Chapter Two-Hundred and Twenty
Claire twisted her ring around her finger, able to feel the tension building in John. "John-"
"Don't." He growled, the pain of his own rape returning like a storm.
She nodded, dropping her gaze to look at her hands. She traced the lines in her palm, feeling her soft skin and thinking about how rough John's was. "I didn't want him to-"
"I know." He stated, his eyes still as dark as the night. He glared out the windshield, his fingers flexing around the steering wheel.
Claire opened the door for John as he limped inside, smiling at her father as he approached them. "Hey Daddy." She wrapped him in a hug, not noticing how John bowed his head in submission and avoided eye contact as if he were a scared puppy.
Thomas kissed her cheek, stepping toward John and guiding him into his office. He shut the door almost all the way, being careful to leave it slightly open to show he meant no harm. "Johnny, I'm sorry about last night." He smiled, taking a seat across the desk from the kid. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that… but I think that I actually need your help on this." He pushed a file toward John, showing him the case. "This case, involves child abuse… but the cops can't prove much because this kid is so scared of the consequences, that she won't tell them everything they need to know."
John looked over the papers, flipping through them so fast that Thomas actually got dizzy. "What do you need me to do?" He asked, stopping on the photos of the little girl.
"I need you, to speak with her. See if you can get her to tell us what we need." Thomas sighed, his heart aching with the next words to leave his mouth. "You know more about abuse than I do. And I think that with your past… you can get through to her better than we can."
John nodded, the image of the bruises on the girl's body reminding him of his own. "I'll do it." He stated without even a second of hesitation. "Set up a time and place and I'll be there."
Thomas smiled, ruffling John's hair. "She's a fan of yours too. Might be a good idea to give her a signed album." He chuckled, patting John of the shoulder before he left the room.
John looked down at the photo, the brown eyes of the young girl reflecting his own so well. "I… thought you were dead…" He traced his fingers over her jaw, able to see parts of himself in her.
Clarissa let Chance into the house, laughing as the Pit Bull flew onto the sofa and made herself completely at home on John's lap. "I think she missed you!" She sat beside him, holding him close as she noticed his odd behavior. "What's wrong?" She asked, turning his head to look at her.
"Claire's boss tried to get in her pants, and I don't know what to do about it…" He grit his teeth, flinching as the movement caused something in the very back of his jaw to hurt. "Ow…"
Clarissa's brow furrowed, wondering if both John and Claire needed their wisdom teeth out. "Open your mouth for me." She picked up a flashlight, shining it into his mouth to see that his wisdom teeth were indeed starting to come in. "That's what I thought."
"What?" He asked, poking the swollen gums with his finger to try and alleviate the pain.
"You need to get your wisdom teeth pulled." She smiled, aware that he would be loopy as hell when he came out of that. "Now, as far as Claire's dipshit boss. I say you should go to his boss. Who happens to be in my bible study." She smirked, scratching Chance's ears as she gave a groan of contentment.