Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
“What’s going on?” George asked, looking around the table. “Because it seems all of you know, but Miranda and I are in the dark. And we don’t do that in this family.”
Trinity lowered her gaze to the table. I settled my hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. “In their defense,” Paige spoke up, “this isn’t the kind of story that’s ours to tell. I’m sure the past few days have been long and exhausting for them, and they needed some time to get their heads together.”
Miranda’s brows were pinched as she looked between me and Trinity. “What happened?” she asked. Her eyes zeroed in on Trinity’s cheek. It was still bruised, but she’d tried covering it with makeup. Figured Miranda’s keen eyes would spot it. “Your cheek is bruised.”
Trinity flinched. I sighed, looking at Trinity. “You want me to tell them?” I asked.
She swallowed thickly and nodded before shoving another piece of cookie into her mouth. I looked at Miranda. “Trinity’s ex-fiancé got overly angry one night and raised his hand to Wyatt.” George clenched his jaw, his eyes glazing with fury. If that got him pissed, this next bit was going to absolutely enrage him. I gripped the back of Trinity’s neck, hoping to ground her as I spoke my next words.
“Trinity stopped him, and after she sent Wyatt to his room, Zac raped her.”
George jerked back from the table, his chair scraping loudly over the floor. He paced to the window, his shoulders bunched with tension. Miranda looked horrified, and tears were welling in her eyes.
“Oh, honey…” Miranda whispered.
“Please don’t,” Trinity croaked, tears glimmering in her eyes as she crumbled a cookie on her plate. “I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. I-I escaped to my sister’s when he left the house, and then, I called Jimmie.”
“Was a rape kit done and a police report filed?” George demanded to know, not turning away from the window.
“Yes,” I answered. “And she called the officer in charge of her case earlier today to press charges. She’s supposed to get a phone call when Zac is arrested.”
“Bail?” Dylan asked, leaning forward so his elbows rested on the table. Paige rubbed his back, trying to keep him calm. Dylan could be explosive, much like George, when his family was attacked. And he considered Trinity family.
“More than likely, it’ll be granted,” Byron spoke up. He was quiet and leaning back in his chair, but he’d begun twisting and untwisting his fingers in Winter’s hair faster, which was giving away how much this bothered him.
“Is it possible to get a restraining order on him?” Winter asked. “Surely, with a rape kit and a statement from you,” she said, looking at Trinity, “there’s enough cause for one.”
“Officer Wilcox said he’d push for one, and he seemed confident one would be granted,” I announced.
“Regardless,” Byron said, leaning forward now, too, his eyes boring into Trinity, “he won’t ever get close enough to you again to do anything else. This entire family is standing with you.”
Trinity’s chin wobbled, so she chewed the cookie faster, more than likely trying to keep from succumbing to her tears again. I squeezed the back of her neck and gently massaged my fingers at the base, hoping to soothe her.
“We will get you the best attorney money can buy,” Miranda spoke up. “That son of a bitch will not get away with this.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Trinity said, her voice sounding small. I leaned in and pulled her close, pressing my lips to her temple.
“You’re right. We don’t,” Winter said, her voice strong, like she was ready to take on the world for my woman. “But we are. Because you’re family, Trinity. It doesn’t matter that you lived states away for years. You’re still part of this family. And we do everything we can to protect our family.”
“We love you,” Paige told her.
A tear slid down Trinity’s cheek, but she quickly swiped it away, leaving cookie crumbs in its wake. Laughing softly, I reached up to wipe them away, making her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I’m trying really hard not to cry right now,” Trinity croaked.
Paige pushed back from the table. “You know what keeps you from crying? Liquor.”
“The good stuff is in the locked cabinet,” George said, turning away from the window and pulling a set of keys from his pocket. He handed them to her. “Help yourselves.”
“Oh, we will,” Winter said, smiling as she stood from her chair. Leaning over, she kissed Byron’s cheek. “You guys got the kids?”
“Always, beautiful,” he told her. “You three go get drunk.”
Trinity looked at me. I smiled at her, jerking my chin toward the kitchen, where Paige and Winter had disappeared to. “Go pick your poison, baby. I’ve got Wyatt. You deserve this.”
“Dinner?” she asked.
“I’ll bring your food to wherever you happen to be at,” I assured her. “Go on.”