23. That wasn’t quite right. #3
My husband’s calm expression cracked, his cheek twitching.
“Sexual assault of a minor is enough to lose him his rank, and if he found out I had married Bailey, she might have been inclined to talk about the situation—which would give him sufficient motive to have her targeted. If Audrey went to Winfield after the 120 Wall Street incident, and Winfield went to Morriston for additional information on Bailey, then he could be complicit in her kidnapping. He knew if she spoke up, he could lose his job.”
The FBI agent grunted. “And the statute of limitations doesn’t apply in assault cases of a minor because of the nature of the crime.
Sariel’s confirmation of the incident would be sufficient to start a case on his character.
Or lack thereof. Bailey, please forgive me for having to ask this, but did the assaults escalate? ”
“No,” my husband and I said at the same time.
I grabbed an unused napkin and flung it at him.
“Not a single word out of you. I wasn’t raped.
Groped, yes. But not raped. And he always did it when my asshole parents were close enough to keep my mouth shut because they trusted him over me.
And hated me. Still hate me,” I said with a shrug.
“I really completely forgot about it. I think there’s a psychological term for that, isn’t there? ”
“Psychological repression or thought suppression,” Roberto announced.
“It depends on if you were doing it unconsciously or not. Thought suppression is when you deliberately forget about the event to dodge the trauma. Sariel? Can you tell which category she falls into? Either would be evidence of sufficient trauma to warrant pursuing in court.”
“I won’t prod into my granddaughter’s memories without her permission.”
I waved my hand. “Prod away, Sariel. I have nothing to hide.”
Quinn stared at me with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open.
“What?”
The archangel stood before me, leaned over the coffee table, and unwound the towel from my head and ran his fingers through my hair, brushing away the tangles.
“You’re a master at hiding, Bailey, but my grandson loves you because of it.
He’s just surprised you’re so open about this.
He expected you to retreat into your shell.
You’ve grown a lot in the past few months.
I will be gentle, but you may remember things you wish you had forgotten. ”
“If this will help resolve this, do what needs done. I can handle it.”
“It’s possible that once upon a time, you couldn’t. And if it’s discovered your parents were complicit in these assaults…”
If I hadn’t been aware of my grandfather’s true nature, his icy tone would’ve terrified me. “The Devil said there was a special place in hell for them.”
“There is. But how special, I suspect I will find out. You are free to say no, but would you like me to evaluate your childhood? If anything, you will know I understand. You’ll be able to move out of their shadow.
” Sariel stretched his wings, and bands of green and gold colored his feathers.
“I may rethink my intention to have them at your wedding as guests dependent on what I see. I try not to prod too much into the past.”
“It sucks, you’ll probably be scarred for life, and it’s a good thing you don’t have a head, as I really don’t want to see your expression.”
“It will be an unhappy one.”
“Yeah, that’s why I don’t want to see it,” I admitted. “It’s easier when I can’t see the pity.”
“You are too strong a woman to pity, Bailey, even if you can’t see that for yourself.
” Sariel tucked my hair behind my ears. “You are less likely to remember much if you keep your eyes open. It’s one of those funny things about human minds.
It will feel as though I’m tickling the inside of your head.
I apologize for that, but it’s inevitable. ”
“Are you going to talk about it or just do it?” I asked, debating if I wanted to torment the archangel by undressing my spouse with my eyes while he poked around in my head.
Then again, I didn’t like sharing. At all. When it came to Quinn, I was happily jealous and greedy. Selfish, even.
The archangel chuckled. “That you are.”
“In case you weren’t sure, gentlemen, angels are assholes. It’s a truth of the universe.”
While I mostly focused on my husband, I was aware of the FBI agent gaping at me. “You just called an archangel an asshole.”
“If he had a head and tilted it to the side really far, he might be convinced I actually like him,” I replied. “I could even be talked into confessing I love him despite him being an angel.”
Quinn laughed. “I’m proud of you. You said it without looking like you swallowed a toad. If you don’t run to the bathroom this time, I’ll be forced to reward you appropriately later.”
Over the past few months, he’d done an excellent job of training me into doing what he wanted using his body as an irresistible bribe. “I love you. Please reward me appropriately later.”
The archangel chuckled. As warned, the inside of my head tickled, but I ignored his poking and prodding in favor of my husband. His smile promised the best kind of trouble in my future.
“All right. I’m done,” Sariel announced.
I blinked. “That’s it?”
“My grandson is a most excellent distraction. You were so focused on him you couldn’t have cared less about what I was looking for in your memories.”
“I’m so proud of you, Mr. Archangel. You’re not nearly as stuffy and formal as usual. If you had a head, I would make Quinn find you a cookie.” I sighed, and aware I couldn’t afford to dodge the truth, I asked, “What did you find?”
“About what I expected having met those humans. They have earned their special place in my brother’s keeping. I’m in no mood to be merciful on their souls.”
“Abuse?” Quinn clenched his hands, and after several deep breaths, he relaxed.
Even a month ago, I’d instinctively flinched when he balled his hands into a fist. The first time he’d done it around me, I’d frightened both of us with my reaction.
“Yes. And Chief Morriston’s behavior was worse than she remembers, and I can verify all incidents and draw up the accusations per mortal laws.
I can also verify the presence of psychological scarring, and I will file the appropriate mortal paperwork required to bar her from taking the stand.
I will have the truth of my words verified by another archangel and my brother, using my viewing of her memory as evidence. ”
I blinked. “You can do that?”
“Angels may always opt to take on the burden of witnessing on behalf of a mortal. But it requires what I did to you, a complete exposing of your memories and soul. Not everyone is as open as you.”
“Me? Open? Have you met me?” I pointed at myself, and then I pointed at my husband. “You should hear some of the shit I say to him because I’m nervous.”
“That is different, although I find it rather amusing how often you lie to try to hide just how much you adore my grandson.”
“It’s his fault!”
“Yes, it is. It is a good thing that he, on an instinctual level, is aware of when you’re fibbing.
It doesn’t hurt he’s learned to speak your language, which involves a great deal of flailing, babbling, and running to the bathroom to hide when you’ve blurted some form of affection in a public space. ”
“Has everyone heard about that?” I complained.
Quinn grinned. “I thought it was adorable, honestly. I don’t mind when you blurt things because you have no idea how to handle how much I love you. I know the truth.”
“All right. So my parents were assholes, and they’re friends with an asshole who may have been out to get rid of me.
Something I’m entirely used to, for the record.
On a scale of one to ten, Sariel, how much of an asshole were my parents to me?
Outside of the bullshit I can’t seem to forget no matter how hard I try? ”
“Those things you cannot forget are defining moments, little granddaughter. To take them from you would be to change you completely. Some things may be best left undisturbed. I see no need to force you to relive such painful things.”
“Psychological repression?” Roberto asked.
“Yes. To force her to remember these events would be traumatic for no good cause. Unfortunately, that sort of abuse is not well defined under mortal law. Mortal punishments would not fit the crimes they’ve committed, and she does not need money tainted with their sin.
No, I believe I have a better thought on how to deal with them. ”
My brows rose at that. “How?”
“I’ll let my brother and his devils deal with them.
And He would never welcome such filth into His heaven.
He is not as forgiving a father as some might believe.
Mercy is only for those who are capable of mercy.
They reap what they have sown, and they had no mercy for you, and will find no mercy at His hands because of that. ”
I wondered what the archangel had found in my memories to anger him so much.
“You will never know,” he promised. “The little you remember now is all that you will ever remember, for I have taken that burden upon my shoulders.”
I couldn’t understand why, and tears burned my eyes, but I fought against them.
Sariel patted my cheek. “You already understand why, Bailey. Did you not welcome those little children into your heart for no reason other than because someone needed to love them? I can, so I did. I will be in New York for a while so that justice might one day be served.”
The archangel disappeared in a flash of golden light.
I lifted my chin, refusing to bow beneath the onslaught of emotions roiling within me.
No matter how hard I thought about it, one question rose above all others.
“Do you really think Morriston would have been involved with this just to make sure I disappeared? Could so much of this have happened because of what he’d done when I’d been a teenager? ”