My opportunity never presented itself. I think Piper knew I planned to interrogate her, so she came down with a migraine and sent Moby by himself. As much as I loved him, I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to grill him for answers, and no matter how many times I gave Dax the look to get him to ask, he just smirked and shook his head. I was like a kid waiting on Christmas morning for the go-ahead to open presents-I couldn't sit still and had to restrain myself from interrogating Moby. I figured the best thing I could do was remove the temptation, but since I couldn't ask Moby to leave, I kissed Dax on the cheek, hugged his brother goodnight, and set off to take a bath.Piper hadn't made an appearance today at the center, and when I texted to check on her, she legitimately had a migraine and had been in bed since late yesterday afternoon. I told her I wasn't going to push the issue now, but when she was feeling better, I needed the lowdown on Moby. She assured me she'd give me i
I had preconceived notions about what Healing Wings would be once we opened the doors; it was nothing like the reality of what hit. I expected people to slowly drift in and have plenty of time to work with each person and cultivate our programs. I never anticipated the barrage of calls from physicians and psychiatrists all over the county the day we opened trying to place patients. The phones rang off the hook, and we all answered calls trying to work in appointments, but sadly, we still had people on a wait list. It appalled me that this need existed and no one knew. This should've been something our community met with arms wide open, but the people we saw and talked to daily were hurt and scared. They were afraid to tell anyone their secrets, and many had lived with the shame and guilt they felt for years. We offered anonymity; we didn't request social security numbers, and giving us contact information was optional. We issued all patients an identification number for our staff to
"Cameron, wake up!" His voice had that commanding tone, but I couldn't quite reach it. The nightmare that trapped me wouldn't let me escape. He shook my shoulders, but I couldn't retreat from the hell that trapped me.Then there was light-blinding in its brightness. "Cameron." Silence. "Cameron." I squinted to evade the glare seeping in through the cracks between my lids. As I adjusted to the room, chills took over, causing me to shiver before it dawned on me that I was covered in sweat. My clothes stuck to every inch of my body they touched, and my hair matted to the sides of my face. I searched frantically until I found his face and then his eyes to ground me. The erratic beat of my heart slowed with each moment that passed, staring into those sage-green orbs searching my face. When his hand touched my cheek, I leaned into it and scowled. "Nightmare," I confirmed."You haven't had one in a long time, but, sweetheart, this was by far the worst. I've been trying to w
We arrived safely home roughly fifteen minutes later. Making our way to the front door, he called over his shoulder, "Cameron, go upstairs, take off your clothes, and wait for me on the bed facing the door.""K," I called back."Try again, kitten." His stern voice startled me just before it dawned on me-he didn't just want me waiting on the bed, he wanted me to submit on the bed. "Yes, Sir," I corrected myself. While Dax and I knew each other intimately, he was very reserved in our playtime. Many of our physical connections were still rather vanilla in nature and had been non-existent since the nightmares returned. He held me all night, but we'd both been so tired there was no hanky-panky. I loved when he gave me the opportunity to serve him this way. Even if he thought I wasn't ready for a full-blown Dom/sub relationship, I wanted him to know I would work to get there as long as he worked with me. I wanted it to happen faster than he did, but it was important that I embraced wh
One week from today, the trial would start. I'd had a hard time focusing and an even harder time not allowing myself to worry. Shelly had hovered-likely at Dax's insistence. I appreciated the way she got me to talk without asking me to do so directly, and having her around was reassuring. She wasn't my mama, but she came in a close second.Most everyone was out to lunch when the front door opened. The staff used the back entrance, so I knew it was someone who needed attention. I hopped up from my desk and excused myself from story time with Shelly to go see who it was. When I entered the front room, I was paralyzed. Josh Fost stood in the doorway with a tool bag in his hand. There were no words-fear and panic set in simultaneously, drowning out reality. I stepped away from his forward motion and ran into the wall, my hands splayed against it for support as the images from the assault flooded my memory. I glared at him intensely as he proceeded toward me, and I screamed, "No, pleas
Dax handled me with care when we finally arrived home. He allowed me to sit in silence, mulling over the events of today and what I faced next week. His patience never ceased to amaze me, and the fact he didn't feel the need to fill the silence only offered me peace. Physically, he was distant, which drove me insane. I wanted the familiarity of his touch, not sexually, but as a reminder of his protection. I went to the family room when we got home while he stayed in the kitchen to start dinner. Sitting on the couch, I grabbed my journal from the coffee table and started scribbling like a mad woman. Anything that came to mind landed on those pages-most of which didn't make sense, but it was now the way I processed. Mr. Whiskers and Sassy hopped up beside me and made themselves comfortable in the fold of my knees. Even the cats anticipated this being a long night.When my hand refused to write anything else, I closed the journal and pushed twenty pounds of fur from my legs. I stoppe
Once at the courthouse, Dax flanked my left side, clutching my hand, and Douglas Drake did the same on my right, leading me with a hand on the small of my back as they pushed through the crowd. There were news crews outside, a ton of people Douglas later told me wanted to get in the actual courtroom to witness the trial, and even some brandishing signs of moral support. I tried not to acknowledge any of it. When I had dressed this morning, I put on a suit I hadn't worn since leaving the bank and a kickass pair of heels. When I studied myself in the mirror, I saw the strength that had left me over a year ago that night at the bar. I wasn't the same person, but the determination that carried me through my parents' death would carry me through this as well. I straightened my spine and held my head high. Donning my inner Boardroom Bitch, I braved the day ahead.My friends were here in support but met us inside and followed Douglas's instructions about where to sit. Shelly had come wit
Today was the last day. This was the pinnacle of my hell. I had listened to the testimony of witnesses Josh's attorney had called, but in all honesty, I heard them talk but didn't hear any of the actual words. I was so consumed with my own fear of the stand that I mindlessly stared across the courtroom. I shook from my trance when Douglas called me to testify. My eyes met his, and they were encouraging and strong. I took my seat in the chair, the bailiff swore me in, and then the questioning began. I knew what to expect from my attorney. We'd gone through it multiple times to make sure my answers were consistent, and I avoided information leading to openings for the defense to attack. No matter how many times Douglas had tried to warn me, I wasn't prepared for cross-examination.The defense's attorney went after both my frame of mind that night and my overall character. "Is it possible, Ms. Pierce, you were too intoxicated to remember encouraging the defendant?""No, it's not