Moving On (Cape Falls) (8 page)

“I’ll move when I get my bearings back.”

Rose chuckled. “I don’t mind.” She ran her hands all over his back.

“I’m never usually insecure about my ability in the bedroom, but I need to know if it was good for you, Rose.”

She smiled up at him. Did Peter have any idea how sweet he was?

“It was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Thank you.” He brushed her lips with his and held her tight. For the first time in her life, Rose felt loved.

****

John couldn’t stop vomiting. Brad, Adam
, and Tyler had all left, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. The woman they’d picked was a mess. He stared down at her where she was curled up in a ball. Kelly Lighthouse was a sweet young woman who’d finished high school and was working at the nursery. He’d seen her around town plenty of times.

Why had the guys picked her?

He never hurt anyone.

But I did.

John had hurt the women his friends picked because he never reported them. The women left town or disappeared. He couldn’t even keep track of them anymore. He was twenty-two years old and had been out of high school a long time.

Brad promised him the girls loved it and were only fighting it because it was in their nature. John couldn’t believe that any more.

Bending down John found the strength to lift her in his arms. She was so small that he was surprised she was still breathing.

Taking a deep breath he took her out to his car. He couldn’t leave her.
Kelly deserved more than that. All the women he’d let pass deserved more than that. Their voices needed to be heard.

Placing her gently in the back of his car, John pulled out his cell phone.
Before he typed in the number he leaned forward and threw up again. His stomach was empty, and there was nothing coming up. He was dry heaving.

He took a deep breath. If he didn’t do this now, he’d never do it
, and the women needed to be heard.

Punching in the number he waited for the
sheriff’s department to answer.

John didn’t give the person chance to speak. “I need to report a gang rape.”

Chapter Nine

Peter stared down into Rose’s face. She looked so peaceful in sleep. Stroking her face, he untangled his limbs and made his way downstairs. The sun was shining, and the rain appeared to have been dried up because of it. He whistled, setting up his coffee machine, waiting for Rose to wake up.

He was in love with her.
Peter felt it deep into his soul. Rose was a special woman, and he looked forward to spending a great deal of time with her. Laura had given him back his life. He’d never have thought for one moment he was over her at all. Loving Laura had been part of him for so long it was natural to feel certain things. His body never lied. He wasn’t yearning for Laura anymore, and he’d be damned if he wasted another moment of his life.

Humming to himself, Peter was shocked to hear the sound of his door being knocked. He tightened the robe around his body, making his way toward the front door.

William, Edward, and Gabriel were standing there. Their faces were grim, and Peter was on alert.

“Why do I feel like this is not a social call?” he asked.

“Can we come in?” Gabriel asked.

Nodding his head, Peter moved aside for the three men to pass.

He ushered them into the dining room. They all sat around the table, and Peter poured them all a strong coffee.

“You guys are starting to freak me out. What’s going on?” Peter asked, nervous.

“I got a call last night from John Turner, Brad’s friend,” Gabriel said.

Peter tensed at Brad’s name.

“What’s going on?” Peter asked. He was tired of their pointed looks.

“Kelly Lighthouse was
gang-raped last night. John has named Brad, Tyler, and Adam as being the men. I’m waiting for the DNA results. The bastards didn’t wear condoms. The Steer brothers have made sure they remain in custody. Kelly was lucid enough to name them. The girl fought.” Gabriel stopped and looked away.

Peter didn’t know what to say. Kelly was such a sweet young woman. She had her whole life ahead of her. He couldn’t believe something so horrible could happen to her.

He’d known something bad was going on with Brad. Peter had no idea it could have been something so awful.

“What’s happening?” Peter asked.

“John has admitted he didn’t have anything to do with the rape or the previous victims. He’s mentioned a couple of names of women, but he doesn’t remember them all,” Gabriel said.

“Is he trying to save his own skin?” Peter asked, disgusted.

“No, he wants to be charged as well. I don’t know what’s happened to him, but he’s like a changed man. He won’t accept a lawyer and refuses to change his statement. When I told him he could get off with a warning or even a shorter sentence, John shook his head.” Gabriel stopped, gripping his coffee cup lightly. “John said he didn’t come forward sooner, and he was just as bad as his friends. He should have come forward. I’ve announced an emergency meeting in the town hall.”

“Why?”

William and Edward remained quiet.

“The Steer brothers agree with me
, as do these two,” Gabriel said, pointing at the other men. “It’s time to open up the town’s minds. They’re that closed off that four of their boys thought they could get away with it. I’m about to open their eyes to the truth of their actions.”

Rose cleared her throat capturing their attention.
“I think that’s a good idea.”

Peter went to her. He saw the tears in her eyes. Wrapping his arms around her body he pulled her in close.

“I need to go and see Kelly. She shouldn’t be alone now,” Rose said.

“Of course. We’ll visit her later today.”

“I’ve organised for the town meeting to be at two. It would be great if you two could make it,” Gabriel said, standing.

“How is Kelly?” Rose asked, stopping the other man with a hand to his chest.

“She’s hurting. There are no words to describe what she’s been through.”

“How are her parents handling it?” Rose asked, not letting the other man move.

“Her mother had to be sedated, and her father is being watched. He knows what’s happening, and he wants to be at the town hall when I show them what’s happened. Things are going to change in Cape Falls. It has to.” Gabriel nodded at them before leaving. Edward and William left.

So much had changed
, and Peter didn’t know what the hell was going on. A few years ago, the Steer brothers had gotten permission to exhume their three fathers to find out which brother was Daisy’s father. Peter recalled the hurt in both Paul and David when they discovered their youngest father had been the one to stray from their mother. Daisy, at least, had gotten some closure from the pain. Her mother and the youngest Steer brother were her parents. Paul, David, and Daisy’s relationship was always strained.

The door closing pulled him out of his thoughts.

“I feel like I’ve woken up in the Twilight Zone,” Rose said.

He stroked her hair wishing he could take everything away that she’d just heard.

“Do you know Kelly well?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I’ve seen her around town
, but I don’t really know her. It seems so cruel. I feel like I should know her.”

“Don’t worry about it, baby. There’s nothing we can do other than be there for her.”

He tightened his grip around her, not wanting to let her go.

“I feel so awful.”

“Why?” Peter asked.

He was doing a lot of asking just recently.

“Last night was the best night of my life, and I’m so happy. I don’t think I should be happy.”

Taking hold of her chin, Peter forced her to meet his gaze.
“You should be happy. You’ve got nothing to be guilty about.”

“How can you not think I’m partly to blame?” she asked.

He didn’t understand the sudden change in her mood. “Where are all these thoughts coming from?” he asked.

“If you hadn’t taken me yesterday Brad might not have gone searching for another person,” Rose said.

His anger was instant as he looked at her.

“No, you’re not to blame. John finally came forward
, and from what I heard this was not the first time.” He stroked her cheek trying his best to reassure her. “There’s no guilt here for you.”

She smiled. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t think my thoughts are ever going to change.”

“They will. Come on, go and get dressed. We’ll take a trip to the hospital and then on to the town hall. This is going to be a long day.”

Peter watched her leave as he went to the laundry room, grabbing out some laundered clothes. He paused in getting dressed. If this didn’t wake up the sleeping town of Cape Falls, he really didn’t know what would.

****

Rose rubbed her hands together as the nurse led her down to Kelly’s room. Peter stayed behind along with a few of the other visitors. Kelly didn’t want anyone to visit without her permission. Rose was surprised by the
turn-out in the hospital. There were plenty of locals from Cape Falls present.

Her palms were sweaty
, and she wished there was something more she could be doing.

“She’s right through there,” the nurse said.

There was a sense of doom around everyone. Rose sensed the pain in the hospital staff. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Rose rounded the door. She saw Kelly’s mother first. The older woman was reading to her daughter. Tears were evident on the woman’s face as she looked at the woman on the bed.

Rose
cleared her throat looking toward the bed. Kelly’s face was bruised from fighting. Her body was covered with a hospital gown, covering most of the damage.

“Rose is here, honey. I’m going to check on your father and give him an update.”

Rose watched the older woman kiss Kelly before leaving her alone. There was only a year between the two. They weren’t strangers, but they weren’t close to each other. Rose felt like she had to be here for the other woman.

Kelly stared at her, not saying a word.

“How are you feeling?” Rose asked, then cursed. “I’m so sorry. That was insensitive.”

“You could start by coming inside and sitting down. I’d feel less contagious if you were to do that,” Kelly said
, her voice sounding hard.

Rose
moved into the room, taking a seat that Kelly’s mother had been sat in a moment ago.

Kelly let out a breath.

Rose saw the tears in the other woman’s face. Kelly was older than she was by a couple of years. Having only left school last year, Rose didn’t know if she could handle what Kelly was going through.

“I don’t know what to say to you,” Rose said, admitting the truth.

“No one does. My Dad gets angry, and I can’t even look at him. Everything has changed.”

“Do you remember what happened?”

Kelly nodded. “Yeah, I remember. I know you were engaged to be married to
him.”
The disgust in Kelly’s voice couldn’t be covered up.

“I’m not, Kelly. It was forced. Peter Miller got me out of that mess
, and I actually think I’m sort of dating
him
.” Rose smiled and then stared at her lap. She shouldn’t be talking about her good news.

“Don’t do that.”

Glancing up, Rose wondered what to say. “Don’t do what?”

“Don’t
feel bad for having a happy life. He, erm, he complained about you leaving him while he was doing
it.
I know you’re not with him at all.” Kelly sat up, wincing as she did. Rose reached out to help, but the other woman shook her away. “Don’t help me. I can’t stand for people to touch me. I can talk to you because I know he tried to hurt you. You’re different, Rose.”

Nodding, Rose took a seat again.

“I know I’m considered sweet, and when I heard you were waiting to see me I thought you’d try and talk me out of getting him convicted. You and your family are part of the old ways where we keep crap to ourselves.”

Rose shook her head. “He needs to rot in jail for this.
I’d never try to talk you into doing something you didn’t want to do.”

“Good. I may be sweet to everyone, Rose
, but I’m not going to back down from this. What they did was wrong. I’m not backing down, and I’m not giving up. They did this with other girls. They were talking about it while they—” Kelly shook her head. “Cape Falls needs to change. They thought they could get away with it.”

“They won’t, Kelly. Your voice will be heard above theirs. Things are going to change.”

Kelly nodded. “I need you to make sure today that my voice is heard in that meeting. I want them to know the town is the cause of this.”

Rose
listened to Kelly’s instructions. Gabriel would see Kelly’s message was put across.

“I heard that John helped you.”

The tears fell harder and faster. “He didn’t do anything, Rose. He has to suffer with the rest of them.”

Rose stayed listening to Kelly for a long time. When her mother finally returned, she said her goodbyes and made her way out. Peter was waiting for her. He stood when he saw her
, and she went straight into his arms.

“It’s okay, baby.”

“She’s strong, Peter. This shouldn’t have happened to her. Her voice needs to be heard. Cape Falls has got to change, and she picked me to make sure her pain gets across.”

She noticed several of the locals were listening to her talk with Peter. They turned away when she gave them a pointed look.

“We’ve got to go. The meeting will start in a minute.”

Peter helped her into his car
, and the drive was taken mostly in silence. Rose couldn’t find the right words to say to him.

Everyone was going to change in Cape Falls. She didn’t know why it was going to be now
, but she knew it was. Kelly had started a rollercoaster ride, and no one was going to settle until they got justice.

The town hall was heaving with activity. Peter parked the car
, and Rose waited for him to open her door. He was always the perfect gentlemen. She looped her arm through his, and together they made their way to the front of the hall. Their seats were reserved. Dean and Laura were sat together.

Peter waved at the couple
, and Rose smiled. They took their seats next to Daisy and William. The red-head was crying as she held onto her husband.

There w
ere murmurs among the folks. No voices were raised.

Silence fell on the hall as Gabriel took his place on the stand. He stood on the podium looking out at the audience. His voice would carry far and wide
, and the few people who didn’t make it to the hall would know what he said.

“I’ve brought you hear today for an incident that occurred last night.” Gabriel stopped, looking down at his notepad. He started laughing, lifting up the notebook. “I was going to use a bunch of statistics and crap. You’re not going to listen to this shit
, and seeing as this is
our
small town I think it’s time you all fucking woke up.”