Read Online Fighting History (Fighting For Love Book 4) by Marysol James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marysol James
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hand and let her go, then sat down, feeling a sickening combination of rage and pride.
Reena was sworn-in, then Charlotte slowly led her through what had happened the night that Simon Yates had attacked her. Reena explained to the court that she had been living with Mitch for a few months – just as friends – but she’d fallen in love with him. She thought this was unfair to Simon, and she decided to break it off with him. She invited Simon over for a talk.
Yes, they were alone. Yes, there was wine. Yes, she had had some, but not much. She drank maybe half-a-glass before it ended up shattered on the floor when Simon backhanded her in to the coffee table.
In painstaking detail, Charlotte walked her through the attack, step by step. The punches; Simon beating the back of her head on the floor; him strangling her. Then, how Reena fought back and somehow – by some miracle – managed to get him away, off her.
He left, his head bleeding profusely, and Mitch came home to find Reena in bad shape. He took her to the hospital, where the staff took copious notes about her injuries. The police were called, and they took photos, took Reena’s statement.
Charlotte nodded at Reena, astounded at her calm and composure. She had no more questions, and she took a deep breath before telling Yates’ lawyers that Reena was now their witness.
The lawyer got to his feet now, did up his four-thousand-dollar suit jacket. He approached Reena slowly, gave her a smile and wished her a good morning.
And everything immediately went straight to hell.
**
Maggie launched herself off the bus, and almost sprinted to her studio. She was running seriously late for meeting Joe, but she just hadn’t been able to leave Reena after what had happened in court that day.
Reena had been beyond devastated: she’d been left shattered and shocked after more than three hours of cross-examination, and although Mitch had clearly wanted to be there for her, he was still absolutely enraged, and it showed.
She hadn’t even been able to stay to listen to the testimony from the hospital staff who had treated Reena, or the police who’d taken her statement. Her friends and the guys just got her the hell out of there and back home, where she fell apart completely.
Maggie ran around the corner of the building and saw Joe lounging on the bench outside. He glanced up at her as she approached, then stood to greet her.
“I’m sorry,” she panted. “Thanks for waiting.”
“It’s OK. We could have rescheduled.”
“No. I’m busy tomorrow, so this was the last chance this week.” She bent over, clutching her knees. “Just give me a minute.”
“Sure.” Joe watched as her long hair fell over her shoulders, exposing the back of her neck. The urge to kiss it overwhelmed him, and he shut his eyes, waiting for the temptation to pass.
Maggie stood up again. “So let’s go.” She tapped in the building code, then found her studio keys in her backpack. She unlocked the door, threw her bag on the floor. She wished hard for a bottle of whiskey, but none magically appeared and she sighed.
Joe walked in behind her, watching her closely. He took in her tension, her exhaustion, and thought that she looked near tears.
“How did it go today?” he said tentatively. “In court?”
Maggie stopped dead. “It was a fucking nightmare.”
Joe was taken aback at the raw anger in her voice. “Why? What happened?”
“Reena was totally humiliated. Grilled and attacked. That asshole’s lawyers took it in turns and they made it sound like she loved being in relationships with abusive guys… the one lawyer even asked her if she liked anything other than rough sex.”
“What?” Joe stared at Maggie in horror.
“Yeah. The implication was that what happened with Simon was just consensual sex that maybe – maybe – got out of hand. Or worse: sex that didn’t get out of hand at all. That she actually loved it at the time and it was totally what she wanted and
Reena was sworn-in, then Charlotte slowly led her through what had happened the night that Simon Yates had attacked her. Reena explained to the court that she had been living with Mitch for a few months – just as friends – but she’d fallen in love with him. She thought this was unfair to Simon, and she decided to break it off with him. She invited Simon over for a talk.
Yes, they were alone. Yes, there was wine. Yes, she had had some, but not much. She drank maybe half-a-glass before it ended up shattered on the floor when Simon backhanded her in to the coffee table.
In painstaking detail, Charlotte walked her through the attack, step by step. The punches; Simon beating the back of her head on the floor; him strangling her. Then, how Reena fought back and somehow – by some miracle – managed to get him away, off her.
He left, his head bleeding profusely, and Mitch came home to find Reena in bad shape. He took her to the hospital, where the staff took copious notes about her injuries. The police were called, and they took photos, took Reena’s statement.
Charlotte nodded at Reena, astounded at her calm and composure. She had no more questions, and she took a deep breath before telling Yates’ lawyers that Reena was now their witness.
The lawyer got to his feet now, did up his four-thousand-dollar suit jacket. He approached Reena slowly, gave her a smile and wished her a good morning.
And everything immediately went straight to hell.
**
Maggie launched herself off the bus, and almost sprinted to her studio. She was running seriously late for meeting Joe, but she just hadn’t been able to leave Reena after what had happened in court that day.
Reena had been beyond devastated: she’d been left shattered and shocked after more than three hours of cross-examination, and although Mitch had clearly wanted to be there for her, he was still absolutely enraged, and it showed.
She hadn’t even been able to stay to listen to the testimony from the hospital staff who had treated Reena, or the police who’d taken her statement. Her friends and the guys just got her the hell out of there and back home, where she fell apart completely.
Maggie ran around the corner of the building and saw Joe lounging on the bench outside. He glanced up at her as she approached, then stood to greet her.
“I’m sorry,” she panted. “Thanks for waiting.”
“It’s OK. We could have rescheduled.”
“No. I’m busy tomorrow, so this was the last chance this week.” She bent over, clutching her knees. “Just give me a minute.”
“Sure.” Joe watched as her long hair fell over her shoulders, exposing the back of her neck. The urge to kiss it overwhelmed him, and he shut his eyes, waiting for the temptation to pass.
Maggie stood up again. “So let’s go.” She tapped in the building code, then found her studio keys in her backpack. She unlocked the door, threw her bag on the floor. She wished hard for a bottle of whiskey, but none magically appeared and she sighed.
Joe walked in behind her, watching her closely. He took in her tension, her exhaustion, and thought that she looked near tears.
“How did it go today?” he said tentatively. “In court?”
Maggie stopped dead. “It was a fucking nightmare.”
Joe was taken aback at the raw anger in her voice. “Why? What happened?”
“Reena was totally humiliated. Grilled and attacked. That asshole’s lawyers took it in turns and they made it sound like she loved being in relationships with abusive guys… the one lawyer even asked her if she liked anything other than rough sex.”
“What?” Joe stared at Maggie in horror.
“Yeah. The implication was that what happened with Simon was just consensual sex that maybe – maybe – got out of hand. Or worse: sex that didn’t get out of hand at all. That she actually loved it at the time and it was totally what she wanted and
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