Seeking Karma (22 page)

     With all that’s happened the past few days, I feel even more protective of her. 
Just thinking about, how close I came to losing her.  It makes me physically ill. 

    
The cops don’t have a fucking clue where Aaron is.  It’s like he’s fell off the face of the earth.  I wish he would have.  The world would be a much better place, if he wasn’t in it.

     “I’m sure, Dad.  I want to stay here.”  Karma says, bringing my focus back onto her.  She’s wearing a pair of black jeans, with a blue t-shirt.  I absolutely love the way she looks in blue.  The color makes her eyes look
turquoise. 

     All of the swelling on the side of her face has gone down.  But, even through her make-up, I can still see the faint purplish-green, of her fading bruises.  I try not to focus on them, because it puts me in a bad mind-set.  I keep thinking of all of the different horrific ways, that I can torture, Aaron Jones to death.  I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in prison, for murder.  I’d much rather spend it with Karma,
showing her how much I love her.  But if he ever crosses my path, I’m not so sure I’ll be able to control myself.

     “Oh baby, I really wish you’d reconsider.  That boy is still out there.”  Uh-oh they’re bringing out the big guns, now.  Her Mom
’s voice is quivering, and she has a look of desperation on her face.

     “I’m sick and tired of hiding, and avoiding, Aaron.”  Karma practically shouts. 

     You tell them, baby.  I throw her a small smile.  I am so proud of her.  She told me that when Aaron attacked her, she fought back.

     “I’m sure there’s no way he’d ever come back here.  Especially, with all of the police they’ve got looking for him.”
  Karma says, holding her ground.

       I love watching her stand up for herself.  It’s extremely hot!

     Her Mom lets out a long drawn out sigh.  “Fine, I’m obviously not going to change your mind.”  She gives Karma a hug.  “I expect you to call me, every day.”  She points her finger at Karma.  “Do you understand me?  If you so much as miss calling me one day, I’ll drive up here, and force you to come back home.”

     Karma holds her hand out in front of her.  “I got it.  I’ll call every day.  I promise.”

     “I love you, sweetheart.”  Her Dad kisses her on the cheek.

     Both of her parents turn towards me.  Her Mom’s eyes are swimming with tears.  “Trent, you better take good care of her.”

     “I will.”  I assure her, and give her a quick hug.

     Her Dad extends his hand out to me.  “It was nice meeting you, Trent
.”

     “You too, sir.”  I shake his hand.

     As soon as they’re out the door, I wrap Karma up in my arms.  God, I’ve missed this so much.  I press my lips to the top of her head, and inhale her scent.  This is my idea of Heaven.  Having her safe and sound in my arms, with her scent surrounding me.

     “Are you sure you’re okay, with staying here?”

     She pulls back and blinks up at me.  “As long as you’ll be here, with me.”

     “I’m not going anywhere.”  I assure her.  These past couple of days, when I only got to see her, a couple of hours each day, was pure hell.

     I will spend the rest of my life, protecting her.

CHAPTER 63

KARMA

     “Are you
okay?”  Trent asks, as he runs his hand up and down my back.

     “Yes, I’m fine.”  I bite out, sounding much harsher than I intended.

     I know Trent is genuinely concerned for me.  So are my parents, sister, Anna, and Dusty – but I swear – if one more person asks me if I’m okay, I’m going to freaking lose it.  Those three little words are all I’ve heard, since being released from the hospital.  It’s not like I can change anything.  What’s done is done. 

     As much as it pains me -
every time I see the small scar on my stomach - I think about Aaron.  It’s now a constant reminder of the abuse, I suffered at the hands of a mad-man.  And the thought of him running around free, scares the hell out of me.  All of the nightmares that Trent had previously chased away, are now back, with a vengeance.

     I sigh
, when I see the wounded expression on Trent’s face.  I grab his hand, and bring it up to my lips, and kiss his knuckles.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to snap at you.  It’s just that, I’m so sick and tired of everyone asking me, if I’m okay.”

     “We’re just worried about you.  You’ve been through a lot.”  He runs his fingers through my hair.
   “Do you want to crash at my place, tonight?”

     I shake my head.  “No.  I don’t want to leave Anna here by herself.”  Aaron is like a loose cannon, and I honestly don’t think he’d hesitated to try and hurt Anna, to get back at me.

     Trent gives me a cocky grin.  “I’m sure that Jude wouldn’t mind sharing his bed with her.”

     “Yeah, well I’m sure
, Anna would mind.” 

     I wish I could stay at Trent’s.  I hate sleeping in my bedroom, since the shooting.  It’s another reminder of Aaron.

     I hear tires screeching against the pavement, followed by a car alarm.  Trent and I both nearly jump out of our skin.  We pull the curtains back, and see Dusty scrambling out of his truck.  He’s fumbling with his keys, as his headlights flash.

     “Son of a bitch!”  He shouts.

     Trent and I exchange a curious look.  We get up and walk over to the front door.

     Trent holds the door open for me, and follows me outside.

     “Dusty,” I shout over his alarm.  “What’s going on?”

     He jumps and spins towards me.  “Oh my God!  I hate this fucking alarm!”  He throws his hands in the air, when he finally gets the alarm to shut off. 

     “They got him, Karma.”  He says, as he runs up the front steps.

     “What are you talking about?”  I ask, as Dusty sweeps me up into his arms
, and spins me around. 

     “Aaron, they’ve arrested him.  He was at the airport, with a passport, and a wad of cash.”

     I shake my head.  I’m at a total loss.  “How do you know?”

     “It’s all over the local news.  Come on.”  He sits me onto my feet, and drags me inside.

     We’re all glued to the television, when I hear Anna come inside.

     “Karma, did you hear?”  She steps into the living room, and drops her bag onto the floor.  “So, I guess you know.”

     I nod my head numbly.  “What happens now?”

     Trent is standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders.  “Now, you make him pay, for what he did to you.”

     “But, how?”

     He squeezes my shoulders, as Dusty and Anna gape at me.  “By taking the stand, and testifying against him.”

     “I…I don’t know if I can.”  My voice is quivering.

    
The mere thought of taking the stand, and reliving everything that Aaron did to me, while he’s sitting there watching me - is terrifying.  I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it.  Not even Dusty and Anna know all of the gruesome details of the abuse, and my poor parents.  To have them listen to my testimony, it’s all so much to take in.

     Trent spins me around so that I’m facing him.  “Karma,” he cups my face in his hands, and lowers his head, so that we’re eye level.   “You have to stop being a victim.  It’s time to take you
r life back - and testifying against Aaron - is a major step in the right direction.”

     Dusty and Anna make their way over to me.   Dusty takes my hand.  “He’s right, sweetheart.  You’re never going to be able to get past this
, if you don’t stand up to him.”

     Anna leans her head against my
shoulder.  “We’ll all be there for you.  You can do this.”

     I know they’
re right - I just wish I had as much faith in myself - as they do.

PROLOGUE

TRENT

     My hands are shaking, as I stand outside of the courtroom, waiting for
Karma.  Seeing her on the stand - trembling with fear - while she recounted all of the abuse, really tested my patience.  I kept digging my fingernails into my skin, to keep from getting up, and strangling Aaron to death.

     Anna and Dusty are with me.  Karma was talking with her parents and lawyer, about the verdict.

     Aaron was found guilty, and we’re getting ready to go out to celebrate.  Our next step will be the sentencing.  Aaron’s lawyer wants a plea deal, so he doesn’t have to spend so much time in prison.

     The DEA produc
ed tons of evidence.  Aaron was more than willing to give names, to cut years off of his sentence.  He even went so far as to name his own father, as his distributor.  I think that one caught us all off guard.  There’s not much that surprises me anymore, but that one nearly floored me.  Mr. High Powered Attorney was actually a low-life drug dealer.  Who knew?

     The door open
s - and I push off of the wall - as Karma comes out.  Her parents on either side of her.  Most of the color has returned to her face.

     I step up in front of her and pull her into my arms.  “You did great!”  I whisper in her ear.

     She smiles up at me.  “Thanks.  I’m just glad that it’s over.”

     I take her hand into mine, and squeeze it.  “Me too.”

      The way she pushed through her fear, and kept her head held high, as Aaron’s attorney, tried to dispute her testimony, she was incredible.

     Hopefully, now that Aaron is finally going to pay, Karma and I can move forward.  Almost losing her - has made me realize just how much I love her.  I never want to be without her.  I’m tired of taking turns sleeping in her bed, and then in mine.  I want to sleep in our bed.

          “Do you mind if we swing by the garage?”  I ask her, as we pull out of the Pizza Hut parking lot.  That’s where we celebrated.  We’re done with clubs.  That one time was enough for all of us.

     I have a big surprise for her, and an even bigger question.  “I need to pick up my check.”  I hate lying to her, but I want this to be a surprise.

     “No, I don’t mine.”  She covers her mouth, hiding a yawn.

     “It won’t be long, I promise.”  I take her hand, and pull it up to my lips, gen
tly kissing the back of it.

     “That’s fine.”

     I slip the truck into park, and pull out the key that Jude gave me.  I walk around the truck, and open her door for her.  I grab her hips and lift her out of the truck.

     As soon as we’re inside of the garage, her eyes fall onto the Indian Scout, parked in the center of the room.  Her lips part, as she glides her fingertips across the shiny black surface of the bike.

     “Do you like it?”  I ask, already knowing the answer.

     “Yeah, it’s beautiful.”  She says, still not taking her eyes off of the motorcycle.

     “Well, I’m glad you like it, because it’s mine.”

     She jerks her head towards me, her gray eyes going all wide.  “This is yours?”

     I nod my head, feeling all cocky.  “Yep,” I can’t wait to give her a ride on it.

     I dangle the key in front of her face.  “Do you want to go for a ride?”

     She bops her head up and down enthusiastically.  “Hell yeah!”

     Oh yeah!  This is going to be fun.  Having her wrapped around me
, on
my
motorcycle.  I give her a big grin, as I reach her a helmet.

     I open the garage door, and carefully back us out into the parking lot.  I rev the engine a couple of times, and turn my head to the side.

     “Hold on tight, Karma.”  She scoots forward, so that her chest is pressed firmly against my back.  Hell fucking yeah!  She wraps her arms around my waist, and squeezes tightly.

     I release the clutch, and jerk us forward.  It’s a cool night and the air bites and stings at my bare skin.  That’s okay, though.  This is going to be a short ride.

     Five minutes later, I pull us up in front of a small apartment building.  It isn’t much, but after buying the bike, I didn’t have much money left.

     I pull off my helmet
, and take her hand, helping her slide off.  “What do you think?”  I ask, motioning towards the brick building.

     “About what?”  Her brows are creased, as she stares up at the old building.
 

     I rub the back of my neck roughly.  I’m not scared of a lot, but the thought of her turning me down, scares the hell out of me.

     “Come on.”  I take her hand, and walk us over to the apartment building.  I pull the key out of my pocket, and unlock the door to the bottom unit.

    I take a deep breath, open the door, turn on the light, a
nd step aside, so that Karma can come in.  I watch her with baited breath, as she walks around taking everything in.