The Embrace Series: Romantic Suspense Box Set

by Dana Mason

  “I need you to tell me why Coach Jeffries wanted to meet with you.”

  “He said he wanted to take pictures of me in uniform. He wanted pictures to add to sponsorship applications.”

  “He took pictures of you in your water polo swimsuit?”

  Erin nodded, but her hands came up to cover her face.

  “Is there more, Erin?”

  Erin nodded again. “He made me take my suit off for some of the pictures.”

  Ali cleared her throat. “Are you telling me Frank Jeffries made you take off your swimsuit and took pictures of you without any clothes on?”

  Melissa inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. Her body shook so badly, she vibrated from the inside out.

  “Yes!” Erin lowered her face in her hands. “I don’t want my dad to know. Please, don’t tell my dad.”

  “Erin, you . . .” Ali stopped and lifted her hand to cover her eyes while she tried to master herself. Melissa reached out for her hand and squeezed it. Ali looked up and their eyes met, both of them streaming tears. “Sweetheart, you haven’t done anything wrong. None of this is your fault.” Ali’s voice pitched when she said it.

  “Coach kept threatening me. He said he’d tell Daddy, and I’d get in trouble and kicked out of school if anyone found out.”

  “He’s a liar!” Ali shouted, then shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds. “Did he do anything else?”

  “He’s been threatening me . . . trying to get me to meet him at school again.”

  “Okay . . . so let me get this straight. Frank Jeffries, the coach of the water polo team, started harassing you to meet him after school last year?”

  Erin nodded.

  “What did he threaten you with, Erin?”

  “He said he would print the pictures and leave them around school for people to find . . . said they’d end up on the internet.”

  Ali’s eyes widened then narrowed. “Okay . . . and how many times did you meet him before he asked you to take your clothes off?”

  “I don’t know . . . a few times. The first time my mom went with me, and he took shots of a few of us girls by the pool.”

  “So your mom knew?”

  “He invited the girls and the parents the first time.”

  “Then he told me he needed a couple more of me alone. I asked my mom, and she said I could do it after school. She couldn’t come the second time.”

  “And the second time, he took pictures of you with your swimsuit on?”

  “Yes, me and two other girls.” Erin’s eyes stared off, unfocused as if she were remembering. “That was all normal, too. But a week later, he told me I needed to come back. The third time it was only me and him.”

  “How many times did you go by yourself?”

  “Twice before he talked me into taking off my swimsuit.”

  “Did your mom know about those times?”

  “No, not really.” She finally focused on Ali again. ”It didn’t seem to matter then.”

  “Erin, what did he say to get you to take off your suit?”

  Melissa held her breath, afraid of the answer, but Erin closed her eyes and shook her head, forcing tears to roll down her cheeks.

  “Okay . . . we’ll hold that question. You don’t have to tell us that now.” Ali rested her hand on Erin’s knee. “But Erin, I need you to tell me where he did all this picture taking? He couldn’t have asked you to get naked outside by the pool.”

  “It was mostly in the locker room shower,” Erin whispered, her eyes still closed. “Some with the water on.”

  Melissa wanted to throw up now. She placed her hand over her mouth. Why hadn’t she done more when Erin had first complained about Jeffries? Oh God, she felt how sick this was going to make Brian. This would kill him for sure.

  “But then . . .”

  “Then what, sweetheart?”

  “Me and Cody went to the Swim Center at the Community Center. Coach was there. I didn’t realize he taught swim lessons there.”

  “Oh God, Erin.” Ali squeezed her eyes closed. “I’m sorry. I had no idea when I suggested you go there, I didn’t know I was putting you in danger. Oh God!”

  “Ali . . .” Melissa said, shaking her head. “This is no more your fault than it is Erin’s.”

  Ali nodded quickly, clearing her face of emotion. “Erin, what did he do at the Swim Center?”

  “He has an office there. He threatened to hurt Cody and Daddy. He even threatened Melissa.”

  “What?” Melissa said.

  Ali held her hand up to silence Melissa. “Erin, that’s what pedophiles do. They threaten to hurt the people you love. That’s how they get what they want out of their victims.”

  “Well, it worked,” she cried. “He came out of the locker room with his arm around Cody. I was afraid for him.”

  “What did he do to you at the Swim Center?”

  “He took me to his office. Made me take my swimsuit off for more pictures . . . cornered me in there.”

  “Honey, did he do anything else? When you say he cornered you, what do you mean exactly?”

  Erin gripped the front of her jacket again. “He tried to kiss me,” she said. “When I pushed him away and started crying, he slapped me and called me a baby.”

  “I’m sorry. Oh God, Erin, I’m so sorry you’ve been going through this alone.”

  Erin closed her eyes, and Melissa thought she felt her relax a little. It had to be a relief to get this off her chest. “I’m okay, Auntie, but I don’t want my family to get hurt. I’m scared. He’s crazy—dangerous even.”

  “Oh, honey, don’t worry about that. You won’t have to worry about him anymore. I promise you, he’s the one going to prison. I will make sure of that myself.” She tried to smile at Erin, but then she continued with the questions. “Erin, I need to know about Friday. Were you going to meet him?”

  Erin nodded. “He tried to get Anna to come. I couldn’t talk her out of it, so I told him I would come instead if he left her alone.”

  “Anna who? Sweetie, Anna’s last name?”

  “Miller,” Erin said. “Anna Miller.”

  “So Jeffries accepted your offer to meet you instead of Anna? Did he cancel his plans with Anna?”

  “Yes”

  “Did she know why?”

  “No!” Erin said. “I didn’t want her to know I was meeting him.” Erin cringed. “I was only trying to protect her. She didn’t know what he was up to. He told her he just wanted pictures of her in her swimsuit, too.”

  “That was very brave of you, Erin,” Ali said. “Can you tell me what happened when you got to the school?”

  “He had all his equipment set up when I got there.” Erin wiped her nose with the sleeve of her jacket. “He told me to take off my clothes, but I refused.”

  “What happened when you refused?”

  Erin’s face crumpled again. “He got super angry and started shouting at me . . . he got in my face and called me a little tease.”

  Ali took a deep breath, her eyes locked on Erin’s. Melissa didn’t know where Ali found the strength to hold her composure.

  “He pushed me against the shower wall and held me there, trying to kiss me . . . and he started pulling at my clothes.”

  Ali didn’t blink, her eyes were hard now. Melissa felt Ali’s anger as it rose within her, contrasting with Melissa’s despair.

  “Then what happened,” Ali asked softly.

  “He pushed me down on the shower floor.” She lowered her eyes from Ali’s, embarrassment . . . no, shame clear on her face. “I pushed at him a few times. I tried to kick him, but he was too heavy on me so I slapped at his face . . . that’s when he started hitting me.”

  “Where did he hit you,” Ali asked.

  Erin lifted the hair off her face showed the fading yellow on her cheek and the slight cut near her hair line.

  “What happened next, sweetheart?”

  Erin closed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to remember the chain of events.
“After he hit my face, I stopped fighting.” She opened her eyes. “He was distracted . . . trying to unbutton his pants. That’s when I reached out for my bag and managed to get my hand around the gun.”

  Ali finally lowered her eyes, too, and Melissa thought she saw a hint of a smile. “Did you shoot him?”

  Erin nodded. “I tried. He saw the gun and grabbed my wrist. When he pulled my hand down, I pulled the trigger . . . as soon as the gun went off, I dropped it.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “I didn’t know what else to do . . . he started screaming after that and rolled off me to grab his leg.”

  Ali stood up slowly, pulled Erin into a tight embrace, and mumbled, “Erin, I love you just as much as I love my own kids. Do you understand?” Erin nodded quickly. “You can talk to me about anything. Melissa, too, okay? Don’t ever keep anything like this a secret ever again,” Ali said, pulling away. “We need to tell your dad and Uncle Johnny.”

  Erin shook her head vehemently. “No-no! I can’t! My dad will be so mad at me.”

  Ali cupped Erin’s face in both hands and looked her straight in the eye, but before she could say anything, Melissa said, “Erin, you’re a victim. Jeffries took advantage of you. It’s not your fault.” Erin and Ali turned at the sound of Melissa’s sob and hugged her. “I’m sorry, Erin. I should have known. I should have helped you.”

  “No,” Erin shook her head. “I didn’t want anyone to know. I don’t want to tell Daddy.”

  “Erin, you shot Jeffries in self-defense—under duress. It’s not your fault. You have to talk to the District Attorney. He’s my boss,” Ali said.

  “I don’t want anyone to know,” Erin said again. “You don’t understand! Please, Auntie Ali, Coach will post the pictures on Facebook. Everyone will see.”

  “Honey, why did you switch places with Anna on Friday night?”

  “I didn’t want him to do the same thing to her.”

  “The only way to keep him from ever doing this again to any other girl is for you to talk. That’s how you can protect your friends,” Ali said, then turned when she heard the door open.

  “He’s married. Nobody will believe me,” Erin said frantically before Mark reached them.

  “Honey, he took pictures of his crime.” Ali rubbed Erin’s arm in support. “We’ll have no trouble proving it.”

  “So . . . what’s happening?” Mark asked. He looked directly at Erin. “You okay?”

  Erin shook her head then buried her face in Melissa’s shoulder.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Brian was sitting alone in the interrogation room when Ali, Melissa, and Mark entered. They left Erin in the waiting room with Matt. She wasn’t ready to face Brian, and nobody wanted to force her. Brian stood when they entered, and Melissa wrapped her arms around him, holding her breath, trying not to sob. She didn’t know how he would react when they told him about Erin, and that scared the crap out of her.

  Brian embraced her, gripping her to him as if it was the last time he’d hold her. They took a deep breath together, and Melissa couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her exhale became a sob. Brian tightened his grip on her when he heard it.

  “I need you to be strong,” he whispered in her ear. “Can you be strong for me?”

  Melissa nodded on another sob then tried to steady her breathing before she said, “Yes, I can, but can you?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just worried about you.”

  “We need to tell you something.” She tried to breathe again then pulled back to look at his face. “Brian . . .” She stopped and looked over at Ali, who was in deep conversation with Mark. Brian withdrew from their hug and eyed Mark warily. “So . . . what’s this meeting about? Johnny was getting ready to take me to jail.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Brian, but you’re not going to jail today,” Ali said. “Donald Kaiser is on his way over here. We’re going to discuss your options.”

  “What options do I have with the District Attorney? I’m ready to confess.”

  Johnny walked in and sat down. “Martinez is getting the warrants for Jeffries.”

  “What the hell is going on?” Brian asked, glancing from one face to another.

  “Have a seat, Brian. We have another confession to deal with,” Johnny said.

  “What the hell?” Brian shook his head and lowered himself into his chair. “What did you do, Mark?”

  “Brian, there’s more to the story . . .” Mark lowered his eyes. “There are some things you need to know.”

  “For starters,” Ali said. “Erin shot Jeffries under duress. He’d been threatening her for months.”

  Brian’s back went up, his body stiffening. “What are you telling me? What was he threatening her with?”

  Melissa’s pulse kicked up. Damn, how she wished they didn’t have to tell him this. He’d been hurt enough by Jeffries and Julie. He didn’t deserve this. Erin didn’t deserve this.

  Ali said, “Brian, you need to be prepared to—”

  “Just tell me what the hell is going on! Where’s Erin?”

  “She’s out in the waiting room. Just let us get this out before—” Melissa tried to say, but Brian interrupted her, too.

  “Then tell me,” he growled.

  “Jeffries manipulated Erin into . . .” Ali focused her eyes on Brian’s, the struggle to keep her composure clear in her features. “At the end of the last school year, Jeffries coerced Erin into meeting him at school after hours.”

  “What are you telling me?”

  “He told her he wanted to take pictures of her in her water polo swimsuit for sponsorship applications.” Ali took a deep breath then said, “While taking pictures, he manipulated her into taking the suit off, and he continued to take pictures.” Ali’s voice cracked, her eyes closing for a moment. “He’s been using that to blackmail her over the past few months.”

  Brian stood, scraping his chair against the floor so harshly, Melissa cringed. His breathing increased as he paced the room like a caged dog.

  “How did—” He ran his hands through his hair. “How did this happen?” His eyes darted to the ceiling. ”I’ll kill him. I will fucking kill him.”

  “Brian, please,” Melissa said.

  “How did I not see this?” He looked at Johnny. “How could this happen on my watch? Is this the son of a bitch we were looking for? Has he been right in front of my fucking nose?”

  His loud voice vibrated off the walls, and the agony in the sound cut Melissa to her core. “Brian,” she reached out for him, but he jerked away. “You have to stop and think about Erin. Stop!” she shouted when he wouldn’t acknowledge her.

  Johnny held up his hand in a calming gesture. “Jeffries was shot in the leg, in and out. It’s only a little more than a flesh wound. He was treated and released. We’re already working on a warrant. I expect we’ll know if he’s our guy soon enough,” he said. “Until then, we need you to calm down and listen to what we have to say.”

  Brian closed his eyes then opened them and met Melissa’s.

  Melissa wanted to cry at his expression. “Brian, sit back down, please. If you’re freaking out, imagine how Erin feels.”

  Brian deflated. His face dropped, and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and protect him from having to hear what she’d heard herself.

  “Brian,” Ali said, her voice now clear and business like. “Jeffries had her convinced that you’d never forgive her if you found out. He told her she’d get in trouble and kicked out of school. He also threatened to print the pictures, post them on Facebook . . . he’s been manipulating her from the beginning. He even threatened to hurt Cody, you, and Melissa.”

  Brian lifted his chair and smacked it back into place before dropping into it. Melissa looked around at all the pale faces. Brian, Mark, and Johnny looked like they wanted to throw up, and Ali looked like she hadn’t slept in a week.

  “Where do we go from here?” Melissa asked. “Can we go home? Can Brian go home now?”

  “No, he
has to meet with the DA. He made a false statement, and there are some other things they may want to charge him with,” Ali explained.

  Johnny shook his head. “No official statements have been made.”

  Ali looked at the video camera, then to the two-way glass.

  “Sweetheart, no statements of any kind have been made.” He pointed to the two-way window. “The room is empty, and the camera is off. It’s Sunday and the admin offices are closed.” He shot her a winning smile, but she frowned at him.

  “You could get yourself fired for that, Detective Bennett.”

  “Ain’t nobody gettin’ fired, Mrs. Bennett. I knew Brian was protecting someone. He couldn’t even tell me where Jeffries had been shot.” Johnny chucked. “Truth is—he’s a lousy liar.”

  “Either way, Melissa, Brian needs to meet with the DA. As Erin’s father, he can represent her until the DA’s office decides what to do.”

  “You mean your office, Ali, and please don’t tell me there is a possibility Erin could be in trouble for this.”

  “Erin isn’t in any trouble. She’s a victim. It’s just a meeting to discuss the incident. The DA’s office has to go on record to say we’re not pursuing charges against Erin or Brian, but they are against Frank Jeffries.”

  “I thought this was over. Brian didn’t do anything.” Melissa couldn’t keep her voice steady. She was too weak and worn out from the day. She wanted to throw herself on the floor and kick and scream like a child.

  Brian rested his face in his hands. Melissa wished she could take all the pain away. She hated seeing him go through this, and hated that he was already blaming himself for everything.

  “Melissa, he’ll be okay,” Johnny said.

  “Lis, take my car and Erin, and go back to Brian’s. She shouldn’t be stuck out in the waiting room.”

  Melissa wanted to argue. Brian needed her, and she wanted to be here for him. But she knew he’d be more at ease if he didn’t have to worry about Erin, too.

  “What about Cody?” she said.

  “Cody and Jamie are both at my house with Sarah. She picked them up already. I’ll bring him home later,” Mark said.