Somebody’s Perfect

by Kallypso Masters

  The judge wasn’t on the bench yet, either. They’d come early enough that Savannah could compose herself before everyone took their places. The DA had wanted her here today to hear motions and watch jury selection, primarily to acclimate her to the courtroom setting. No doubt, the attorney for the People wanted to ensure Savannah could overcome her nerves and prove she would be able to maintain her composure in front of the bastard who’d fathered her when the time came for her to testify.

  I can do this. I will do this. For you, Maman.

  “Deep breath, savita.”

  She took a deep, cleansing breath, visualizing her nervousness and fear leaving her body on the exhale, then smiled at Damián and squeezed his hand.

  Before Savannah would have the chance to tell her story, the DA intended to call the forensic anthropologist and medical examiner to testify about the remains found buried in the rose garden for nearly twenty years. Maman’s and John Grainger’s bodies had been there all along, right outside her front door. She shuddered. Damián leaned toward her, squeezing her waist as he pulled her into his heat. “Cold, querida?”

  She shook her head and forced a smile to her lips so as not to have him worry. “It’s just nerves.” Visitors were instructed to sit anywhere on the right-hand side of the gallery, so he guided her to the row of padded seats directly behind the district attorney’s table before motioning for her to sit down first.

  The earliest the DA expected Savannah to testify would be Monday, assuming she handled the proceedings well today and tomorrow and didn’t lose her shit when George Gentry walked into the room. The DA had threatened to eject her, Damián, or both of them if they caused any distracting drama, especially in front of the jury or the judge.

  Savannah wanted desperately to hear the expert witnesses and others give their testimonies before and after her own, though. She would be here for her mother and John, no matter how uncomfortable she became. She had every intention of remaining calm. No one would be escorting her out of this courtroom against her will.

  Of course, Savannah had schooled herself decades ago in how to shut down emotionally. Damián had been working to undo that survival mechanism which left her body detached from her feelings. He’d worked on helping her stay in the moment while, at the same time, acknowledging her feelings. She needed to be able to focus without being pulled back into the terrifying, degrading experiences in her past. Her former and modified behaviors would be at war with one another for the duration of this trial.

  Her gaze remained riveted on the chair where Gentry would be sitting. She tried to visualize him to diminish the initial shock of seeing him again, but she’d worked so hard to block his image out of her mind since her kidnapping, but found that impossible to do.

  Damián reassuringly squeezed her waist again. They’d already talked about her doing whatever it took to get through the next couple of weeks in this courtroom, or however long this trial might take. The sense of foreboding she’d felt over the impending trial had nearly made her sick these past two months. All too soon, she’d come face to face once again with her worst nightmare.

  The chair at the defense table held her gaze captive much like the man who would occupy it had for ten long years.

  “Breathe, savita.” He touched her shoulder, signaling her to relax. She did as instructed—and took another breath besides—but the tightness in her chest didn’t ease up. “Eyes.”

  Savannah blinked rapidly, somewhat dazed as she clawed her way back from her fears. Damián cupped her chin and turned her face toward him. “I. Said. ‘Eyes.’”

  Meeting his gaze brought her a small sense of stability again. Hard to believe he’d been back in her life barely a year. She’d been reminded of that two days earlier when Adam and Karla had celebrated their first wedding anniversary. The night of their wedding, Savannah and Marisol had arrived on Damián’s doorstep while fleeing Gentry and Lyle. Damián had slowly become her rock since then.

  She placed her hand on her growing belly and rubbed it to center herself. They had so much to look forward to, once they put this trial behind them and closed this final chapter to her horrific childhood once and for all.

  Savannah had chosen a wardrobe of loose-fitting clothing today, not wanting to accentuate her pregnancy in, she supposed, an effort to protect her baby from Gentry’s glares. She couldn’t hide being almost eight months pregnant, though. By late next month, they’d have a new baby. Their fairytale, as well as their family, would be complete—unless and until more babies followed this one.

  “You’re stronger than he’ll ever be, Savannah. You’ve got this. But you won’t go through the trial alone. I’ll be beside you for the entire thing.”

  Her husband, Dom, protector, and closest friend wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt her, not even that bastard Gentry or his accomplice, Lyle. But she also would need to take care of Damián so he wouldn’t lose his shit, either. He hated Gentry, too, and she didn’t want him to do anything to jeopardize the outcome. She definitely didn’t want Damián thrown into jail for contempt of court—or worse.

  “Promise me you won’t let him get to you, either, Sir.”

  He grinned. “Who, me?”

  She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, not the least bit assured. Gentry would be under heavy guard. Surely Damián could see that any physical or verbal outburst on his part would only hurt their case. After all, hadn’t he been working with her through various grounding techniques to not lose her cool?

  Savannah knew the worst battles here would be fought on the psychological level, though. Gentry had spent decades twisting her mind into a distorted reality, leaving almost as many mental scars as he’d caused physical ones.

  To reassure Damián, she said, “I feel nothing but rage toward the man who claims paternity of me. But he can’t hurt me ever again.” Perhaps if she said the words enough, she’d internalize them, too.

  “No, he can’t, bebé. He’d have to go through me first.”

  “And me next.”

  They both looked up to find Adam standing in the aisle beside Damián wearing his uniform with his cover tucked under his arm. She hadn’t expected to see him until next week.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Did Karla come, too?” A quick glance behind him and toward the doors showed no sign of her.

  “No, she’s in Denver. Megan and Cassie are staying with her, Marisol, and the triplets until I get back. And Marc, Ryder, and Luke will be taking turns spending the nights there, too.” Always overprotective. She loved it.

  Savannah’s eyes stung at how this family of choice rallied around one another at times like these. Marisol had mentioned last night that Megan was there when Savannah called her to say goodnight, but she hadn’t mentioned that her grandpa was gone.

  She stood, closed the gap between them, and wrapped her arms around him, resting her face on his chest. “I didn’t want to take you away from Karla and the babies any sooner than when you were to testify next week.”

  “You didn’t, hon.” Pulling away, he grinned and gave her a wink. Suddenly, Adam became serious. “But she and I agreed that I need to be here with you two for as long as it takes so that your one and only focus will be on this trial and taking care of each other. Besides, I plan on flying back at oh-dark-thirty Saturday to surprise her. Then I’ll catch the red-eye back Sunday night.”

  “Dad,”—Damián cleared his throat, standing directly behind her—“I’m glad you’re here, too.” Savannah realized he’d be as much a support for Damián as for her. “We have a two-bedroom suite at the Camp Pendleton lodge, if you’d like to stay with us.” The base had a number of rooms and suites reserved for honorably discharged and retired Marines, she’d discovered.

  He nodded, thanked Damián, and gave her husband an expression she couldn’t quite read before Adam met her gaze again. “The DA wants me to testify early in the trial about what happened in the cabin when we rescued you.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure she tho
ught you’d make a more rational witness than I would,” Damián said, not seeming upset that he hadn’t been chosen to do so. Adam would remain calm and controlled under cross-examination. And his uniform, with all his ribbons and badges, would give him an instantaneous air of respectability and authority.

  Still, she hated pulling Adam away from Karla and their babies for what might be a week or more spent sitting in the hallway waiting to be called in to testify, because he wouldn’t be allowed in the courtroom while others were testifying before him. The DA had considered Marc but ultimately decided Adam would be best.

  Of course, Savannah wouldn’t be banished from the proceedings. Being the only living victim of the capital crimes Gentry had been charged with, California’s Marsy’s Law and its Victims’ Bill of Rights permitted her to remain present throughout the trial.

  Stretching up on tiptoe, she placed a kiss on Adam’s cheek and whispered, “I can’t tell you how much this means to me, Adam.”

  Giving her a gentle hug, he said, “I’ll keep telling you this until you believe me, Savannah—you’re family. Kitten and I both feel the same way. And family is there for each other. Always. No matter what.”

  Pulling away again, she smiled at him through trembling lips, so touched that he would come all this way to be here for her and to testify. Time and again, he’d shown she was like a daughter to him. He’d treated her like a member of his family since the night he’d taken her and Mari in when they’d left Damián’s apartment, long before she’d married Damián.

  Actually, Adam was more of a father to her than Gentry had ever been. Was Adam upset that she didn’t call him “Dad,” especially after she’d called him that once when he’d given her away at her wedding? Would she ever be able to use the honorific title given the aftermath from years of abuse by the man on trial here? Perhaps not. But Adam didn’t seem hurt or annoyed in any way that she continued to call him by his given name.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Damián said, clapping him on the shoulder. He had no qualms calling Adam ‘Dad,’ but his own father had been a good man, from what Savannah had heard from Damián and Rosa. “You don’t know how much this means to us.”

  “Hell, you didn’t think I’d miss watching Savannah take that POS down, did you? The DA said my testimony would precede yours, so I should be allowed in here.” Adam smiled at her then asked, “So how are you holding up, hon? I know you’ve waited an awful long time to get justice.”

  Drawing herself up to her full warrior height, she squared her shoulders and smiled back, albeit with a sense of false bravado. She wanted them to be proud of her. “Trust me, when I’m finished with him, he won’t want to mess with any of us again.” Having these two men here gave her the courage she needed. She’d never want to disappoint either of them.

  “Finish the job for us, hon.”

  She wrinkled her brow and tilted her head at Adam’s words. Last night, lying in bed in their suite, Damián had alluded to some sort of retribution he and Adam had delivered following her rescue from the high desert cabin near Bear Mountain, but he hadn’t provided any details. That suited her just fine; she didn’t need or want to know. All that mattered was that they, Grant, and Marc had rescued her before Gentry could do any lasting damage. They’d been there for her afterward, too, taking care of her following the ordeal until she could get to the hospital. Adam and Damián had stayed with her for all or most of her care in the days and weeks that followed until she’d completely healed. Physically, at least.

  All that seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Now she belonged to Damián—body, heart, and soul. Her hand stroked her collar as a talisman of hope and security.

  Damián placed a protective arm around Savannah’s back, his hand toying with the loose hairs at the nape of her neck, sending a delicious thrill through her body. “Let’s sit so you can rest your legs a while,” he murmured.

  No sooner had she positioned herself in the chair between the two men, Adam closest to the aisle, than a door at the opposite end of the room opened and the monster who still haunted her dreams so many nights walked into the room. Gentry’s gaze homed in on her immediately. She gasped with the impact. The charged energy arcing between them sucked all the air out of the room. He sneered at her.

  Damián made a fist, relaxed his hand, and then made another fist, scaring her a little. He struggled for control of his emotions as much as she did.

  “Breathe, querida.” He leaned forward to break the visual hold Gentry had on her, and she blinked several times before focusing on Damián’s face.

  She couldn’t do as Damián said. Her lungs were paralyzed.

  I can’t do this. I can’t face him again.

  Their baby kicked or elbowed her, jarring Savannah out of her fear-filled retreat. She needed to remember to breathe without reminders and to keep her body from becoming so tense she blocked the baby’s oxygen levels. Although putting Gentry behind bars would make life safer for everyone she loved and achieving justice for her mother and John Grainger had been Savannah’s utmost goal for months, nothing could ever be worth risking her baby’s health.

  “You’re okay, bebé.”

  She nodded. “That bastard is nothing but my sperm donor. He can’t hurt me.” She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until Damián stroked her cheek and agreed with her. The words came out like a mantra, probably because she’d repeated them so often these past few months.

  Lifting her gaze toward her husband, she smiled. “You’ve shown me how a loving father behaves with his daughter, each and every day.”

  He placed a kiss on her lips, grounding her in the present. Savannah turned away and sat up straighter, steeling herself for what was to come while avoiding Gentry’s gaze. She started to stroke her belly then forced her hand to still. If he didn’t already know she was pregnant, she didn’t want to telegraph the fact. Seated where she was, he couldn’t see the baby bump. Had his goons informed him of such, though? After losing her mother’s fortune, could he still wield immense power over former employees, court officials, and the police? Somehow, he’d managed to get this trial moved up by at least a year. Was the judge in his pocket?

  She prayed not. But what if they didn’t get a conviction? That bastard had never been held accountable for any evil thing he’d ever done. Why should she hope that would change?

  Was her sperm donor’s gaze on her? She could imagine the seething hatred streaming from the eyes of the beast, much as it had when he spoke about Mari while torturing her at the cabin.

  Don’t give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence.

  Her lungs contracted, and she forced herself to keep breathing steadily and to not let the monster see his effect on her.

  “Don’t let him intimidate you, hon,” Adam said.

  Too late. She was way beyond intimidated; she was scared to death. She’d try to keep from showing that but could feel her fear oozing from every pore.

  “Gee, he doesn’t look too happy to see me,” Damián said with a grin. She could well imagine why after the intense hatred Gentry had expressed toward Damián the night he’d brought her home after rescuing her from the abusive clients in the hotel’s penthouse. Gentry loathed Damián with a passion and must have wished his gaze alone could strike down her man in this very courtroom.

  Could Gentry get to either of them?

  When Savannah’s hands began to shake, Damián wrapped his larger one over both of hers and squeezed, as if commanding them to stop. And they did. “You’re safe, querida,” Damián whispered. She allowed herself to relax a little bit.

  Clearly, neither of the two men beside her was going to give up any control or power to Gentry. She wanted to show Adam and Damián she could be as strong as they thought her to be, but it had taken all the courage she could muster to simply walk inside this room.

  Savannah nodded to them both, pulled her left hand back, and squeezed Damián’s forearm. After taking a deep breath, she almost allowed her gaze to stray tow
ard the defendant’s table.

  “Eyes on the judge’s bench, Savannah,” Adam said in his Dom voice. “Don’t make eye contact with that shithead. Keep your focus on the judge or the DA.”

  While the judge hadn’t arrived yet, she shifted her gaze to the DA. Savannah breathed in and out slowly, less fearful than she’d been moments ago.

  When the judge entered the courtroom, the bailiff instructed everyone to stand and brought the court to order. Adam whispered that was his cue to vamoose and left the courtroom.

  Here we go. Will justice at last be mine?

  Chapter Nineteen

  The arduous jury selection process took until late Thursday morning. Damián’s mind was numb by the time he heard the judge announce the lunch break. “Court will reconvene at one-thirty this afternoon.”

  Damián glared at Gentry’s back as he was led out of the court in his fancy gray business suit. Would the jurors be fooled into thinking he was an upstanding businessman and worthy citizen of the county given what he wore?

  If only he’d killed him when he had the chance. After rescuing Savannah last March, he’d come fucking close.

  As retribution for what Gentry had done to Savannah—from the brand to her labia and rapes and assaults too numerous to count—he and Dad had inflicted a special kind of torture on the bastard by applying electrodes made from a wire coat hanger to the old man’s shriveled junk. Frankly, they were surprised Gentry hadn’t filed charges of assault and battery against them. Damián smiled, remembering the car battery they’d used. Dad had exacted the most damage, saying he didn’t want Damián to have nightmares about it for years to come. Not that he was so certain Dad wasn’t haunted by it a little, though. Something sure had been bothering Dad ever since they’d done the interrogation scene with Marc. The only nightmares that haunted Damian’s sleep featured images of Savannah strapped down to the ottoman in that cabin, bloodied and crying as they rescued her from that fucking animal.