Justice by Piper Davenport

been doing. She opened her eyes. Everyone was staring at her. She sat up and pulled her knees in.
    “Deep breaths, Mase. It’s okay. You’re okay. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.” Payton knelt beside her and rubbed her back as Brock and Matt struggled to pull Dallas off of Jaxon.
    Macey shrugged Payton’s hand away.
    “You fucking touch her again, I will kill you,” Dallas bellowed.
    Jaxon, still on the ground, raised his hands in surrender.
    “Dal, calm down,” Brock said, and stepped between them.
    Dallas crossed his arms and took a deep breath. “You know what happened to her, Jax. You can’t be on top of her like that,” he said, now a little calmer.
    “Sorry, brother,” Jaxon said, and lifted himself off the mat.
    Dallas made his way to Macey and hunkered down beside her. He didn’t touch her, just looked at her. “You okay?”
    Macey shook her head.
    “Say something, Mase.”
    She shook her head again. She couldn’t respond just yet, but she did grab for his arm and drop her forehead on his shoulder.
    He cupped the back of her neck and gave her a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you.”
    Bailey joined the small group and handed Macey a bottled water. “Thought this might help.”
    Macey took it and gave her a small smile.
    “Can you get up?” Dallas asked.
    She nodded and Dallas helped her to her feet. Her legs shook and she was grateful when Dallas wrapped an arm around her waist and walked her toward the chairs. Everyone was still standing around staring at her.
    “Can we go somewhere else?” she whispered.
    Dallas nodded and walked her into the privacy of one of the back offices. As soon as they were alone, she burst into tears and wrapped her arms around his waist.
    He stroked her back. “It’s okay, baby. It was too much too soon. We’ll go home and you never have to come back.”
    “No, it’s not that,” she argued. “It’s good that I’m here. I just have to work through this crap and I’d rather do it without an audience.”
    “I’m gonna kill him.”
    “No, you’re not.” She frowned up at him. “Jaxon didn’t do anything wrong, honey. He was doing his job.”
    “He was an asshole. He should know better after everything you went through. After…" He shook his head.
    “Dallas, do you think that if by some ungodly chance this were to happen to me again, the rapist is going to stop and say, ‘oh, if this scares you, I can adjust the position’? I have to deal with this and I have to learn to defend myself even if it wrecks me for a few minutes. Better it wreck me now. I totally froze out there. I don’t want to be the dumb girl who loses it in a real life situation.”
    Dallas held her face between his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “You’re amazing, Macey. Truly. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.”
    She snorted. “Yeah, I’m so brave, I’m in here sobbing into your sweaty chest, after I just made a fool of myself in front of a dozen strangers.”
    “Don’t do that. Don’t minimize what you’re doing. I’m humbled by you, honey. Let me be.”
    Macey nodded and settled her cheek back against his chest. “I love you.”
    He kissed the crown of her head. “Love you too.”
    She allowed herself a few extra minutes of comfort before insisting they return to the group. As she walked back into the training area, everyone turned and clapped and Macey felt even more embarrassed.
    Jaxon broke the tension by rushing towards them. “I’m so sorry, Macey.”
    “Don’t be,” she said. “You were doing what you were supposed to do.”
    “Yeah, but I should have gone easy.”
    “No again,” she countered. “Can we try that move again?”
    “No,” Dallas said.
    “Yes,” Macey argued.
    Dallas frowned. “I’ll work with you on it.”
    “It’s fine, honey. You can watch if you’re concerned, but I have to do this. For myself.”
    “How about we do it after class,” Jaxon suggested. “That way, if it freaks you out,