Free Crystals by Theresa L. Henry Page B

from
the older woman’s touch, everything stood still as the sound of flesh
connecting against flesh reverberated through the night. The eerie silence that
followed brought with it a certainty that everything was about to go to hell.
    “You struck my
daughter!”
    Shane didn’t even
hear the outraged cry.
    “I’m sorry, love.
Are you okay? It was an accident. Let me look, love,” he whispered as he
attempted to prise her hand away from her face.
    “Get away from my
daughter. You’ve done enough damage already and I won’t let you ruin her life!”
    Shane didn’t know
what Gwendolyn was talking about, and even if he did, he wasn’t interested in
anything she had to say. Crystal was his only concern.
    With his care and
encouragement, she finally removed the hand that covered her eye. Shane watched
as she blinked in an attempt to stem the tears that streamed down her cheek.
    “ It’s okay, Shane. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Just
give me a minute.”
    “My God, what is
the matter with you, Crystal-Grace? The man just punched you in the face and
all you can say is that you forgive him. Where is your self-respect?”
    Shane felt knots
of desperation squeeze at his intestines. Crystal was shaking and he
immediately shrugged out of his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. Then
he took her face between his visibly shaking hands and brushed away the tear
that escaped from her injured eye.
    As he wiped away
the tear, another took its place and he realized she now cried in earnest. He
knew her well enough to see that she also felt that intangible something that
had gathered, and hovered over them.
    Shane felt a
growing frustration that his gentle ministrations weren't enough. If he were
anything like those posh men attending her party, he would be using a handkerchief
instead of his abrasive mechanics’ fingers to dry her tears. Without further
thought, he pulled his dress shirt from his pants and ripped off a section.
This was all he had to offer her.
    Intent on giving
her the love and attention she needed, he was caught unawares by the strength
of Gwendolyn ripping Crystal away. When she turned to him, he was shocked at
the look in her eyes. It was fury mixed with possession.
    “He’s not sorry.
This is who he is. This is exactly the type of action I expected from someone
like him!”
    “Stop it, Mother.
You know it was an accident,” Crystal pleaded as she repeatedly attempted to
pull away from Gwendolyn.
    “That’s where
you’re wrong. This is what the Tierney’s do. It was no coincidence that his
father spent most of his life in prison. For God’s sake, the man only regained
his liberty long enough to impregnate his wife two times before he was right
back where he started!”
    This was it. This
was the feeling of imminent dread that had been hanging over him since he had
stepped out of the party. He knew he should have told Crystal about his family
long ago, but he could never find the words or the right moment. And he was
sure Gwendolyn wasn’t finished. There was still so much more to tell. So now,
all he could do was wait for the sins of his father and brother to be laid at his feet.
    This was his life
and he understood better than anyone what was about to be revealed. He stood
motionless, his gaze fixed on Crystal, unprepared to miss the moment her
feelings towards him changed.
    “His father was
murdered while he was in prison. He crossed the wrong person one time too many.
But that isn’t the worst of it. His brother, incarcerated in the same
institution, murdered the man he thought responsible for the death of their
father. Only it transpired that he took the life of an innocent man. His
brother cold-bloodedly committed murder for revenge on the wrong–”
    “Why didn’t you
tell me?”
    He saw it then.
The shift in the way she viewed him. She didn’t ask him if what her mother said
was the truth. They both knew it was. Gwendolyn was a judge, and if she went
looking for information