Reaching Rachel Read online

  Tears filled her eyes. “Nothing happened?”

  He caressed her hands. “He drugged you, and took off your clothes, but the rest was a lie. He told you that you slept with him so that you would be convinced you did something wrong and break up with me. He’s a cowardly ass and got his kicks out of manipulating a 21 year old girl. Then, just in case you weren’t convinced enough, he threw out the threat that he would frame me for rape.”

  “Oh my god,” she cried. “All this time, for nothing! I’m sorry, Devin. I should’ve just told you, let you deal with it. It’s all my fault.”

  “Rachel.” Devin scooted even closer, lifting her chin so she would look at him. “Stop. This isn’t your fault. You were trying to protect me, and you thought that what he had told you was true. If anything, it’s my fault.”

  “Why?” Rachel looked into those eyes that she loved so much, wishing she could rewind time and be having this conversation back then. They had lost so much time together, over what ended up being nothing she did wrong and everything to do with a cop with a God complex.

  “I never should’ve believed you would do that. I let my emotions get the best of me. I was upset when I heard Zack bragging about you to another cop. I know now he was doing that on purpose, setting the whole thing up. He was testing you to see if you would do what he said. So then when I came to you, I knew by the look on your face that something was wrong. But I let myself believe that you had done it, because you refused to give me any information. I allowed my anger and my bruised ego to overshadow my common sense. I didn’t trust in you, in us. I ran away from it instead. So if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I’m a cop. I should’ve seen that you were terrified, that something wasn’t right. But all I did was feel sorry for myself. I’m sorry, Rachel. I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am.”

  She pressed her lips to his, emotion bubbling up to the surface as she felt his warmth. “This is exactly why I couldn’t tell you. Look at where you are now. Arrested. If they have what he said on video, they also have that you were beating him up. Does it even matter that he did something to me 5 years ago? You’re going to lose your job, Dev, and then what? What do you do then? You’ll resent me …”

  “Stop,” Devin commanded. “He had to be confronted. He was even still keeping up on both of us, did you know that? He knew where I worked, what had happened to you. He’s got problems. I don’t know how far he would’ve taken them, but this had to be done. No matter what happens.”

  “How can you be so calm when your whole life could be over, Devin? I just don’t understand it!” Rachel screeched, panic starting to take over.

  “My life is just beginning,” Devin said matter-of-factly. “Whatever happens, you are the only thing that I need. My job is my job.” The door swung open, and in walked Sheriff, with an angry Zack behind him. Rachel and Devin watched silently as they both sat down across from them at the table.

  “Gentlemen,” Sheriff said in his easygoing but firm manner. “It seems we have a problem here, and we aren’t going to leave this room until it’s solved.”

  “Did you get the video?” Devin asked, glaring at Zack but asking Sheriff.

  “Working on that now. I was just talking to Zack about what his role is in all this. I told him that I was getting the video from his cruiser, and that’s what made him finally start talking.”

  Zack refused to meet any of their eyes, “So the punk told you that he used drugs to make my girlfriend believe she had slept with him, then threatened to have a girl accuse me of rape and plant DNA on her if Rachel didn’t break up with me?”

  “Well, that wasn’t exactly what he said,” Sheriff looked angrily at Zack. “Miller, if even half of that is true, we are going to have a serious problem.”

  “So he can come here and beat me up and get away with it?” Zack said furiously, standing up.

  “Sit down,” Sheriff commanded. “I’m not talking to him right now, I’m talking to you.” Just then, the door opened and another officer indicated that the video was ready.

  “Stay here with them,” he commanded to the officer. “Neither of them can get up or talk to each other, or I’ll put them both in a cell together for the night.”

  The door slammed shut behind him, and Rachel sat there in silence, wondering what in the world was going to happen. If he saw what Devin seemed to think he would see on the video, what did that mean for Devin? Would he be released?

  She looked at him, a question in her eyes. He knew what she wanted to know, and he shrugged his shoulders. Sheriff was a very fair man, but he wasn’t sure what he would do. All he wanted to do right now was finish what he had started out in the street. Zack wasn’t as messed up as he needed to be.

  Within minutes, the door was reopening and Sheriff was back, dismissing the other cop. He sat down without a word, and Rachel’s stomach quivered. She tried to search his face for any clue, but he was as stoic as a statue.

  “Devin,” he began, and Devin looked up at his former boss, waiting for what he was going to say next. Rachel gripped his hand, knowing she was probably squeezing him too hard but unable to stop herself. “I saw the video. You beat the hell out of a cop while on the side of a busy road. That definitely wasn’t the smartest move.” Rachel hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She would need to call his parents, even though he didn’t want them involved.

  “However, if some jackass had done that to my girl, I would’ve done the same thing.” Rachel swung her eyes to his. Did he really just say that? She looked at Devin out of the corner of her eye, and saw the relief on his face as well. “Zack Miller, I’m appalled at your behavior. I could put you away for a long time for the admission on that tape. But I’ll settle for your badge and gun on my desk within 5 minutes. And if I ever, and I mean, ever, hear that you have done anything to Devin or Rachel ever again, or even contacted them in any way, I’ll take that video and use it to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Do you understand me?”

  Zack stared at the sheriff, then swung his eyes to Devin and Rachel. Anger came off him in waves as he realized what was happening here. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Do I look like I’m kidding, son? Do you understand how much trouble you could be in right now? I’m doing you a favor. Actually, you know what? Maybe we should ask Devin and Rachel if that’s fair, if they agree with that, because they could press charges against you and then this would all be a moot point.”

  Zack looked wildly at Devin and Rachel, realizing they held the power over him now. “Can we walk out of the room for a moment?” Devin directed his question to the sheriff. He nodded, and he and Rachel walked for the door, stepping just outside it.

  “What do you think?” Rachel asked, her voice low.

  “I wanted to make him sweat a little,” Devin laughed. “But, I guess I should ask you, since what he did was directed to you. What do you want to do?”

  “I just want to forget that it ever happened,” Rachel wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly shivering. “I want us to start from the moment we walk out of here, and only look forward. Zack, Justin, all of it. I’m tired of the control that I’ve allowed these people to have over me. I let Zack run my life for years. If Sheriff can get him to leave us alone with the threat of that video, that’s enough for me.”

  “You’re amazing,” Devin smiled, kissing her lightly. She didn’t think that was the case, she was scared shitless, but she loved him for saying that. “Let’s go in there and put the guy out of his misery, then let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Walking back into the room with their hands joined, Zack watched them carefully as they sat down. Rachel fought a smile, enjoying having taken the power away from him. Hopefully for good.

  “We agree with the deal. For some crazy reason, Zack’s been keeping tabs on both of us, as you saw from the video. I want him to understand that if we catch wind at all that he’s sniffing around for information about us, the deal is off and we press charges.”r />
  Sheriff nodded, looking at Zack. “That’s the deal. You give me your badge and gun, and you don’t apply anywhere in this county to be a cop, and I won’t stop you from working elsewhere. And you follow the guidelines they’ve agreed to, and never contact them again. Understood?”

  Zack looked down at the table, knowing he was stuck. They had him right where they wanted him, by the balls. Rachel had to stifle an exuberant laugh. She had finally gotten her revenge. “Understood.”

  “I didn’t hear you son.”

  Zack lifted his head, his eyes weary as he met the sheriff’s. “Yes, I understand.”

  “Tell Devin and Rachel thank you for not pressing charges against you, and that you’re sorry.”

  His eyes flashed. Sheriff was pushing it, and they loved it. He stared at them for a long moment, then blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry. What I did was shitty. Thank you for not pressing charges against me. Devin, I deserved everything you gave me and then some.”

  Sheriff met Devin’s eyes, and he stood up. “Rachel, come with me, okay, doll?” She looked at Devin, confused, and he nodded once to show her it was okay. She stood and followed Sheriff out of the room, still not understanding what was happening. “We’ll meet you two in my office.”

  He shut the door and walked purposefully down the hall, and Rachel scrambled to keep up. “What are we doing?”

  He turned his head slightly, and she caught the small smile that played on his lips. “Letting Devin finish what he started.” They reached his office and he held the door open for her. “He won’t be long.”

  She couldn’t help it; she laughed. After everything she had been through in the last 24 hours, she felt like she just might be cracking under the pressure. She sat on the chair in his office, reveling in the fact that not only was Devin going to be released, they were free of one more piece of their past.

  Devin watched the door shut, then turned to face Zack, who watched him nervously. Devin, knowing he was bigger and stronger, flung his chair until it stopped right in front of Zack, making him flinch.

  “How do you feel now, Miller? Was it worth it, sticking it to me? Yeah, you ruined my relationship with the love of my life, and we lost many years over it. You scared her and made her think she did something awful that she didn’t do. How in the hell did you live with yourself all this time? It’s no wonder that you aren’t married. You’re an insecure prick with a God complex. No one likes you. Maybe in your new life, you should try to stop being such an ass. I’m not wasting any more time on you, but I wasn’t quite finished with you when we got rudely interrupted.”

  Zack watched him warily, not saying anything. When Devin moved quickly towards him, he flinched, his face still smarting from his earlier attacks. Devin put his face right next to his, looking him eye to eye. “This is the last time you will ever see me. If you ever run into us somewhere, you better run the hell away. You don’t want to come across me again, or you will have hell to pay. You might as well leave the state. I’m getting a copy of that video too, for safekeeping, in case you have any buddies around here that might try to help you. Hmm, isn’t it interesting that one of the things that started this entire mess was you telling my girl that you had a video of her having sex with you? And it’s a video that ends up coming back to bite you in the ass. Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?” Devin stood, circling behind him, knowing he only had a small amount of time left.

  Moving swiftly, he yanked Zack up by his shirt and shoved him against the wall, slamming his head into it for good measure. “I’m going to help you remember what Sheriff said. I never got to drive my point home earlier, but I’m sure as hell going to help you remember it now.”

  Zack looked at him wide-eyed, but couldn’t speak because Devin had his arm under his chin. Devin pulled back his other arm, and Zack’s eyes closed in anticipation.

  “This is for you ever, ever talking to my girl.” He put his full power into slamming his fist into Zack’s jaw, hearing the crack as it shattered. If there was one thing Devin was, it was strong. Zack was no match for him. He cried out and whimpered, his eyes rolling back into his head. When Devin was sure he was still conscious, he looked him in the eyes for the last time. “This is for you ever having that vile, disgusting thing of yours in her sight.” With that, he took his knee and slammed it into his groin as hard as he could, then let him go. He slumped to the floor, gasping from the pain in both places.

  Devin watched him a moment more, then walked out of the door to get his girl, shaking out his hand for the second time that day.

  They pulled into the driveway of Devin’s parent’s house, and Rachel stared at it, remembering it like she had been here yesterday. It was a classic Florida style house, with colorful stucco on the outside, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and a green, plush lawn. Since they had been in the area, Devin had wanted to go visit his parents before they headed back to the west coast, and she had agreed. But now that they were here, she was scared.

  “Rachel.” Devin’s voice broke through her trance. Her stomach was in knots as she thought about seeing Ryan and Athena Putnam again. “Look at me.”

  She turned to him, and couldn’t help but smile at his appearance. While she had no idea how he had actually left Zack, his face was lopsided with his one eye swollen and his crooked, sexy grin. She glanced at his swollen hand, and she knew that he had given Zack another piece of him, and had done it well. For her. “I love you.”

  Devin reached for her, and she buried her head in his neck. He kissed the top of her head, caressing her back gently. “I love you, Rachel. I’ll do anything and everything to protect you, forever. And you don’t have to worry about my parents, honey. I never told them anything.”

  “Nothing?”

  “No. I couldn’t bear to make them think less of you. I don’t know, maybe I always knew that something wasn’t right about it. I just told them we broke up. They spent all these years ribbing me for being the stupidest man on the planet.”

  “Dev!” she giggled, then became serious. “Thank you. For not telling them. For defending my honor with Zack. For everything. You’re the most important person in my life.”

  Devin tilted her head back, taking her lips in his with an intensity she didn’t expect for sitting in his parent’s driveway. Teasing her lips with his tongue, she opened up for him, joining her tongue with his. He allowed his hand to travel to her breast, and he rubbed it lightly through her top. While a part of her knew this wasn’t the time or place, she couldn’t stop him if she tried. Desire pooled low in her belly as he deepened their kiss, sucking her tongue into his mouth, his hand now lifting her shirt to touch her stomach. Electric currents shot from where he touched her throughout her body, and she gasped at the feeling he was giving her right here in the car. She found herself reaching out for him, touching him through his pants, and she felt him groan before he pulled slowly away from her.

  “Dear God,” he breathed. “When we get to the hotel tonight, you better be ready. That was a preview.” Her stomach clenched at the promise in his voice.

  “Rough or slow,” she whispered in his ear. He slid his hand between her jean clad legs and rubbed her there, almost sending her into a frenzy.

  “All of the above. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve. Now, let’s go make nice with my parents and let me show them I’ve got their girl back so we can get on to celebrating yet another asshole that has tried to stand in our way being shown the door.”

  He got out of the car, then walked around to her door and opened it for her, pressing her back against the car one more time, kissing her neck before letting her walk. Her knees were weak and she wondered how she was going to have anything intelligible to say when they walked into his parent’s house.

  He smirked at her, knowing exactly what he did to her, and laced his fingers with hers as they approached the front door. His parents had no idea they were coming or that he was even here in town, but he knew they were home. They were creatures of habit. Knoc
king the door, he tried hard to resist the urge to squeeze Rachel’s butt while he was waiting, but he lost. She laughed and swatted his hand away playfully. He then saw her look at his backside when the door opened and his mom stood there.

  Athena Putnam was a beautiful woman in her early 50’s. She enjoyed walking the neighborhood with her friends, and doing yoga several times a week, so she was in good shape. Devin had her same dark blue eyes, but that’s where the resemblance ended. She was petite and had blonde hair, which was peppered with gray. Ryan, Devin’s dad, was an older version of Devin himself. A retired cop, Ryan was a robust man, tall and muscular with dark hair and dark eyes. Devin loved his parents, and they had a great relationship.

  “Oh my God!” Athena shouted as she registered what she was seeing. “Devin! And, Rachel? Is that you? Ryan, come here!” She stepped out onto the porch, not sure who to look at first. “Devin, what happened to your face? And Rachel! You’re really here? You’re just as beautiful as the last time I saw you! Look at both of you! Standing here on my porch! Together!”

  “Well, let them in, for goodness sake, Athena,” Ryan laughed, walking up behind her. “It’s great to see you both. Dev, I sure would like to know what the hell happened to you, but I’m sure you’ll tell us. Come on in. Rachel, you’re as beautiful as ever.”

  “Yes, yes, come in. I’m sorry. You just shocked me to death. First, seeing Dev here was a surprise, and then to see that you’re here with him, oh my …” Athena rambled as she opened the door for them to walk past her, and they smiled at each other. Ryan hugged his son tightly, then pulled Rachel in for a hug as well.

  Devin and Rachel sat side by side on the couch while Athena prepared snacks and drinks in the kitchen. Ryan sat in his chair, facing them, a smile on his face as he watched his wife in the kitchen. The nerves that Rachel had when they pulled in the driveway were long gone. She felt like she was home.