The Firefighter's Girl (13 page)

She handed it over and shook her head, snorting. “Fucking asshole.”

“I’d normally tell you not to lower yourself with that sort of language, Rebecca,” Sawyer chastised, then took the letter and flattened it out against his thigh to read it. “But,” he said, as he finished up, “you might be right on this one. He’s an asshole and not a very smart one. I’ll get this letter over to John later and see if it can help our case.”

“How would it help?” she asked. “All he does is blame me for everything.”

“It might show he’s lying or at least hint to the fact he might be lying to get revenge. Can’t hurt us, only him.”

“Maybe I should go see him,” she said.

He gave her a look as he drove.

“Maybe he’ll realize what he’s doing is wrong,” she added.

“John’s right, you are naïve and Jeff is not a good person. No, you are forbidden to go see him.”

“I’m not a child, please stop using that word,” she said as they pulled onto his driveway.

“No, you’re not a child, but you also don’t know how to best take care of yourself.”

“Please don’t start,” she said, climbing out of the car and shoving him away when he came to her.

Sawyer took her hand anyway and pulled her close. “Look at me,” he said, forcing her to stop walking.

“What?” she asked, looking up at him, feeling bad for snapping at him.

“I know you’re stressed and that doesn’t help. I am too, but I’m trying to keep a clear head and do what’s best for you. Don’t take out your frustration on me, I don’t deserve it.” He held her all the while he spoke and his expression wasn’t mean or stern. It was just that of someone who cared.

And it made her feel worse. She dropped her gaze to her feet and nodded. “I’m sorry. You’re right, you don’t deserve the bad stuff,” she said, glancing up at him. “Forgive me.”

“Already forgiven,” he said, hugging her tight. She loved that, loved disappearing in his arms. It was the safest place she had ever been.

* * *

Rebecca had forced down a piece of dry toast on the morning of her first court appearance. Well, second, really. Her arraignment had been the first.

On the drive to the courthouse, she glanced over at Sawyer who sat wearing a dark suit she had not seen him in before. His face was shaved clean and she could see a spot of dried blood where he had nicked himself at his jaw. He looked more like a businessman today than the Sawyer she knew. She could still smell the scent of his aftershave.

He pulled into the parking of the courthouse and parked the truck, then turned to her. His forehead was creased and his expression, although he smiled at her, was so serious it made her even more nervous. He reached out a hand to her and she looked down at it resting now on the navy pants of her suit. His covered hers whole.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She looked back at him and nodded, a shudder running through her as she did. “I’m scared.”

With one hand at the back of her head, he pulled her face into his chest and kissed the top of her head while holding her to him. She rested her forehead against him and forced in a deep breath.

“It’s going to be ok,” he said. “I promise.”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “How can you promise that?” she asked. “You don’t know and if it doesn’t go ok, I’ll go to jail.” Her voice broke at that and she touched the tissue she’d been holding all morning to the corner of one eye.

“Rebecca,” he said. “Look at me.”

She did. “It’s going to be ok. We have to stay positive.”

She nodded and wiped her nose. “I know.”

“Let’s go inside. Keep your chin up, John and I will be there with you.”

She nodded again, choking on the lump in her throat before she could say thank you.

Sawyer climbed out first and she took a minute to collect her purse while he came around to her side. It was a bright, sunny day and she could already see that reporters had lined up along the entrance of the courthouse. But as they neared it, she realized the reason they didn’t rush toward her.

“Who’s that?” she asked Sawyer when she saw a crowd gathered around a man and a woman who had their backs to her.

Sawyer kept one hand at her back, keeping their pace up toward the entrance.

“Sawyer.” They both turned to see John coming down the stairs toward them, but the call also drew the attention of the reporters and the man and woman they were talking to.

“Oh, my God,” Rebecca said, staring at the girl.

John followed her gaze.

“That would be the governor of Arizona,” Sawyer said.

The man’s eyes bore into her, their gaze crucifying her. “That’s Shannon,” Rebecca said. One corner of Shannon’s mouth went up into an evil smirk and although she had changed her look altogether, the bleached blond hair now cut into a civilized dark brown bob, the makeup toned down, and the jeans and t-shirt she usually wore replaced by a suit, the way she chewed her gum and the look in her eyes left no mistake that the true woman she was beneath the cleaned-up exterior was exactly the woman Rebecca knew.

“They cleaned her up. Looks nothing like her mug shot,” John said.

“Ms. Banks,” came a call from a fast-approaching reporter.

“Take her inside,” John said, pushing them forward and blocking the reporters. “Ms. Banks won’t have time to answer your questions right now, I’m afraid,” he said swiftly and the three went into the courthouse.

* * *

Sawyer settled into the seat behind the defendant’s table once the judge called the court to order. Rebecca’s glance at him over her shoulder belied her anxiety. John leaned his head close to hers and whispered something. Next to Rebecca sat Shannon’s attorney, a high-priced one from the looks of him, and beside them was one court-appointed lawyer for both Andy and Jeff. They looked a little worse for wear, but Sawyer didn’t care about that. He turned his attention back to Shannon and saw her watching Rebecca, who was unaware of the look she was getting. Even from his position, Sawyer could see and feel the jealousy, the hate pouring off the girl. He fisted his hands and looked up when the DA began.

The district attorney laid it on thick and he did not paint Rebecca in the best light. In fact, the only person who seemed to be a victim out of the four of them was Shannon after being taken in by the wrong crowd, Rebecca being the leader of that wrong crowd. Rebecca whispered something to John and he could see John’s hand on her shoulder trying to keep her calm. He reached forward himself and touched her and when he did, he felt her soften just a little. He squeezed once, not missing the look from Shannon as he did, before sitting back as they called Shannon to the stand.

He watched her face change, the mask of the innocent victim replacing what he had just seen. She made her way slowly to the stand and took the oath to tell the truth. Sawyer had some idea what little that meant to her. She settled into the seat and the DA began to question her. Sawyer listened to her story, hearing how she had met Andy and Jeff, how she hadn’t known about their drug use. She talked about meeting Rebecca when Rebecca had first started dating Jeff. How friendly and nice she had seemed and how they had become good friends. This went on for a while and Sawyer just listened and watched every time Rebecca leaned in to say something to John. After some time, the DA sat down and it was John’s turn.

Sawyer sat back and smiled when John began, his questions asked in a neutral tone, subtly shedding doubt on the innocent persona Shannon and her attorney were painting.

“How well did you know my client when you were all living in Arizona?” he asked.

“Well.”

“Hm. How often did you meet her?”

Shannon stared at him, annoyed. “What do you mean?”

“Did you go out for coffee together? Shopping? Friends do that sort of thing I believe, Ms. Ellison?”

“Well, no, but that was because she was busy all the time,” Shannon answered. “I tried to be a good friend, but she had other priorities.”

Sawyer glanced at the jury, smiling a little at how Shannon’s tone had changed, giving away her true self at least a little.

“Other priorities like school, you mean?” John asked.

“I suppose.”

“And you said you ‘partied’ with my client?”

“Yes.”

“Can you define partied for the court, please?”

“You know, we got high,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Smoked pot.”

Rebecca was leaning forward, shaking her head no. Sawyer put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing, hoping his touch conveyed the message for her to stay calm.

“How often did you smoke pot?”

She snorted just as her attorney called an objection to the question.

“That’s fine, Your Honor,” John said, stepping back. “I have no further questions for this witness.”

“Redirect, Your Honor.” Shannon’s attorney stood.

The judge nodded.

“I’d like to enter a photograph taken a little over a year ago that shows the defendants, minus my client, at their apartment in Arizona. Getting high,” he added, a pointed look in John’s direction. At that, the projector screen went on and a photo came up clearly showing the brothers and Rebecca. All were sitting on a sofa, laughing at something from the looks of it. Several cans of beer lay empty on the table and three others stood upright. Next to that was a smoking joint in an ashtray along with other unmistakable paraphernalia. Sawyer looked at it, then turned to find Rebecca looking from it to him, her expression unreadable.

“Where were you when this photo was taken?” Shannon’s attorney asked.

“I had just gotten to Andy’s apartment and took a picture with my phone. Andy wanted me to do that. When I smelled the pot, I turned around to leave right away. I knew it was wrong. They were wasted already and I left right after taking that photo.”

“That’s not true!” Rebecca called out.

Everyone turned to her. John quickly apologized for her and gave her a look, whispering something.

“Well, photographs don’t lie, do they, Ms. Ellison?”

“No, they do not, sir,” Shannon answered.

* * *

Rebecca sat on the couch in the living room of Sawyer’s house a few hours later.

“If you were mine to discipline, you’d be over my knee getting the spanking of your life right now, young lady,” John said.

Rebecca’s shocked face stared up at the man.

“It was just once,” she said. “Jeff and I had just started dating and it was stupid, I know it, but I swear it was just once.”

“I wish I had known, we could have been better prepared,” John said.

“I’m sorry,” Rebecca began. “I just…” She was about to say she had forgotten, but that was a lie.

Sawyer looked over at her, then back to John.

“I want to go over a few things with you,” John said.

Sawyer nodded. “Rebecca, go stand in the corner prepared for punishment. I think John is right in that you need to be spanked.”

“What?” she asked, her mouth falling open.

Sawyer turned to her, his gaze cool. “In the corner, nose touching the wall. Bare bottom, hands on the back of your head.”

John cleared his throat, but did not take his eyes from her.

“Please…” Rebecca began, the humiliation already rising to her throat.

“I’m not going to spank you until John leaves, but you will go stand in the corner now. If I have to put you there, your punishment will be worse.”

“This is for your own good, Rebecca,” John intervened. “Sawyer put his reputation on the line for you. You not telling us this little detail does not help your case. It hurts it. I believe you need to be punished. We’re trusting you and you have not been wholly honest in return. I believe you are in need of a thorough spanking as much as Sawyer does.”

“Get up,” Sawyer said to her.

She looked at the two men and slowly rose to her feet. Sawyer pointed to the wall and she went to it, not once looking over her shoulder. There, she put her nose to the wall, knowing what more she had to do. Dreading it.

“Bare your bottom, please,” Sawyer instructed, his tone calm.

She slowly did, reaching to undo the pants and pushing them down until they slid to her ankles.

“I said bare.”

Staring wide-eyed at the white wall, she hooked her thumbs through the waistband of her panties and pushed them down as well. Further instruction wasn’t necessary then when she reached her hands up to clasp them together at the back of her head.

“Good,” Sawyer said. “Stay just like that.”

With that, the two men began to talk, discussing her case while she stood with her back to them like a naughty child, her nose touching the wall, her pants and panties down around her ankles, her bare bottom on display, her humiliation complete.

She sniffled and wiped her tears on the insides of her arms as she held her position, not knowing if the men watched her or not, not sure which was more embarrassing.

It was some time before she heard them wrapping up.

“I’m going to follow up on that driver’s license, see if anything has turned up yet,” John said.

“What about Jeff’s letter, can that help?” Sawyer asked.

“It won’t hurt.”

There was a pause and she heard the clicking of the clips on John’s briefcase. “Rebecca,” he said.

She hung her head, her face burning red, unable to face the man.

“Turn around, Rebecca,” Sawyer said. His voice was stern, only that.

Slowly, she turned to meet John’s eyes.

“If there’s anything else, anything at all, you need to tell me. Please, try to remember.”

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Yes, sir.”

Sawyer walked John to the door. Once it was locked behind him, he called her. “Come here, Rebecca.”

She went, arms in place, until she stood before him.

“That was humiliating, wasn’t it?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“I hope you remember it. Sit down.”

She sat on the couch and he on the coffee table, his knees coming to the outsides of hers and his hands coming to rest on her thighs. “Did you really forget to tell us?” he asked. “Truth.”