Echoes & Ink: Raven by Emily Rose
Chapter Thirty
SLOAN
Idon’t think it’s possible to be angry and heartbroken at the same time, but I am, and the emotions are overwhelming. To hear what Raven’s suffered, it’s all I can do not to go to her father and fuck him up. I don’t think of myself as a violent man, but right now, the only thing I want to do is pound something. Or someone.
I can’t though. Raven needs me. She needs me more than ever before.
“No,” I tell her fiercely, pulling her back so I can look in her eyes. Her beautiful, tear-filled eyes. “You are not a baby killer.It was an accident, Raven. You didn’t do it on purpose. You were fighting to protect her. You did the very thing you’re saying you didn’t do. You kept your father from hurting her. You were a fucking fantastic mom to that little girl. I’m so very sorry that she’s not here, but it was an accident.”
“I rolled on her,” Raven screams, anguish pouring from every word. “I killed her, Sloan.”
“By mistake,” I say fiercely. “You were unconscious because your father beat you. I would give anything I have to bring her back to you, Raven, for her to tell you she knew it was an accident. The cops, the doctors, everyone knew it was an accident. You said yourself they never charged you with anything. They knew. They knew you loved her, that you tried to save her.”
“Then why is it in that file?” Raven roars. “Why is it there for that bitch to find? To tell a little boy I murdered his niece. A niece that was only born nine months before him?”
“I don’t know,” I answer. I set her off my lap and head to the door where I left my bag. I pull out the file and then turn back towards her. I see Raven watching me warily. When I reach the couch, I ask, “Do you want to look at it?”
I look at the folder, wanting to both burn it and tear it open to see the contents. I know it’s going to open a Pandora's box of memories, but I have to let her read it. I have to read it. I know I do. I need to know what my enemy is planning before I race into battle.
Slowly, she nods and I carefully open it, turning it so we can both read easily.
I stare at the picture of her. A picture taken at school for ID shots when she was ten, according to the stamp. I stare at that little girl and see so much pain. How could someone not see it? How could someone deny her? Her dark hair is pulled back in a lopsided ponytail, eyes sunken, an ugly brown and white dress covering her body.
I force myself to look at the paperwork beneath it and I’m not surprised at what I see, but I am surprised at the notes.
Minor states she is being sexually assaulted by her father. No confirmation can be found. Teachers say that minor likes to tell stories.UNFOUNDED.
Minor was hospitalized for falling down stairs. Doctors found injuries were in line with that kind of injury. Minor states father had “beaten her” but again, doctors do not corroborate.UNFOUNDED.
Minor found stealing from a local dumpster. Said she was hungry and had not been fed in several days. Returned minor to her parents, who agreed that she has a problem with lying. Parents were friendly and not suspicious.UNFOUNDED.
“Those bastards,” I seethe. “They saw this and still did nothing? Motherfuckers.”
I can all but feel Raven vibrating with anger and pain . Numbly, I move to the next page. I snarl at what I see. It’s a letter Raven’s case worker wrote to the investigating police officer, stating that she felt Raven was lying. That she believed Raven suffocated her baby on purpose.
Dear Officer Knowles,
I am Ms. Dixon’s case worker, and I am writing to you about the death of Ms. Dixon’s child. The child should never have gone home with Ms. Dixon in the first place, and I will be informing those at the hospital administration as such. Ms. Dixon is a known liar, and has been trying for years to get sympathy and drag people’s names through the mud. She has claimed to be sexually assaulted, beaten, and starved by her parents. All of those claims have been unfounded.
Ms. Dixon has a known history of drug abuse. Her parents have been trying to get her help for years, but have not been successful. I have read the reports from the hospital, and I can say with assurance that Ms. Dixon is at fault for the death of her baby. She suffocated her, after her boyfriend beat her, most likely. She couldn’t stand it anymore, and took matters into her own hands. It is my recommendation, Officer, that you arrest Ms. Dixon for murder.
I hope you will make the right choice, Officer Knowles. The lives of Ms. Dixon’s relatives could be at stake if she is not made to face the consequences of her actions.
--Case Worker Monica Jones, CPS
I stare at the words, shocked. Infuriated. “That fucking bitch,” I seethe.
“I went to her for help so many times and she refused to believe me. Refused to help me,” Raven whispers.
“The officer didn’t believe her, Raven,” I say softly, but I can feel how tightly my jaw is clenched as I look at her. “He didn’t arrest you, and he obviously knew it was an accident.”
Raven lunges to feet, unable to sit any more. “This is what that woman is trying to use against me?” she rages, pacing. “Some letter from a bitter social worker that neglected to help a little girl who pleaded for help? Who refused to help her when she found out that girl was fifteen and already pregnant? The fucking bitch is no better than the one who wrote that letter. She made her judgments before she even met me, all because of that letter. All because she’s too fucking lazy to do her job. How many other kids have suffered because of her, Sloan?”
“I don’t know, Wildcat,” I answer, standing. “But I know she’s not going to get away with this. I’m going to make it my personal mission to make sure she never works in this town again. And never again with CPS. She’ll never again hurt a child. She will never again scare someone, or not believe someone like she did to Falcon. Or you.”
Horror fills her eyes at the mention of Falcon. “Falcon,” she whispers. “He saw this letter.”
“And he doesn’t believe a word in it either,” I say firmly.
“How would you know?” she snaps at me.
I pull out my phone and hand it to her. “Because he told me,” I say simply. She takes the phone with shaking fingers and reads the texts between Falcon and I. I see the tears start again as the words he wrote sink in. “He believes you, Raven,” I say quietly. “Just like I do. He knows it was an accident, and that you are not some monster who’s going to kill him in the middle of the night. Or use him to get what you want. Just like I do. Just like I know you are the strongest person I have ever met. You have gone through hell, and you came out the other side so fucking strong no one can hold a candle to you.”
“And when this comes to light?” she asks darkly. “When everyone finds out what I did? Do you really think that anyone is going to want anything to do with me? That they’re honestly going to be okay having me around their children? Like Ash. Do you think she’s ever going to let me be around Knox again? Alone? That any of my friends, or yours, are going to see me as someone safe to be around a baby?”
“Yes,” I say with utter conviction. “Do you know why, Raven? Because they will know it was an accident. They know you won’t hurt their children. You will protect them with everything in you. You’ve already done it with Melody.” I hold up my hand when she goes to interrupt me. “No, you need to listen to me. Melody dying that way is a tragedy. Did you kill her? Yes.” She flinches at my declaration, but I continue on. “But it was an accident, Wildcat. It. Was. An. Accident. I will say it as many times as I need to for you to believe it. What would have everyone turning away from you, is if you had let your father take her. If you had let him beat her like he did you. Let him kill her, because that is exactly what he would have done, I know it. And you know it too. You fought for her. You fought to protect her. You put her first. You didn’t care about yourself. You didn’t care he was beating you bloody. You fought him off to keep him away from her.
“That is what a mother does. That is what a good mother does. She is selfless when it comes to her children. She takes care of them, no matter what. You did that. You carried her with you everywhere. You made sure she was never alone. That little girl knew what love was. She knew what it felt like to be loved and cherished. The way she died is horrible, and I wish I could go back and fix it. I wish I could bring her back to you,” I say thickly, my throat aching with the emotion running through me. “I can’t do that, Raven. But I can make sure Falcon has you. I can make sure you are here for that boy who needs you now more than ever.”
“He needs you just like she needed you. He needs you to fight for him just as hard as you did for her. Only this time, you’re not going to be alone. You are going to have me. You are going to have your friends, your real family, everyone who you have touched over the years, behind you. I will not let you face this on your own. I will be here for you, and for Falcon.”
“This is going to be a hard road. It’s going to have so many ups and downs, but I’m going to be here to help you navigate it. You had no one growing up, and everyone let you down. I will not be one of those people. I will not be the person to step back and let you bear it all. When you need to grieve for Melody, I’m going to be here for that. When you need to scream and cry and fight, I’ll be here for that too. When you try to push me away, I’m going to be an immovable mountain. Because I believe in you, Raven. I believe everything you told me, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I stare at her, my heart in my throat and all but on my sleeve. I’ve given her everything I can. Now it’s all up to her. I need her to believe in me. Because whether she does or not, I mean what I say.
I’m not going anywhere.