Page 134 of All for her Forgiveness

"I know you were there!" I shout in the loudest tone I can, so that the entire court hears, and as I expected, a sepulchral silence immediately falls over the room. "I remember everything now. You and Ryan raped Pam together, but you were the one who cut her throat. You will rot in prison, Aell, and I will have my revenge by putting three criminals from the same family in jail forever.”

That last part was a provocation, and I pray to God that the plan works.

"Do you know what they do to rapists in prison, Aell?"

"You . . .” He doesn't disappoint me when he loses control and tries to attack me, but Hades is faster and pulls me back, "I should have killed you too that night, bitch!"

"You couldn't. I was smarter." I pretend to be brave, but I'm shaking.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kennedy?" Hades whispers in my ear when he has me in his arms.

I watch as a guard grabs Aell, pinning his hands behind his back as he tries to lunge at me.

"He is his brother's accomplice, Hades. Forgive me for not telling you anything, but I needed to provoke him, or he would never have given himself away. I looked him up. The golden boy, unlike Ryan, has never even had a traffic ticket, but they are two sides of the same coin. Aell was there, and he was the one who dealt Pam the final blow."

I realize I'm becoming hysterical, but adrenaline is pumping through my body. I think I could punch that bastard if Hades let me go.

Aell tries to escape, and when he can't, he elbows the guard, and this causes at least six others to throw him to the ground and handcuff him.

"Enough, let's go," Hades says, probably intuiting that I've reached the limit of my courage.

"What about him?"

"Aell will pay, I promise," he says as he takes me out of the courtroom, "but don't you ever do anything like that again, woman. If he’d touched you, I would have killed him in front of everyone."

"I needed to use this opportunity. There would have been no other. He wasn't going to give himself up."

"With your memory back, we'd have followed the trail, Kennedy. You were very brave, but don't put yourself at risk again."

When I reach the hallway, the adrenaline finally subsides and a strong cry escapes me.

"I remembered everything this morning, when I saw an interview with him. Aell showed up at the beach house that night. In fact, I think he went with Ryan, but he stayed hidden. Maybe Pam didn't even know. Hours after I hit her with the statue, I left the room, thinking about running away. That's when I saw him. What they did to her was a bloodbath. As I ran down the stairs, I immediately saw that Pam was already dead. Now I remember, I had already found the hiding place and, terrified, I went back there, but I still listened when Aell bragged about the murder. It was his idea to kill her. Aell is just as much of a killer as Ryan. Maybe more.”

He holds me in his arms, the only prison I want to be in. "I understand, wife. You were wonderful, but your role in this story is over."

"It's not over. I will have to testify. Won't he be judged too?"

"No," he says simply, and his answer gives me peace.

Kennedy

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Months later

I’ve finally learnedthe meaning of having the support of a family.

After I left the courtroom the day I confronted Ryan and then his brother, Aell, I came home and everyone gathered around me, worried about what might cause my memory to return.

Anything.

For two whole months, it didn't. It was as if the episode never happened.

I took care of my children, loved my husband, and had the support of my dear Ernest.

I worked on my art, attended social events, family lunches, and parties.

I traveled and smiled.

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