42. Taking a Stand
Taking a Stand
The bell jingled again as Kate stepped out of the diner, leaving Lucien alone with Deborah to pay the bill. Judging from the waitress’s delighted smile, it could take a while.
She sucked in a deep breath and the cold nipped at her lungs as she let her eyes trail over her surroundings.
There was nothing quite like this view. The sun spreading its orange glow over the towering mountains, slinking ever closer to the peak’s edge.
A couple of houses dotted the landscape behind her, and the red neon blinking lights screamed diner.
But in front, nothing but the lone highway curving through nature.
Kate closed her eyes, enjoying even the cold breeze brushing up to numb her cheeks.
The cop, whatever was going on between her and Lucien, and even her life being in danger from every angle she could think of.
All these things that kept her awake at night, pressed down on her weary shoulders.
Somehow, nature had always been able to lighten the load, as if it froze the feelings in time. If only for a minute.
A cry split through the silent air.
Kate froze, afraid to turn around.
A knife being yanked out.
Blood spurting out, staining the snow red.
Kate’s legs trembled. If she turned, what would she be seeing this time?
“No dad, please!”
A kid. She whirled around, in the distance a pair trudged through the thinning blanket of snow. The taller of the two lifted the kid up from the ground by the scruff, the child’s feet were dangling beneath him, desperately looking for a foothold. Only… The adult gave none.
Her blood froze to ice as she witnessed the man land an open hand to the cheek of the boy, the slap ringing out in her ears.
Raised hands, red faces uttering threats. It had been aimed at her more times than she could count. The hand rose again, but this time it wouldn’t land.
Before she knew it, she was crossing the road. Jaw set, teeth grinding over each other as she closed in, hollering. “Hey you!”
The adult barked back. “What do you want, woman?!”
“What I want?” She stopped right in front of him. The man finally dropped the child to the snow, she watched as the boy fought to stay balanced on the frozen ground. Cheeks red from the humiliation.
Ever since the attack on the sanctuary, Lucien had added body language signals to her training.
The importance of seeing the state of the person in front of you, reading their cues.
It made her take note of the man’s flaring temper.
Elevated shoulders, nostrils flaring wide, cheeks reddened in anger.
And his dark brown eyes, nearly black, alight with barely contained ire. He was furious alright, but so was she.
“What I want? Is for you to keep your hands off of a child.”
“Mind your own business.” He gritted out, roughly pulling on the kid beside him. Pale faced, the young one looked down to the floor. She felt her heart rate jump up at the sight of a blue bruise peeking out from under his beanie. Trembling in his too thin clothes.
No older than ten years, and already fighting the tendrils of a shit show for a childhood.
She got up close and personal in the man’s face. He towered out above her, looking down alongside his nose at the frothing woman in front of him.
Previous her would have been afraid, the closeness, the threat emanating from the man. But after living with Lucien’s imposing presence, his own threats, he who had the power to back them up. It had numbed her from feeling fear opposite ‘men’ like these.
So much for damage control.
“It is my business when adult men manhandle children! Maybe you should pick on someone closer to your own size.”
Someone called her name, but with the blood pounding in her ears, she barely heard it and forgot who the voice belonged to.
It wasn’t until a shadow fell over them, and the man’s eyes widened in surprise. That she realized Lucien had appeared by her side. His hand slinked around her elbow, distancing her from the seething man.
His green eyes narrowed, glancing toward the cowering child whose attention was still kept tightly on his own feet.
Kate saw reality set in on his face, saw his jaw clench together.
The man directed his attention to Lucien. “What is she to you, huh? Your girlfriend?”
She could feel the shift take place in the man standing beside her, who thirty minutes ago had been joking with her over a salad. His hand tightened around her elbow, slipping effortlessly into his colder than ice persona.
Lucien’s voice deepened to steel. “She’s someone to be treated with respect, same as your boy here.”
“Your girl has some guts. Coming here and telling me what I can and cannot do with this insolent brat of a child.” He spat on the snow in front of Kate’s boots. Regarding her with hate burning in his eyes.
Likewise, you piece of shit.
Kate cut in. ‘‘He’s not your property!’’ She leaned forward, only to be held back by Lucien’s hand, keeping her beside him with a firm nudge. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “We should leave.”
She yanked on her arm, but his steel grip held her in place.
‘‘That’s right, tighten the reins on your woman before I will.’’
Lucien stilled. “What did you just say to me?”
The man’s face went as white as the snow upon which he shuffled his feet. Uncomfortable under the full focus of Lucien’s calm fury. Who let a deliberate silence fall between them, fixing the man with a death glare. Finally, he spoke, surprising her with his words.
‘‘I would leave, if you know what’s good for you, before my girlfriend here makes a move. And you better hope she finishes it, so I don’t have to lift a finger.”
The threat hit home.
The man fell over his feet in his hurry to get away. Momentarily forgetting his son, who stayed rooted to the spot and glanced up at Kate with awe in his eyes.
She took the precious seconds, bending down to his level with a rueful smile, asking gently. “I’m Kate. What’s your name?”
“Ethan.”
She stretched out her hand for him to take. Ethan glanced down at it hesitantly, looking over his shoulder before he took it, clasping onto her with his fingers.
“Ethan. That’s such a lovely name.” Kate bit back the tears that wanted to spill down her cheeks, smiling through it with strain pulling on her heart.
“I know I’m just a stranger. So what do I know, huh.
” She winked at him, receiving a careful toothy grin from Ethan.
“But I’ve been where you are now. And I only want to say, stay strong, it seems endless but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
” I hope. She squeezed his hand. “Just keep going, no matter what. You’re worth so much more than this. ”
The boy tilted his head. Looking older than his age should show. “No one has ever told me that before.”
“And they might never again. But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
She saw his father glance beside him, realizing his kid wasn’t beside him. Only seconds left.
Kate refocused on Ethan. “You should go. I hope…”
“Ethan!” The boy snapped back to attention, slid his hand out of hers.
Kate swallowed, shaking her head. “Who knows… We might see each other again.”
“I’d like that. Thank you, Kate.” Another toothy grin appeared. But beneath it, she saw it as he turned with dropping shoulders, feet scuffling over the ice in his haste to join his father. Fear. Fear to be with family.
No one should go through that.
Walking to his dad, he angled a hand behind his back, waving a careful goodbye.
She felt a gentle tug on her elbow, getting her to break eye contact with the kid. But rage still coursed through her whole body, trembling from the adrenaline she pushed Lucien away. “What?” Kate spat at him. “You only take paid jobs? That piece of shit actually deserves it.”
He went still, she saw his mouth open. But he glanced away, scanning to see if they had onlookers.
“Don’t worry.” She spat. “No one witnessed my breakdown.”
Crossing over the highway, she made it to the Volvo, pulling herself up in the car, she slammed the door with such force that it shuddered in place.
Lucien took his place behind the wheel, ruffling through his hair with an agitated hand. “I know you want to make it right, but you’re not doing the boy any favors. Who will take the brunt of that guy’s anger?”
She kept her eyes trained on the direction the pair had taken. The only physical trace of the argument were the footprints. Nothing but the wind had been her witness to the cruelty of man.
Kate couldn’t hide the quiver in her voice as she answered. “I know that… deep down I know that.” She whispered. “But back when I was that age, there was always this hope that someone would speak up for me.”
Staring at the evening sky her throat bobbed, seeing the sun’s final goodbye as it slid from view, leaving them in the dark. “No one ever did. I hope that boy will remember that someone cared enough, that he is worth fighting for. Then it was worth it.’’
A solitary tear slipped past her cheek. She saw Lucien’s hand clench around the gear box, knew he’d seen. She roughly wiped it away with her sleeve. “Let’s just go home.”