C.J. yawned and then got out of bed. Not that she wanted to leave it and the man who remained there looking at her.

"Time to face reality again…"

Matt got up and sat on the edge of the bed watching her as she paced a bit.

"You're doing great…I think the jury's really paying attention."

She smiled at him but her eyes still looked uneasy.

"I'm getting the easy part of it behind me," she said, "Tex is up next and he's going to make me look like I had it coming…that his client was only trying to help me."

She didn't say the rest of it, like I was trash. Not that she held it against Tex to do the best he could by Piser as his defense attorney. She'd do the same if she were in his shoes; do whatever it took to help get her client off. Well anything that wouldn't get her disbarred of course. She'd done some time clerking for none other than F. Lee Bailey and worked a stint in the public defender's office back in Houston until Matt talked her into working as a legal eagle for his upstart of a company. The one he set up to show his daddy he would make it on his own without his help or his money. But he wanted her help and the best legal skills that he could get…which meant her and who could pass up an offer like that?

She had no regrets of course. A few battle scars perhaps but she wouldn't trade her life with anyone else's.

Matt got up and slid his arms from behind pulling her closer to him. She loved the smell of him, and closed her eyes. Inside her eyelids she saw images of their lives together. Both the good times that they'd spent together and the challenges that they faced…everything that had brought them where they were right now.

"He can never change who you are C.J," he said, "and his client is going to prison for what he did to you and the other women."

She hoped that what she had to say would help put Piser away for a long time, that the jury would believe her version of events

"I know Houston but it doesn't change what happened or the fact that I changed."

He pulled her into a kiss, his lips brushing against hers before he tilted her face up with a couple fingers so she could look directly at him.

"Not in the ways that matter now."

She sighed feeling the emotions from him right now and how good they made her feel. Still a part of herself from those dark days would always remain with her, one of many threads that made up what defined her.

"But it did matter then…," she said, "I was someone else for a little while…someone who just wanted to survive…"


Earlier…

I remained in the office after they left me there. I knew that Butz had locked the door behind him but I tried it anyway. Just to find a way out of there so I could look for Rhonda and we could both escape from this place.

But the doorknob wouldn't move in my hand and I backed away knowing that I was stuck here until Butz and his deputies returned. I knew when that happened he'd finish what he had started with me and I didn't know how I'd be able to stop him. I wanted to live after all, if I didn't go along with what he wanted, he'd kill me and I knew no one would ever see me again. I'd just disappear into the earth…as if I'd never been here.

I already felt like I'd disappeared.

Then it hit me that I needed to know more about the man who had grabbed me and brought me here to do what he wanted. I knew he ran the place and the deputies obeyed him. They all wore stars on their chests which meant they were abusive towards women, taking advantage of them.

All I had right now was his name.

I felt myself drawn to his desk by something inside of me that just felt like instinct. He had stacked papers and files in a disorderly fashion on top of it and when I glanced at them, I didn't find anything that caught my attention. I knew I had to act quickly before Butz and the others returned so I went straight to the desk and started pulling out drawers which were filled with more papers that didn't mean much to me and some folders.

I flipped open a brown folder and photos suddenly spilled out of it. Pictures of women clad in what looked like swimsuits that left much of their skin exposed. Some of them posed with older men who weren't dressed in swimsuits in chairs and chaises that looked as if they were outside. In some of the photos, the women sat in the men's laps while the men's hands were touching them. I didn't recognize any of the women…they smiled in some of the pictures but their expressions were frozen…their eyes looking past whoever took the photos as if they were looking someplace else. Maybe they were someplace else…maybe that's what they did to be able to sit there while the men's hands were on them, their arms, hips and breasts. As if they weren't women at all, just playthings for their entertainment.

But why did Butz have these photos tucked in a folder hidden underneath a stack of papers in his desk drawer?
Then I saw a piece of paper underneath where the photos had been and I pulled it out. On it, were just names scribbled on the sheets, what looked like names of men paired up with those belonging to women and on top of each sheet, a date and time…and something about barbecues and pool parties.

I didn't see Butz or any of his deputies in the photos…just the men who looked like they were having more fun than the women at these parties. I knew that what I read right now was very important…that it served some purpose but I didn't know what…I knew I needed help but I was all alone. It seemed to me just then that it wasn't always that way.

There'd been someone else with me…a man…nice looking with the most amazing smile on his face, the warmth in his brown eyes as he appeared in front of me just then…I couldn't look away from it. I knew he wasn't really there but I could feel him…I still didn't know his name anymore than I knew my own but all of a sudden I knew what I had to do.

I sat down in Butz' chair and picked up the phone punching in numbers that made no sense to me. My fingers just clicked them in sequence on their own while I wondered at it all. I didn't fight it though or try to figure it out. I just went with it. It made sense in some way when nothing else had made sense at all since I'd woken up.

I heard the ringing on the other end and thought…come on…come on…let him be there, let him pick up the phone and tell me…and I would know what to do if I just heard his voice. But then I heard footsteps which sounded like the clicking of boots approach the door and I froze my hand still on the phone. I didn't know what to do but when I heard the lock click, I knew it had to be Butz. If he got inside her, I'd never be able to get away from him…to stop him from getting what he wanted…if someone on the phone could help…but I put it down.

The door opened and I braced myself waiting for it to be Butz…for him to tell me to give him what he wanted from me and I tried to figure out how I'd live through it. But I wanted to live…and I knew if it was between life and death…I wanted to live if only to find out who I was and about the people that I sensed might be looking for me.

But when the figure appeared inside the door, I knew it wasn't Butz at all.


Piser

I walked in Butz' office expecting to see that sorry son of a bitch of a partner of mine sitting there waiting for me…I knew I had to remind him who was in charge of our…business enterprise. It wasn't some stinking sheriff in a backwater town out in the desert that no one cared about, it was me the head of the parole board at the Capitol.

He'd told me on the phone that what happened at the last party at my ranch would never happen again, that what's her name, the blond chick in the Daisy Dukes who tried to run off…was the exception…an aberration and not the rule. I had hated the lot of women he'd paraded in front of me wearing those skintight bikinis that showed off enough to know that they were bottom of the food chain when it came to being quality pieces of ass. I had promised the politicos at the Capitol, the ones who could be bought and sold as easily as these girls that this party coming up today would be the best one yet. Better looking pieces of tail and girls who knew how to give a man what he wanted and show him a good time.

As part of our deal I had first pick of the litter when it came to girls but all I'd seen lately was a bunch of sorry looking runts…all girls who had looked strung out and in a different place. That worked for some of these men who just wanted girls who spread their legs without a word let alone conversation but that didn't work for me.

Butz had promised me a better pick but hadn't delivered no matter how much I told him to pick up better girls.

I was thinking that when I saw her sitting in his chair. It couldn't be one of the girls who filled the jails because what would she be doing here without him? But then I remembered the door had been locked so he must have had her in here…so she must be one of the latest pickups. She looked at me, her wavy brown hair like mahogany spilled around her face, her body curved in the places I liked and her eyes…they looked alert and yet expressionless.

"Hi there…"

She just stared at me as if she belonged there and I didn't.

"I couldn't imagine why the sheriff would leave a pretty young thing like you in here by yourself."

She just shrugged slightly, not warming up to my flattery.

"I wouldn't know…I'm new here," she said, "He had to deal with some trouble in the yard."

I nodded.

"I heard some yelling when I came inside here," he said, "So what you in here for?"

She just stood up and walked away from the desk backwards while keeping her eyes on me. I saw the wariness in her eyes but I was good at charming women into doing just about anything I wanted them to do.

"I don't know…"

"What's your name sweetheart?"

She furrowed her brow as if thinking about it. It hadn't been but the most basic of all questions. Nothing really to think about unless…she'd made one up of course.

"They call me Bunny…"

I smiled widely pouring on the charm. I knew that I had to get my hands on this piece. But why had Butz not told me about her…did he honestly think he'd be able to hide a pretty number like this and keep her for himself? I'd have to have a talk with him about that…before I took her for myself.

"That's a very nice name…"

But then I heard footsteps and Butz walked right in and looked at me…then at her.

"I didn't expect you so soon Piser…I've been busy getting the girls ready for the party."

I cast him a sharp glance.

"I can see that Piser…what did you think you were going to do? Keep this pretty young thing for yourself?"

Butz shook his head. He then had Romart come in the room and told him to take the pretty young thing back to her cell. I watched her go knowing I had to have her. I had kept my eyes on Bunny but she watched both of us very carefully, every movement we made and whatever we said right up to the moment she left the room. Then Butz turned towards me all seriousness now that we were talking business.

"No plans to do that…I know the deal. I would never keep a woman from you. It's just that she just came in and she's not ready yet."

"I think I just found my date for the party."

I knew Butz didn't like that at all from the expression on his face.

"Now I wouldn't advise that Piser…I haven't finished with her…orientation. She's pretty wild right now…I don't know if I can handle her…"

I smiled broadly.

"Now just get her at that party and leave that part of it up to me," I said, "Sometimes it's more fun that way."

I knew I was up to the challenge of breaking any young filly into saddle on my ranch and that went for the two legged variety. I could handle Bunny and I began to think that I might just have my own plans for her.

Butz nodded, not liking it but he didn't need me to remind him why he had no choice in the matter.


Matt

I finished my burger and fries at the bar where I'd stopped to ask about C.J. I'd been hungry enough to eat but I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle when I walked in there. I don't know why that happened but I knew to trust it. I felt like she'd been in here at some point earlier…maybe hours, maybe the previous day not long after she crashed her car.

But the man tending bar just took my order, served my food and then went back to cleaning glasses at the bar. Not inviting much in the way of conversation but keeping one eye on me. I knew he wasn't to be trusted…but not much I could do based just on that. I'd have to ask around in this town to see if anyone had seen C.J.

I called Chris to check in and she'd told me that no one had reported C.J. in a hospital or morgue or any place like that and I exhaled in relief. I didn't know how much I'd been holding my breath during these check in calls until Chris gave me the news that there was no news. As frustrated as I felt, I knew that at least she was out there somewhere…alive…maybe hurt but I'd find her. I'd never stop looking for her until I found her again. All I could think about was what must have happened to her…if I had just flown out here earlier instead of waiting so long…my gut had been telling me that when she didn't call to check in….something must have happened.

"You need a refill on the soda?"

I looked up at the bartender who had a towel draped over a shoulder. I shook my head and asked for the check. It was time to move on and keep on looking…still I couldn't drop this feeling…sensation that I had in the pit of my stomach that I was missing something here. It stuck with me while I left the bar and went out to get back in the rental. I'd stick around here see what I could dig up and then move on to the next town.

Yeah that was a plan I thought as I slid behind the steering wheel and started up the engine to get moving. I pulled out of the parking lot and went down the main strip…not knowing at first that two men had gotten inside a truck to follow me.