Page 68 of Through the Fire
“My name is Mateo Espina.” He ignored Hugh’s question. “I’m here because I received a text from Jules last night, telling me that there was an emergency, and that I was needed.” His gaze flicked to Courtney. “I see she was telling the truth.”
Everyone’s eyes moved to Jules, who looked confused. “I didn’t text you,” she said.
Mr. Espina frowned slightly before appearing to dismiss that, at least for now. “I have some information about the current situation that you might find useful.”
“Don’t listen to him!” Courtney’s voice had a shrill note that revealed her fear and made Kit even more interested in what Mr. Espina had to say. “He’s a criminal, just like Juliet. They’re in on it together. He blackmailed me, made me promise not to go to the police. If it wasn’t for him, I would’ve found where Jules was hiding the kids months ago.”
Mr. Espina didn’t looked fazed by her words. Instead, he simply cocked his head slightly, as if he found what she was saying only mildly interesting. “And what evidence, Ms. Young, did I use to blackmail you?”
Courtney tried to take a step away from him, but Kit blocked her path. “It’s not evidence. It’s lies and doctored video.” Seeming to regain some of her confidence, Courtney straightened. “Also, it was illegally obtained. My lawyer isn’t worried about it, so neither am I.” After shooting Jules a triumphant, poisonous glance, she looked back at Mr. Espina. “There’s no way I’ll be convicted, but she will be.”
Dee started to cry harder, and Kit frowned. “We need to move this to the station. The kids shouldn’t be hearing this.”
Otto moved toward Mr. Espina, and to Kit’s surprise, he didn’t object as the cop approached. Instead, Mr. Espina just said mildly, “Left jacket pocket.”
Otto cautiously reached in and pulled out a flash drive as Mr. Espina lifted the large envelope he was carrying and dumped it out on the table in front of him. Glossy pictures scattered over the surface of the table, and Kit peered at them, unable to see the photos at that angle. By the way the muscles in Otto’s jaw tightened and twitched, however, they were upsetting.
“What are those?” The shrill note was back in Courtney’s voice as she pulled against Kit’s hold. “If those are what I think they are, then I will sue you. How dare you invade my privacy like tha—”
“Quiet,” Otto ordered, the harsh word as effective as a slap. Courtney snapped her mouth closed, her face paling under the layers of contoured makeup.
“I gave you a choice, Ms. Young.” Mr. Espina idly straightened the corner of one photo, lining it up squarely with the one next to it. “You chose poorly. Jules might be going to prison, but you will be joining her.”
“No!” The word burst from Courtney, but then she calmed, even smiling slightly. “Like I said, I discussed this with my lawyer. Those pictures, whatever you have on that flash drive, aren’t admissible evidence. So what if my relationship with Sebastian was a little…inappropriate? What boy wouldn’t want to be in his place?”
Kit glanced at Sam, fury and heartbreak at what had happened to him sweeping over her. He stared at the floor, refusing to look at anyone. “What else did you do to them?” Kit asked, trying to keep her voice neutral even as she raged inside. She knew that there’d be more. With people like Courtney, there always was.
Courtney gave an impatient huff. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Jules’s voice shook. “You hit me, locked me in a closet for hours, tortured me. You call that nothing? And what about what you did to Dee at the pageants? Burning her with the curling iron if she didn’t sit still? Not letting her use the bathroom all day?”
“It was for her own good.” Courtney waved a hand at Dee. “Look at her. A couple of months away from me, and she looks like a homely boy. As for you, you were a difficult child. I didn’t do anything you didn’t deserve. You don’t know how hard it was. I was basically a single mother.”
“You’re going to jail,” Theo gritted out, flat hatred in his gaze. “I’m going to enjoy helping to send you there.”
“Please,” Courtney scoffed, sounding as if she was regaining her confidence. “I’m not going anywhere except back to Florida with my children. All of that so-called evidence was obtained illegally by someone who doesn’t even have his mob buddies backing him up anymore.” She smirked at Mr. Espina. “Yes, my PI told me how pathetically powerless you are now that all your criminal business associates are either dead, in prison, or in hiding.
“All that’s left is my word against a kidnapper’s—and a few crooked cops that are in on it with her. You all knew about it for months and didn’t turn her in. I’ll need to check with my lawyer about the proper terminology, but I believe that’s called ‘aiding and abetting.’” The triumph in her voice was almost as sickening as the casual way she’d admitted to abusing her stepchildren. “No court is going to convict me—but they will convict all of you and give me custody of my children.”
The diner went almost silent for a frozen moment. The only sound was Dee’s muffled crying.
“Y-y-you f-forg-g-got ab-bout m-m-me.” Sam took a step toward his stepmother, his skin so pale it was almost green.
“What?” Courtney gasped on a sharp inhale.
“I’ll testif-f-fy ag-gainst y-you.”
Jules pressed a hand to her mouth, silent tears streaking her cheeks as she stared at her brother.
“Sebastian! How could you threaten to do such a thing? You know you enjoyed every second of it.” As Courtney tried to move away, Kit tightened her grip, giving the woman’s arm a harder tug than technically necessary. She didn’t have to see the photos to know what was in them, and her heart broke for sweet, brave Sam, even as disgust for the woman she was restraining filled her. Courtney tensed, and her expression went cold as she gave a sharp, short laugh. “You think anyone will believe you? They’ll all think you’re lying.”
“He’s not lying.” Ty’s face was tight and his voice had a slight quaver, but he didn’t drop his gaze from where it was fixed on his stepmother. “I’ll testify, too.”
“Of course you’d defend your brother,” Courtney scoffed. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
There was a short, intense silence, and Kit could see the effect of Courtney’s words on Sam. His rigid posture started to collapse as his resolute expression flattened to blankness. Kit couldn’t stay quiet and watch him take all the blame for something that was not his fault.
“I believe them,” Kit said, meeting Sam’s surprised gaze when it darted to hers. “And the jury will believe both of us, since I’ve recorded this entire conversation—including when you confessed to child abuse. Courtney Young, you’re under arrest.” Glancing around the room, she saw that only Theo was in uniform. “Theo, can I borrow your cuffs?”
