AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re going right now.” Councilor Paige rose, her chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor. She reached for Abbey’s arm and pulled her to her feet.
On Abbey’s other side Solon rose as well, and Abbey saw a golden blur as he made a motion at the police captain.
“If you would please take these cuffs off me, Officer?” he rumbled politely. “They don’t fit properly anyway—they’re much too tight.”
Captain Hogan grumbled angrily but Abbey heard metal clinking and knew he was doing as Solon asked.
“There,” he snarled at them. “Now get out of my sight!”
“We’ll be happy to,” the lawyer said coolly. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
This earned her a burst of muttered profanity but the police captain didn’t try to stop them as they left.
Abbey wanted to be glad—they’d been at the police station for hours—but she just felt numb inside. She held onto Lizabeth’s arm, not Solon’s, as they walked out to the parking lot and the lawyer offered them a ride.
“Do you want to go to the Human/Kindred Relations building?” she asked. “It might be a good idea if Chris Brander’s father really does have influence. I’ll call Commander Sylvan and let him know about the situation.”
Abbey shook her head.
“I’m so tired. Please—can’t I just go home?” she pleaded.
“Well…all right. As long as you think it’s safe,” Lizabeth Paige told her. “We don’t want this Brander’s people coming after you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine,” Abbey said tiredly. “Please—I just need to be alone.”
“I’ll come with you,” Solon offered.
Abbey shrugged.
“Sure. Fine.”
“All right—let’s go then. And if you want, I can have a Kindred warrior come and drive Solon’s vehicle back to your house so you don’t have to see anyone from your reunion,” Lizabeth Paige offered.
“Thank you, that would be good,” Abbey said gratefully as the other woman helped her into her car.
Right now she just wanted to go home and take a long, hot shower to wash the awfulness of the day off—if she could.
Lizabeth drove them back to Abbey’s house where Aunt Rose was waiting on the front porch.
“Oh honey, I saw what happened on my phone!” she exclaimed, taking Abbey’s arm. “My goodness—you never told me that boy hurt you back then!”
“Because I didn’t want you to know!” Abbey exclaimed. She was starting to cry again but she didn’t want to. “I didn’t want anyone to know and now the whole town does!” She was crying harder now. “Look, can…can we please j-just go inside?”
“Of course, honey, I’m so sorry.” Aunt Rose put an arm around her shoulder and helped her inside with Solon trailing behind them and Spex nuzzling her neck comfortingly.
After they got into the house, Abbey somehow managed to get hold of herself. She swiped at her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Thank you, Aunt Rose,” she said gratefully, hugging her aunt. “I’m sorry I couldn’t…couldn’t tell you about what happened back in high school. I was afraid that Chris’s father would go after you and find some way to shut the shop down.”
“The shop doesn’t matter to me—you’re the one who matters.” Aunt Rose hugged her back. “But I know it must be hard, all this coming out like it has.”
“Yes, it is,” Abbey admitted. She turned to Solon. “Not that I’m not grateful, but…”
“But you are also upset. Because I shamed you in front of your former classmates,” he said quietly. “Forgive me, lelka, that was not my intention.”
“I know it wasn’t.” Abbey took a deep breath. “I just…I don’t know what I’m going to do now that everyone in town knows what…what he did to me.”
“You don’t have to do anything at all right now,” Aunt Rose told her. “Why don’t you take a nice long bubble bath and relax? That always makes you feel better.”
