The Power of Love Read Online Free Page B

someone somewhere must have pulled some strings.”
    “I’m so sorry, baby. It’s terrible what they’ve done to you.” His pain triggered her own, and her voice was loaded with the sorrow she felt for him.
    He stared at her a second, and as the sun glared into his eyes, she saw small pricks of moisture gathering there. When she realized it wasn’t a trick of the light, the fact he was crying broke her damn fool heart. She wished like hell she could hold him to her, squeeze him tightly until neither knew where one started and the other ended. Only, his injuries wouldn’t allow for that and holding back was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do.
    “You believe I didn’t do it?”
    She jolted at that, jerking back to throw the full force of her glower at him. “I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t.”
    His chin rocked upward. “What about the brigadier general? Does he? I notice he’s not here.”
    Gia’s mouth worked for a second as she tried to decide on what to say. She had to be careful because though she knew Josh believed in Luke, his absence was telling. And it wasn’t like she had any news, good or bad, to impart; all she knew was Josh kept disappearing to work from the base. His hours were heavier than usual, but as Josh shared little with her, she couldn’t ease Luke’s hurt.
    She stuck with the truth as she knew it. “Josh is…well, he’s been at the base a lot since we got the news. He’s hardly here.”
    “Didn’t he know I was coming home today?” His eyes narrowed, the green irises shot amber splinters at her. “Don’t bother answering. Of course, he knew.”
    “I think he does.” She fumbled with her words. “B-but he wasn’t here when I woke up.”
    “I guess that says it all.”
    “No. It doesn’t. It says he’s angry at the way you’ve been treated, not that he doesn’t believe in you.”
    “It’s a pretty generous indication.” He sucked in a breath, obviously seeking calm, then murmured, “I need to get in the house. I can’t stand too long. And the Jeep needs to go back to the base.” He turned to the driver. “Thanks for doing this, Steven.”
    A man she hadn’t seen before shook his head. “No need to thank me, sir. We all know you didn’t do it.”
    Luke’s smile was still bitter, but he saluted, and that salute was reciprocated.
    Her heart twisted when she realized that was probably the last salute he’d make in his career.
    “Your luggage is by the door. You didn’t see me get it out.” The stranger smiled, and its genuineness warmed Gia. Luke needed all the friends he could get with a rape charge being bandied around the way it was. “We’re all rooting for you, sir. Don’t be surprised if the whole battalion is at the appeal.”
    “You’re fighting the dismissal?” Gia squeaked out the question. Goddammit, no one told her anything .
    Luke sighed, but said, “Get back to the base, Steven. No need for you to get in trouble for doing me a favor. I’ll see you around.”
    Steven shot him another salute but swiftly started the car, reversed, and lit out of the driveway leaving the three of them alone. Lexi was still gawking up at the bruises on her daddy’s face, but she’d curled into Gia’s side and had wrapped her arm about her mommy’s knee.
    “I-I need to get inside, honey. My legs feel like they could give out. We’ll talk later,” he told her, and though she frowned, when he leaned on her, she helped shuffle him toward the door. Luckily, Lexi let go without demur. “Leave the bags. Josh can get them when he gets home. There’s nothing important in them anyway.”
    She might have asked why he’d bothered to bring them home if they weren’t important but he wasn’t in the right frame of mind. If anything, he was worse. The last thing she wanted was to give him a reason to snap at her.
    Once they were through the front door, and he was panting, a sheen of sweat coating his forehead and cheeks, he bit out, “Help me