Page 92 of The Havenport Collection

Astrid

“ W hat are you in for, Barbie?” the older looking woman asked, as I sat, wearing one shoe and a gorgeous dress, in a holding cell.

“I don’t think she’s Barbie,” added the other. “I get more of an Elsa vibe from her.”

Was I the only person on earth who hadn’t seen that movie?

“I was attacked by my former boss, and I kicked his ass.”

“Right on,” the older one said. “Is that why you only have one shoe?”

“Yup. I stomped on his foot with the other, and it tore through his shoe and cut his foot open.”

“Sweet. What else did you do?”

“I kneed him in the balls, and I think I broke his nose.”

"Awesome.” She reached out and high-fived me.

The younger one looked confused. “Wait, so you did all this in that fancy outfit?”

“Yup,” I said. “We were at a black-tie gala actually. This dress is surprisingly comfortable.”

They both laughed.

“Can you show me your moves?” the younger one asked.

“Sure,” I replied.

*****************.

By the time Declan bailed me out a few hours later, I had taught Yasmin and Roxanne some self-defense moves and had given them the email address of a law school colleague who did criminal defense work.

I enjoyed getting to know these women and hearing about their lives.

It made me feel even more certain that I wanted to focus my career on helping women.

People who didn’t live in a bubble of privilege and who could really use my help.

More and more, I was realizing that maybe I could use my legal powers for good instead of evil.

I walked out of the holding area on one shoe and saw Declan, handsome as ever, with his brow furrowed. I ran into his arms, and he hugged me tight. “Are you okay?”

“I’m great,” I replied, taking a deep breath full of his masculine scent. I felt safe and secure in his arms, and despite the fact that we were in public, I never wanted to let go.

“I spoke to the Lieutenant, and he said they will have a court order for the hotel security footage within a day or two and then will contact you for further questioning. He also said you should get a lawyer.”

“I know,” I replied.

He looked so worried. “And I just posted your bail. Sorry this took so long. They had to call in the bail bondsman and it’s late.”

“Don’t worry. I’m fine. I was teaching the other detainees in my holding cell some Krav Maga moves.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Of course you were.”

I was exhausted but adrenalized. It would take a long time to process what had happened tonight, but I was grateful to have Declan by my side.

Declan, on the other hand, seemed weary and shaken. Was he embarrassed to have a potential felon for a girlfriend? Or had something happened after I was arrested? Did my mother say something to him?

I looked up into his big blue eyes. “Take me home.”

We walked out to the car. Declan had thoughtfully checked us out of the hotel and packed up the car.

It was like he knew that I would want to go home to Havenport.

Huh. Home. It was weird to think about. I hadn’t had a place that felt like home since childhood.

And my mother’s house was hardly homey. It was weird to think that a place I had lived for less than three months could be my home, but as I was learning, life was funny sometimes.

As we drove in silence, I replayed the evening’s events over and over in my head.

I was not ashamed of what I had done. Yes, I could have just kneed Max in the balls, but fucking up his foot and breaking his nose were really satisfying.

That asshole put his hands on me and went too far.

And if he did it to me, odds were that he had done it to someone else at some point or would do it again.

Maybe that asshole would think twice before hurting or threatening another woman.

That alone would be worth the criminal record.

I was not ashamed. But these events did not happen in a vacuum. They impacted Declan as well.

“I’m sorry,” I said to him as we cruised up the highway on our way back to Havenport.

“Why are you sorry? I’m sorry,” he said, gripping the steering wheel so tightly I thought it might rip off the dashboard.

“Wait, what? I’m sorry I got arrested. I’m sorry I acted like a WWE wrestler. I’m sure you are embarrassed by my antics.” I shrugged and slumped down farther in the seat.

“Astrid, stop,” he shouted. I was taken aback by his anger.

“I am not embarrassed. Are you kidding? I feel ashamed that I wasn’t there to protect you.

You are my woman and you needed me and I wasn’t there.

The asshole tried to hurt you, Astrid. You have bruises on your neck, for fuck’s sake. And I failed you.”

“How could you think that? I just went to the ladies’ room. There was no way to know that I would be in danger. You were there when I needed you. And you’re here now.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I failed you.”

Now I was getting frustrated. It had been a long night, and this was the last thing I needed.

“Stop that shit, Declan. You have done nothing but build me up and help me realize my own strength since the day we met. I had the strength to do what I did tonight because of you. Because you helped me find my inner badass and let her out.”

“You should be thanking Yael for teaching you those moves,” he said.

“And trust me, I will. But you, Declan, you have made me so happy and made me feel so many things. I hate feelings. Truly. But with you, I want to experience things. I want to try things and I want to be the woman you think I can be.” I was crying now, the enormity of tonight overwhelming me.

Declan grasped my hand. “I really am proud of you, killer. You really messed him up. I just wish that hadn’t happened to you.”

I nodded. “Me too.” But since it did happen, I wish I had done worse.

I stopped once he was on the ground and not a threat anymore.

I should have kept at it and put him in the hospital.

Maybe that way he would learn his lesson.

I knew I would eventually have to deal with the trauma of being attacked, but for now I was just angry.

“I love you, Astrid. And I want to protect you from everything on earth. I want to wrap you in my arms and make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again.”

“I love you too, Declan. But you can’t do that. It’s not how life works. But I will tell you this, there is nowhere I would rather be than in your arms.”