“Baby, how can you even think that? You, a coward? Shit, that’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. Most people would have given up after enduring what you have. Look at what an amazing woman you are. You refuse to take the easy way out of anything. Hell, you’re cleaning my house instead of letting me take care of you like I want to.”

I reach up, kissing his throat. “Geez, I needed that.” I surprise a laugh out of him, causing me to smile in return. A throat clearing behind us has us both looking toward the door.

Max steps around us, leaning against the opposite wall. “I thought you did well, Lia. We only have a few minutes before we have to go back. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Yeah, when’s the next bus run by here?” He grins at me, something I have a feeling he doesn’t often do. I think he’s secretly relieved I’ve finished falling apart and am attempting a bit of humor. Something about men being around crying women makes them damn uncomfortable.

“Fair question. I think Luc here will make sure you have a ride out of here at the earliest opportunity. If you are ready, we better get back inside.”

Lucian gives me a quick kiss before dropping his arms. “Come on, baby. If we’re lucky, we can fit in some more delightful conversation with your mother before they call court to order.” I jab him in the side with my elbow, trying to suppress a smile at his words. It’s hard to believe I am anything other than a basket case after my testimony, but Lucian makes things better just by being near. I have little doubt this whole ordeal would be much different were he not here with me.

My mother, thankfully, keeps her back to us, and I exchange no further words with her. Uneasily, I let myself look toward my stepfather’s table and find him staring back at me. The bastard looks completely unconcerned and almost...giddy. I see him look past me to study Lucian, a frown forming on his face. Something about it makes me more uneasy than having him watch me. I hate exposing Lucian to all the ugliness that is my past, especially my mother and stepfather. I don’t want to think of either of them even breathing his name, much less looking at him with interest.

My mother is called to the witness stand next and goes through the same process of being sworn in and giving her information to the court. “Mrs. Dawson, has Mr. Dawson ever assaulted you in any way?”

“No, of course not. He’s my husband and sometimes we like things rough…you know, but it’s all consensual.” Mouths drop throughout the courtroom. Lucian tenses, and my ears buzz. What is she doing? Hadn’t she instigated this entire process because he hurt her?

The prosecutor seems to be floundering in shock. Clearly, this is not the response he had been expecting. “Mrs. Dawson, perhaps you didn’t understand the question. Has Mr. Dawson ever harmed you physically at any point up to and including the incident that brought us here today?”

My mother looks lovingly at her husband as if such a notion is absurd. “Not at all. That was all just a misunderstanding. I got jealous because Jim was flirting with our neighbor and started a fight with him.” She giggles, doing a good job of looking embarrassed before saying, “I was throwing some books at him, and I just fell down, hitting my head on the fireplace. Jim was so worried about me afterwards, but I was still so mad…you know? Our neighbor is a lot younger, and it made me jealous.” She shrugs her shoulders as if to say, ‘you know how it goes.’

I sit rooted to my spot, stunned speechless. What is she doing? Swiveling my head back to my stepfather, I see him lounging back in his chair, a smirk firmly attached to his lips. His lawyer sits next to him looking stunned. The prosecutor’s face is red, and he looks just minutes away from a heart attack. “Mrs. Dawson, I…did you witness any assaults from Mr. Dawson against your daughter?”

My mother looks straight at me and God help me, I know what’s coming. This is payback. I dared to taunt her earlier, and she won’t let me get away with it. Looking the picture of innocence, she faces the judge. “No, I have no idea what she is talking about. Jim tried so hard to be a father to her, but she rebelled at every opportunity.” Giving a dramatic sigh, she adds, “I blame it on myself, Your Honor; I let her get away with everything, trying to make up for the fact that she didn’t have a father like other girls. After a while, she had no respect for authority or rules. She resented Jim and was always making up stories to get back at him.”

The roaring in my ears grows louder, and I vaguely hear Lucian shout my name. Standing without thinking, I yell, “You’re lying, why are you lying!” This starts a fiasco of yelling, gavel banging and movement that makes my head swim. Before I know it, Lucian is leading me from the room with Max following closely behind.

Lucian

“Lia…talk to me, sweetheart.” She hasn’t said a word since we left the courtroom. We are back in the same office we used during the recent recess. I have taken one of the available chairs in the room and pulled her trembling form down onto my lap. I rub circulation back into her cold hands and whisper soothing words I know are meaningless to her right now. Her mother’s testimony had invoked a lot of strong emotions. I wanted to fucking kill the lying bitch; Max was also seething and Lia…she had simply come undone. Her shouts had echoed off the walls, making her the sole focus of the room. At Max’s urging, I had gotten her out of there as fast as possible. As I continue to reassure her, Max steps into the room, looking at Lia in concern.

“She okay?”

“What do you think? Her mother pretty much threw her under the bus and backed over her for good measure.”

Max winces before shaking his head. “I’ve met some messed-up people in my time, but that woman takes the cake. There is no question in my mind she was lying through her teeth; hell, everyone in the place knew it. Unfortunately, there’s not a damn thing that can be done. Brian is pissed as hell. He’s going to have charges brought against her for filing a false police report, along with anything else he can think of. He’ll do it, too. He’s a good guy, but she made him look like a complete fool in there.” Pointing to Lia, he adds, “He feels really bad about what happened to her, as well. Said he would have never brought this case to trial had he known her mother was going to get up there and lie her ass off.”

I run a hand through my hair before shifting Lia to a more comfortable position on my lap. “Whole thing blows my mind. That was just pure spite. I can’t believe Lia is even related to that woman.”