Chapter Twenty-Nine
Julien’s chest muffled her gasp when she buried her face and clutched his shirt. Like sharks in bloodied water, Uncle Tony led her cousin and two police officers straight to her table. Hiding wasn’t an option and should’ve been unnecessary after Julien had dealt with them in the parking lot at work. Still, she trembled when she lifted her head to look around, noticing the music had stopped and all gazes centered on them.
“Here she is, officers. This is not the kind of joint where my niece belongs. Look around this place, it’s not fit for decent citizens. Look at the way she’s dressed! Like a street whore. He’s dragged her in here and done God only knows what to her.”
“Sir, I advise you to watch your mouth, or I’ll have to arrest you for disturbing the peace.” The officer’s narrowed eyes and frown at her uncle resulted in a quick intake of breath. “Besides, I’d hate to have to take you to the hospital if the gentleman holding her responded to your insult before I could stop him.” The second officer covered his mouth as he coughed.
She frowned when noticing a slight shake to his shoulders.
Tony took another step closer and reached to grab her until Julien growled. It appeared to erupt from the most primal aspect of his being.
“Mine!” The steely look in Julien’s storm-green eyes preceded her uncle’s flinch and withdraw, the tape on his nose a reminder of Julien’s conviction.
“Good evening, officers.” Julien’s calm voice, clear and strong, now held slight amusement.
“Good evening, folks.” The first officer grinned. Silver bars adorning his shirt collar marked him as the higher ranking officer. “My name’s Lieutenant Collier.” He turned to her uncle saying, “Sir, I see nothing indecent here at all. Looks like you were mistaken, and from the looks you’re getting, I’d say you’re not welcome here. Perhaps you should leave and let me investigate this matter.” A slight sneer accompanied the directive.
The second officer stepped forward with a little more formality, introducing himself as Officer MacMahon. Others gathered to form a polite perimeter, their curiosity bringing a mix of frowns and amused murmurs.
“How can we help you officers tonight?” Julien chuckled as his hand roamed over Adara’s back.
“Sir…” the lieutenant began, “We’ve received a complaint from the two gentlemen here that you’re abusing women in this establishment. Specifically, the young woman sitting in your lap. Do you mind if I ask her a few questions?”
“Be my guest. Ask away.” Julien smirked at Tony and Gary.
The officer’s lips twitched before he straightened his collar. “Adara, would you like to report a crime? Have you been kidnapped or abused in any way, at any time?”
Adara nibbled on her bottom lip as she looked at her uncle’s furious face. As much as she wanted him behind bars, terror filled her mind at the prospect of what he’d do if he got his hands on her again. She shook her head no.
“Miss? You look frightened. Can you speak to me? I need to hear your answer.” Despite the officer’s obvious affinity toward the lifestyle or perhaps to the Crofton brothers, all humor vanished from his expression. A thread of steel had infused the low and gentle voice.
“Um, yes, sir. It’s just…I wasn’t frightened until he came in.” She pointed to her uncle. “And I haven’t been abused since I left home.”
Soft murmurs and rumbled disgust rose from other guests.
A light squeeze from Julien brought her attention to his gaze. His nod of reassurance infused her soul with the courage to do what she should’ve done years ago.
Please know what I’m thinking. Seconds ticked by as her anger grew. These men who were supposed to protect and guide her, instead chose torture and rape. No more.
“You want to see abuse, officers? I’ll show you abuse. But it’s not from this weekend. It’s from years of being tied down, beaten and raped.” Infused with Julien’s radiated strength, she stood before losing her nerve, with Julien’s hands on her hips for support. As she turned her back to the officers and lifted her shirt, years of scars and a large multi-color bruise were revealed. Both officers sucked in a breath.
“Do these look like they happened in the last twenty-four hours to you? Look at the colors.” Her voice sounded cold, foreign to her own ears. Experience had taught her the different stages and hues of fading bruises. The officers would understand.
“Ma’am, that bruise looks at least three to four days old, if not more.” The lieutenant’s voice held a note of steel. “Who did this to you?”
After she lowered her shirt, she turned cold eyes back to the officer. “Why, officer, my uncle and cousin have spent years decorating my body, the worst of which you can’t even see.”
There was no mistaking the look of pain as the officer closed his eyes, gently shook his head, then glanced over his shoulder to where Gary and Tony had stood.
They’d vanished through the crowd.
Figures!
“Would you come down to the station and give us a statement, ma’am?” His voice remained smooth and steady, yet a muscle ticked in his jaw.
Adara looked at Julien uncertainly.
“Lieutenant, how about I bring her by tomorrow morning. I think she needs to decompress.”
“No problem, Julien. Give me a call and I’ll meet you there.”
“Excuse me, officer.” A gray-haired gentleman approached from a nearby table. As if by magic, the crowd dispersed to let him pass.
“Ah, Judge Harper. Good evening, sir.” The officers each stood straighter.
“Julien, may I speak to your young lady?”
“Sure, Frank. Be my guest. This is Adara. Adara, this gentleman is Judge Harper.” Julien answered with a small smile as he again settled her on his lap.
“I’ll get right to the point, miss. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. You’re willing to press charges against those bastards?”
“Y-yes, sir,” Adara replied.
“Good.” Turning to the officer. “Collier, is it? You go wake up DA Michaels. I want a warrant filled out and in front of me within the next sixty minutes. After I sign it, you pick up those dirtballs. Tell the commissioner I want them locked up until I see them in my courtroom. We’ll sort the rest out then. Understand?”
Not waiting for a response, the judge returned to his table, shaking his head while mumbling about sadistic bastards.
With a solemn nod, Collier said, “Yes, sir, I’ll be back ASAP. And thank you, your honor.”
As Adara watched the officers go, she confirmed her suspicions. “You know them, don’t you? They certainly acted like…oh my God, those officers are members of the club?”
“Adara, remember what we talked about? You never out members in front of strangers. Yes, I know them both. Remember what I told you about PIs, military guys, and cops.”
“Right.” She looked down and nibbled her lower lip before looking away.
“Adara, what are you thinking?” Julien took her chin in his hand and lifted until their gazes met.
“Just that I hope you’re not mad at me. We didn’t talk specifically about reporting them.”
“No, we hadn’t gotten to that yet, however we would have tomorrow after speaking with your lawyer. I’m glad you had the strength to speak up. Your parents would be proud of you—I certainly am. Thank God, you had them for fifteen years. You learned to recognize your cousin and uncle as aberrant. Again, I’m very proud of you.”
Julien wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his body, nuzzling her hair. His warm breath on her neck instilling a sense of peace.
“But being a sub, doesn’t that mean I can’t talk to others without permission?”
Nate spoke up before Julien got the chance. “Hon, nothing overrides the priority of protecting yourself in that type of circumstance. Nothing.”
Again, Julien brought her gaze to meet his. “Sweetheart, we have a lot of conversations ahead of us. Many misconceptions to disperse. You ready to go home?”
“Home?” Panic filled her voice.
“Home. Our home.”
Once again, she snuggled into his arms. “Can we wait a few more minutes? I love cuddling.” She thought of how easily he’d dealt with such drastic situations. Nothing seemed to rattle him, which begged the thoughts of what experiences shaped that type of man.
“Sure, sweetheart.”
“Julien?” Her reflections on what she understood about him didn’t equal the sum of his parts. She didn’t understand him on a core level.
“Yes?”
“How come you never talk about yourself?”
“What? Well, I do at times. You know I was in Special Forces and about my life here at the club.”
“But what about the rest?”
“Ah, sweetheart. Right now I’m concentrating on you and what you need.”
I’m a type of social reform project. Because so much had happened in such a short span of time, because her life had taken so many unforeseen turns, and because the future held so much uncertainty, she buried her head in his chest to hide her tears