Page 81 of Need

By the time Monday morning arrived, I had way too many things on my mind. Saying goodbye to Brianna this morning had been difficult. It still seemed that every time we took two steps forward, there was always something there to push her back.

We talked about what had happened at the mall, and she told me who the man was. Her body trembled as she clung to me, speaking the words I needed to hear, but desperately didn’t want to. He’d been one of the worst, she’d said, the man who’d left the burns on her breasts. Ian had allowed that. Encouraged it even, from what she’d told me.

Just thinking about it had me flexing my fingers against the steering wheel. I wanted to hurt him and every other man who’d dared touch her without her permission. They had no right. She’d been an innocent seventeen-year-old girl. It just reaffirmed my desire to see Ian get his due, one way or another.

When we took our shower last night, Brianna had begged me to continue with our exploration. I’d had my doubts, but I was finding there was little I could deny her when she looked up at me with those blue eyes of hers.

I’d gone slow, taking her to near release before pushing the boundaries farther. Once again, the moment my fingers reached her opening I could see her panic rising, so I stopped. No matter how much I wanted her, I’d never hurt her like that. She’d apologized profusely, of course, even though it wasn’t her fault. I ended up drying us both off, putting her in her bed, and holding her until she fell asleep.

One thing, however, had continued to get better with our nightly showers. She no longer feared touching me to the point where she seemed almost eager when it came time to wash my body. Her hands were more liberal in their movements, and I noticed her lingering in certain areas. I was thrilled with her newfound confidence, even if it was limited.

When I pulled into my parking spot at The Coleman Foundation, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, and immediately went on alert. Given the confrontation yesterday in the mall with one of Brianna’s abusers, Reeves actively looking for Brianna, and Karl’s recent less-than-amicable departure, I wasn’t taking anything for granted.

Out of the shadows, Ross appeared. His face was drawn, and there were bags under his eyes. It didn’t look like he’d gotten much sleep over the weekend. I hadn’t been sure how he’d end up processing the new information he’d received about Brianna. Knowing he wasn’t taking the news of her past well gave me bit of sadistic satisfaction. After having to deal with his blatant immaturity these past months, he was getting a dose of hard reality. Maybe now he wouldn’t be so quick to judge.

I took my time getting out of my car. The wait would do him good. He shifted his weight anxiously as I picked up my briefcase and stepped toward him. “What was it I told you about showing up unannounced?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said, ignoring my question.

“I gathered as much since you’re here waiting for me.” He glanced around him, still anxious, and I wondered if there was someone else around. “Are you alone?”

“Yes,” he said. “But... maybe your office would be better.”

I nodded and began walking toward the elevator, knowing he’d follow me.

Jamie greeted us as we stepped off the elevator. “Good morning, Mr. Coleman.”

“Good morning, Jamie. How was your weekend?”

“Too short, sir,” she said, handing me a stack of mail.

“It always is,” I said, absently flipping through the letters. There didn’t seem to be anything important. “Hold my calls for the next hour, and I’m not to be disturbed.”

Once inside my office, Ross couldn’t seem to sit still. I sat watching him for several minutes before asking, “Are you going to say whatever it is that’s on your mind in the near future, or were you planning to take up my entire day?”

He stopped his pacing. “John—Brianna’s father—is here. In Minneapolis.”

I sat up straighter in my seat, but kept my expression blank. This was a new development. “How do you know this?”

“He came to see me. I didn’t tell him anything,” he assured me. “But he asked me if I knew you.”

“He asked about me by name?”

Ross nodded. “He had that picture of you and Brianna from the hospital gala a few weeks ago. He wanted to know if I knew who you were.”

“And what did you tell him?”

Ross walked forward and collapsed in the chair directly across from me. “I couldn’t lie, so I told him I did, but not well.” He glanced down at the floor before looking up to meet my gaze. “He’s going to find her. Even if I don’t say anything, he’s going to find her.”

“I know.”

“You know? That’s all you have to say?” he said, getting agitated. “I still can’t believe he would do that. I can’t believe he would... but if you’re right...” I wasn’t sure he was still talking to me anymore as his voice took on a faraway quality. After a few minutes, he stilled, but a look somewhere between defeat and confusion settled on his face.

“Thank you for letting me know,” I said. Even though he was not one of my favorite people, he’d just earned some points for putting Brianna’s safety first. “I won’t hide her. She’s been forced into seclusion too much already. I’m trying to get her used to people again, not create more fear.” He looked as if he were about to argue. I raised my hand to stop him. “One way or another, he’s going to find her. I can’t stop that and neither can you.”

“So what do we do?”

I found it rather ironic that the cocky bastard I was used to dealing with was nowhere in sight now. “You don’t do anything.”

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