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1679 Words
Marie glanced up from her quilting as Julian walked into the house. Moving her gaze to the group of men chatting at the table, she realized that the look of sheer hatred on Johan's face was alarming. Then again, he had one heck of a fight on his hands because she would not allow the young man to be harmed under her roof.
Watching him make his way over to the sink to wash his hands, she smiled knowingly. When he glanced her way, he grinned and said, "Elder, would it be a bother to get some Pilsner for myself and Lukas? We're working on the shed right now."
Nodding, she motioned for Kristoph to hand over the requested items. "Are you not working today, dear?"
"It's my free day, and the clinic hasn’t been overly busy this month," Julian replied as he watched Johanna run into the house. The fear on her face was not what he was expecting, but her family had probably threatened to hurt her if she said or did anything against Emilia. He had no intimate feelings for the girl, yet he worried over her constantly.
"Johan, how's Emi doing today?" he called out as he walked to the door, knowing it would serve the purpose of getting the man to reveal his more violent nature. He heard a snicker, knowing that Kristoph was trying hard not to laugh.
"Keep my daughter's name out of your mouth, leech," Johan snapped, making his daughter jump slightly. "Johanna, I told you to stay clear of this place. Go home and help your mother with the wedding preparations for your sister. Get!"
Letting out a sob, the girl nodded silently as she set the basket down and bolted out of the house once again. A few of the men pushed their chairs back, making excuses to leave the house and go home. Julian looked on in revulsion. Apparently, no one wanted to get involved, but they all had a hand in creating the issue by holding their silence. Cowards, the whole lot of them.
Someone grabbed his elbow, "Talk to him, get to know him, and befriend him."
Julian replied in a low whisper, "Johanna is in danger, Inspector Roberts. I can feel it. She told me what was going on and convinced me to talk to him. She was right, as usual."
Kristoph nodded. "Oh, I'm aware. I heard everything this morning. However, we've got no evidence, so there's nothing we can do at the moment. Join me at the Emile’s Dancing Star Pub tonight. Luke will be there as well. Consider it a perfect chance to get close to him and gather some intel."
"But what about Johanna? I’m concerned for her safety," the younger man breathed out in a rushed whisper.
"Leave it, Rookie. It might get us the evidence we need to bust him for domestic abuse. No one knows you're my underling, so don't do anything that will blow your cover. Go spend time with my nephew while I try to get some work done," Kristoph snapped quietly.
Watching as the young man left the house, the older man's shoulders sagged. Working undercover to reveal the truth behind the rumors was getting hard on the head. It was especially hard when he had an equally frustrated Probationary Inspector shadowing him.
Glancing at Johan, Kristoph could see the anger simmering in the other man's eyes. He knew that Johan didn't like Julian. He was the son of a doctor and the town nurse, so it wasn't about the money or status. It was about power, and Lukas held the reins to a series of incredibly powerful connections. If Johan thought it was going to give him the right to lash out, he was in for a surprise.
Walking back out of the house, Julian took a breath of fresh air before heading to the fence where Lukas was working. "Here, Freund. A nice, cold brew for you. I saw you talking to Johanna. How did it go?"
"She's shy," Lukas commented as he drove the shovel deep into the soft earth. "How old is she?"
Julian looked down, swallowing tightly. "Her eighteenth birthday is the twenty-fourth of this month, so it’s four days from today. Of the two sisters, she would be the better pick. I’m not just saying that, either."
"You seem to know a lot about her," the black-haired man commented.
"I adore her, but only as a brother would adore a sister. She's a gentle girl with a good heart and an honest disposition," Julian admitted softly.
Lukas smirked, sensing the other man's sincerity. "Well, let's get this clued up for the day. I'm looking forward to having a guys' night with my uncle. He's been bragging that he can drink like a fish out of water, and my dad asked me to do him a solid."
"Oh?” Julian laughed. “Are you looking to knock him down a few pegs?"
Grinning, Lukas nodded, "Something like that, yeah. I have a secret that drives my father and brother back home absolutely crazy."
"Going to share?" Julian asked, his eyes taking on a playful light.
"Just wait until later," Lukas said slyly with a wink. "What my uncle doesn't know will thrill you to bits. Seriously, though, does Johanna have a suitor?"
Julian shook his head, "No chance of that. She's too busy with chores to bother, and she's too nice for the jerks around here. Most of the guys her age are all in competition to see who can get into her Unterhose."
Did Oma make a mistake picking the other sister or had she been duped into accepting Emilia? Lukas wondered as he turned to Julian, leaning on the shovel for support. "So she's honest, caring, hardworking, and family-oriented? She sounds perfect."
"Yeah, but her father's no peach. In the house just now, he snapped at her for bringing goods to your Oma. It’s not her fault the family uses her like a pack mule to do all their errands and chores," Julian said with a shake of his sandy-blond curls.
“That’s how they treat her?” Scowling, Lukas glared at the house. “How is Emilia treated, then?”
Leaning forward, Julian set his mug down and sighed in agitation. “Lukas, can I be frank with you? I mean, can I let you in on a little… secret that I’m hiding from the village? There are few that know, and I cannot risk blowing my cover.”
Glancing around, Lukas led him into the shed. “I’m mob-raised, Jules. I know how to keep my lips sealed.”
“I’m grateful,” Julian whispered. “You must understand that word of this cannot go past the two of us, yes?”
“Of course.”
Taking a breath, Julian sat down on a pile of cut wood, the sharper edges grounding him with a sense of duty and secrecy. “I’m not just in training to be a doctor like my father before me. In fact, my path in life mirrors yours perfectly.”
Realization dawned on Lukas as Julian's meaning became clear. “Say nothing else, Jules. I got you. Your secret is safe with me. The reason I asked how they treat their daughters is simple. My father never played favorites with his kids, and doing stuff like that is a great way to piss me off. My plans can change in a heartbeat if the people around here aren't careful enough to avoid my hidden temper and talents."
Julian grinned, knowing that Lukas was anything but calm beneath that kind smile of his. Having worked a while with Kristoph, it was like meeting a younger version of his superior.
"You're lucky to have a sibling, Luke," he said quietly.
Frowning, Lukas stared at his new friend. "I don't mean to pry, but did something happen for you to say that? I mean, it sounds like you had one."
"I did. My younger sisters got sick one day at school, and we thought it was just a head cold. When Father brought them to the hospital, we found out that they actually contracted a deadly strain of pneumonia. They weren't strong enough to pull through, and they succumbed to the sickness a week later. Diana was eight, and Elizabeth was ten."
Lukas wiped his face with his shirt, trying to hide the fact that the story bothered him as much as it did. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Is that why you treat Johanna the way you do?"
"That's one reason. There's also a rumor," Julian murmured, wondering what would happen if Lukas knew the truth.
"A rumor?" the dark-haired man echoed, his confusion and curiosity rising.
"Ja, there's a rumor that the Meyers abuse Johanna," Julian muttered. "We can’t get him without solid evidence, however, which is why Meyer’s still roaming free and unfettered."
Just watching Lukas's eyes flash with the promise of dark retribution, Julian knew that if the other man chose Johanna, then the girl would be safer than safe. He knew in that instant that Lukas wasn't going to take the news lying down.
"If I go quiet, ignore me. I'm plotting," Lukas said ominously. "Free and unfettered, huh? He’ll be lucky if I let him live a full life if what you say is true, Jules."
The blond man shivered. Yup. Despite being friendly, the guy was more dangerous than he let on. Yet, at the same time, Lukas was also the lesser of two evils. If, and only if they played their cards right, resolving the long-standing local problem wouldn’t take much longer.
Gnawing his lip, Julian sipped his drink as he thought about how to help Lukas. “I’ll come by tomorrow to help with the rest of the front fence, Luke. In the meantime, shall we get ready for the pub?”
“We shall,” the other man cackled gleefully. “Time to teach an old dog a new trick, me thinks.”
- Writer
