by Taylor Hart
“Your honor,” said Richard, standing.
The judge put out his hand. “No. I’m talking to the lady.” His face softened. “Ms. Love.”
Charlotte stood. “Because, your honor, my ex-husband is lying.”
“Objection.” Joe stood.
The judge put up his hand. “I’m asking the plaintiff a direct question. As it is her opinion, please do not object.”
“Yes, your honor.” Joe sat down.
He swung back to Charlotte.
“I . . . He . . . Nathan isn’t a happy person. He . . . I don’t know if it is the way he was raised, or the fact that his brother got killed, but he is just a generally unhappy person.”
Joe stood again. “Your honor.”
The judge silenced Joe with a look and waved at her to continue.
“Our son, Sam . . .” Charlotte’s voice choked. “Our son is a sensitive kid. He loves to look in his telescope and think about other worlds. He loves to comb down the horses on my mother’s ranch. He’s just sweet, your honor. He doesn’t belong in Nathan’s home full time. It’s . . .” A tear trickled down her face. “Nathan is abusive. He was abusive to me before I divorced him.”
The judge looked stern and sad. “Have you ever reported anything before?”
Charlotte had wished so many times since her divorce that she’d reported something. Anything. She wished she’d simply called the police to tell them when Nathan was in one of his fits of rage and she’d locked herself and Sam in the bathroom. But she hadn’t. “No, your honor.”
“I see. Do you have proof from others in the community that he loses his temper?”
Charlotte felt hopeless. She wanted to yell out “just ask anyone that knows him well, and they will all tell you the same thing—he loses his temper a lot.”
But they wouldn’t. Many of them were too afraid of the Love family. Of the history with his father. Of the things that the Love family knew and would use to manipulate and blackmail them.
Charlotte reasoned the judge was probably being blackmailed in some way, too.
The judge shook his head. “Then I’m sorry, Ms. Love, but with the testimony of Sheriff Bards I see no other option than to rule that Mr. Love has full custody of your son, Sam.”
Her heart fell. She clutched the blue neon around her waist to keep herself grounded to something, anything.
What would she do? She couldn’t imagine Sam having to go there every day. She couldn’t imagine having to constantly beg Nathan to see him. Even though she hated herself for even thinking it, she knew she was not strong enough to be without Sam. She might have to run. Take him and leave and take her mother, too.
Richard stood. “Your honor, there has been other evidence that has come to my attention.”
The judge frowned. “What evidence?”
Richard turned. “Another witness.”
Charlotte’s heart pounded as she turned and saw him.
Ryan.
He walked to the front.
The judge shook his head. “What kind of a witness is he?”
Richard joined Ryan as they came to the front. “Your honor, he has something to show you—a DNA test.”
The judge’s frown turned to a look of intense displeasure. “If this is not something very useful, I will throw you in jail, Mr. Hardman.”
Ryan handed him a file. “Yes, your honor.”
The judge opened the file. He skimmed through a few pages and then shut it.
Then, Charlotte couldn’t believe it, he smiled. He struck the gavel back down hard. “I’m dismissing this case and ruling that all charges be dropped against Charlotte Love.”
Charlotte’s heart beat wildly. Could this really be happening?
Joe Watkins shot to his feet. “But, your honor.”
The judge struck the gavel and frowned at Joe. “Mr. Watkins, in the state of South Carolina, the biological parent has first right to the children.”
Joe pressed. “Nathan Love’s name is on the birth certificate.”
The judge hesitated. He lifted the report. “Unless you can bring me proof that Nathan is the biological father, he has no rights.”
Joe pounded his fist on the table. “Your honor, there are still charges against Ms. Love for abuse to her child.”
The judge steadied his gaze at Joe then shifted to Nathan. “Is this a fight you want to take on, Mr. Love?”
Nathan sneered at Ryan, but flung back to the judge, “Yes, your honor, as a citizen that is concerned for the children of Hidden Falls, I want to take this case on.”
The judge let out a sigh and pulled his glasses off. “Fine, but not today.” He struck his gavel. “That’s not a family law concern, but a civil suit.” He stood. “Case dismissed.”
Charlotte felt Nathan’s anger. She turned to look at him.
His eyes were steel and hard and violently angry.
But she didn’t care. Tears stung her eyes, and she laughed.
Ryan strode directly to her. “I don’t know what this means for us, but I want to be in Sam’s life if you’ll let me.”
Chapter 47
The breath in his throat caught as he saw the tears on her face and her smile. She wore a black dress with a blue sash that showed her curves. Her hair was wild and curled around her face. She wore mascara and red lip stick.
She stepped close to him. “I was afraid of Nathan. I was afraid that he would win.” Her face cracked into a grin. “But Angela gave me the scarf and I guess it gave me good luck.” She laughed and rushed around the table to him.
Before he knew what he was doing, he scooped her up. Her lemon-apple scent washed over him, and he knew this was it for him. She was it. He pulled back and stared into her deep, ocean-green eyes.
It hit him.
He had a son. Sam was theirs. He bent to kiss her.
Nathan barged up to them. His face contorted into something evil and mean and vengeful. “How dare you? I’ve raised him. I’ve been in his life. I’ve paid for everything.”
Charlotte moved away from Ryan and her bottom lip trembled. “I’m not afraid of you anymore, Nathan.”
He pursed his lips and contemptuously addressed Ryan. “He’s my son. He’s always been my son.”
Ryan let out a breath. “Actually, according to the paternity test, he’s my son.”
Nathan backed away. He gripped his hand into a fist. “I’m gonna fight this. This isn’t over.”
Charlotte didn’t move.
Ryan stood beside her. “I never should have left. I can’t believe I left you.”
Charlotte heaved a sigh. “But you came today.”
He pulled her close. “Can you ever forgive me for leaving you the first time?”
She tilted her head up and a tear ran down her face. “How about we forgive each other?”
Ryan’s whole body warmed. “I want to be there for him.”
“Well,” there was a cough and a clearing of a throat. “You’d think a hero just walked in the door.”
Ryan turned to find Beau behind him.
Ryan let go of Charlotte and immediately pulled Beau into a hug.
Beau yanked back at first then let himself be hugged.
“I’m sorry, brother. For everything.” Ryan released him.
Beau looked at him from top to bottom. A small flicker of a smile played at his lips. “You know, I’m happy to finally see you stand up for yourself.”
Ryan laughed—a gut laugh, hard and fast. He couldn’t stop himself from picking him up and spinning him.
To which Beau did not respond kindly. “Whoa. Put me down. Just because we’re all happy doesn’t mean you touch me.”
“Oh yeah,” Ryan cajoled, putting up his hands into boxer mode and lightly smacking him.
Sean moved next to Ryan. “This calls for some Byron, ‘Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey.’”
Ryan turned and took Sean into a long hug. “Thanks for getting them out of jail. I’ll pay you back.”
Charlotte laughed. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go to the ladies room.”
Ryan saw Star and Angela rush forward and take her into a group hug. Then they all scattered out the large courtroom doors.
Beau lifted his eyebrows. “So—I guess congratulations are long overdue.”
Ryan blushed. “Guess so.”
Sean smacked him on the back. “You know the real news is not that you’re a father.”
Ryan moved toward the courtroom doors. “No?”
Sean flung open the door. “No—it’s that we’re uncles.”
Beau agreed and they filed out. “P-shaa. Darn right. Gonna teach that boy how to bronc ride.”
Ryan smiled.
They waited next to the front doors of the courthouse.
Beau kicked the cement. “So, um, are you going to come with us to help Charlotte’s mom move?”
The pit of Ryan’s stomach did a flip-flop. “Nobody’s moving today.”
Sean grinned and elbowed Beau. “Big bro’s got a plan.”
Star and Angela exited the building.
“Hey, punk.” Star went straight to Ryan and smacked him on the shoulder.
Sean turned to them. “Where’s Charlotte?”
Star smiled at Ryan and went in for a hug. “Oh, she’s picking up some official document with a name change on it.” She squeezed Ryan a little longer. “That was amazing.”
Angela pushed Star out of the way and reached for a hug. “I am so going to read your fortune later.”
Ryan laughed and hugged her. He didn’t know how he’d gone from complete and utter despair yesterday—from feeling like he didn’t have a place to belong or a friend in the world—to having more than he could ever imagine
But he was grateful for it. So grateful.
Nathan busted out the front doors. He stopped abruptly when he saw them. A horridly cruel and mean glare took residence on his face. He smirked and swerved in the other direction.
Beau burst into laughter. “Hey, we’re not the ones that stink, you do!”
Ryan watched the look on Nathan’s face. He saw the way his hands were already clenched into fists. The pit of Ryan’s stomach went into a hard knot, and he knew something had happened to Charlotte.
He rushed up the stairs. He could feel it. Something had happened. He flung open the door and searched for her.
Nothing.
He rushed down the hallway and into the city office, but she wasn’t there. “Have you seen Charlotte?” He asked a girl he recognized from high school.
She frowned and then shook her head. “Haven’t seen her.”
Ryan rushed out and saw her stumble out of the bathroom.
“Charlotte.” He caught up to her.
She kept her head turned away from him. “Don’t. Just—”
He took her chin and whipped her face to him.
A red mark covered half of her face.
He put his arm underneath her to support her. “What happened?”
She flinched and moved out of his grasp. “Oh, he got me right on that side, too.”
A simmering fury, a raging fire, a tsunami that had been building for the last seven years began to erupt through him. He clenched his jaw and moved her through the front of the building and out the doors.
Star and Angela ran for them first.
“What happened?” Star pushed her hair back and inspected her face.
Angela closed her eyes and twisted a charm on her bracelet. “I knew he was up to no good today. I felt it when he walked out of the courtroom.”
Beau looked into Ryan’s eyes. “He can’t get away with this.”
Ryan knew this was a bad combination. All the anger and fury he felt combined with Nathan’s latest abuse was close to pushing him over the edge.
Sean put a hand on each of his brothers’ shoulders and lowered his voice. “He’ll pay. But not now. Not like this.”
Ryan shrugged out of his brother’s calming hand. “Exactly right now. Exactly like this.” He took off in a sprint down the street.
Chapter 48
Joe Watkins pushed out the front door to the courtroom and almost fell right into the girls. “Excuse me.”
When they didn’t say two words back to him and when they didn’t move from their huddle around Charlotte, the insides of his stomach warned him this wasn’t a good thing. He knew he should just keep walking, but it was Charlotte, and he couldn’t.
“What’s wrong?”
Charlotte glanced up, and he saw it.
The bruised, already swelling eye.
He was sickened and angry. He just wanted to wrap her in his arms and protect her. “Are you okay?”
He saw Ryan, Beau, and Sean rushing down the steps together.
He knew.
He knew with absolute clarity that today would be the day his secret would finally be free.
Chapter 49
Ryan watched Nathan jogging up ahead of him.
Too bad Ryan was faster.
Nathan turned the corner and his quick pace turned into a full on run.
It didn’t matter. Even in his suit and boots, Ryan was easily closing in on him. He turned the corner and picked up his pace.
He felt clear now. Clearer than he’d felt in a long, long time.
Nathan glanced back. Fear was visible in his eyes.
It should be. The last bit of forgiveness eeked out of Ryan. He did forgive. He really did, but he was no fool. He also believed in justice, and today, vigilante justice would have to do.
Ryan grabbed the back of Nathan’s suit and yanked hard.
Nathan fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him.
Ryan sucked in a breath. “Get on your feet so this can be a fair fight.”
Nathan tried to stand.
Ryan kicked him before he was all the way up, and Nathan fell back. “But you don’t know anything about fair fights do you? You prefer to hit women.”
“You’ll pay for this,” Nathan spat out at him.
Beau rushed next to Ryan. “You filthy, little pig of a man.” He kicked the toe of his boot at Nathan’s butt.
Sean put his hands on his brother’s chests to back them up. “Hold on.”
“Finally, an officer of the law.” Nathan started to get to his feet.
But Sean kicked backwards—getting him right in the gut. “Keep your seat, mayor.”
“What the…?” Beau raised his hands in question to Sean. “Get out of the way. It’s time to kick some trash.”
“I just think we need to think about this.”
“Sean. If you don’t get out of my way in exactly two point two seconds, I’m going to have to go through you.” Ryan tried to calm the speed of his heartbeat.
Beau yanked Sean to the side. “Do you remember the part about our brother being in special ops? Let’s not get in his way.”
Nathan stood and spit on the ground. “Special ops.”
Everything inside of Ryan went completely still.
Nathan laughed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I didn’t believe it. Not a word. You know how come I know that? Because you’re a coward. You’re all cowards. Your father was a coward.”
Ryan stepped nose to nose with him. “You held her hostage because you knew she was good. You knew she only wanted to protect her son. And you’ve hit her because you thought nothing would come of it. You are a coward.” He silenced his shaking hands into fists at his side.
Beau put a hand on his shoulder. “Let Sean call this in. We’ll go.”
Ryan tried to come back to the sanity of those words. He looked at Beau and fought with everything inside to stop the violence of what he was. The violence he’d been fighting against since he’d come back.
Out of nowhere, Nathan’s fist connected to Ryan’s jaw.
After that he could honestly say the training just kicked in.
Chapter 50
The cell stunk. Ryan sat on the mattress that wasn’t thick enough.
That smell. Not as bad as the cave, but it did have the scent of sweat and feces and cement that never really got cleaned off, just hosed down.
After taking Nathan to the ground and slamming his fist into Nathan’s face, his brothers had pulled him off. That’s when the sheriff had shown up and hauled them all to the jail.
Beau stood next to the bars. “How come it’s taking so long for your friend, Richard, to spring us? I thought you said he had a lot of connections?”
Sean sat on the floor, his feet out, his head pressed back against the wall, and his eyes closed. “I don’t know, Beau, let’s see—maybe because it’s not as easy to get out of jail as it is in the movies.”
Beau didn’t look at him. “Shut up. I got to get the horses fed.”
Ryan dropped his head into his hands that were propped on his knees. “Guys, just be patient. Richard will work something out.”
Sean snorted. “Right. I’m a police officer, and you’re a special ops guy—everyone knows your hands could be classified as weapons—and Beau’s such a snarky cuss, and we beat the crap out of the mayor. I don’t think it’s going to look too good.”
Ryan pushed down his angst. “It’ll work out.”
The way Beau banged his fist into the bar, Ryan knew that his knuckles would smart. “What are you talking about? Nathan Love has this town rigged. It’s always been rigged. Have you forgotten how dad didn’t even have a chance? He was convicted before they found him guilty.”
The inside of Ryan’s gut squeezed. He faced Beau. “Our dad killed Nathan’s brother.”
Beau shook his head. “I read the report. He wasn’t even drunk that night. His blood alcohol level wasn’t even past the legal limit.”
Ryan clenched his fist. All the memories of that night flooded him—his father yelling at his mother, and his mother begging him to take his keys. “He killed an innocent boy, Beau. That was our father.”
Sean jumped to his feet and came between them. “H-hey. Let’s cool it, okay?” He stared at Ryan and then at Beau. “We don’t need to relive the past.” He sighed. “Trust in the process. The process just takes time. We’ll get out.”
