Buried Secrets (SIN CITY HEAT SERIES) (23 page)

     “Jerra….Jerra….” He chanted her name repeatedly. Moving back, he brought trembling hands up to carefully frame her bruised face. The fear he felt was evident when he saw her injuries and his eyes reflected his horror about what she’d just gone through. “Baby…aw no, baby. What did he do to you…” Darrell scooped Jerra up in his arms and quickly walked over to the couch and sat down, pulling Jerra close to him.

     “I tried t-to fight him o-off….I t-tried so h-hard….” Jerra sobbed hysterically and wrapped her arms around his neck.     

     “Shhh…I know, baby, I know…it’s okay.” Darrell spoke in a gentle tone and ran soothing hands over her quivering body. “Jerra, it’s alright. I’m here. He’s never going to hurt you again. I promise you that.”
     Hearing voices from the hall, Darrell reached over and grabbed the afghan and covered the lower part of Jerra’s naked body just before the police rushed in with guns drawn.

     Stan was right behind them. “Ms. Jerra….”

     Apparently, someone called down to Stan when they heard the screaming and commotion coming from Jerra’s condo, and Stan had dialed 911.

     “Stan, I need an ambulance here. Now!”

Chapter 28

     A couple of hours later, Jerra tightened the belt of her robe as the EMT cleaned the final wound on her face.

     “Are you sure she shouldn’t go to the hospital to get examined?” Darrell asked the man for about the tenth time as he anxiously hovered over Jerra.

     “Sir, she’s fine. Unless, as I said, she wants to -”
     “And I don’t. Thank you.”

Darrell silently studied Jerra who unblinkingly stared back. He bit his tongue to stop the protest trying to make its way past his lips. Although worried as hell, Darrell wouldn't argue with her. She'd been through enough already. He’d just have to watch her closely because he wasn't leaving, not until he was satisfied that she was better. Jerra saw his struggle and tried to give him a reassuring smile, but his eyes continued to probe hers.

     “I’m okay. Honestly.”
     Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, the smile vanished from her face. They were sitting at the dining room table and could see the nonstop goings on in her family room. Jerra turned her head away as the paramedics wheeled Earl out. He was handcuffed to the side rail of the stretcher. A brace was around his neck and a bandage wrapped around his head. He was being transported to the hospital for observation for now and would later be transferred to jail and charged with assault and attempted rape.

     The murderous expression on Darrell’s face promised retribution as his gaze followed Earl before turning back to closely watch Jerra. He kneeled down and pulled her to his chest in order to shield her from Earl. A cold emptiness entered his eyes. He wanted more than anything to finish what he had started.
     The policeman came over to them. “Ms. St. James, I think we have everything we need from the statement you gave us. And Mr. Monroe, if you remember anything else you want to add, we’ll be in touch, but it’s a pretty open and shut case.”

     A wave of understanding passed between the two men. The officer reached out his hand to shake Darrell’s. If he had walked into a scene like Darrell had described, he would’ve done the same thing - or worse.
     Darrell saw him to the door and breathed a sigh of relief once he and Jerra were alone. With a worried expression on his face, he wordlessly picked her up and took her to the bedroom. He sat her down in the chair before going to draw a warm, scented bath. When the tub was full, he went to get Jerra and carried her back to the bathroom. Gently standing her on her feet, he removed her robe and the t-shirt underneath. Jerra stood almost like a child, quietly letting him undress her.

     Darrell was getting ready to pick her up and lower her into the tub when she said, “I can do it, baby.”
     He held fast to her hand, not wanting to break physical contact with her. Jerra let out a quiet sigh as she sank down into the relaxing water and closed her eyes. Darrell picked up the sponge and slowly bathed her from head to toe. Afterwards, he reached for the bottle of shampoo and washed her hair. He massaged her scalp with firm, soothing strokes of his fingers. Once he’d rinsed the suds out, he leaned her against the bath pillow and just let her soak in the water while he went to the bedroom to pull the bedding down.

     Jerra’s eyes followed him as he walked out. It felt so good to let someone take over for a change. Her lids suddenly seemed very heavy and her body felt lethargic. Exhaustion claimed her and she was soon lulled into a light doze.

     In the bedroom, Darrell fluffed the pillows and smoothed the covers one last time. Satisfied, he walked back into the bathroom and stood in the doorway staring at Jerra. He tried to quiet the rage building up inside him as images continued to flash in his mind: Earl getting ready to rape Jerra...her helpless eyes calling out to his for help…her bruised and bloodied face as he burst through the door...

     Darrell’s hands balled up into tight fists as his eyes darkened like violent storm clouds. He took several deep breaths. He had to put aside his anger for now in order to be there for Jerra. He’d deal with Earl later. There wasn’t a prison he could be sent to that would stop Darrell from arranging to have someone finish the job he’d started.

     After giving her a little bit more time to rest, Darrell walked over to Jerra. He knew the water had to be cooling by now. “Sweetheart….” He waited until she opened her eyes and looked at him. “Come on. Let me get you dried off and in the bed.”
     Docile and compliant, Jerra stood as Darrell patted her body dry with the utmost care. She halfheartedly protested when he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, but he just ignored her. After settling her underneath the sheets and propping the pillows behind her, Darrell picked up the brush sitting on the nightstand and started brushing her hair. When he finished, she reached up and deftly braided it, watching Darrell fuss with the covers so that they folded just right before tucking her in. Jerra understood his need to do this, so she lay still until he was finished.

     “Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? Are you hungry….?”
     “Darrell…” Jerra stopped his questions and patted the mattress.

     Darrell slipped his shoes off and climbed in beside her. Jerra snuggled up to his chest while Darrell tenderly stroked her hair. He thought she had fallen asleep until she began talking.

     “I never wanted anyone to know what he’d done to me. As close as we all are, neither Keisha nor Aleesha know about my past - about what happened to me. I was so ashamed.” Tears ran down her face as she talked, but she had to relieve herself of the secret she’d kept inside for so long. “After I escaped, I rode on a bus for days, not knowing where I was going, just wanting to get as far away as I could. When the bus stopped in Atlanta, the city bustled. It seemed busy enough for me to be able to blend in and never have to worry about him finding me here. A shelter for abused teens accepted me without question. Once I settled in, I eventually got my G.E.D.”

     She hesitated a moment as she contemplated what to say next. Tell him, Jerra. He’ll understand.

     But would he?? She thought about his past and the disgust and anger he felt towards the mother who’d so callously abandoned him as a child. Jerra didn’t think she could handle him looking at her the same way he did when he talked about his mother.
     Deciding to give that decision more thought later, Jerra continued her story and told him soon after she got her G.E.D, she found a job and moved out on her own to a small, cheap apartment. She took classes at the local university, and that’s where she met Aleesha and Keisha who became her only real friends. She worked nights at a diner and went to school full time during the day for three and a half years until she finally received her degree in criminal justice. Due to her high GPA, she was almost instantly hired as a paralegal by one of the better law firms in Atlanta.

     From the very beginning, she impressed the partners there with her dedication and intelligence. She found her niche in researching and finding information in cases which seemed to be lost causes. One such case saved them millions. The firm offered to send Jerra to law school, and after passing the bar, she returned to become one of their most successful lawyers. With the innuendos being thrown around lately, she knew she was on the fast track to becoming partner soon.
     “Up until now, that’s all I ever wanted, what I‘d worked so hard to achieve. I finally felt like I’d made it, like I was more than just that poor, little girl from a small town in Mississippi who was whispered about and looked at in disdain from the moment she was born to the day she left.” Jerra paused, her arms tightening around Darrell’s waist. “And I had achieved what I sought - until he showed up.”
     Darrell kissed the top of her head. “Babe, you don’t have to talk about this right now.”

     “I do. I want to.” After a moment, she continued. “When I saw him standing there today, memories of that terrible night came rushing back. I’d tried to block it out for so long that it seemed like a bad dream, as if it had happened to someone else. And actually it had. I wasn’t the same person anymore. I shortened my first name and legally changed my last name. About three months ago, I ran into a former classmate from Mississippi. I was fearful that something like this would happen, that he’d get wind of where I lived. When time passed by without incident, I began to relax.”
     “Did you ever seek counseling?”

     Jerra shook her head. “I just wanted to forget. But now I know that’s not going to be possible until I deal with what happened to me.” Jerra peered up at Darrell. “All those terrible things I said to you, the way I acted….”

     Darrell cut her off. “You don’t have to explain.”

     “Let me finish. Please. When I said those things to you, it was really a reflection of what I’ve always thought of myself. I’m constantly pushing myself to go further, to be better, and to do more because nothing ever seemed to be good enough to overcome the pain of the rape.” Jerra briefly looked down before meeting his eyes again. “And when I said I would be embarrassed to be seen with you, I was selfishly trying to raise my own self esteem. I’m sorry, Darrell.”
     Darrell sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Don’t. You don’t have to apologize. We’ll get past this. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

     Jerra nodded, and sighed in relief as he pulled her back in his arms. She had a feeling everything would be okay. Exhaling deeply, she resolved to face the fears of her past and not let it hinder her any longer.

     She burrowed closer to Darrell. For the first time in her life, Jerra truly felt safe and protected.

Vegas (Eight months later)   

     Darrell and Marcus were in the “man room” of Darrell’s new home. They were watching the playoffs and on the edge of their seat as the game went into overtime. Darrell’s lawyer was going over some last minute details that had finally been ironed out. The papers would need to be faxed no later than tomorrow.

     Darrell had decided to sell his half of the Vegas club to his partner. He’d outgrown that scene and was ready to move on to bigger and better things. With smart investments he’d made and the large profit he would receive from selling his stake in the club, he’d be able to start his own commercial real estate business and grasp an even larger slice of the American dream. He wasn’t worried. His motivation to succeed came from the commitments and responsibilities he now had where failure was not an option.
     His lawyer walked into the room to get Darrell‘s signature on the final draft which would seal the deal, but frowned at the noise from the television and the screaming from the two men. The documents were placed on the table in front of Darrell. Without taking his attention away from the ridiculously large plasma screen, Darrell held his hand out for a pen. Rolling her eyes, she thrust it in front of him. While continuing to watch the game, he briefly glanced down to scribble his signature on the dotted line she’d indicated.

     “Don’t you think you should at least read over them first?”
     “Nah. It’s all good.” Darrell handed the papers back to her as he directed his full attention to the television once again.

     After hesitating, the lawyer snatched the contract out of his hand. She curled her lip up while giving him a glare which conveyed her frustration. How he ever became a successful businessman was beyond her realm of thinking if this was the way he conducted his affairs.

     Marcus noticed her expression and nudged Darrell’s leg before he nodded in her direction. Darrell frowned and peeked over his shoulder, taking note of the tense set of her retreating back. He reluctantly got up, casting a look full of resentment at Marcus who continued to watch the game uninterrupted.

     “Excuse me,” Darrell called out to her.

     Clearly irritated, she stopped in her tracks. “Yes…” Annoyance practically dripped from that one word.

     Darrell walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, covering her protruding belly that held their son. “I’m sorry baby. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

     Jerra sighed and turned around. Looking into his gray eyes and handsome face, a reluctant smile tugged at her lips. She could never stay mad at him for long and he knew it. However, the closer she got to her due date, the moodier she became. She hoped he realized he was treading on thin ice.

     Darrell leaned down to kiss her. “You forgive me?”
     Jerra moved as close as her eight months pregnant belly would let her. “Of course.”