Chapter 74

There’s a feeling that I used to struggle with in my childhood. I’m still unsure what that is. Maybe it’s just a form of dissociation.

I’m barely able to stay in the moment, to hear those around me. The adults would always work in groups to find whatever world I hid in. The hard part was bringing me back to my senses.

Derek isn’t pushing anything with me. He’s the only person who knows about every instance of assault. He’s the only person I can handle right now being within three feet of me.

“Just keep breathing, Esme,” he whispers while I tremble on the floor. The familiar feeling of no longer being tethered to the ground fills my body.

Tears still slide down my face, memories replaying from different times in my life. At one point, I’m maybe eight. Another moment, I’m five. Then Ken from Max has me pressed against the wall of my office.

Swirling in a hurricane of sound and touch, I fight to breathe. How does someone know how to push another episode away from the forefront of their mind?

How can I recover at this point?

“I hope you’re in there and can hear me,” Derek whispers in my hair, holding me tighter against him.

It’s not me that feels any of this. I’m not the woman who’s dismantled on the floor. I’m merely a normal woman going about the world without being recognized.

“Police! No one move!” A burst of shouts erupts around us. Several cops enter the apartment, some with guns, others with large shields. All their faces look identical to me.

Then Detective Mars walks in and rips off his sunglasses. The detective is quick to take his surroundings in, seeing my crumpled body on the ground, with Derek continuing to shield me from it all.

“What the fuck?” Mars voices.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Derek shoots back, standing up.

“What’s any of this? Why are you covered in blood while in this apartment, holding her in your arms? I need context.”

“You should start with taking this bastard into custody. I caught him attempting to rape Esme Price.”

“Do you have proof of any of this?” Max sternly questions.

Derek pulls his phone out, tapping some buttons before he shows the contents.

“I own this complex. If you’d done your research, you would have come to me and the footage would have been in your possession the last time he was here!”

The two stare at Derek’s phone. So, he does have cameras outside the apartments. But how does that prove anything?

“We weren’t aware of cameras on the premises.”

“Well, now you are.”

“I still need to take your statements.”

Derek steps closer to the detective, overshadowing his height. “You take that bastard away first.” He points to the ground where Ryan’s crumpled body is still.

“I don’t take orders from civilians, sir.”

“It’s Mr. Anderson, sir,” Derek slings back with emphasis. “And it’s not an order. If you don’t move that man, Esme won’t be able to move.”

That’s when Mars looks at me, the curled-up ball with tears on my cheeks, going in and out of focus while shuddering with immense trauma.

“Get the asshole out of here and read him his rights.”

Two cops immediately come to the front of the group to grab Ryan.

“Come on pal, time to get you out of here,” one of them says as the other handcuffs the unconscious prick.

They take him away.

But I’m still not finished with this episode and panic.

“Mr. Anderson, if you can send me your footage of each time Mr. Price has come to your building and specifically aimed to harass Esme, that’s a good start.”

“What the fuck?”

A new voice.

I don’t recognize it, but the man comes into the apartment.

“Sir, this is a crime scene, you can’t be here!”

“I’m her lawyer!”

Daniel? What is he wasting his time by doing here?

Derek, however, seems to think now is the best time to get in the other man’s face.

“You need to walk out that door and leave now.” Derek’s jaw is tight, and his teeth clenched. I’m almost worried he’ll punch Daniel.

“I’m here because of the restraining order. I wanted to assure Esme that we’re—”

“You’re not doing anything now.”

The two men stand off against one another. Derek’s still intimidating with his height over most everyone else.

“I have a right to speak to my client without being interrupted by you,” Daniel hisses.

Derek laughs, shaking his head. “Not unless she fires you.”

“Too bad for you, pretty boy, but she hasn’t.”

Then, Derek’s smile turns to a smirk. “Except you are. You’re gone, buddy boy. As her new representative, my client will no longer be speaking with you.”

Daniel’s eyes narrow. “You’re not a lawyer.”

“No. But I am firing you. I’d give more information, but that’s attorney-client privilege.” I’ve never heard Derek act like this to anyone before. What’s happening?

The men don’t speak but instead keep glaring at one another, hoping someone will burst.

God, they’re like two kids on the playground fighting over who’s the better sports player. It’s genuinely distracting me from my spiraling mind.

“I don’t care which of you is the shiny lawyer,” Detective Mars growls, stepping in. “You can’t be in the middle of the crime scene, sir.” He points at Daniel before nodding his head at the door.

Derek points to the door. “Go before you do any further damage to Esme. You’ve done quite enough as it is.”

I wait for Daniel’s comeback, his anger to explode at Derek or start taking it out on me. In truth, I don’t know if I’d be able to handle Daniel raising his voice at me, too.

“Don’t make me get a cop in here to escort you out,” Mars demands.

In the end, Derek gets the upper hand, and Daniel leaves in a huff, brushing off the cop who tries to take his arm to lead him out.

My panic has slowed from the distraction of the two children fighting over a toy. Derek seems to recognize this, kneeling down to look at me.

“I’m getting you new lawyers. There’s no chance in hell your pathetic husband could have ever met with them—they’re through the company and don’t take on new cases outside of it.”

I shake my head, still unable to find more words.

“Nope, sorry, not listening to you anymore. I refuse to let this go on any longer. You’ve suffered quite enough at the hands of that piece of filth. I’ll do whatever I can to take Ryan down.”

Shock is the main emotion I’m feeling, mostly because Derek taking charge on an issue that isn’t his is kind of attractive. I may still be coming down off this traumatic whirlpool of hell. But I also appreciate the hell out of him.

“Let me see what I can do. Some people owe me a few favors. Might be time to cash those in.”

I still don’t have the ability to talk yet, so I just take my hand and grab at his arm. I look at Derek, look deep into those brown eyes. How do I tell him this all means more than I can say?

He looks right back into my own eyes, the two of us holding that position for five seconds, then ten. By the time we’ve hit twenty, he finally gives me the slightest smile.

“I’ve got you, Esme. It’s time to put an end to all of this.”