Page 62 of Judas

"What are the charges?!" Paul demanded.

"Sexual assault of a person under the age of eighteen," Reyes stated as a matter of fact before spinning Paul on his heel. He locked the handcuffs on Paul's wrists with seemingly little effort and the clutch of onlookers burst into yells of bewilderment and anger.

Paul screamed wildly, "I did no such thing!! Betsy! Betsy! You meet me wherever these so-called police are taking me! We won't stand for this!"

"No. I won't,Dad," angry tears welled in her eyes. "I know what you've done. All these years—"

"Betsy! Listen to me!" Paul struggled against the restraints and two of the uniformed police.

She shook her head, "No! You'll listen to me! You raped Nevaeh and you forced her to have an abortion! And you've been doing this for years! I'm done with you. You can rot in hell!" She turned away, but changed her mind, "And don't call me when you're looking for a lawyer…I'll be too busy representing Uncle Chet."

Eliza stepped away from her father and made her way to the Branson's. Chet wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her there.

Desperate, Paul screamed like an animal, "Jude! Jude! Are you going to let them do this to me?? Don't they know who I am?? Bring Betsy back here!"

"Sir," a wicked grin spreading across his lips, he leaned in close to Paul's ear. "I want you to know a few things before they take you away. One…Eliza, who is the love of my life, by the way, is the one that made all of this happen…she is quite amazing, you know? Using her contacts to take a dangerous man off the streets. Two, it's too bad Mr. Branson wasn't a better shot. Had you assaulted my child…” He leaned back to see the look of utter astonishment and horror fall over his former boss' face, pausing for a moment to savor every satisfying drop of the reaction. "And three…My name is Judas, but you’ll always be the traitor Eliza remembers.”

He turned away, returning to Eliza's side as Paul's howls of protest faded into the distance and a mob of reporters surrounded them. She slid her hand into his as Judas andhis men pushed her and the Branson’s through the throngs of people demanding information. Eliza understood this wasn’t the end of the fight, but just the beginning. She would do everything in her power to save Chet and work just as hard to see her father serve time.

After escaping, Judas sent his team to follow Chet and his family home. Eliza had worked out a plan to keep the security staff on the payroll for another couple of weeks until the initial shock wore off and the press moved on to something else. She wouldn’t have her aunt and uncle worry about someone sneaking into their neighborhood just to get a soundbite.

The coast was clear in the far corner of the hospital parking garage where Judas’ car sat and the chirp of the unlocking vehicle echoed loudly in the concrete cave. Sliding in front of Eliza, Judas opened the passenger door. He hesitated for a moment to look her over in the dim, artificial light.

“What?” she asked.

He shook his head, “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you…at peace.”

“I am,” she nodded. “It’s not over. Not for a long shot and my father may not even spend a day in jail… I know that. He’s been exposed… and for today, that has to be good enough. But I promised Nevaeh he would pay and I’ll keep that promise.”

Leaning into her, Judas’ body caged her against the car and he smirked, “You’re a dangerous creature, Eliza. The world doesn’t know who it’s messing with.”

His kiss was light on her lips.

Warmth traveled through her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She stared into his honeyed eyes only to lose herself in their comfort.

“Let’s go home, Judas.”

Chapter forty-five

Six Months Later

Since discovering her mother’s journals, Eliza had started keeping her own.

It all began with pouring over every single word Catherine Arthur had ever written on those pages. Eliza was hungry with a need to know everything. Some of it had been hard to read. Any mention of her father came with the sting of regret and deep hatred. Even the positive things written about him stunk of lies and betrayal. Eliza supposed that was a feeling that would be sticking with her for the rest of her life. At least she hoped it did because the idea of ever forgiving him was absolutely repulsive to her.

The journals weren’t all bad though and there were actually very few mentions of Paul beyond the first year or so of their marriage. After that, it seemed Catherine had begun to get to know herself more intimately and, in turn, given Eliza the same opportunity. She now knew that her mother had loved playing tennis, had hated any kind of social gathering, drank hot tea with cream, and absolutely loathed pickles. Eliza knew thatreading Danielle Steele was Catherine’s guilty pleasure and that she dreamed of traveling the world. She loved to cook, but she hated to bake. Her grandmother, Norma, was her hero and Reba Branson was the very best friend she’d ever had in her life.

Most of all, though, she had loved Eliza and being her mother more than anything this world could’ve ever offered. Knowing that filled Eliza with both pride and an aching, relentless sadness. It would ebb and flow through her days but was ever present. Eliza was sure it was just an uncontrollable companion to losing a parent and found ways to coexist with it.

That is where her own journaling had come to be.

Eliza wanted to put her own life down on paper so that maybe someday, someone that loved her as much as she loved her mother could have the same kind of treasure.

She knew at the heart of that plan was another aching heart that would eventually have to live without her. She was in love with and loved by an immortal. Part of that burden is carrying on without the ones you have come to cherish in every season of eternity. When she was eventually gone from this world, she wanted to leave behind a record of their entire life together for him to have always.

Sitting there now, scribbling away on the edge of their bed, she knew that just a few more seconds would tell her if she might be leaving behind another treasure for him to have a little longer than he might have her.

Right on cue, Eliza’s cell phone buzzes to life as her timer expires. Smiling to herself, she closes her eyes as she turns to the nightstand. When she opens her eyes and glances down, she sees the exact answer she was hoping for. Tears lined the rims of her eyes and she scooped the magical little device off the nightstand.

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