Unbroken (The Disclosure Series Book 2) Page 17

  “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. “R
ight 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.

  She came to the door in an all-black, curve-hugging dress and spiked heels. His eyes traveled her body, filled with contempt. But he had no choice but to accept what she wearing since her parents were home. He couldn’t afford to have them thinking he was anything less than perfect—couldn’t throw things at Embry and call her a whore until she changed into something more appropriate—so he put on a fake smile and they walked out the door.

  It was a small victory. She behaved appropriately the rest of the night, said all the right things, agreed with him and followed his commands, but wearing that dress—the fact that it was one thing about her that he hadn’t been able to control that night—gave her back a tiny piece of herself that she’d thought was lost.

  It made her bold. And boldness got you in trouble with Jack Stowe.

  She’d said something at dinner, something so small and innocuous that she couldn’t recall it, even hours after she’d left him, but it was enough to set him off. They arrived back at his house after he refused to bring her home, and she was trapped by his rage.

  He led her into his bedroom and she followed automatically. Then it started. First came the names and the gut-wrenching insults that she had no choice but to believe after hearing them so many times.

  “You’re an embarrassment, you stupid bitch!”

  She schooled her features, her face blank. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, beg him to stop, to look up and see just a sliver of humanity in his gray eyes, but she knew she’d find none.

  Pushing away the hurt and holding back tears, she desperately tried to hide any sign of weakness, knowing he’d prey on it like a fucking vulture.

  “I’m sorry, Jack,” she said robotically.

  “You should be sorry,” he growled at her. “Because that’s what you are. A sorry piece of shit.”

  Next came the yelling. His voice rising in decibels as he hurled more insults.

  “You’re worthless, Embry. No one will ever want you but me.”

  She cringed slightly as his voice made her eardrums ring, but she recovered quickly. He’d normally scream and yell, throw a holy fit until he exhausted himself completely, and then she could leave, or hide in the bathroom and cry until she found a way home. But tonight, it seemed like he was just getting started.

  He stalked toward her, his voice dropping until he was scary quiet, his eyes cold and dead. She backed away slowly, but he kept coming, his words hitting her like daggers.

  “You’re a fucking cunt. I can’t trust you to do what I say, can’t fucking take you anywhere.”

  His hand shot out, violently grabbing the front of her dress. “Look at this, you look like a whore.” He shoved her away roughly and she stumbled backward until her calves hit the bed. He was in her face now, nose to nose as he spewed his hate. In the past, his words had stung, and she wasn’t a stranger to covering up a stray bruise or two when he’d been too rough. But this time was different. He was different.

  Pure dread washed over her and her lip began to quiver.

  “Don’t fucking cry!” he screamed, coming at her.

  She raised her hands defensively in front of her. “Jack, please.”

  His hands shot out, shoving her roughly and causing her to fall onto the bed. She scrambled back, her own fear propelling her, until she rolled off the other side. But Jack followed close behind. Jumping to her feet, she ran for the door, but he was faster. He gripped her arm, yanking her back roughly. She fought against him, pulling with all of her might and struggling to break free from his grasp until it felt as if her shoulder would be torn right out of its socket.

  “Jack, please, stop! Let me go!”

  “Not a fucking chance,” he growled.

  He had her from behind now, his arms gripped tightly about her chest as she thrashed against him. Ice filled her veins, and her fight or flight instinct kicked into overdrive.

  “Please!” She knew if she stopped fighting, stopped resisting and let him have his way, that it would all stop eventually, and she’d be able to leave. If she just gave in to his anger like she had so many times before, ever obedient and compliant, then he’d calm down. But that small rebellion inside of her that started with wearing a stupid black dress had turned into a full-on revolt. She had nothing left to give, nothing left to lose.

  Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself before planting her legs and throwing all of her weight against him. He was thrown off balance, and his arms loosened just enough for her to break free. Then she ran for the door, her heart racing in her chest, blood rushing in her ears. She’d almost made it when she felt a violent shove in the middle of her back, sending her crashing face first into the doorframe.

  She cried out in pain, cupping the corner of her eye as she felt the warm trickle of blood running down her face. Crawling slowly to her feet, she turned to see Jack sitting on the corner of the bed, looking at her in disgust as if she’d been the cause of everything that had happened.

  “Get the fuck out.”

  Embry finished her story then shook herself free of the memory. She stared up at Luke, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her secret was out, and she was ashamed—humiliated that she’d let someone treat her like that, let it go on for so long.

  She’d expected to see disappointment, maybe even shame. But instead, his jaw was clenched, and he was blinking rapidly as if trying to rid his eyes of the moisture that seemed to have formed around the rim. He stared back at her, pure anguish written all over his face.
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  He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, closing his eyes momentarily before continuing. “And was—” His voice cracked, and he stopped to clear his throat. “And was there a witness at any time during or after this altercation?”

  She heard the restraint in his words, saw his neck corded with tension. He wasn’t just hurting, he was fighting every male protective instinct he had to keep from stalking across the courtroom and introducing Jack to his fist.

  And she loved him even more for it.

  “There was a witness,” she said, her voice still shaky. “Afterward.” Her eyes searched the courtroom until she found Morgan, her best friend’s eyes red-rimmed and wet with tears.

  Embry remembered with surprising clarity the events after she’d left Jack’s. She’d walked down his driveway, vision blurry with tears, holding one hand over her eye, the other cupping her cell phone to her ear as she’d called her best friend. Embry had been hysterical to the point of hyperventilating when she’d begged for her help.

  Morgan had found her on the side of the road near Jack’s, snuck her into her house and hid her away in her room. She’d cleaned her up and stuck a butterfly Band-Aid over her eyebrow, saying “No scars for this pretty face.” Then she snuggled next to Embry all night, holding her hand as Embry told her best friend everything.

  “Who was the witness?” he prompted, his control still barely contained.

  Embry wiped the tears from her face. “My best friend, Morgan Maxwell.”

  Luke composed himself and continued with his questions, covering Embry’s return to New York and Jack’s subsequent harassment by phone, until they got to the altercation at The Dock.

  “Now I’d like to talk to you about the most recent altercation that involved physical abuse. When did this altercation with the defendant take place?”

  Embry explained Jack’s appearance at Thanksgiving and at The Dock the following night.

  “And when did you see the defendant at The Dock?”

  “I—” A shiver ran through her, and she choked on her words as she remembered the terror that had run through her that night.