Absolution (14 page)

“Don’t you trouble yourself over this.”

“But I care about him. His father’s such a loser, I can’t—”

“Tsk-tsk.” Aunt Janis shook her head. “How can the bad ever be good if we don’t have faith in them?”

I snickered. “Have you ever seen or been near Albert?”

“I haven’t, but every soul deserves hope, Zoe.”

“But he’s so far gone it’s…”
Sad.
No wonder Matthias didn’t want to give up on him—his family. His blood. “Do you know anything about Matthias’ mother?”

“Not a thing.” Aunt Janis glanced at Abria. “Your mother and Abria are resting now, so I’ll be on my way.” She brightened. “Good to see you again.

Take that nap, you’ve got circles under your eyes.” She pointed with a teasing gleam and then, in a flash of white, was gone.

Abria remained asleep in her bed. I sunk to the mattress and sighed.

Kissed Abria’s cheek. She didn’t stir. I lay down next to her and focused on the soft rise and fall of her chest, allowing the movement to gradually drain the adrenaline from my body. The smell of her, the very fact that she was alive and well and breathing next to me cradled my weary soul.

The far-off slam of the front door jolted me. It had to be Luke. I didn’t want him to awaken Mom, Dad or Abria. I stood and tip-toed out of Abria’s bedroom, shutting the door behind me.

I went down the stairs, any welcome relaxation I’d invited watching Abria sleep vanished with each step closer to the kitchen. Luke had his head in the freezer side of the refrigerator.

“Hey,” I said. “Everybody’s napping so if you could be super quiet it’d be—”

He pulled out a bag of peas, shut the door, and my breath caught. His eye was blotched red and purple.

Chapter Twelve

____________________

I crossed to him. “What happened?”

“Damned psycho,” he mumbled, placing the bag of peas over his blackening eye.

“Krissy’s dad?” Anger rushed through my veins. “Did he do that?”

Luke’s hands shook. Either he was fuming or whatever had happened between him and Krissy’s dad had scared him.

“I took Krissy home and was going to drop her off a block away, like I usually do. The goon appeared out of nowhere. He must have been hiding in some neighbor’s bushes or something because he stormed up to the car and pounded on my hood. Scared the hell out of us. Then he ripped open the door and yanked Krissy out of the car by her hair. By her hair! Like some effing caveman! Who does that?” He shifted, and readjusted the bag of peas over his eye.

“I got out of the car and told him off, the freak, which of course he didn’t stand for. But I don’t care, I had to. The guy is so effed up it’s ridiculous.

He freaking dragged Krissy down the street by her hair. I told him to stop and he shoved me back. I jumped him and—”

“You jumped him?”

“I wasn’t going to let that moron treat her like that. I had to do something,” Luke hissed. “He’s…he’s…”

“What?” I demanded.

Luke avoided my gaze, left me and crossed to the family room couch where he plopped into the cushions.

“He assaulted you. I’m calling the police.”

“No!” Luke bolted to his feet.

“Why?” Every nasty and grotesque image I’d imagined about Krissy’s dad flashed through my head. “Did he threaten you too? You know better than to listen to someone like that. People like him live off threats, Luke. That’s how they control their victims. Are you going to let him control you now?”

“I certainly hope so,” Albert’s smooth voice came at me from my right. He leaned against a wall, hands in the pockets of his suit. I took a deep breath to calm myself, but the underlying violation I felt on behalf of Luke remained—a low current I hoped to squelch before it revved out of hand.

“It’s not me I’m worried about, it’s her,” Luke said. “What he’ll do to her.”

I faced Luke, keeping Albert’s image behind me. “Did she tell you what’s going on?”

Luke’s pale-faced discomfort told me that he probably knew exactly what was going on, but was afraid—or too shocked and disgusted to say. Did I even want to know the truth?

“He’s sexually abusing her, isn’t he?” My heart stopped, waiting for him to confirm what I had long believed was going on between Krissy and her Dad. Albert moved into my line of vision, his eerie presence pressing into my side with ominous foreboding.

Luke froze. “She told you?”

My gut twisted knowing the truth. “No. I figured as much. I told you, the man has black spirits crawling all over him.”

“Yeah, well, he should be in jail.”

I whipped out my cell phone. “And he will be, now that he hit you.”

Luke lunged for my phone and I darted back. Albert applauded and moved closer to us. “You’re not calling the police,” Luke snapped. He wrenched my phone out of my hand.

“Give that to me!”

“Can’t. You don’t know what this will do to her.”

“You mean save her from more abuse? I can’t see how calling the police won’t help.” I thrust my open palm at him. “Give me my phone.”

“Ah, sibling arguments.” Albert rocked back on his heels. “There’s nothing more destructive to the delicate weave of the family unit.”

“Shut. Up!”

“Screw you!” Luke turned, shoved my phone into his pocket and headed for the freezer.

“Zoe, you never disappoint,” Albert commented, like a sportscaster commentating a UFC. “You’re a master at—”

Ignore him, ignore him.
“I wasn’t talking to—look, if I promise not to call the cops will you give me my phone?”

Luke eyed me. “You have to promise, Z. I promised her I wouldn’t and I can’t go back on it.”

He looked so determined and fiercely protective, my heart softened.

“Only if you tell me everything.”

He shook his head. “Forget it.”

I headed for the house phone. “Then I report the assault.”

“Crap, Zoe, you’re such an idiot sometimes.” He threw my phone across the room and I grabbed it.

“He hit you!” I squeezed the cell phone in my fists. “And you’re going to let him get away with it? You’re going to let him continue to rape her?”

Luke shuddered. “Don’t say it like that.”

“That’s what it is, isn’t it?”

“She just told me about it,” his voice rose. “What kind of ass would I be if I turned around and snitched on her?”

“You’re not snitching on her Luke, you’re saving her. He’s going to continue to molest her until he’s locked up.”

He averted his eyes. Luke headed for the couch and fell onto it with a moan, turning the bag of frozen peas over on his blackening eye.

I joined him at the couch but remained standing, too angry to relax.

Albert slowly moved closer. I shot him a warning glare to keep his distance which he, of course, disregarded. “Call the cops,” Albert hissed. “Call them.”

“She’s so sweet…” Luke’s voice softened. “She doesn’t deserve this.”

Luke rested his head on the cushion and closed his eyes. “You know those people you connect with right away? You feel it, inside. She’s one of those people.”

I bit my lower lip. Luke’s feelings for Krissy were deeper than I thought.

I tried not to be alarmed. I didn’t know how much time Luke had spent with Krissy, but whatever the time had been, their association had made an impact on him. Of the two of us, it was Luke who’d brought home the occasional stray animal, tried to save dying baby birds and couldn’t bear killing a grasshopper. His caring heart was big and tender, a characteristic he’d tried to cover up with drug abuse, unable to deal with his natural gift of compassion.

Albert stood to the side of the couch as if waiting for Luke or me to explode again so he could jump on the rocket of fireworks.

“For all the crap she’s lived with,” Luke went on, his voice drained of anger now, “she’s amazingly innocent.”

“How did she get around to telling you about… everything?” I sat down next to him.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll just get angry again.”

“Oh, do ask him for more details,” Albert piped with enthusiasm. “He doesn’t need much to be pushed over the edge.”

“As if you’d know.”

Luke stared at me, then bolted to his feet, started for the stairs. “I’m sick of your talking.”

“I’m sorry,” I blurted. “I need to tell you something. Luke?” He ignored me. “Luke, stop for a second and listen to me.”

“I’m done here.”

I clenched my teeth. “What are you going to tell Mom and Dad when they ask you about your eye?”

He was halfway up the stairs. “That you slugged me.”

I ground my teeth. Luke’s bedroom door slammed and I turned my fury on Albert. “Get out!”

“I’m growing rather fond of your family.”

“Why? Because you lost your own?” I marched closer to him, ignoring flashes of warning in my head to keep distance between us.

Albert’s shoulders lifted. “Family is overrated. Female companionship…

now that’s something else altogether. Ask Matthias.”

“Liar.” What I didn’t know about Matthias’ life and loves stung, a pinch I felt afresh any time I thought about it. So I fought thinking about it. I should have known Albert would bring up Matthias. “I think you hang around here because you want what you can’t have. It’s sick, yes, but that’s you.

A sick, voyeuristic opportunist who leeches what he will never get. By the way, what happened to you at the hospital?” I cocked a brow at him.

Albert’s gaze hardened.

A sudden shock of energy sucked every last ounce of oxygen from the air. I couldn’t breathe. Mouth gaping, heart pounding, my gaze connected with Albert’s. Fear paralyzed my limbs. My heart raced like a butterfly caught in a jar. Panic took hold of my soul until warm heat pressed into my back.

Rays of light bathed me from behind, and every muscle in my body loosened. Albert’s gaze shifted to something behind me. Matthias. I felt him, and knew he was there without needing to confirm with a look.

“Leave.” His serene voice filled the room.

Albert’s nostrils flared. His sharp gaze remained fixed over my shoulder.

A second passed, then he dissolved before my eyes.

I turned and flung myself into Matthias’ arms.

“Zoe.”

“I know, I know. I got carried away. I—I’m sorry.”

His hand stroked my hair. “Please don’t entertain him again.”

“Entertain?” I choked out. “I was hardly entertaining him.”

He stepped back, cupping my face. “You know what I am talking about. You enable him by confronting him.”

I nodded, grasping his wrists and closing my eyes. I savored his nearness. “I couldn’t talk.” My throat felt like Albert’s hands were wrapped around the tender flesh. “I’ve never been so scared.”

“Remember, he can’t touch you. He uses fear because it paralyzes. It’s much easier to capture a frozen soul than a moving one.”

“So I just need to not be afraid of him.” I swallowed. “He can’t make me do anything. He can’t.”

Matthias nodded. “Now you’re on the trolley.”

“It sounds easy but it’s so hard.” Staring hell in the face was the most terrifying thing I’d ever done, and I was doing it over and over again, facing Albert. I should be getting better at it.

Matthias’ thumb grazed my chin. “You’re…” His soothing tone softened, he swallowed. “Amazing.”

“He keeps bringing up you…and women.” My voice faltered.
Please
don’t think I’m weak, wondering about your past. Please.

Matthias closed his eyes for a moment. I searched his expression, my heart trembling. “What happened?”

My mind flashed with pretty painted faces, women laughing.

“That’s your imagination, not my memory,” Matthias spoke in earnest.

“Zoe, my life, those choices I made, the people I knew…they’re part of a past I don’t care to dwell on.”

Faint images ghosted through my mind. One in particular—a woman with dark hair cropped to her chin—chestnut eyes, huge and beguiling, appeared for only a flash and then vanished. I wanted to see more of her. Who was she?

Matthias’ strong palms gripped my shoulders. “Have you done things you’re not proud of?”

“Of course.”

“Once you’ve put them behind you, you want them behind you.”

“I know, but if there was something about me you really wanted to know, I’d tell you.”

His blue eyes dove deeper into mine, so deep, so questioning I almost turned my face away, ashamed. How could I demand something of him he clearly wanted to keep private and protect me from?

His grip on my shoulders lightened. “Contrary to my father’s insistence, I was not the man about town he claims. After my mother left us, he was hard boiled, finding solace with any Jane who came along. Whereas my taste was more… dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

Again, the face flashed across my mind: innocent doe-eyes, short dark hair, red pouty lips.

“Who was she?”

Matthias’ steady gaze held mine in unblinking dissection of my soul.

Why are you doing this to him?
“Forget it,” I said. “I’m sorry. You’re right.

I shouldn’t make you share something that obviously brings you pain.”

“It’s not pain. I don’t want you hurt over a phantom.”

I stepped away, a sliver of cold unworthiness cutting into me. “I’ll try not to think about you and your… past.”

But even as I said the words, I waited for more memories. The face…

such captivating eyes. Whoever she was, she was beautiful. Jealousy sprang into my system like a wildcat on the hunt.
Stop this.

“She’s someone who doesn’t matter anymore.” His hands once again rested on my shoulders.

“Where is she?”

Any suspicion still prowling through me was momentarily satiated by the look of grim finality pulling his features taut. Still, curiosity scratched away at every catty female part of me that, in spite of his angelic nature, continued nipping at me.

“Well,” I tried smiling, hoping to lighten the mood I’d hefted like a log between us, “as long as she’s not up in heaven tempting you.”

“The only sheba tempting me is you.”

Images of women crawling all over Matthias lodged in my brain. Like a celebrity mobbed by adoring fans, the women in my fantasy clawed at his clothes, kissed his face and ripped into him with lusty desire. Worse was the image that he smiled, had that lulled, aroused expression as if he enjoyed the adulation. The images shamed me. I couldn’t meet Matthias’ gaze. Surely, he saw the scene.