Desperate Arrangement: Bouncing Back, Book IV

14

Holding her felt right to him as he handed her off to Julian so he could get situated in the car. Settling in the back seat, he accepted the girl’s trembling body once again. “Shh, sweet girl. You’re safe now.”

As he cradled Johanna in his arms, a rush of emotions surged through Lukas. His heart ached at the sight of her crumpled on the floor of the shed, and a fierce protectiveness enveloped him. The weight of her frail, shivering body against his chest brought a sense of purpose and responsibility, driving home the damning reality of injustice that had been her life for so long. A life cast in shadows where, to save herself, she had to sacrifice everything.

Yet, as he continued to soothe her quietly, he knew that the only things she refused to give up on were her faith and her honour as an honest woman. Only someone willing to risk it all was remotely capable of standing up to their parents. He, himself, knew that only someone with a truly indomitable spirit could make sure others knew and understood the truth while risking their life in a violent household.

Her murmured pleas and weakened state tore at his heartstrings. Each whispered, broken cry was a painful reminder of the trauma she had suffered, the nightmare playing on repeat in her head. The thought of her enduring such treatment ignited a burning anger within him, but he forced himself to remain calm, focusing on the immediate need to comfort and protect her. Especially since he wanted to go back and show her father the reason no one messed with the Roberts family.

Julian took the driver’s seat, his hands steady on the steering wheel. He glanced back at Lukas and Johanna, concern etched on his face. "Hold on, okay? We’ll get her back to your grandmother’s house safely. Luke?"

“Yeah?” The other man murmured, closing his eyes to recenter himself.

“Thank you,” Julian said, his voice choked with emotion. “For proving her right about you. She had faith that you would see the truth for yourself and do the right thing.”

“She doesn’t even know me,” Lukas replied, his voice soft as tears threatened to break free.

Lukas’s grandmother sat beside Julian, her worry palpable. She kept glancing back at Johanna, her expression filled with both anxiety and determination. "We must get her warm as soon as possible. The poor child has walked the righteous path for a long time by herself, Lukas.”

She hid a smirk as she noticed the way his grasp tightened slightly on the blanket wrapped around the girl in his arms. Johanna had been her first choice over a month before, and, without telling him anything, Lukas had found her all on his own. His jaw set, there was a fire of determination burning in her grandson’s eyes.

Each gentle bump from the cobblestone road made Lukas's heart race, fearing it would cause her more discomfort. He wasn’t even sure why he was so drawn to her, but he knew she was his. “Her father’s mistake gave me new purpose, Oma. I’m going to make him pay.”

“You already spilled blood, my treasure. What more can you do?” She asked, one gray brow rising faintly. There was a sly look echoing in the grey depths of his eyes. Eyes that reminded her of his father – cold, calculating, and tempered only by the mental game of Chess that would put him leagues ahead of his adversary. “The reason your father left home, one of many, I mean, is the same reason you returned to your roots, Lukas.”

“Love,” he whispered softly, understanding immediately what his grandmother was trying to say to him. “I really am just like dad, aren’t I, Oma?”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Mrs. Roberts,” Julian’s mother commented.

Marie laughed, “Oh? So no one else noticed that Lukas had been taking pictures and videos since his arrival? He likes to have what he calls “insurance” against anyone who crosses him. You got a video of finding her in the shed, didn’t you?”

“Ah, yeah,” the man in question answered, a light blush creeping across his face.

“Smart young man, aren’t you?” Nurse Schneider murmured.

The sudden onset of bad weather outside seemed to echo the one within as the wind started howling. Dark clouds loomed overhead, threatening rain.

Nurse Schneider was on the phone with her husband, urgently explaining the situation. "We’re bringing Johanna to Mrs. Roberts house. She’s in bad shape, and I need you to be ready when we get there. We’ll need to get her warmed up and treated immediately. Wrong? Oh, only the fact that Johan decided to almost kill the poor girl by locking her in the damn shed overnight."

Lukas felt a deep sense of gratitude for Nurse Schneider’s swift actions. Her presence provided a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. He looked down at Johanna’s flushed face, her skin clammy and her breaths shallow. The weight of her fragile form in his arms was a stark reminder of the injustice she had endured.

As the car navigated another bump, Johanna whimpered softly. Lukas’s grip tightened, his resolve unwavering. "Sh-h, sweet girl. We’re almost there," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. The desperation to keep her safe and the fierce determination to make things right fueled his every move.

Finally, the car pulled up to his grandmother’s house. Julian stopped the car, and Lukas's grandmother quickly opened the back door. Lukas carefully lifted Johanna, cradling her as he stepped out. The cold air bit at his skin, but he focused solely on getting her inside and warm.

His grandmother led the way, her worry evident. "Bring her inside and set her in the room behind the stove. The hidden one we built when my children were ill to serve as a sick room. My Victor made sure to install a separate potbelly in there, so the room can be kept consistently warm.”

“Wonderful,” a man in a doctors coat called out as he ran up the path to the house with another nurse. “Bernadette, I brought Clementine with me to assist.”

As Lukas gently laid the girl in his arms on the bed, Julian’s mother immediately set to work, checking Johanna’s vitals and administering care as quickly as physically possible. Turning to the stove, he noted that his new friend was already working on getting the fire started. He watched with a mixture of hope and anxiety, his heart still racing from the urgency of the journey. Knowing that the others were secretly watching him, he felt the half dozen pairs of eyes boring into his back.

"Thank you," he breathed, his voice filled with gratitude.

"You did well, Lukas," Nurse Schneider said, her tone reassuring. "She’s in good hands now."

As Johanna began to stir, her eyes fluttering open, Lukas remained respectful of her personal space as he crouched down to whisper in her ear. "You’re safe now, Johanna."

In that moment, he realized that his life had irrevocably changed. The bond he felt with Johanna was unbreakable, forged in the crucible of pain and protection. He silently vowed to be her guardian, now understanding the depth of Memphis’s mob job as a Shield. It wasn’t just a job, it was a feeling the achievement that came with successfully keeping someone safe.

Julian shook his head as he and Lukas sat at Mrs. Roberts' kitchen table. Kristoph was in the process of pushing the paperwork, handing the blond man orders to keep Lukas and Johanna in his sights. He watched the black-haired man run a hand over his pale, drawn face. He licked his lips, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat.

"History's a crazy thing, isn't it, Luke," Kristoph said as he sat at the table with them when he got back. "So many lies and secrets hidden away, talked about only in history books, or in tight social circles."

Lukas groaned, "Good Lord, save me from this crazy bastard."

"Hey, I'm not that crazy, and my parents were married, thank you very much. Stop being a little s**t," Kristoph scowled. “I was only talking about how your father beat that ass to a pulp back in the day himself.”

Julian frowned, waving off his superior. "Lukas, when you said that you notice everything, what did you mean?"

"I'm quiet, not stupid, Julian," Lukas answered with a shrug.

Pale, Julian sat back in his chair, "So, you've already figured out I’m Jewish, and you’re unbothered?"

"There's one rule my family takes seriously. If it doesn't directly impact my life or cause another harm, then it doesn't matter," Lukas muttered. “My grandfather was a soldier in the army, and that was one of the things he taught his children. Those who honour his teachings, passed them to the next generation. I could care less about your religion, Jules. Considering my best friend is a gay atheist, all I can say is practise what you preach.”

"Thank you," the blond breathed out. “You’re friend is what most would call a double sinner.”

Lukas shrugged, "Jaxon doesn't believe in God, but that doesn't stop him from supporting others' choices, being with my brother, or attending church weddings. He was the one who kept encouraging me not to lose hope."

Laughing, Julian drank the rest of the water in his glass. "When I told my father about my plan to open up to you, he said that if I will need to accept whatever you say as your opinion and move on."

"Let the past fall where it may, and press onward to the future is something my father says, too," Lukas grinned. "Um, so, about Johanna, do you think she'll accept me?"

"Lukas, I’ll make sure she knows your character as I’ve witnessed it these last few days" Julian answered.