Page 13 of Rome for the Holidays
The cop reached out to her, squeezing her hand, “It’s okay. You can take your time.”
Harper swallowed hard over and over, then she whispered, “S-saul woke u-up and g-growled at A-alfonso, and A-alfonso grabbed h-him and,” she took another deep breath, “H-he killed h-him. Killed m-my d-dog. B-because S-saul protected m-me. M-my m-mother c-came in, a-and told me t-to leave, b-but Alfonso w-wouldn’t l-let me l-leave. He h-hurt m-my mom and w-would have r-r-raped me, b-but I h-had a k-knife under m-my p-pillow so t-that he c-couldn’t touch m-me. I d-didn’t mean t-to stab h-him. He r-ran at me, a-and I r-reacted. A-am I g-going to j-jail?”
The cops face was full of compassion, “No. You aren’t going to jail hun. You were acting in self-defense. No one in their right mind would believe anything differently.”
Harper looked at her hands, “M-my mother d-does.”
The cop shook her head, “How old are you sweetie?”
“I’m s-s-sixteen.”
“You aren’t staying here anymore. It’s not safe for you. Where did you get that mark on your cheek?”
Harper reached up, touching her face, forgetting that Lola had slapped her, her shoulders came up and the woman sighed, “Someone hit you, didn’t they?”
Lola came back into the room, her eyes flashing with anger, “Get that murderer out of my house.”
The cop turned to look at her, “Ma’am, your daughter isn’t a murderer. The man who left in the ambulance was still alive and I can tell you right now, that this girl did nothing wrong.”
Lola squared her shoulders, “Get that bitch out of my house before I press charges against her.”
Harper sucked in a breath, and the cop looked at her partner, “Get the mom out of here. I’m going to take this girl.”
The man nodded, grabbing Lola by the arm, and leading her from the room, though she fought him every step of the way.
The woman turned back to Harper, “Get what you need from the house. You won’t be coming back here.”
Harper bit her lip, “I d-don’t have a w-way to carry i-it.”
The woman shook her head, “Get a pillowcase and put it in there. Whatever is most important.”
Harper got off her bed and the cop sucked in a breath and Harper knew that the cop had seen the bruises on Harper’s legs and upper thighs from being hit by Lola earlier in the week.
The cop turned, “I will be out in the living room.”
Harper reached under her bed, getting the box of her most valued possessions from Vincenzo, and then burst into tears when she saw the letters were nothing but ribbons.
Lola had cut them all up, had broken the small trinkets that he sent her and had cut up the photos.
Harper pulled the box close to her chest and cried. She felt as if she had lost everything at that moment.
Her Vincenzo. Every precious letter he had written to her was now reduced to nothing more than garbage.
His photos were ruined, and she couldn’t take it. First Saul, then everything that had happened with Alfonso and now this? It was too much.
She cried and cried, putting the cover back on the box, and walking around her room, picking up the few clothes she owned and putting them in the pillowcase like the cop had said.
She got the blanket that Rose had given her and her shoes, and then walked out into the living room, holding the box to her chest, even though everything was ruined.
Lola sneered, “Bitch. You better pray I don’t see you again.”
The male cop stiffened, “Did you just threaten her?”
Lola looked over at him, “I just made a promise.”
The cop shook his head, “You are under arrest for abuse of a child.”
Lola started to protest, but the cop had her in handcuffs and was putting her in the car.
