Unchained (Hogan Brothers 3)

“Causing problems, little Lochlan?” Frank laughed quietly.

Ignoring the joking, Loch told him, “Sage has a sister and two brothers that want out.” Kirsten remained quiet as she led the way to Sage.

“They’re all over eighteen, they can leave on their own, Lochlan.” He sounded confused over Loch’s abrupt statement.

“Except if they try to get out, they’ll wind up like Sage. She was abused, Frank. Tell me you’re going to do something about this.” Loch struggled to hang onto his anger all over again.

A harsh breath left the man, and Loch knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. “We can’t barge in there, guns ablaze, without due cause. Until I speak to Sage, my hands are tied. Because she was underage when she was brought in, I can pursue charges on her behalf whether she wants to or not. It will be easier if she wants to. But if she doesn’t, it may not go anywhere.”

“That’s it?” Loch’s movements stopped mid-step with his disbelief.

“The laws are very clear. And even when I don’t like them, I have to follow and enforce them. I will give her siblings the option to leave with me when I go out there to look around. If they choose not to, I can’t do a damn thing.”

The only thing that kept Loch from crawling up his father’s friend’s ass was the exasperation and annoyance in the man’s voice as he explained it to him.

“What about shelters? Surely, someone could help them.” He was grasping at straws now, and he knew it.

“Let’s get through this interview first. One thing at a time today.”

“Gentleman, your window is small. Quickly now,” Kirsten called from in front of Sage’s room.

It finally registered to him. “She’s awake?” Rushing forward, he entered the room to see her glazed eyes unable to focus on him. “Sage,” he murmured quietly.

It took a moment for her to lock onto him, but when she did, a brilliant grin appeared. Slightly lop-sided. “Lochlan.” Her sigh was filled with happiness.

“How are you feeling, Angel?” He gripped the hand she reached for him with in both of his.

“Tired. The nurse said I’ve been having mini seizures. I don’t understand.” Her brows furrowed with her confusion.

Kirsten came forward then to explain. “It’s like two wires touching that shouldn’t be, and it is causing aftershocks to vibrate through your body. The shaking you described feeling are the wires in your brain misfiring. The infection you’ve been fighting off has your body very weak, and when that happens, people have very diverse reactions. For you, it’s the seizures.”

She still looked confused. “You remember that second time you came to my shop?” She nodded. “I lifted the hood and played with the battery lines, tightening them. You remember how there was that small zap and crackle of electricity?” The blush that crept up her neck as she nodded realizing he had caught her watching him made him smirk. “It’s like that. Only imagine the battery as your brain and the wires as the lines leading to it. One keeps zapping like its over-charged.”

“Oh. Will it stop?” Her question was directed at Kirsten.

“Most likely once you’ve completely healed, yes. But there is always a chance they won’t.” Loch respected the woman for her honesty, but he wanted to kick her out for putting the fear back into Sage’s pretty blues.

“Ahem…” Frank cleared his throat and stepped forward into her field of vision, and Loch hated how she shrunk back into the sheets, cowering. “Miss Marlowe, I’m Officer Frank Cherry, and if you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to ask you about what happened.”

Her entire demeanor changed with Frank’s question. She became stiff and withdrawn. The hand he was holding began trembling. Moving so he was sitting on the bed right in her field of vision, Loch took her attention away from everyone else in the room.

Tangling one hand in her soft hair, he brought their foreheads together. “Breathe, Angel. Frank’s a good man. He wants to help.”

A lone tear fell from her lashes as she responded, “I don’t want to relive it. I can’t go back.”

“You’ll never go back.” The words came out more like a growl. Unable to help himself, Loch pulled her head forward and melded their mouths together.

Soft, sweet, innocent.

Defying logic, Sage was everything he had never known he was missing. She remained frozen at his bold move, but he didn’t back off. She needed to feel something rational, something she could hold onto. When she relaxed into his hold, he licked the seam of her lips, eliciting a small gasp from her. Not wanting to scare her, he forced himself to brush their lips lightly before withdrawing.

“I’m right here. I’m not leaving.” His words were only loud enough for Sage to hear. Even though she appeared a little shocked at the impromptu kiss, she nodded in understanding.

Sitting in behind her, Loch nodded at Frank to ask his questions, intent on putting a stop to it if she became too distraught.

“I want to explain how this works first, Miss Marlowe. Because everything happened to you before you turned eighteen, I can press charges on your behalf, and I plan to. From what I’ve seen on the medical report, something needs to happen, and you, young lady, deserve justice. Now, it would make mine and the district attorney’s job much easier if you were to cooperate and press charges on your own, but you don’t have to. I don’t want to force you. Understand?”

“You want to send my parents to prison?” Loch couldn’t discern if she were upset over the reality or not. Her tone was neutral.