Page 55 of The Quiet Witness

Her mouth fell open in amazement. “That’s… I mean. You do a lot of good here. It seems different from other places. What I’ve seen from the movies I mean.” She corrected herself hastily.

The woman in front of her barked a laugh. “Trust me, most shelters are nothing like what we have here. That’s why we started it.”

Kate saved the info for later. To decide where she stood on it all. Lucien’s questionable money funding this all. Balancing right and wrong on a tightrope line.

“He mentioned two hundred and forty-nine women. Where are they all now?” The halls. They had been mostly deserted.

“They’re all on different outings. Today we’ve got walks, workouts, and yoga sessions scheduled.”

Georgia read the surprise in her eyes. “Part of the reason Lucien’s initiative has proven so successful is the fact we have plenty of staff. Experienced enough to arrange such events. We believe a huge part of healing takes place in mindset.”

“Desperation like that can be used, Katherine. Honed. Emotions should serve us, not the other way around.”

Living and breathing his words into life.

Before she could answer, a door opened behind her. She turned over her shoulder to see Lucien stride in. The woman who had been sitting there perked up, leaving her chair to walk up next to him.

The words were too hushed to understand. But the body language, the thankful look in her eyes, betrayed enough. The woman held her child up to Lucien, inviting him to hold the tiny bundle of joy. He accepted.

His broad hands cradled the small infant. The same hands that had scrubbed a blood-littered car, had kept her from escape, placed a rose behind her ears. Capable of such macabre acts and such utter gentleness.

He sent Georgia a soft smile, who glowered with pride. He might not be her son by blood, but somehow, they had come just as close.

Five minutes went by before he carefully handed the infant back to his mother’s arms. He continued his trek to their table where he spoke with Georgia about scheduling a lesson Lucien would be giving in… self-defense. Believe it or not. Kate’s attention zoomed in and out. She caught words and phrases while her jumbled mind tried to make sense of it all.

Before long they said their goodbyes. As they parted Georgia motioned for Lucien to lean down a little. With a smirk he followed her lead and received a warm kiss on both of his cheeks. Then she turned to Kate. Leaving her with a firm hug, she held on for a moment longer than necessary. Whispering in her ear. “Watch out with this one, girl. He’s a load of work, but he can be a heart breaker when in love.”

What?!

Chapter 23

The Next Part of Your Life

Silence hung between them after they had left the shelter. What she had seen there… a deep ache had lodged itself in her heart, leaving her throat aching.

These were the people who received help from none other than the person sitting next to her, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel while keeping his attention strictly on the road.

The very same person who had killed without hesitation. Admired as if he was a god.

The trip, all this. To what, convince her of his good deeds?

She cleared her throat. Willing away the soreness before cutting through the silence. “Is that what you wanted to show me?”

His hand tightened over the stick shift.

For a man so in control of his emotions 24/7, today had left him seemingly… exposed. If only for a bit, he had let her take a peek into his life.

The question was why. And whether it had anything to do with Georgia’s parting words, though she thought not.

He opened his mouth, closing it once more before finally uttering. “It is.”

Kate kept her eyes trained on him. “Why?”

Finally, he tore his attention off the road to meet her questioning glance, a hint of curiosity shining in his. “Am I wrong when I assume you aren’t entirely… unhappy?”

He glanced back at the road. “When you’re sprawled across the couch with your head buried in a book, wrapped up in warm blankets?”

She was stunned. Whispering. “So that was the reason? You showed me this to make yourself feel better?” A deep breath rocked through her. “What am I supposed to do? Cry my eyes out every day? Throw screaming fits?”