Chapter 37

Once they were back at the house and they had the ATV’s parked, they headed back into the kitchen where Brie was waiting.  There were three plates on the table; what was left of David and Malachai’s and one that they assumed was for Amanda.  “Welcome back everyone”, Brie said with a smile.  “Boys, I left your plates so that you could finish your dinner.  There’s plenty left if anyone wants seconds.  Amanda, honey, eat.”

Amanda looked into the eyes of Brie Draiman and saw that there was no swaying her, so she sat at the place where the piping hot plate of spaghetti sat and started eating.  She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the hot food hit her stomach.  She started shoveling the food into her mouth, not taking the time to taste it.  David shook his head.  “Have you eaten since we fed you breakfast this morning?” he asked.  She shook her head no.

“Amanda, take that hood off at my table, please”, Brie said.

Amanda hesitated.  “I’d rather not”, she said after swallowing her food.  “My face is a mess.”

“Why is your face a mess?” David asked, taking a sip of the wine he had for dinner every night.   That night is was a sweet Riesling that had been imported from Germany.

“Again, I’d really rather not talk about it right now.”

“Let us see your face, Amanda”, David said.  There was no questioning the authority in his voice. 

She set her fork down and slowly pulled her hood back, exposing the mass of swelling and bruises on the left side of her face.  Brie gasped.  “Oh, my holy God!” she said under her breath.  “Amanda, what happened to you?”

“My Aunt and Uncle like to smack me around”, she said.  She heard glass shatter and looked up at Malachai.  His hand was bleeding from where he broke the glass in his hand and both hands started to shake.

“Oh, my fucking God”, David said, the disgust in his voice apparent.

“Oh, it gets worse.  My Aunt raped me right before I called Malachai to come get me out of there.”

Malachai stood and started out of the kitchen.  “FREEZE, AARON!” David shouted.

“Dad, something needs to be done about those bastards”, he said.

“I agree.  And, believe me, seeing what I’m seeing in front of me right this moment makes me want to go WITH YOU to eliminate those mother fuckers, but there is a reason we have a police and sheriff’s department.  We’ll call the police and have them arrested.  I’m sure they’ll want Amanda to go to the hospital to do a rape kit and all that good stuff.  Right now, you need to sit your ass down and calm down.  Let’s be rational about this and not fly off the handle.”

“You’re father’s right, Malachai”, Brie said to her son.  “We need to think this through and not go off and commit murder.  The last thing I think any of us needs is for you to get locked up again.  Yes, we’d bail you out again, but, you don’t need to risk prison time.  Park your ass in your seat and finish your dinner.”

Malachai sighed.  He looked at the beaten and bruised face of Amanda.  She silently pleased for him to do what his parents were telling him to do.  He swallowed his pulse and did what he was asked.  “Ok, seeing as I’m clearly outnumbered here, I’ll sit back down, but this is NOT being done freely and willingly.  I’m doing this under duress.”

“Understood”, Brie responded.  “Now”, she looked to Amanda, “as soon as you’re done eating, we’re going to call the police.  They’ll probably want you to go to the hospital for a rape kit, as my husband pointed out.  Then, they’ll more than likely go out and arrest your Aunt and Uncle for assault and rape.  I want to be sure that you understand that there is no questioning this.  I hate to break it to you, but you don’t have any say in the matter.”

“I want them in prison, Mrs. Draiman.  I don’t want them on the streets so that they can come looking for me.  I’m ok with you calling the police.  I’m still wearing the clothes that I was wearing when my aunt raped me.  I just threw a pair of jeans on over them so that I could get out of there as quickly as possible.”

“Well, alright then”, Brie said back.  “Eat your dinner, and I’ll go make the call.  It will take about thirty minutes for the sheriff’s department to get out here.  Seeing as we live outside the city limits, we’re the county’s problem and not the city’s.”

Amanda nodded.  “I understand.”  Brie then nodded and left the room.  “David, honey, if you could join me please?”

“I’m right behind you”, he said and stood.  He clapped Malachai in the shoulder as he left the room.  “You’re doing the right thing, son.  Just keep that in mind.”

Malachai nodded and sighed.  “I know, Dad, and I fucking hate it.”

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“What’s up, honey?” he asked when they were out of ear shot of the young man and woman in their kitchen.

“I wanted to give them a little bit of time alone before the sheriff’s department starts poking and prodding at her”, she said.

“Seeing that bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“It does.  But, does it raise in you what it raised in Malachai?”

“To be perfectly honest, yes.  I can’t stand seeing shit like that it raises in me my Mama Bear instincts to rip apart any threat to my cubs.  I understand that Amanda’s not our child, but Malachai is.  If it hurts him then it hurts me.”

David nodded.  “And all of my instincts are screaming at me to go grab two of those sniper rifles I keep locked up in the gun safe in our room, grab Malachai, and head back to that house to snipe those bastards.  But, we can’t do that.  You and I both know that.”

“Yeah, I know.  That’s why I was agreeing with you in there when you decided to take over my role as the voice of reason.”  She chuckled.

“I know those moments are rare for me, but when I decide to act on it people should shut up and listen to me”, he laughed as he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close.  “But, I’ll admit now, if it were one of our girls saying that about someone, I’m not sure I’d be able to restrain myself from going after the bastard myself.”

She stretched up and pressed a kiss to his lips.  “I know, baby, and that’s what makes you human.  Now, let’s call the police and get them out here.

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Amanda reached out and took Malachai’s hand.  “Thank you for rescuing me”, she said softly.  “I’ll be forever grateful.”

He smiled softly at her.  “Anytime and anyplace.  I told you that when I dropped you off.  You should have called me after your Uncle knocked you around this morning when I dropped you off.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.  I know you must have been worried.”

“I was scared shitless when you called crying.  Please don’t scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try not to”, she said.

“Good.  Now, seeing as you’re now out of that place and they can’t hurt you anymore, I’m sure my parent’s will insist that you stay here with us.  And, I’m insisting on it too.”

“I couldn’t impose on you guys like that.”

“It’s not an imposition.  You’re staying here and that’s final.  My parents will back me up on that.”

“Only if you’re sure that they won’t mind.”

“I know my parent’s, Mandy.  I’m sure they’re making the phone call right now to get the sheriff out here.”

“If they take me to the hospital, will you go with me?  I don’t want to go alone.”

“I’ll go with you.  Don’t worry.   I’ll follow in my car and the ambulance to the hospital.  They won’t let me stay with you when they come in to do the rape kit, but I’ll be right outside the room when they do it.  After they leave, I’ll stay with you.”  His heart ached.  He wanted so badly to tell her he loved her, but he couldn’t.  It might scare her away and that was the last thing he wanted to do.  Instead, he squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was there for her.

She squeezed his hand back.  Unbeknownst to him, she was aching to say the exact same thing to him that he wanted to say to her, and she had the exact same fear.  She didn’t want to scare him away.  Little did he know, what he was doing for her showed her he cared more than any words could say.  Her emotions overwhelmed her and came out of her eyes.

He didn’t know what to say to comfort her, so he did the only thing he knew to do.  He pulled her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder.

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Not thirty minutes later, the sheriff’s department arrived.  David waited on them at the door for them and let them in.  “Thank you for coming, Sheriffs.”

“Not a problem, Mr. Draiman.  Where is the young lady you and your wife called about?”

“In the kitchen with our oldest son.  I’ll take you in there.”  David headed to the kitchen.

“Thank you, sir.”  The sheriff followed David to the kitchen. 

When they walked into the kitchen, they saw Malachai holding Amanda as she cried.  “Amanda, Malachai, the sheriff’s department is here.”

Malachai whispered in her ear and she sat up from where her head rested on his shoulder.  She looked at the men that walked into the room with David.  “Thank you for coming out, deputies”, she said as she wiped her eyes.

The senior of the officers looked at her and spoke.  “Are you the victim?”

“Yes, sir.  I’m the victim.”

“Do you want to tell us what happened today?”

“Can Malachai stay with me?”

“I don’t see what not, now, Amanda, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Alright, Amanda, why don’t you tell us what happened?”  She told them the story and they made the necessary notes.  “Amanda, we need you to go to the hospital to have a rape kit done and to be examined for any other injuries.  Malachai here can go with you if you’d like.  Do you have somewhere to stay after you’re released from the hospital?”

David cleared his throat.  “She’ll be staying here with us.  I’ll be damned if she goes back to that house.”

The officer nodded.  “Alright then, Amanda, if you’ll come with me.”

She got up and followed sheriff’s deputies out of the house, Malachai hot on their heels.  “Mandy, I’m going to grab my car and I’ll meet follow you to the hospital and stay with you there.  I promise.”

She nodded and got on the gurney to in the back of the ambulance.  Malachai pulled out of the garage with a new Dodge Charger and revved the engine.  She could see that he was angry.  It was taking all of his control not to pull past the ambulance to go kill her aunt and uncle.  She was glad that he was controlling himself.  She needed him to be there for her.

She waved and blew him a kiss as the paramedics loaded her into the back of the ambulance.  He smiled and waved as they closed the doors to the truck.  When they pulled off, he was sure that he followed them to their destination.