“So, you just graduated from med school? How did you get involved in this lifestyle?”
Sherri looked fondly at Nate across the room before answering. “I’d just started my residency at Memorial. I met Nate in the emergency room. We had a very slow start, you might say. Before beginning graduate courses, I’d married what turned out to be an abusive man. Didn’t think I’d ever want another relationship of any kind. I sorta remained emotionally unavailable for several years.” Her smile widened as she looked again at Nate. “That man could give lessons in persistence. He knew my ex and suspected what I’d been through, then helped me deal with a lot of my issues. I’ve never been happier or felt so free.”
“Nate and Julien seem a lot alike.” Adara glanced at the brothers. “But don’t you worry he’ll get carried away and hurt you, if only by accident?” She didn’t like the determined path of her mind. Julien and her uncle held nothing in common.
Open-mouthed, Sherri shook her head. “Good lord, no. He would never hurt me. Most of the time, he knows my limits before I do—such a shock when I thought I’d spend the rest of my life as a spinster. Don’t get me wrong. If I screw up, he doesn’t hesitate to punish me, and yeah, that can be painful. But sometimes I tend to push him just to see how far he’ll go. I do know he’d never mark me in a permanent way.”
Adara felt blood drain from her face.
Sherri grinned. “Don’t knock it until you experience it. I know, firsthand, the difference between the effects of my ex’s abusive punches and Nate’s whipping. Believe me, I never got excited over my ex’s treatment, but Nate can send me to subspace real quick. The feeling is beyond anything you’ll ever experience.”
Conversation stopped when the overhead lights briefly flared. Adara’s gaze darted to Julien and Nate at the bar, exasperation lining their faces. With a look of resignation, they returned to the table. Nate took a seat beside Sherri and Julien pressed Adara to settle on his lap. He liked her accessible at all times, with his hand resting on her thigh.
Murmured conversations filled the room with a hushed expectancy. The air grew pregnant with the promise of the unknown while soft music continued in the background.
“What’s going on, sir?” With her voice strained by fear, Adara huddled deeper into his embrace, feeling small and fragile.
“We’re having some—unusual company. Kind of expected, though. Nothing to worry about.” He snuggled her closer to his chest, again resting his chin on top of her head. Regardless of what happened next, the ambiance which radiated from him settled like a blanket, warm and protected
.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Julien’s chest muffled her gasp when she buried her face and clutched his shirt. Like sharks in bloodied water, Uncle Tony led her cousin and two police officers straight to her table. Hiding wasn’t an option and should’ve been unnecessary after Julien had dealt with them in the parking lot at work. Still, she trembled when she lifted her head to look around, noticing the music had stopped and all gazes centered on them.
“Here she is, officers. This is not the kind of joint where my niece belongs. Look around this place, it’s not fit for decent citizens. Look at the way she’s dressed! Like a street whore. He’s dragged her in here and done God only knows what to her.”
“Sir, I advise you to watch your mouth, or I’ll have to arrest you for disturbing the peace.” The officer’s narrowed eyes and frown at her uncle resulted in a quick intake of breath. “Besides, I’d hate to have to take you to the hospital if the gentleman holding her responded to your insult before I could stop him.” The second officer covered his mouth as he coughed.
She frowned when noticing a slight shake to his shoulders.
Tony took another step closer and reached to grab her until Julien growled. It appeared to erupt from the most primal aspect of his being.
“Mine!” The steely look in Julien’s storm-green eyes preceded her uncle’s flinch and withdraw, the tape on his nose a reminder of Julien’s conviction.
“Good evening, officers.” Julien’s calm voice, clear and strong, now held slight amusement.
“Good evening, folks.” The first officer grinned. Silver bars adorning his shirt collar marked him as the higher ranking officer. “My name’s Lieutenant Collier.” He turned to her uncle saying, “Sir, I see nothing indecent here at all. Looks like you were mistaken, and from the looks you’re getting, I’d say you’re not welcome here. Perhaps you should leave and let me investigate this matter.” A slight sneer accompanied the directive.
The second officer stepped forward with a little more formality, introducing himself as Officer MacMahon. Others gathered to form a polite perimeter, their curiosity bringing a mix of frowns and amused murmurs.
“How can we help you officers tonight?” Julien chuckled as his hand roamed over Adara’s back.
“Sir…” the lieutenant began, “We’ve received a complaint from the two gentlemen here that you’re abusing women in this establishment. Specifically, the young woman sitting in your lap. Do you mind if I ask her a few questions?”
“Be my guest. Ask away.” Julien smirked at Tony and Gary.
The officer’s lips twitched before he straightened his collar. “Adara, would you like to report a crime? Have you been kidnapped or abused in any way, at any time?”
Adara nibbled on her bottom lip as she looked at her uncle’s furious face. As much as she wanted him behind bars, terror filled her mind at the prospect of what he’d do if he got his hands on her again. She shook her head no.
“Miss? You look frightened. Can you speak to me? I need to hear your answer.” Despite the officer’s obvious affinity toward the lifestyle or perhaps to the Crofton brothers, all humor vanished from his expression. A thread of steel had infused the low and gentle voice.
“Um, yes, sir. It’s just…I wasn’t frightened until he came in.” She pointed to her uncle. “And I haven’t been abused since I left home.”
Soft murmurs and rumbled disgust rose from other guests.
A light squeeze from Julien brought her attention to his gaze. His nod of reassurance infused her soul with the courage to do what she should’ve done years ago.
Please know what I’m thinking. Seconds ticked by as her anger grew. These men who were supposed to protect and guide her, instead chose torture and rape. No more.
“You want to see abuse, officers? I’ll show you abuse. But it’s not from this weekend. It’s from years of being tied down, beaten and raped.” Infused with Julien’s radiated strength, she stood before losing her nerve, with Julien’s hands on her hips for support. As she turned her back to the officers and lifted her shirt, years of scars and a large multi-color bruise were revealed. Both officers sucked in a breath.
“Do these look like they happened in the last twenty-four hours to you? Look at the colors.” Her voice sounded cold, foreign to her own ears. Experience had taught her the different stages and hues of fading bruises. The officers would understand.
“Ma’am, that bruise looks at least three to four days old, if not more.” The lieutenant’s voice held a note of steel. “Who did this to you?”
After she lowered her shirt, she turned cold eyes back to the officer. “Why, officer, my uncle and cousin have spent years decorating my body, the worst of which you can’t even see.”
There was no mistaking the look of pain as the officer closed his eyes, gently shook his head, then glanced over his shoulder to where Gary and Tony had stood.
They’d vanished through the crowd.
Figures!
“Would you come down to the station and give us a statement, ma’am?” His voice remained smooth and steady, yet a muscle ticked in his jaw.
Adara looked at Julien uncertainly.
“Lieutenant, how about I bring her by tomorrow morning. I think she needs to decompress.”
“No problem, Julien. Give me a call and I’ll meet you there.”
“Excuse me, officer.” A gray-haired gentl
eman approached from a nearby table. As if by magic, the crowd dispersed to let him pass.
“Ah, Judge Harper. Good evening, sir.” The officers each stood straighter.
“Julien, may I speak to your young lady?”
“Sure, Frank. Be my guest. This is Adara. Adara, this gentleman is Judge Harper.” Julien answered with a small smile as he again settled her on his lap.
“I’ll get right to the point, miss. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. You’re willing to press charges against those bastards?”
“Y-yes, sir,” Adara replied.
“Good.” Turning to the officer. “Collier, is it? You go wake up DA Michaels. I want a warrant filled out and in front of me within the next sixty minutes. After I sign it, you pick up those dirtballs. Tell the commissioner I want them locked up until I see them in my courtroom. We’ll sort the rest out then. Understand?”
Not waiting for a response, the judge returned to his table, shaking his head while mumbling about sadistic bastards.
With a solemn nod, Collier said, “Yes, sir, I’ll be back ASAP. And thank you, your honor.”
As Adara watched the officers go, she confirmed her suspicions. “You know them, don’t you? They certainly acted like…oh my God, those officers are members of the club?”
“Adara, remember what we talked about? You never out members in front of strangers. Yes, I know them both. Remember what I told you about PIs, military guys, and cops.”
“Right.” She looked down and nibbled her lower lip before looking away.
“Adara, what are you thinking?” Julien took her chin in his hand and lifted until their gazes met.
“Just that I hope you’re not mad at me. We didn’t talk specifically about reporting them.”
“No, we hadn’t gotten to that yet, however we would have tomorrow after speaking with your lawyer. I’m glad you had the strength to speak up. Your parents would be proud of you—I certainly am. Thank God, you had them for fifteen years. You learned to recognize your cousin and uncle as aberrant. Again, I’m very proud of you.”
Julien wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his body, nuzzling her hair. His warm breath on her neck instilling a sense of peace.
“But being a sub, doesn’t that mean I can’t talk to others without permission?”
Nate spoke up before Julien got the chance. “Hon, nothing overrides the priority of protecting yourself in that type of circumstance. Nothing.”
Again, Julien brought her gaze to meet his. “Sweetheart, we have a lot of conversations ahead of us. Many misconceptions to disperse. You ready to go home?”
“Home?” Panic filled her voice.
“Home. Our home.”
Once again, she snuggled into his arms. “Can we wait a few more minutes? I love cuddling.” She thought of how easily he’d dealt with such drastic situations. Nothing seemed to rattle him, which begged the thoughts of what experiences shaped that type of man.
“Sure, sweetheart.”
“Julien?” Her reflections on what she understood about him didn’t equal the sum of his parts. She didn’t understand him on a core level.
“Yes?”
“How come you never talk about yourself?”
“What? Well, I do at times. You know I was in Special Forces and about my life here at the club.”
“But what about the rest?”
“Ah, sweetheart. Right now I’m concentrating on you and what you need.”
I’m a type of social reform project. Because so much had happened in such a short span of time, because her life had taken so many unforeseen turns, and because the future held so much uncertainty, she buried her head in his chest to hide her tears
.
Chapter Thirty
Adara stretched her tired and sore muscles as the light streamed in through the open balcony door. A grumbling stomach answered the call of rich coffee drifting to her nose. All the exercise would make her lose weight if she wasn’t careful. Every time they ate, Julien gave her extra servings, telling her she needed to gain a few pounds if she wanted to keep up with him.
Memory of their lovemaking the prior night brought a sheen to her eyes. Not just once, but three times, he showered her with soft caresses and brought her to the brink of oblivion.
The word insatiable came to mind, though she’d never complain. To be enfolded in such cherished passion was a luxury she once longed for as a teen. Yet, a small uncertain part of her didn’t rely on what she didn’t know or understand. Julien held part of himself in reserve, the treasured center where he kept the most sacred pieces of his soul.
“Morning, sleepyhead. I was just coming to wake you.” He placed one knee on the bed to lean over and kiss her.
“Morning. Sorry I slept so late. Must be all this activity.” Winding her fingers through the silky midnight of his hair while he devoured her mouth distilled her thoughts to one word. More. A sigh escaped when he pulled back, forcing her to let go.
His stranglehold on her senses eased as he sat on the side of the bed, his expression sliding into a mixture of sorrow and frustration. Alarmed, she sat up straighter, waiting as her fingers fisted in the bedspread. This was a side of Julien she hadn’t witnessed.
“Hon, I’m afraid I have horrific news. There’s just no good way to say this…”
“Julien, what’s wrong?”
“It’s about your friend, Graham. I’m sorry, but—he’s been found. Dead.”
“No! W-what happened? He looked so sad the other day. Oh God, did he commit suicide?” Her first teardrops splattered on the bedcovers before Julien lifted her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
“No, hon, he didn’t. I’m afraid he was murdered. Surfers found his body this morning under a pier.”
“Oh God. No. This can’t be happening. He was so sweet and gentle. Who would hurt him?” The pained look on his face told her the bad news would keep coming.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
As he tucked her head under his chin and nuzzled her hair, she heard him murmur. “Beside him, in the sand, he wrote something.”
“What?”
“Julien s.”
“Julien s? What do you think he tried to say?”
“Don’t know yet, but I promise you. We will sort this out.”
“Do you think Uncle Tony did it? I don’t know how he’d learn about Graham unless someone from the office talked to him. Jackie?”
“Maybe, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions. We’ll ferret this out.”
“Have you talked with the police?”
“No, Conner called. He’s already spoken with the them. They’ve confirmed my whereabouts for the time frame. Looks like we’ll both be making statements this morning.” Julien stroked her hair, then pushed it over her shoulder. “Remember, we have an appointment down at the station this morning, and another to see the attorney right after lunch. We’ll get more information.”
“Attorney? Today’s Sunday.”
“Yeah, he’s a friend. Charles can see us today. But if you’d like, you can wait till tomorrow and see someone else.”
“Oh, no. Today is fine. Thank you.”
“Since your uncle and cousin have designs on your inheritance, we’ll put it out of reach to anyone except you. That will be financial protection. We’ll also file a report at the police station.”
“And filing a report? What good will that do? They’ll make up some kind of story, deny they were the ones who hurt me. Did the police pick them up last night?”
“Sweetheart, if nothing else comes of it, you’ll have filed the paperwork so they won’t come after you, legally anyhow. Best case scenario, we’ll put the bastards behind bars for a long time. And no, they apparently didn’t go home last night, according to Conner’s update.”
“Will you stay with me?”
“I’ll hold your hand every minute.”
“Thanks, Julien. I appreciate all you’ve done.”
&
nbsp; “After talking with the attorney, we can come back here, relax, and have a good long talk.”
“About?”
“Your future.” Julien framed her face with his hands and kissed her.
Julien’s presence made her trip to the police station almost bearable. Though Lieutenant Collier asked questions in a gentle, nonjudgmental manner, humiliation swamped her as she described years of abuse in general terms. Having to write it down and sign it brought each brutal detail to life. The pictures taken of her scars and bruises brought her shame into living color.
Collier and Julien knew each other well, judging by the verbal shorthand used. Phrases like ongoing conspiracy, and within statute of limitations, led to the likelihood that her testimony would see Tony and Gary incarcerated for years. She didn’t expect questions about the cause of her parent’s death but took it in stride.
When the topic turned to Graham, tears for her best friend dampened one tissue after another as she detailed their friendship. In the back of her mind, she knew his death, in some way, would connect to and prove a weight on her soul.
Both Conner and Nate arrived to fill in information on Gary, Tony, and Simmie. To see the way adversity banded the brothers close reinforced her understanding of what family meant. Now, they included her in their circle of protection.
Officer Collier gave no indication that Julien’s involvement extended beyond Adara’s protection. The dour and grim atmosphere, so common to her past years, contrasted everything she wanted in her future.
A small smile kicked up the corners of Collier’s mouth when she explained she’d been with Julien every minute since Tuesday. Someone murdered Graham on Friday night using a drug not yet identified. A single needle mark on his left arm directed the coroner’s search for information.
With a somber regard, the officer relayed other details of Graham’s death. Julien pulled her onto his lap when the tears again flowed, the emotional roulette wheel keeping her off balance. Sooner or later, her own number would come up at her uncle Tony’s hands.
Carnal Beginnings: A dark romantic suspense (Carnal Series Book 1) Page 20
