BK 4 - Chapter 60 - Justice
Cat looked at the man on the floor, shaking with fear. She had no sympathy for him. Her plan wasn't originally to come here and kill him, but the anger she felt at seeing Carmen's bruises was weighing on her.
"So you think it's okay to beat a woman?" She asked. Her voice was eerily calm. Jerry couldn't explain it, but he almost feared her more than Trey.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. Each time I laid a hand on Carmen, it was because she deserved it." Cat kicked him in the stomach, making him ball up in pain.
"Did that hurt? Did that hurt? Well, you need to forgive me because you deserved it." She said. Trey stood against the wall with his arms crossed, watching her proudly. Over the years, they've made several men disappear who thought it was okay to abuse a woman or their children. Especially in cases where they knew the justice system would fail the survivors. This was one of those cases. Too often, men who abused their spouses were just given a restraining order and ended up killing the woman. Cat and Trey had taken it upon themselves to put a stop to that trend.
"You bitch. You can't come into my house and do this. I'm going to call the police." Jerry tried to stand up, but Cat elbowed him in the side as soon as he was on his feet. He didn't understand how she was so strong, but it hurt like hell.
"Call me that again, and you'll regret it," Cat said calmly. Jerry glared at her.
"When you leave, I'll hunt that little good-for-nothing bitch down, kill her, and kill you. There's nothing you can do to stop me." He screamed at her. Cat smiled. That was all she needed to hear. He threatened to kill Carmen and her. Now, it was time for him to die. She grabbed him by his hair and pulled so hard he had tears in his eyes.
"That's not going to happen because you're never leaving. At least not alive." Cat threw him to Trey. He pulled him into the bathroom and put him in the bathtub. They had learned quickly how to make it look like abusers had committed suicide. Otherwise, someone might have noticed an increased number of bodies in the forest.
"What are you going to do? Give me a bath?" Jerry asked. Saira and Atlas began growling, and his face paled. "What's that noise?"
"You're pissing off our lions. They would rather tear you apart themselves, but we don't have time for that. Instead, you're going to do everyone a favor and kill yourself." Cat said, extending her claws. She only needed one, but she brought them all forward for the fear factor. Jerry tried to get out of the bathtub, but Trey held him in place.
"You freaks better let me go." He yelled. Cat shook her head.
"Nope. You thought it was okay to abuse your wife to the point she can't look anyone in the eye. You tore her spirit down so far she doesn't think she's worth anything. Some of the damage you have done to her is irreparable, but we're going to help her. You won't be around to see that because you'll already be burning in hell." Before Jerry could respond, Cat used one of her claws and slit his wrist. He screamed and tried to cover it with his other hand, but Cat stopped him and slit that wrist as well. The cuts were so deep that it only took a few minutes for him to bleed out. Once they were sure he was dead, they left, never looking back. Justice for Carmen had been served.
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After the best bath she'd ever had, Carmen got out of the bathtub with Lisa's help. Lisa couldn't believe the state of her body, but she didn't say anything so she wouldn't embarrass her.
"I know it looks bad. I'm so used to it I don't even see them anymore." Carmen said with a small smile as she put on the sweats and t-shirt Lisa brought for her. Melanie had gone to the store to get Carmen some clothes, but she figured those would do for now.
"My Grandma Cat and Grandpa Trey run group homes for abused children, so they're used to helping people that have been in horrible shape. One thing I learned from them was that even when you're used to it, the pain still hurts. I'm sorry he did this to you, and I'm glad you came home with us." Lisa had her sit down, and she blow-dried Carmen's hair. It was how she used to take care of her little sister Carlita before she had all the attitude she has now.
"Your family is really one of a kind. I wish I could have been adopted into one like this. Some of my foster families were okay, but I was always moved right after I got comfortable, so I learned never to get close to anyone. Jerry was the first person I allowed myself to trust. Once he broke that, I thought it must be me that couldn't be loved or wanted. I just retracted into myself and lived with the hand I'd been dealt. I knew he'd be mad that I met with you, but when I received your text, something told me I had to meet you no matter the outcome. I'm really glad I did. I always wished for a sister." Carmen turned to Lisa after her hair was dry. Just from the few hours she'd been with them, she was already looking better. Lisa leaned over and hugged her.
"Well, you have me, and trust me, my whole family is going to claim you too. We're made up of a lot of people who aren't necessarily blood-related, but what's been created is a family closer than any I've ever seen. It all stems from my Grandma Cat. Now it's time for you to begin healing, and we're all here to help you. Almost everyone here had a bad childhood or was hurt somehow, so you're not alone." Lisa said. She loved seeing the light in Carmen's big blue eyes. She was gorgeous. Maybe eventually, she'd let herself believe it.
"Thank you. I really mean it. I already feel a hundred times better just knowing I never have to see him again. I can breathe." Carmen smiled widely at Lisa, and they both laughed.
"I'm glad. Now, let's go to the kitchen and see what we can eat because I'm starving." Lisa took her hand, and they walked out of the bedroom just as Cat and Trey returned.
"Hi, girls. How are you feeling?" Cat asked. She couldn't believe that Carmen was smiling and didn't even seem afraid of Trey, who was the biggest man in the house.
"I feel much better, thank you." She said, smiling. Carmen already felt like part of the family and was almost giddy to get to know everyone. Especially her sister.
"I'm glad. What are you up to?" Cat asked, looking at Lisa.
"We're going to see what we can find to eat. I don't suppose we can talk you into making some of your famous French toast." Lisa said with a pout. She loved her grandmother's French toast and didn't care that it was almost dinnertime. It was French toast time somewhere.
"You know I can't resist when you do the puppy dog eyes." Cat laughed when Lisa looked disgusted due to the puppy dog comment.
They followed Cat into the kitchen and sat on the barstools. Trey sat next to Lisa so he wouldn't scare Carmen. She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows, asking the silent question about Jerry. Trey nodded, letting her know he had been taken care of. Lisa smiled and sighed in relief. One less rat on the street. Jayce joined them and sat on the other side of Trey.
Cat served them fresh, hot cinnamon French toast with warm maple syrup. Carmen suddenly understood why Lisa wanted her to make it. She had never tasted anything so good.
"This is delicious." She said, smiling at Cat.
"I'm glad you like it. Here's some more." Cat gave her a fresh batch. They all looked up when they heard the front door open.
"Grandma? Grandpa?" Cat and Trey ran to the door.
"Patrick? You're home?" Cat said with tears in her eyes. Patrick was Theo's oldest son. He had enlisted in the military right out of college and became a Navy Seal. They only saw him a couple of times a year.
"I'm home for good this time. I decided to leave active duty and got a job working stateside right here in Sacramento." Patrick hugged his grandparents and then froze. His lion was going crazy.
"Are you okay?" Cat asked, noticing his strange reaction.
"Yeah, it's weird, but I have this funny feeling that my mate is here. That can't be right." Patrick said with confusion. It was all family at the house. Cat and Trey exchanged a look.
"Uh, let's talk for a minute." Cat pulled him in the opposite direction of the kitchen.
"We do have a human here. Her name is Carmen, and she's Lisa's half-sister. We just saved her from her abusive husband today. She may be your mate, but you need to tread carefully if she is. She's been hurt and not shown kindness for a long time." Cat explained quietly. Patrick couldn't believe it. He wanted to see her, but he had to get himself under control first. He was almost as big as Trey due to the military training, so he didn't want to scare her.
"Okay. Can you introduce her to me? I promise I won't say anything about being mates until she's ready." He said, looking toward the kitchen.
"Yes, let's go," Cat said. She led them to the others. Patrick was trying hard not to run in there and scoop her up in his arms. At first, he only saw her back and couldn't believe how thin she was. It broke his heart. Her hair was long and shiny, and he heard her giggle at something Lisa said. His heart almost stopped at the beautiful sound.
He glanced at Lisa and wanted to groan. She was smirking at him when she jumped off her stool and hugged him. He loved her, but sometimes, even though he was much larger and a few years older than she was, it didn't stop her from cutting him down to size whenever she wanted.
"Carmen, this is my cousin Patrick. He just returned from overseas." Patrick held his breath as she slowly turned around. She smiled shyly at him, and he felt like falling to his knees. Once his eyes focused, he saw bruises on her arms and around her neck. He felt angry at the man who would dare hurt this angel.
*"Calm down, Pat. You don't want to scare her. Your grandmother and I already took care of her husband."* Trey mindlinked him. Patrick took a deep breath and held his hand out to her. If he could just get one touch, it would be enough to keep him satisfied for a while.
"It's nice to meet you." Carmen looked up at the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was enormous, with buzz-cut hair and hazel eyes. She knew it was wrong because she was still technically married, but her heart raced looking at him. It almost felt like there was no one else in the room except for the two of them. She smiled and held her hand out.
When they touched, both gasped from the intense sparks that took over their bodies. Carmen stared up at him in shock. What was that? Why did she feel a pull toward him? She suddenly had an urge to run into his arms, knowing he would always keep her safe. She was sure she didn't hear him right when he said a word that made no sense.
"Mate."
