Unbroken (The Disclosure Series Book 2) (24 page)

She nodded, believing him. “I know.” Looking up at him, she noticed the tension in his jaw, his eyes somewhere else. “Luke?”

He looked down at her. “Yeah, baby.”

“There’s a lot we still haven’t covered,” she said hesitantly. “But some of the things that happened with Jack… I don’t want to relive it twice. I can’t.”

His arm tightened around her as he looked down at her sympathetically. “I know. And I hate that you have to go through this at all, but for the hearing, we need to establish a pattern of abuse on Jack’s part. The worse we make him look, the easier it is for the judge to decide in our favor.”

She nodded bleakly. “I get that. It’s just that the night that I left him…” Pieces of her past came flashing back, each memory stinging as it made impact. “I got hurt, Luke.”

She felt his sharp intake of breath, and looked up to find his jaw clenched and his eyes cold. “I’m not going to like this story, am I?”

She shook her head and tears immediately stung her eyes. She couldn’t bear to tell that story twice. Reliving it once would be torture enough. “Can you trust me on this one?” Her voice shook. “Just ask me in court tomorrow what ended my relationship with Jack.”

He turned toward her, his eyes searching hers. “As your attorney, I don’t like it. I need to go in there with as much ammunition as possible.” He let out a long sigh and trailed a finger down her cheek. “But as your boyfriend, I can’t stand to see you like this. And if I hear one more story about what that stupid fuck has done to you, I might not be able to keep it together enough tomorrow to do my job.”

He pulled her into his chest and she snuggled close, taking comfort in his warmth.

“I think we’ve both had enough for tonight, baby. You’ve given me plenty to go on. I’m quick on my feet, I’ll make it work.”

She nodded silently against him.

He cupped her chin, bringing her gaze to his. “You know what to expect. As long as you answer all your questions honestly, you’ll be fine. I’ve got pictures of your bruises and anything else we may need to back up your story. We’re all set.”

“Are you sure?” Butterflies came to life in her stomach at the thought of finally facing Jack in court.

“I’m sure, baby. I told you, I’ve got you covered.”

She laid her head on his chest, hoping that after tomorrow, she’d never have to think of Jack again.

Embry sat alone on the cold, stone bench outside the courtroom, hands fidgeting in her lap. She stared across the hallway and watched the wooden doors swing open and shut as attorneys and clients made their way in and out of the grand room. Luke had gone in a few minutes ago, but it felt like she’d been waiting for him forever.

A court officer stood next to the bench, a gun strapped to his waist, his eyes roaming the hallway. She felt safer in his presence, but it didn’t stop her from scanning the area for any sign of Jack.

The last court hearing she attended, she’d barely had time to think, they were in and out. This time, with a ton of cases on the docket and no distractions, her thoughts were wreaking havoc on her. Throughout her entire relationship with Jack, she’d been alone, isolated. He’d made her feel as if she could talk to no one, tell no one what was really going on. Now she realized she’d never truly escaped that loneliness. She’d run from Jack for five years, only to return home and continue running when he showed back up in her life. Even with Luke to protect her, fight for her, Embry was still alone in her battle against Jack. It was up to her to face her past head on so that it had no part in her future.

A shudder ran through her as she thought about what that really meant. She would be on the stand, forced to recall countless painful memories, talk about private feelings that she’d never cared to share with anyone. She’d have to relive the shame and embarrassment of allowing someone to hurt her and control her for so long. Not only that, but she’d have her thoughts and feelings—her truth—torn apart with exacting precision by the defense attorney in an attempt to discredit her and her claim.

Embry’s eyes traveled the hallway once more, and fell upon Morgan and Brett heading her way. At the same time, Luke came through the courtroom doors. She stared at the faces of three of the most important people in her life, and the suffocating loneliness began to thaw just a little.

“You okay out here, beautiful?” Luke reached out to cup her face.

She leaned into his touch, wishing she could crawl inside of him and lose herself in his warmth. Instead, she pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “I’m all right.”

“I’m sorry it’s taking so long.”

Morgan slid next to her on the bench and twined her fingers with Embry’s. “She’s just fine, aren’t you, Bree?” She saluted Luke with a wink. “We’ve got her. Go do your lawyer thing.”

“All right.” Luke nodded at Brett, some silent communication passing between them before he turned and headed back into the courtroom.

Morgan and Brett flanked Embry, distracting her with talk of wedding planning and the crazy relatives coming out of the woodwork that were now requesting invitations. After a few minutes, she was laughing so hard she nearly missed it.

Nearly.

But when Brett tensed beside her, Embry lifted her eyes, catching Jack’s grand entrance. The reality of the day suddenly came hurtling back all at once, hitting her straight in the gut.

Jack was sauntering down the hallway, and for just a split second Embry thought she saw the boy she’d fallen in love with years ago—the innocence and the liveliness, the confidence that drew people to him. But as he came closer, a smug smirk twisting his lips and arrogance hardening his features, she realized that the boy she fell in love with had never really existed.

His eyes flicked to hers, and he abruptly changed course, heading straight for her. Her heart rose in her throat, apprehension drying her mouth and causing her to swallow thickly. But before he reached her, his attorney noticed the court officer parked next to her bench and smoothly grabbed Jack’s arm, steering him to a seat nearby.

Morgan squeezed Embry’s hand in her lap and Brett leaned in, whispering supportively in her ear. “We’ve got you, Bree. You can do this.”

She nodded. She could, and she would. If she wanted Jack out of her life, it was up to her to remove him.

“Right up here, please.” The court officer waved Embry toward the witness stand.

She stepped into the box, and her heartbeat pounded in her ears, leaving everything else sounding muffled and far away.

The officer approached with a bible. “Raise your right hand.”

She did as she was told, resting her left hand on the bible and holding up her right, trying her best to stem the tremor that was rocking her entire body.

“Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

Embry nodded.

“Please answer audibly,” the judge said absently, indicating toward the court reporter.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Honor,” she stuttered, voice shaking. “Yes, I do.”

The judge nodded.

Embry looked up at the older woman, gray hair pulled back into a neat bun, a pair of reading glasses balanced on the tip of her sharp nose. Today there would be no jurors to win over. The judge would be making the final decision on the restraining order. It was probably helpful that they had a female presiding over her case. At least, Embry hoped.

The clerk interrupted her thoughts. “Please state and spell your name.”

“Um, it’s Embry.” She cleared her throat, working to rid the tremble from her voice. “Embry Jacobs.” Then she carefully spelled the letters.

“Good afternoon, Miss Jacobs,” the judge greeted, sounding much more cheerful than Embry felt.

“Good afternoon, Your Honor.”

Embry’s eyes traveled the courtroom. Luke was at the prosecutor’s table, lost in concentration and flipping through his notes. Brett and Morgan sat in the gallery behind him, offering sympathetic smiles. She fought the pull, but couldn’t keep her gaze from drifting over to Jack’s table.

His attorney’s head was bent toward him, whispering in his ear. Jack nodded silently, but his eyes were trained on Embry, the force of his glare causing her to look away.

“Ready when you are, counsel,” the judge addressed Luke.

“Yes, Your Honor.” He stood from the table and buttoned his jacket.

Despite her nerves, Embry couldn’t help but let her eyes roam quickly over Luke as he approached. He wore a charcoal suit that fit him perfectly across his broad shoulders and slender waist, looking every bit the kick ass attorney that he was. She’d always loved him in the mornings—waking up next to him with his tired eyes, sweet and vulnerable, hair a mess with the shadow of stubble on his jaw. But this Luke—sex and confidence rolling off of him in waves, eyes intense and blazing as he got ready to battle it out in court—was definitely her new favorite.

She took a deep breath, readying herself. Luke stood before her, offering a concealed wink before he began.

It offered her a moment’s reprieve, a sense of comfort, that for all of the difficulty she was about to face, she wasn’t doing it alone. She had a man who loved and supported her, who stood by her side and fought with her.

“Good afternoon, Miss Jacobs.”

Embry smiled confidently. “Good Afternoon.”

Luke led her through some introductory questions, setting the tone and laying the foundation for her story.

She traveled back into her past as he walked her through her history with Jack, touching on contentious points in the relationship and focusing on the abusive behavior. His questions were expertly crafted to support her claims, painting Jack as a jealous and controlling boyfriend with an anger problem.

A myriad of thoughts and feelings passed through her as she relived those moments. He’d had so much control over her life, her emotions, affecting her long after she’d left him. Luke’s questions wore on, painfully detailing their two-year relationship together.

Luke’s eyes softened and Embry knew what was coming. “When did you end the relationship with the defendant?”

It was the question she’d been dreading. “Right before high school graduation.”

She noticed the slight tick in Luke’s jaw. “And why did you end the relationship with the defendant?”

Memories crashed into her, knotting her stomach and causing bile to rise in her throat. It had been one of the worst nights of her life, and only Morgan knew what she’d been through. She hated that she had to talk about it at all, let alone that Luke would have to hear what she’d been through.

“Miss Jacobs?”

Embry took a deep, shaky breath. “We had a particularly bad fight.”

She glanced at Luke, her eyes begging him not ask her to explain, to go into more detail. But he had to do his job, had to paint a pattern of abusive behavior so that there would be no doubt in the judge’s mind that she should grant the final restraining order.

He returned her gaze, understanding and sympathy pouring out. She’d given him a small warning, but he had no idea the story he was about to hear. “Tell us what happened,” he prompted.

She wanted to kick herself for her weakness the night before, for not being brave enough to tell Luke her story. She desperately wanted to rewind, go back to the previous night and prepare him, because she knew how this would affect him.

She looked up, taking solace in his eyes a moment more, and then she began. “He’d taken me out to dinner.”

“He meaning the defendant?” Luke clarified.

“Yes, Mr. Stowe.”

Luke nodded. “Go ahead.” He stood directly in front of the witness box, his eyes never leaving hers, as if he knew that what she was about to say would break her all over again and she’d need him there.

“I said something, did something that he didn’t like.” She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against the memory. “It was a long time ago and I don’t remember now, but I had embarrassed him…”

It was almost as if she was there again. She spiraled backward, engulfed by her memories as she recounted one of the darkest nights of her life.

He showed up at her house with his town car and his stupid driver to take her to dinner, thinking that would somehow impress her. His parents were out of town for the weekend on some corporate business trip and had left him the car, as usual. He had rules—outfits and colors she should and shouldn’t wear; no black, ever; and don’t dress like a slut. By that point, he’d worn her down so thoroughly that she did whatever he said just to avoid confrontation. But on that night in particular, worn down to the bone and having nothing left to give past her own marrow, she’d rebelled.