“Don’t cry, Mel,” Nikki pleaded, her hand clenched in Melanie’s shirt. “Please don’t cry. Anything but that.”
Melanie wiped at her tears and she plastered a wavering smile on her face. She held Nikki’s sad blue gaze with her own.
“He’s not going to hurt you or anyone else again,” Melanie said as evenly as she could, hoping to convey strength. “Put your shoes on, Nikki. We’re going to the police station.”
She shook her head and buried her face in Melanie’s lap again. “I don’t want anyone else to know what happened,” she said, her words muffled.
Melanie rubbed her back reassuringly, but she wouldn’t make Nikki do anything against her will. She’d been forced enough, and Melanie refused to be one more tyrant in her life.
“I know you’re scared, hon,” Melanie said, “but I’m here with you now, okay? You can count on me. I’ve got you.”
Nikki lay across Melanie’s lap, staring unblinking into space. She was considering her options, Melanie guessed, and Melanie let her take the time she needed to gather her strength. No matter how strong Melanie was, she couldn’t do this for Nikki. Nikki had to do it herself. When Gabe returned with several kinds of soup and a carafe of cocoa, Nikki rose from Melanie’s lap and without another word put on her shoes.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“There’s no physical evidence,” the officer said to Melanie. “No witnesses. We questioned him and he denies everything. Said it was all consensual. So it boils down to her word against his. She can press charges and we can arrest him, but he’ll be out in days. I have to be honest here—even if he did do it, unless he confesses, he won’t be convicted. There’s no evidence anywhere on her body.”
What he meant was that they hadn’t been able to get a se**n sample. There was plenty of evidence as far as Melanie was concerned.
“What about her bruises? And the trauma to her vagina?”
“A night of rough consensual sex could explain all of it.”
“Can’t you beat a confession out of him?” Melanie said, completely exasperated. Where was the justice in the world?
“Then it would be coercion and he’d definitely walk away a free man.”
“At least he’d be limping,” Melanie said.
The officer chuckled, but Melanie wasn’t joking.
“I’d love to go vigilante on this prick,” he said, “but I have to be on the side of law and the law says—“
“I don’t want to hear what the law says. It’s wrong. I was hoping you could guarantee a conviction. Nikki doesn’t even want to press charges. She just wants to forget the whole thing ever happened.”
“That’s not uncommon for a rape victim.”
Melanie understood Nikki’s reluctance to relive her ordeal for a judge or a jury or even a police officer, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of this guy getting away with hurting her.
“What if he does this to someone else?” Melanie said, still trying to appeal to the officer’s sense of justice. “Wouldn’t it be better to put him away now?”
“Of course, but—”
Melanie lifted a hand. She’d already heard all the buts she could take for one night.
“It’s good you’re sticking up for her,” the officer said. “She has a good friend in you.”
Melanie didn’t feel like a good friend. She’d deserted Nikki to go off for a weekend of fun with a man. She should have trusted her gut and never have left Nikki to fend for herself in an unfamiliar city. If she couldn’t protect Nikki, who could?
“I’m going to take her home,” Melanie said. “Is she free to go?”
“She can go; we have her statement,” he said.
“Yeah, just not her ra**st,” Melanie said acidly and stormed out of the office.
She found Nikki sitting on a bench near the exit, staring at the industrial-grade tile at her feet. Gabe sat beside her, looking as comfortable as a bed of nails. He lifted a brow, and Melanie shook her head. He glanced at Nikki and clenched his jaw. Melanie sat beside Nikki and took her hand in hers.
“What did they say?” Nikki asked.
Melanie was tempted to lie, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “Unless they can find some evidence or he confesses to what he did of his own free will, he’s gonna walk.”
Nikki nodded. “I probably shouldn’t have cleaned up so well,” she said. “I just couldn’t stand the feel of him all over me. Inside me.”
Melanie touched Nikki’s cheek so that she’d meet her eyes. “It’s okay. I would have done the same.”
There was a loud crack from the opposite side of Nikki, and Melanie leaned around her to find Gabe holding the broken and splintered bench arm in one hand.
“Cheap furniture,” he said, his voice raw with emotion. “I have to go.” He left the broken arm on the bench seat and strode out of the station without another word.
Melanie couldn’t believe he would desert her at a time like this. Didn’t he know that she needed him to be strong for her so that she could hold it together for Nikki?
“Men,” Nikki said under her breath as the slightest semblance of a smile graced her split lip.
Melanie hugged her against her shoulder and rubbed her back. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel and get some sleep?”
“Can I sleep with you?” Nikki said in that small voice that tugged at Melanie’s heart.
“Of course,” Melanie said.
“Then I’m ready.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
There were times when having a backstage pass was very convenient. This would be one of those times. No one seemed to care that Gabe’s pass was for a different event or that he was a drummer, not a cage fighter. He had free run over the backstage area and with unbridled fury coursing through his veins, he was searching for one man.
The lowlife could not get off without punishment; Gabe wouldn’t allow it. He was about to inflict some Texas-sized justice on his ass, if only he could find the prick.
After asking around, he found Dick Bailey sitting on a bench, taping his knuckles. He was already dressed for his fight, and Gabe wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this huge hulk of a man was more than he had bargained for. That, however, didn’t stop him from sucker-punching the fighter in the mouth and knocking him from the bench.
Dick climbed from the floor, pressing the back of his hand to his bleeding lip.
Melanie wiped at her tears and she plastered a wavering smile on her face. She held Nikki’s sad blue gaze with her own.
“He’s not going to hurt you or anyone else again,” Melanie said as evenly as she could, hoping to convey strength. “Put your shoes on, Nikki. We’re going to the police station.”
She shook her head and buried her face in Melanie’s lap again. “I don’t want anyone else to know what happened,” she said, her words muffled.
Melanie rubbed her back reassuringly, but she wouldn’t make Nikki do anything against her will. She’d been forced enough, and Melanie refused to be one more tyrant in her life.
“I know you’re scared, hon,” Melanie said, “but I’m here with you now, okay? You can count on me. I’ve got you.”
Nikki lay across Melanie’s lap, staring unblinking into space. She was considering her options, Melanie guessed, and Melanie let her take the time she needed to gather her strength. No matter how strong Melanie was, she couldn’t do this for Nikki. Nikki had to do it herself. When Gabe returned with several kinds of soup and a carafe of cocoa, Nikki rose from Melanie’s lap and without another word put on her shoes.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“There’s no physical evidence,” the officer said to Melanie. “No witnesses. We questioned him and he denies everything. Said it was all consensual. So it boils down to her word against his. She can press charges and we can arrest him, but he’ll be out in days. I have to be honest here—even if he did do it, unless he confesses, he won’t be convicted. There’s no evidence anywhere on her body.”
What he meant was that they hadn’t been able to get a se**n sample. There was plenty of evidence as far as Melanie was concerned.
“What about her bruises? And the trauma to her vagina?”
“A night of rough consensual sex could explain all of it.”
“Can’t you beat a confession out of him?” Melanie said, completely exasperated. Where was the justice in the world?
“Then it would be coercion and he’d definitely walk away a free man.”
“At least he’d be limping,” Melanie said.
The officer chuckled, but Melanie wasn’t joking.
“I’d love to go vigilante on this prick,” he said, “but I have to be on the side of law and the law says—“
“I don’t want to hear what the law says. It’s wrong. I was hoping you could guarantee a conviction. Nikki doesn’t even want to press charges. She just wants to forget the whole thing ever happened.”
“That’s not uncommon for a rape victim.”
Melanie understood Nikki’s reluctance to relive her ordeal for a judge or a jury or even a police officer, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of this guy getting away with hurting her.
“What if he does this to someone else?” Melanie said, still trying to appeal to the officer’s sense of justice. “Wouldn’t it be better to put him away now?”
“Of course, but—”
Melanie lifted a hand. She’d already heard all the buts she could take for one night.
“It’s good you’re sticking up for her,” the officer said. “She has a good friend in you.”
Melanie didn’t feel like a good friend. She’d deserted Nikki to go off for a weekend of fun with a man. She should have trusted her gut and never have left Nikki to fend for herself in an unfamiliar city. If she couldn’t protect Nikki, who could?
“I’m going to take her home,” Melanie said. “Is she free to go?”
“She can go; we have her statement,” he said.
“Yeah, just not her ra**st,” Melanie said acidly and stormed out of the office.
She found Nikki sitting on a bench near the exit, staring at the industrial-grade tile at her feet. Gabe sat beside her, looking as comfortable as a bed of nails. He lifted a brow, and Melanie shook her head. He glanced at Nikki and clenched his jaw. Melanie sat beside Nikki and took her hand in hers.
“What did they say?” Nikki asked.
Melanie was tempted to lie, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “Unless they can find some evidence or he confesses to what he did of his own free will, he’s gonna walk.”
Nikki nodded. “I probably shouldn’t have cleaned up so well,” she said. “I just couldn’t stand the feel of him all over me. Inside me.”
Melanie touched Nikki’s cheek so that she’d meet her eyes. “It’s okay. I would have done the same.”
There was a loud crack from the opposite side of Nikki, and Melanie leaned around her to find Gabe holding the broken and splintered bench arm in one hand.
“Cheap furniture,” he said, his voice raw with emotion. “I have to go.” He left the broken arm on the bench seat and strode out of the station without another word.
Melanie couldn’t believe he would desert her at a time like this. Didn’t he know that she needed him to be strong for her so that she could hold it together for Nikki?
“Men,” Nikki said under her breath as the slightest semblance of a smile graced her split lip.
Melanie hugged her against her shoulder and rubbed her back. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel and get some sleep?”
“Can I sleep with you?” Nikki said in that small voice that tugged at Melanie’s heart.
“Of course,” Melanie said.
“Then I’m ready.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
There were times when having a backstage pass was very convenient. This would be one of those times. No one seemed to care that Gabe’s pass was for a different event or that he was a drummer, not a cage fighter. He had free run over the backstage area and with unbridled fury coursing through his veins, he was searching for one man.
The lowlife could not get off without punishment; Gabe wouldn’t allow it. He was about to inflict some Texas-sized justice on his ass, if only he could find the prick.
After asking around, he found Dick Bailey sitting on a bench, taping his knuckles. He was already dressed for his fight, and Gabe wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this huge hulk of a man was more than he had bargained for. That, however, didn’t stop him from sucker-punching the fighter in the mouth and knocking him from the bench.
Dick climbed from the floor, pressing the back of his hand to his bleeding lip.
