex?”

  Giving him a nod, I explained my mood. “The prosecutor has decided not to file charges on the asshole, so he’s walked away.”

  “Are you kidding me? Even with the evidence of the abuse on her arms.”

  “It wasn’t enough abuse,” I stated.

  Holden gave me a look of disbelief. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “That was precisely the reaction I had. Delaney’s ex has a clean record, so that was hurdle number one. The fact that she only had bruises on her arms was a contributing factor to the decision. Perhaps if he’d broken a bone or inflicted injury with a weapon, there would have been a higher likelihood of charges being filed.”

  I watched as my friend’s jaw clenched. “That is ridiculous,” he spat. “That’s how this starts. Maybe if we started taking better care of women who are in relationships like this and setting a standard for what is unacceptable, there wouldn’t be so many women staying in situations that go from the so-called minor bruises to black eyes and broken bones.”

  “I said the same exact thing.”

  Holden sat back in his chair. “It’s lucky that Delaney was strong enough to get out on her own the first time it happened. A lot of women don’t, and it only gets worse for them. Sadly, I can understand why they stay if they know there’s no recourse and their abusers can just come after them again.”

  I took in a deep breath and blew it out before I admitted, “You’ve got no argument from me. At this point, all I can do is make sure that motherfucker doesn’t have the opportunity to be alone with her.”

  “I’m sorry, man. You guys are already dealing with enough and now I’ve got something else to add to it,” he shared.

  I had no idea what he was talking about. “What?” I asked.

  He set the closed file folder on top of my desk and explained, “Levi referred a new case to me this morning. At the time, he didn’t know much about it other than it being something along the lines of a missing persons’ case.”

  “Okay, what does this have to do with me or Delaney?” I wondered.

  “Well, Levi thought it was a missing persons’ case based on the information he had. I made a phone call this morning and, as it turns out, the person is not missing.”

  I stared at him, waiting for more information.

  He knew this and didn’t delay in providing it. “Has Delaney mentioned an attorney named Amelia Hall to you?”

  Shaking my head, I leaned forward and set my elbows on my desk. “No. I’m not sure if that’s the name of her divorce lawyer, though.”

  “It’s not,” Holden assured me. “I know this because I had a chat with Ms. Hall right before I came in here. She explained that she’s been working on a case for a client of hers. As such, she’s only able to provide me with certain information. Anyway, apparently this woman has a contact number for the person she’s trying to find but does not have an address. She was hoping we could help locate the individual. At first, I was thinking this is going to be a routine case. With a phone number and a name, we should easily be able to find them.”

  Holden paused a moment. I wasn’t sure if it was because he needed to prepare himself or allow me time to brace for it. Either way, I didn’t have a good feeling.

  “This woman is searching for Delaney,” he cautioned. “She claims that she’s made a couple attempts to reach out to her. Evidently, she was successful in reaching her via phone, but Delaney claimed she didn’t wish to be contacted. The woman has tried to reach out again since then, but Delaney’s not taking the calls.”

  This made no sense. And it surprised me that Delaney hadn’t mentioned anyone contacting her.

  “Who hired this woman?” I asked.

  Hesitation before Holden answered, “Dennis Rogers.”

  Fuck.

  Her father.

  “What does he want?” I questioned him.

  Shaking his head, Holden said, “I don’t know. Amelia Hall wouldn’t say. She claimed that the case was highly confidential, but that it was imperative Dennis Rogers speak with his daughter.”

  I was certainly intrigued, but Delaney did not need this mess.

  Holden continued, “In any other case, I would have probably told Ms. Hall that if she reached out to an individual and they stated they didn’t want to be contacted that she should respect that or she could face harassment charges. Odd considering, as an attorney, she should already know that. Instead, I told her to give me some time, and I’d call her back. I figured I’d talk to you about it and see what you thought we should do.”

  I sat back in my chair again and tried to think. Delaney hadn’t mentioned one word about her father trying to reach out to her.

  “How recently did this woman contact Delaney?” I asked.

  “Not quite a month ago.”

  That was when Delaney and I had just started seeing each other again. Things had gotten so out of control for her lately with Tate being sick, her job, and the disaster with Keith. But there was still an opportunity for her to tell me that something was going on. Unless, of course, she had a reason not to tell me.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Delaney hasn’t mentioned it to me and I’m not sure if that’s because she’s just not really paid much attention to it with everything else going on or if there’s another reason for it.”

  “I assume you know her father?”

  Nodding, I confirmed, “Yep. But he and Delaney have been estranged since she turned eighteen.”

  “You know why?”

  “He blackmailed her,” I started. “A month into my senior year of high school, when Delaney was a sophomore, we got together. We stayed together through the school year and into t
he summer. He made it known he didn’t like us together. It didn’t matter, though, because things were good between us. Until they weren’t and she ended it in an ugly way. I should have known he was behind it, but I was too upset and too pissed at her to really take a step back and see the situation for what it was.”

  “What was he holding over her?” Holden wondered.

  Taking in another deep breath, I replied, “He was a judge and he was loaded. He didn’t always use his position in the most honorable way. Needless to say, I only just found out a month ago that Delaney ended things because her father threatened to have me incarcerated for rape of a minor. She was sixteen, so she was at the age of consent, and I’d only just turned eighteen. It didn’t matter either way because we weren’t having sex. But Delaney was still young, naïve, and afraid her father would go to those lengths, so she did what she thought she had to do to protect me.”

  Holden stared at me, now in more disbelief than before. “Are you serious?”

  I dipped my chin in response.

  “What a dick!”

  I couldn’t agree more. “Tell me about it,” I started. “Now I have to figure out what the hell this guy could possibly want from her now. This woman didn’t give any indication what this was about?”

  Holden shook his head. “Nothing. But she’s made it clear that it’s urgent.”

  I sat there and wracked my brain, trying to figure out what to do from here. Finally, I decided, “Let’s look into him and see what we can find. There’s got to be something that’s going to tell us what he’s up to and I’d rather know what it is before I take this to her.”

  “Works for me.”

  Holden and I spent the next few hours digging and searching for anything and everything on Dennis Rogers for the last ten years. While there were a few questionable circumstances surrounding cases he’d overseen during those years, none of it seemed to be anything that would relate to Delaney in any way.

  What we both found particularly odd was that about a year ago he’d suddenly resigned from his position. It may not have necessarily been out of the realm of possibilities, but the guy was still relatively young. And knowing what I knew about Delaney’s father, he wasn’t the kind of man who’d give up his power easily.