Read Online Ashes - Book 2 (New Adult Romantic Suspense) by Leslie Johnson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Leslie Johnson
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bed in my office, her purple dog collar wrapped around her neck.
It’s Tuesday and things have settled down since the hectic weekend. I’ve given my statement to the FBI agents and listened to their warning about some cult. I told them about the guy who was by my pool and Onyx chased. They seemed concerned and warned me to avoid being alone, just in case.
I called my dad to let him know what was going on and he had a taser gun messengered to me with a note that said, “You can always come home, baby girl, if you need to. I love you and want you to be safe.”
“Who needs a taser when I’ve got Onyx to protect me?” I baby-voice the dog and she stands up, dragging her heavy cast behind her, her brown eyes filled with pain. “No, no. You need to stay down, silly dog.” I get her back into her doggy bed, then give her a bone to keep her entertained.
My office phone beeps. “Beth, we have a visitor,” Hannah says over the intercom.
I touch a button and tell her I’ll be right there.
“You gonna be okay,” I sing song to the dog. She gives me puppy dog eyes that clearly say, ‘don’t leave me’. I pat her head again and promise I’ll be right back.
After a quick stop into the bathroom to wash my hands, I step into the lobby to find a girl sitting in the waiting room. Hannah is sitting next to her, speaking to her in a gentle voice.
They both look up as I approach. “Beth, this is Madeline West. She needs someone to talk to.”
I reach out a hand and am glad when the girl reaches back. She doesn’t appear to be physically hurt and she’s not crying. In fact, she looks kinda mad. Actually, she looks deeply pissed off.
Thanking Hannah, I walk the girl back to my office and offer her water and a seat. She sees Onyx and is immediately on the floor, petting and rubbing the sweet dog. I let her sit there, thinking we might want to bring the pup in more often. A lot can be said for pet therapy.
After a few minutes, I ask her how I can help her and the girl’s eyes harden as she looks at me. “I was pulled over for speeding a few weeks ago. It was late and I was trying to get home. I was on Volunteer, so it was pretty isolated.”
Onyx stood from her dog bed and limped closer to the girl, laying her head on Madeline’s lap. The tension in the girl’s jaw relaxed a bit as she continued to pet the dog.
“Long story short, the bastard told me to get out of the car and he frisked me. When I resisted, he put me in handcuffs, then he raped me. He didn’t use a condom and now I’m afraid I could be pregnant or have some weird disease.”
The way she told the story was surreal. Just stating the facts. No emotion at all.
“Did you report the rape?” I ask gently. “Tell anyone?”
She laughs, a little sound that is full of anger. “What good would that do? Everybody knows you can’t fight dirty cops. And everybody knows their time will come.”
I stare at her. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen.” I’m surprised. She looks much younger.
“What do you mean by ‘everybody knows their time will come’?”
She lifts her hands and waves them around, like she’s indicating the center. “You know. Everybody gets raped. I was just lucky it didn’t happen sooner. My older sister got it when she was twelve.”
Is this what our world has come to? When seventeen year old girls are so casual about rape, even expect it to happen? Anger builds and I feel a pulse pound at my temple. I take a deep breath, realizing I can’t assume anything. Just because the girl is hard and detached on the outside, doesn’t mean she isn’t hurting on the inside.
I know.
I’ve worn that mask for years.
“How are you, Madeline?”
Her blue eyes flick up to mine and she lifts a shoulder. “I’ll be better when I know I’m not pregnant or have some VD.”
“I mean, how are you feeling inside? Emotionally.”
She wrinkles her forehead. “I’m cool. Shit happens. Gotta wipe it off your shoes. I’m not gonna
It’s Tuesday and things have settled down since the hectic weekend. I’ve given my statement to the FBI agents and listened to their warning about some cult. I told them about the guy who was by my pool and Onyx chased. They seemed concerned and warned me to avoid being alone, just in case.
I called my dad to let him know what was going on and he had a taser gun messengered to me with a note that said, “You can always come home, baby girl, if you need to. I love you and want you to be safe.”
“Who needs a taser when I’ve got Onyx to protect me?” I baby-voice the dog and she stands up, dragging her heavy cast behind her, her brown eyes filled with pain. “No, no. You need to stay down, silly dog.” I get her back into her doggy bed, then give her a bone to keep her entertained.
My office phone beeps. “Beth, we have a visitor,” Hannah says over the intercom.
I touch a button and tell her I’ll be right there.
“You gonna be okay,” I sing song to the dog. She gives me puppy dog eyes that clearly say, ‘don’t leave me’. I pat her head again and promise I’ll be right back.
After a quick stop into the bathroom to wash my hands, I step into the lobby to find a girl sitting in the waiting room. Hannah is sitting next to her, speaking to her in a gentle voice.
They both look up as I approach. “Beth, this is Madeline West. She needs someone to talk to.”
I reach out a hand and am glad when the girl reaches back. She doesn’t appear to be physically hurt and she’s not crying. In fact, she looks kinda mad. Actually, she looks deeply pissed off.
Thanking Hannah, I walk the girl back to my office and offer her water and a seat. She sees Onyx and is immediately on the floor, petting and rubbing the sweet dog. I let her sit there, thinking we might want to bring the pup in more often. A lot can be said for pet therapy.
After a few minutes, I ask her how I can help her and the girl’s eyes harden as she looks at me. “I was pulled over for speeding a few weeks ago. It was late and I was trying to get home. I was on Volunteer, so it was pretty isolated.”
Onyx stood from her dog bed and limped closer to the girl, laying her head on Madeline’s lap. The tension in the girl’s jaw relaxed a bit as she continued to pet the dog.
“Long story short, the bastard told me to get out of the car and he frisked me. When I resisted, he put me in handcuffs, then he raped me. He didn’t use a condom and now I’m afraid I could be pregnant or have some weird disease.”
The way she told the story was surreal. Just stating the facts. No emotion at all.
“Did you report the rape?” I ask gently. “Tell anyone?”
She laughs, a little sound that is full of anger. “What good would that do? Everybody knows you can’t fight dirty cops. And everybody knows their time will come.”
I stare at her. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen.” I’m surprised. She looks much younger.
“What do you mean by ‘everybody knows their time will come’?”
She lifts her hands and waves them around, like she’s indicating the center. “You know. Everybody gets raped. I was just lucky it didn’t happen sooner. My older sister got it when she was twelve.”
Is this what our world has come to? When seventeen year old girls are so casual about rape, even expect it to happen? Anger builds and I feel a pulse pound at my temple. I take a deep breath, realizing I can’t assume anything. Just because the girl is hard and detached on the outside, doesn’t mean she isn’t hurting on the inside.
I know.
I’ve worn that mask for years.
“How are you, Madeline?”
Her blue eyes flick up to mine and she lifts a shoulder. “I’ll be better when I know I’m not pregnant or have some VD.”
“I mean, how are you feeling inside? Emotionally.”
She wrinkles her forehead. “I’m cool. Shit happens. Gotta wipe it off your shoes. I’m not gonna
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