“Oh, it will. Thanks, Todd.” She clutched the photos to her and rushed out of the school. When she spotted Gage sitting with Julius she froze, for just a moment, then continued to their table. “I need to leave.”
“What? Mia, you can't leave school in da middle of da day, you'll get in trouble.” Julius gave his twin a funny look.
“I don't care. Gage, can you drive me? I'll walk if I have to, but...I need to go to da police and file a report. Against Cole.”
Julius and Gage shared a look. “Sis...you know da drug is gone, how are you gonna prove anyting?”
“Wit' dese.” She showed them the photos. “Todd was snappin' away wit' his camera and got dese shots. Since Monday, I have had seven girls come to me and tell me he did dis to dem, too.” She looked at Gage. “He raped Stacy when dey were only thirteen years old. She said it changed who she was and she didn't want dat to happen to me.”
“What the fuck?” Knowing that he'd slept with Stacy two years after she'd been raped made Gage feel a little sick to his stomach. That was why she slept around? Because of what Cole did to her? “Come on. I'll drive you. I don't care if I get in trouble. Dis is important.”
Mia smiled a little. “Thanks.” She tucked the photos into her bag and turned to follow him.
“Aw, hell. I'm gonna regret dis, I just know it. Wait up, I'm comin' too.” Julius slung his bag over his shoulder and followed his sister and Gage to the parking lot where Gage's car waited. While his older brother preferred trucks, Gage was into fast cars and he'd gotten the Mustang cheap because it was a clunker. He'd spent every spare moment he had fixing it up and you wouldn't know by looking at it now that it had barely been running when he'd bought it.
Mia was quiet on the drive to NOPD. Even if Cole didn't go to jail for attempted rape, slipping something into her drink and handing it to her, which the photos proved with the time stamps, would net him some jail time. If the other girls he'd done this to came forward...then maybe they could get a serial rapist off the streets.
“We should call mama, get her and papa here. Dey won't want you talkin' to da police wit'out dem.” Julius pulled his phone out. “Don't gimme dat look, Mia. You know I'm right.”
Mia sighed. “Fine. Dey'll find out we skipped anyway, so might as well get it over wit'.”
Julius nodded as he opened his contacts and pressed to call his mother. “Hi, mama. Um, well, dat's why I'm callin'. We're on our way to da police department. Mia decided she wants to press charges. Yeah, we'll wait outside for you and papa.” He hung up and glanced at his sister in the front seat. “Mama said dey're on da way and to wait til dey get dere to go inside.”
Mia grumbled but settled in the seat next to Gage. She knew her parents would give her grief later for not waiting until school was over to go but she just couldn't bring herself to wait. She needed to do this. Now.
Three hours later, Mia was sitting at the kitchen table in their home while her mama worked on putting dinner together. She'd been sitting there for twenty minutes waiting for her mama to speak. “Mama, I'm sorry I couldn't wait til school was over. I just...once I had da proof, I needed to get it done. Seven girls, mama. Seven girls, not including me, who had dere lives ruined by him. I got lucky, dey didn't. Gage saved me before he was able to do much, and I had proof dat he drugged me. I had to speak up.”
Eliza turned to look at her daughter. “Cher, I'm not mad at you. I'm proud of you for comin' forward. What you did was so brave.” She went to where her daughter sat. “Maybe you shouldn't have left school early but you're right; you had to do it. Dat boy is a menace to girls ever'where. He needs to be locked up where he can't hurt anyone else, and you've made dat happen.”
“Not yet. All dey did was arrest him.” Mia knew Cole's parents would get him a good lawyer and if she'd learned anything from watching news reports about situations similar to hers, she was in for a really rough time. Could she handle it? She was determined to try.
“Do you tink any of da other girls will come forward now?” Eliza watched her daughter closely.
“I dunno. I hope so. If dey do, it'll help get him convicted. But if dey don't, I won't be mad at dem. It's gonna be ugly, I just know it.”
Caine
Caine was sitting at his desk working when there was a knock on his front door. He'd taken over the house that had belonged to Zachary Eitenne when he'd become Alpha. It was the largest house in the compound with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and it had the largest yard. He was in the process of adding an addition to the back of the house. A cottage that would be connected to the house itself and complete with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and living room. The only thing it wouldn't have is a full kitchen. “What brings you by, Gage?” he asked when he found the younger leopard standing thereon his front porch.
“I need to talk to you. Can I come in?”
“A'course.” Caine motioned him to follow him into his office. “I was just finishin' up here. What's on your mind?”
“It's about Mia. She went to da police today and pressed charges against Cole. I don't tink she's even thought about it, but she's gonna need a lawyer, to keep his from tearin' her down, and her mama and papa, dey can't afford dat.”
“You really care about her, don't you?”
Gage nodded. “Yes, sir. I tink I love her. Mama says she might be my mate but I dunno about dat. I dunno if she feels da same way.”
“Time will tell. She's still a bit young. I'll get her a good lawyer, don't you worry none about dat.”
“Thank you, Alpha.”
Caine snorted. “None of dat 'Alpha' stuff. I'm not like Zachary Eitenne, I don't need to be reminded of my title ever'time someone talks to me.”
Gage couldn't help but chuckle just a little. “A'right. Thanks, Caine.” He felt better when he left knowing that his Alpha would make sure Mia had good counsel.
Caine had recently hired the services of one of the best attorney's in New Orleans and now he was glad he'd had the foresight to do so. He picked up his phone and made the call. “Miles. It's Caine Bordeaux. One of my Pard is goin' to need your services. She was recently sexually assaulted, I'm not sure exactly how much happened, but da boy responsible drugged her. He was arrested earlier today.”
