Page 34 of Inside the Maelstrom: Part Two
“In the eyes of the law, I’ve done nothing wrong. I married one woman who I pledge to love and honor until the day I die, and I mean that with every atom in my soul. But I can love more than one person; I have that capacity. You don’t even have the capacity to love one person, sir, and my father only has the ability to love himself. So, before you try and invalidate my life based on a bunch of tabloid newspaper articles, I suggest you all take a good look at your own lives and see if I’m the one in trouble here.”
The court was now in an uproar, and the judge banged his gavel once more, making a disgusted noise at the calamity in the courtroom. “Court is adjourned for the day. We’ll pick this up again tomorrow morning.”
He swept from the room, and I let my spine relax for a moment.
When I looked up and met my father’s eyes, his expression chilled me. It promised retribution.
I flipped him the bird and stepped out of the witness box. I just wanted to go home.
Chapter19
Otto
I’d been merely a background figure for most of my friendship with Hendrick and Sampson, but I was very much front and center now. I strode up to my parents first, and my mother’s face was distraught.
“Are you okay?” Mom asked, her hand whipping out to pull me closer, like she could protect me from what was coming. But she didn’t realize that I didn’t want to be protected; I wanted to be free to love whoever I wanted, and this was the first step. The hardest step, given what Hendrick had just declared to the world, but a step at least.
“I’m fine, Mom. This is a good thing.”
“But Otto…” my dad started, but he didn’t finish. It was hard to put the fear in his eyes into words, I guess.
I pulled them both in for a hug. “I’ll be fine. I understand what’s about to happen, even better than you guys. This is what we want, the moment we’ve been waiting for. We don’t want to hide in the shadows forever, like we’re doing something disgusting and dirty. The sooner the world gets over it, the sooner we can get on with our lives.” I winced when I thought about the fact that I’d probably just screwed up their lives too. “Look, it might be best to take a trip out of town for the week. Go up to the lakes or something, disconnect from the circus this is about to become. There’ll be plenty of time to show your support later.” I pulled back so I could see their faces properly. “We still have your support, right?”
It was a stupid question. I knew the answer in my heart already, and the indignant look on my mother’s face only confirmed it.
“Of course you do, Otto! We love Hendrick and Sampson like they’re our own, and Aviva is lovely—I have no doubt we’ll soon love her too. You never have to ask if you have our support. Short of murdering someone and asking to bury them in the backyard, there’s little you could do to lose our support.”
I grinned. “What if I wanted to bury them in the woods?”
Dad shook his head. “Then that's between you and the bears, son.”
I let out a sharp laugh, making several people turn their gaze in our direction. “Thank you for being the best parents on the planet. I owe you guys everything.” I pulled them in for a quick hug. “I love you both.” I was ten years old again in their arms, being squeezed in a group hug that I adored so much. I pulled away reluctantly. “I better go. We need to be a united front.”
They nodded and made me promise to call, and then I was hurrying through the crowd toward Hendrick and Aviva. Sampson had his hand on her spine as Evan led them through the crowd in the foyer of the courthouse, and I reached for her hand, bracketing her left. She looked over at me with a smile, because this was nice. Not to have to hide my affection for either of them. It felt freeing.
Evan led us out the heavy double door and down the stairs out front, where we were immediately swamped.
“Hendrick, is it true that you were beaten by your father?” someone yelled to Hendrick’s left, and his feet stilled. He found the reporter and the camera, staring straight down the lens with that intense gaze that made goosebumps spread across my skin with desire.
“Yes. I have nothing further to add, but if nothing else comes of this trial, know this: Senator Ted Kenley is an abuser. He is a liar and a manipulator. How’s that for a soundbite?”
We hurried down the rest of the stairs, though the Escalade was struggling to get through the press pack. Jesus, they must have called in reinforcements. Evan was picking up and physically moving reporters, clearly making an effort to be as gentle as he could despite the rage on his face.
During traumatic events, they say time speeds up and slows down at the same time, like you see it happening but can’t make your limbs move fast enough. I never fully understood the concept until a boring gray sedan careened through the pack of reporters. Sickening thuds echoed off the stone walls of the courthouse as bodies bounced off the hood and crunched under the tires, but still the car continued, coming straight for us.
There were panicked screams as people leaped out of the way, jostling us until I tripped and fell backwards. My head landed with a thud on the concrete, pain shooting through my skull. Dots danced in my vision as I shook my head, chasing off the darkness.
No. I couldn’t black out. Needed to find them.
I rolled to my knees, looking for my family. I spotted them just in time to see Evan dive for Aviva and Hendrick, Sampson yanking them away from the back. The small car clipped Evan’s hip, and I threw myself sideways as the tires came toward me, rolling frantically until I was off the gutter and on the road. Luck was on my side, the car missing me with only inches to spare. I was close enough to taste the exhaust of the runaway vehicle before it finally hit the steep steps of the courthouse with a final sickening thud.
There was madness, screaming and bodies everywhere.
What the fuck? My brain said those words on repeat. What the fuck. What the fuck.
I couldn’t see the others anymore. I got up onto my hands and knees again, crawling toward where they’d last been, until I heard someone screaming my name.
“Otto!”
