The silence that followed was deafening. One tear escaped before I could stop it. “If you want to send me to jail, Judge Dixon, go right ahead. I’ll take my punishment. Will Carl?”
Carl’s face was blank.
The adrenaline was charging through me at warp speed as my pulse raced like a horse at the Kentucky Derby. Even as I sat there, I wanted to punch Carl’s lights out.
“As wrong as my son’s actions were, you could’ve killed him.”
Little did the judge know that if I had wanted to kill Carl, I would have. But I kept that to myself.
Kelton cleared his throat. “Sir, my client exhausted all options before taking action. When she told your son to get off Ms. Baker, his response was, ‘Fuck off. Or maybe you want to join us. Though I could fuck both of you with this.’” He paused, jaw tight. “Referring tothisas his erect penis.”
Judge Dixon turned to his son with glacial slowness, his face darkening to a dangerous shade of red. “Is this true? And don’t think to lie to me.”
Carl’s complexion was stark white. “Yes, sir.”
Kelton closed the folder. “Judge, you wanted to keep this case out of court to protect your reputation and that of your son’s. I propose the following—my client’s concealed carry permit will be permanently revoked.”
What the fuck?
As if Kelton knew how I felt, he gave me a “don’t you dare argue with me” look. “Also, she’ll pay a penalty for discharging her weapon in a residential neighborhood. As far as your son is concerned, he will deliver a heartfelt apology to Ms. Baker.” His voice hardened. “Additionally, I’m opening an investigation into Omega House. As an alumni of BU and a board member, I will make it my mission to shut down every fraternity house if necessary to prevent another incident like this.”
Pride in my lawyer warred with frustration over losing my permit. Lives were definitely more important than a gun. But I needed to speak up, not just for myself but for every woman—in the past, present, and future—who found herself in a situation like mine or Andie’s.
“May I say something, please?”
The judge nodded, his expression guarded but attentive.
“I spent four years in a sex-trafficking ring, enslaved to the man who purchased me.” The words tasted bitter, but as much as I wanted to put those memories behind me, it was useless. They would always be part of who I was. “I know what it’s liketo get raped, to watch men force themselves on young girls. Women don’t recover easily from that type of trauma. The bullet was only meant to stop Carl. I know it wasn’t the best solution. But as Kelton said, we need to prevent any more incidents on all campuses across the country.”
“What do you propose?” Judge Dixon asked with genuine interest.
“My brother Dillon owns the Hart of Hope Shelter. We distribute special nail polish that can detect date-rape drugs.” I sat up taller. “I recommend including the nail polish in all incoming freshman orientation packets and making it readily available to every woman on campus.” My gaze shifted to Carl. “If you’re truly going into politics, I suggest you take on this issue as your first priority and start to ensure women are protected from men like you.”
The judge flashed his dark eyes at Kelton. “I accept your terms. Ms. Hart’s concealed carry permit will be revoked immediately, and she’ll pay a five-hundred-dollar fine for discharging her weapon. As far as the investigation into Omega House, I’ll leave that to you, and my son will be at your disposal to assist. If you find anything to prosecute, I’ll make sure I’m the presiding judge.”
Then the judge finally addressed his son, his expression stern and unyielding. “Carl, you will apologize to Ms. Baker, and it will be sincere. If I hear otherwise, I’ll cut you off from your trust. In addition, you will assist Mr. Maxwell in his investigation. I want you leading the charge to stop and prevent incidents like this. Is that understood?”
Carl’s lips thinned. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” The judge stood. “This meeting is over, and I don’t want to see you again, Ms. Hart.”
The feeling was mutual. Though losing my permit stung, it beat jail time. I had other ways to protect myself, and moreimportantly, the bullet in Carl’s leg would ideally serve as a reminder of his actions. If it didn’t stop him from attempting to rape another woman, I would find another way to handle him.
Rising from my chair, I felt lighter. One crisis down, and now I could focus on my problems—my classes, my complicated feelings for Brian that were slowly blooming, and the growing suspicion that I was being followed. The question remained, though—who was following me? Or was it paranoia that was all in my head?
11
BRIAN
Ifinally no longer had Rogues hanging over my head. No more restaurant employees. No more busting my ass for hardly any return on my investment. Boston never felt so good. It smelled like home, and I couldn’t wait to start rebuilding my life and, I hoped, getting a chance to settle down.
Since I’d last left Duke and Grace outside Deek’s Bar and Grill, I hadn’t spoken to either of them. I would be lying if I said I’d shaken Grace from my system. The moment I had her in my arms, I knew I wanted more. Seeing her from afar or across a room was manageable, a dull ache I could ignore, but feeling her pressed against me while I breathed in her vanilla scent shattered my resolve. I hadn’t bargained for the way my heart raced while all my reasons for staying away from her suddenly seemed meaningless.
Which was why I was entering Duke’s gym. I wanted to assure him nothing was going on between Grace and me. I’d thought a lot about her, and there was no doubt I wanted her, but I couldn’t jeopardize the longtime friendship between Duke and me—no matter how much I was drawn to Grace.
Grunts and voices droned on from people working out, which was a far cry from the atmosphere when I’d been here last week, when the gym was closed.
I spotted Grace’s friend Andie hitting a bag as though she was imagining the fucker who tried to rape her. The mere thought of the frat boy’s predatory actions filled me with an uncontrollable need to inflict pain on him or any man who touched a woman without her consent. If that scumbag had laid a hand on my daughter, he would be ten feet under by now.
