Page 43 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

The timing of their arrival couldn’t have been timed better. The policeman’s question hangs in the air when Gina Newberry crashes through the front door without knocking, ironically, exactly as her niece had done less than twelve hours before. She looks like she’s rushing out of a burning building she’s moving so fast. Her stocky husband is following at a more reasonable pace, stopping to close the door behind them. Gina’s eyes are flowing across everyone assembled in the room, trying to decide who to talk to first. She picks Traci.

Gina rushes towards Traci. “I got your message. We were at the store when you called and I came as fast as I could. Is it true? My Hallie is really here?” The worry for her niece is evident.

Troy is so proud of his sister. She’s so good at keeping everyone calm in a crisis. “Yes, Gina. Hallie is here and she’s doing well. She has a concussion and mild hypothermia, but Dr. Devon has been treating her and we’ve decided she doesn’t need to go to the hospital.”

Gina looks relieved before she lets her own confusion add to that of the rest of the room. “What happened to her? Why didn’t she call and tell me she was on the way?”

Leano answers. “That’s what I’m trying to get to the bottom of. So Ms. Boudreaux is your niece?”

Gina turns her attention to the officer in the room, but it’s her husband Adam who steps up to answer the question. Troy recognizes him taking over the questioning now that the police are involved. “Yes, sir. She is the daughter of my wife’s sister, Julie. I’m afraid Julie passed away just over three years ago, and we’ve lost touch with our niece somewhat. We’ve been praying she would come to us for help if she needed it. It looks like our prayers have been answered.”

Troy is relieved for Hallie. Knowing her family loves her and is happy to have her in Eagle’s Pass with them will help her recover from whatever has her on the run in the first place. She hasn’t fooled Troy. He knows there is much they don’t know about Hallie’s story.

With the arrival of two additional occupants, the room has once again deteriorated into controlled chaos. Giving up on organizing the discussions, Troy glances down the hall just in time to see Hallie herself ducking into his sister’s office, the room closest to the kitchen. The little sneak is trying to get close enough to find out what’s going on without having to announce herself. Taking a last look at the crowd all talking at the same time, Troy can’t say he blames her.

He’s sure no one notices when he backs out of the space, heading to his sister’s office. Hallie’s waiting just inside the door, her eyes widen when she realizes she’s been caught eavesdropping.

Troy tries to put her at ease. “Mind if I hide in here with you? It’s chaos out there.”

She gives him a nervous look and he can see tears pooling, threatening to spill down her cheek. “I said I was sorry for breaking in here. Did you have to call the damn cops on me?”

Troy can see the panic rising in her eyes and he moves closer, reaching out to take her hand to keep her from bolting. He catches her before she steps out of reach. Her hand feels small and warm, with the slightest tremor of fear. “Oh no, Hallie. We didn’t call the police. At least not the way you think. The police found your car in the ditch. They were worried about what happened to you.”

“Oh. Thank goodness.” The relief is short. True terror fills her eyes.

“Hallie? What’s wrong?” Troy tries to get her to answer, but she’s frozen in fear. He moves to catch her as she looks like she might collapse. “Hey… what’s this? You should be happy. Your aunt and uncle just arrived. They can’t wait to see you.”

Instead of cheering her up, he hears a sob escape instead. Troy is surprised when she hugs him tightly as if he might be her lifeline. He hates to see her in distress, but can’t help but like how she feels in his arms, so warm and feminine. Her head tucks neatly under his chin and her scent stirs inappropriate feelings under the circumstances.

He holds her until she calms. Reaching to the box of tissues on Traci’s desk, he grabs a few and helps wipe at her tears. In spite of their red rims, her green eyes are intoxicating.

Her nose is running courtesy of her crying jag. Troy grabs another tissue and holds it out to her. “Here you go. Blow for me.” She blushes, embarrassed, yet she grabs the tissue to comply. “Good girl.” It’s in that second Troy knows how important praise is to Hallie, making him suspect she hasn’t received much of it in her twenty-three years. He watches her relax under his simple compliment.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what has you so upset? Don’t you want to see your aunt and uncle?”

Her answer is quiet. “Yes, of course I do.”

“So why the tears?” She tries to look away. He suspects she’s remembering how they’d met the night before as she tries to yank out of his grasp. He lets her step back but remains close enough to gently tilt her chin to look up into his eyes. “Please don’t be afraid of me, Hallie. I know we got off to a bit of a rough start, but I promise you. No one, including me, is going to hurt you.”

She hesitates before answering softly. “Okay.” It’s not much, but it’s a start.

“Why the tears?”

“It’s not my car I was driving.”

“Yes, the police said it belonged to an Edward somebody. Is he a friend or something?”

“Or something.” Yep, there’s a story there.

“Boyfriend?”

She just nods her head, too afraid to speak.

“Let me guess. He didn’t know you were taking the car, did he?” This time a slight shake of the head.

“And he isn’t going to be happy to find it… and you… gone?”

Several tears streaming down her face is his only answer. He hates the next question, but he has to ask. “Edward is the person who hurt you, isn’t he? Traci said she and the doctor found old bruises all over your body. Edward gave them to you, didn’t he?”

---