Bennett
It's been a few days since we've been at the police station and thankfully or unfortunately, things have been quiet depending upon how you want to look at it. Though I'm still completely on edge waiting for whatever her uncle decides to try next. I won't be happy until he's either six feet under or locked away for life.
The guys have been great with any help we need. We all agree that we don't want Willow living in fear. Whether I decide to take matters into my own hands or not, I know they would be there to help me.
The problem is I'm not quite sure what to do. While I won't leave her side or leave her vulnerable, I do need to figure out a game plan.
Detective Greer said that her uncle can get in trouble for filing a false police report. But the problem is the police on his end can make that go away fairly easily. If he is charged with filing a false police report, it’s at most a year in jail back in Chicago, but if he's caught here, it's only six months. What I want is for him to go to jail, and not have a chance to get out.
Most of all, I want him to go to jail here in Montana because the men here won't put up very well with a man who tried to rape a woman, especially his own niece. It’ll satisfy me knowing justice will be served behind prison bars above and beyond his sentence.
This morning I'm out back chopping wood. The nights are starting to get cooler, so we've been lighting a fire at night. If I didn't have Willow living here, I wouldn't have started using fire word so early and would have more than enough stocked up. But she likes to curl up and snuggle by the fire, and I sure as hell am not saying no to that. So I figured I'd spend the morning chopping some more firewood to make sure that we have plenty.
Also, I can get some great thinking done with all the manual labor and I'm hoping maybe an idea or even the spark of an idea will come to me.
Cole is meeting with a buddy he served with who just moved to the mountain after finishing his last deployment. He said he'd fill him in on what is going on with Willow and her uncle. I figure it can't hurt to have another helping hand. Cole says his buddy is a good tracker just like he is and he has some good military connections, so I guess I'm hoping for a miracle.
The longer I go without an idea, the more frustrated I get and the more I take it out on the wood. Before long, I’m lost in my own thoughts and have a strong rhythm going. Then all of a sudden, a blood-curdling scream fills the air.
Chapter 22
Willow
Bennett’soutsidechoppingwood,and I know he's frustrated with everything going on with my uncle. Apparently, he's getting those frustrations out by chopping wood. I'm spying on him hoping he won’t catch me because I’m enjoying the view. Holy hell, watching those muscles ripple while he's shirtless and cutting wood, it's not only breathtaking but a damn turn on.
The sweat on his body and the way he swings that ax makes his tattoos on his arms move and flex is sexy as hell. The fact that this man is all mine, just adds to his hotness factor.
I'm on my second cup of coffee when there's a knock at the door. I assume it's Emelie because she said she was going to come over today for us to do some quilting together while our husbands chat.
Not even thinking twice, I open the door. Only it's not Emelie and Axel on the other side. It's my aunt.
"How did you find..." I start and don't get to finish.
"No, you listen here you ungrateful brat. You need to stop telling lies about your uncle. Right this minute, you need to go back to the police station and tell them you made it all up," she seethes.
Is this woman serious?
"I didn't make any of it up."
"This has gotten out of hand. You're responsible for him losing his job, for the cops turning on him, and the rumors that are now flying back home. Apparently, because your story got out, other girls think they can take advantage of him too," my aunt snarls.
Other girls have come out of the woodwork? Well, that means that I wasn't the only one he tried to pull this bullshit on. Now that I have that information, it’s enough for me to never back down, no matter what the cost. A man like him can't be allowed to continue doing this to innocent women.
"So, you're perfectly fine being married to a pedophile and a rapist just so long as no one knows about it," I sass back.
That’s the moment I see my uncle step around the corner of the house. Was he purposely hiding out of eyesight?
"I'm going to teach you what happens to girls like you. Just remember I gave you the chance to change your story, and now there will be no more chances." He lunges for me, and I let out a scream at the top of my lungs praying my husband will hear.
I watch as his hands sail towards my face connecting with my cheek. The pain is delayed for a second and then the side of my face feels like it's on fire.
While he's trying to pull me towards his car, I'm gripping on to the doorway as hard as possible. Thinking to myself there has to be something that I can get to within reach. Unfortunately, the shotgun is too far from the door and if I let go, he'll easily overpower me.
Hoping to connect with one of them and get them enough off balance to give me a few second advantage, I kick my feet.
"Leave me alone!" I scream at the top of my lungs.
One minute I'm struggling and fighting both of them off, and then the next there's a loud growl. When an axe goes flying in the air and pierces the driver-side door of their car, it causes them both to freeze and start yelling.