Page 17 of Deadly Scandals

Grant

Ikept Joaquín from bleeding out until the paramedics and cops came. I wanted to canoe the motherfucker, but Mia had been through enough pain in her life.

Mia, Mitch, and I gave statements to the police. Joaquín was placed under arrest for attempted murder, rape, and kidnapping. He was transported to a hospital and would be arraigned when he recovered.

I took Mia back to Mitch’s truck.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head. “No, he didn’t.”

I had to ask. “I saw you in Carmel. I saw you kiss him.”

“Yeah. Nothing more than that happened. I had to…I had to convince him I loved him. To find our son. Did you find him?”

“Yeah, he’s at the police station.” I didn’t mention Ashley because I was still under strict orders not to reveal her identity to Mia.

“Now what?” Her body shook, and I wrapped her in my arms.

“Now we file for custody. I’m sure they’re going to place Julián in a foster home until we have a hearing, but we’ll get him back soon. Let’s check into a hotel and call a lawyer.”

She nodded, and we didn’t say a word as Mitch drove us down the mountain.

We checked into the Tiburon Lodge. Once we were alone, I needed to ask her a question. “Why didn’t you kill him? Or let me?”

She gave a faraway glance. “Because he’s sick. I know what he did was wrong, but he needs help. He’d been fighting his feelings for me for years and thought he was disgusting for feeling the way he did. I know it doesn’t even come close to excusing his actions, or even remotely making them okay…but he needs help, Grant. He’ll go to jail for the things he’s done; he doesn’t need to die. Enough people have been hurt in all of this.”

I held Mia. I would never understand her devotion to Joaquín. But it didn’t matter. We were safe. Joaquín would be locked away for years. And for the first time since she’d left me in the hospital two years ago, I knew that she was finally mine forever, and I would never lose her again.