“Jeffrey O’Dowell, please stand,” the judge ordered.
Slowly, the scumbag rose, eliciting murmurs throughout the room, so much so that the judge had to slam his gavel down to silence everyone.
“The jury has made a decision. It was unanimous. Mr. Jeffrey O’Dowell, the acts you have carried out against young children are nothing short of despicable. Not only have you taken away their trust, you have scarred them deeply, physically and emotionally. You are a vile human being who will be given no mercy for your actions. This courtroom finds you…”
Everyone had stopped breathing. Justice hadn’t opened his eyes. I think he was too afraid to. Hell, I wanted to be able to close mine, but I needed to see the look on Mr. O’Dowell’s face when the verdict was read.
“Guilty on all charges! I am sentencing you to sixty years jail with a non-parole period of thirty years. That will make you eighty years old, Mr. O’Dowell. You will stay in prison until you are an old man.” Banging the gavel down, he added, “This court is dismissed.”
Oh. My. God. It was over. Relief was palpable throughout the room. Men stood and yelled their joy, shouting obscenities to the criminal being led away.
I let out my own whoop, punching my left hand into the air. Justice now had his eyes wide open, glaring at Jeffrey O’Dowell as he disappeared through a set of doors, head down, a guard on each side.
We sat while others people began to leave. Never again would that fiend hurt another kid. His reign of terror had ended.
Dad and Nate stood, but Justice remained seated. I looked up to them. “Can we have a moment?”
They both nodded, leaving us. Soon we were the only ones left. Justice still hadn’t said a word.
“I know this is going to sound weird, considering your name and all, but Justice has finally been served. You did it. You helped put that maniac behind bars. I’m so proud of you.”
He turned and looked down at our entwined fingers. He’d stopped shaking but was still coiled tightly.
His eyes looked glazed, and I wondered if he’d had his eyes shut to hold back the tears. There was so much sorrow there. My free hand lifted of its own accord to hold the side of his face. This poor tortured man had sat while the insane piece of shit that had made him this way had virtually laughed in his face the whole way through the trial. I didn’t know how he’d done it, but he had. He’d won in the end.
He let go of my hand and brought both of his to my head, pulling me in so he could claim my mouth. It wasn’t greedy or desperate like I was used to. It was soft and tender. A thank you kiss. A kiss that spoke a thousand words. It was all lips without tongue, but it was so damn sweet I melted into it, not caring where we were. He needed it, and I was going to make sure he took from me what he needed.
“Lil.”
I pulled away and inhaled sharply. “You’ve never called me that. You’ve always called me Princess or Li’l Princess.”
“I owe you everything. You’re the reason I’m sitting here and not getting hauled away into a cell next to that fucktard. You kept me grounded. I wanted blood. His blood. I wanted to watch the life slowly drain from his eyes as I choked him, but all I could think about was how disappointed you’d be in me, and for some fucked-up reason, I don’t want that. I don’t want you to be ashamed of me.”
“I will never be ashamed of you. I’m so damn proud of you and the way you handled yourself. I know my dad and Nate are too. It’s time to start the rest of your life. You have a brother. You have us. It’s your second chance, Justice.”
I smiled warmly at him before kissing him again, running my fingers over his freshly shaven jaw. He actually whimpered into my mouth, and I could feel his shoulders droop.
“I just wanted someone to care about me.” His forehead rested on mine.
“I care about you, city boy.”
“I’m really starting to realize that now. It feels…good. I care about you too, princess. More than you know. Maybe even… love.”
My eyes were round to the point of hurting. “You love me?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been given love, so I’m not sure what it feels like. I do know that you’re all I think about. When I need someone nearby, it’s you I want. No one else. Just you.”
“God. I feel the same. You came spiraling into our lives, all arrogant and cheeky, but once I got to see below the veneer, I liked what I saw. These past weeks have been so hard. A nightmare even, but through it all, you’ve shown me how much you’re changing. It’s always been the environment you lived in. When put in the right atmosphere, the true you shines. You’re going to be okay now.”
He pulled me into his chest like I belonged there, and in many ways, I did. I may not have been able to save my mother, but I’d saved Justice. Not in the way of finding his cut-up body and calling an ambulance but in an emotional way. I’d been a bitch at first, but as we’d spent time together, I’d overcome that. I guess my need to save damaged souls from their own hell wasn’t something that I did but someone that I was. It would be who I would always be, and in that was a deep sense of pride and accomplishment. Something I could be proud of. Something my mother could be proud of.
“Come on, princess, there’s a corner of the stables that has our name on it.” He gifted me his broadest grin then a wink before holding out his hand.
The End.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost I would like to thank Limitless Publishing for their support and belief in me as a writer. You guys, including the other authors, are nothing short of amazing!
Toni Rakestraw, my editor, for helping to make my books shine! You have a great eye for picking up things I miss, and your advice is definitely helping to make me a better writer. Thank you!
To my readers! You guys are the reason I write! I love knowing that I’ve been able to immerse you into the worlds I create. If just one person can be taken on a journey through the pages that stays with them long after they’ve finished the book, then my job is complete.
Family and friends, as always your love lifts me up when I need it the most. I’ve met some amazing people since beginning writing, many of which I’ve never met. It has opened up a vast new world of writers, readers, photographers, and cover models that I never knew existed. There are so many talented people out there, and I’m so blessed to be a part of your lives!
About the Author
I am married and a mother of two beautiful children, living in sunny Queensland, Australia. I’ve been reading books ever since I can remember and love all things related to books. Writing has become an extension of that and I hope to pursue a full time writing career. I currently write part-time and work as a remedial massage therapist. I love spending time with family and hope to one day travel to Italy and England.
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