by C R Riley
Before he gets a response, he hangs up. Hating that he was right about it all. Wishing he were only exaggerating when he had his earlier rant like his wife was sure to claim when she heard about it.
"I'm sure everything is fine." Austin tries to remain calm.
As soon as the car comes to a stop in the circle drive behind an older gray minivan. He is out of the vehicle almost as quickly as Jaxon. Neither man even bothers shutting their doors.
"Fine, you say?" Jaxon is jogging up the sidewalk to where the front door appears to be open.
"Doesn't hurt to make sure." Austin grabs his arm and stops him from barreling inside. "Just slow down. If someone is here, we don't want him to know we are. Nor do we want to get shot by our women. Paige took me shooting last weekend and let me tell you I was impressed. Geeky girl, who can shoot like a pro, is kind of hot."
"I know," Jaxon smirks. "Hannah showed me how she can take a man twice her size down."
Giving the door a little shove, Austin nods. "Took you down, did she? Paige did that to me once, too. Then I showed her how I would take her."
"That certainly happened right after I recovered." Jaxon holds up a hand to halt Austin from speaking, and they both listen.
Austin shakes his head when all they can hear is their own breathing. He motions for him to follow, but signals to do so quietly.
It isn't until they reach the back part of the house, do they start to hear muffled voices. They sound like maybe they are coming from behind the house. Both men glance at each other to confirm they aren't just hearing things and then keep moving.
When they notice the French doors opened, they start to head that way. Until they spot a shoe barely visible behind the kitchen counter. So, they decide to check it out and freeze. A few explicit words slip out of both men's mouths when they come across the man lying in his own blood missing an eye.
"What the hell, man?" Austin grabs the counter where the gun is sitting. "Who is that guy?"
"No idea." Jaxon bends over to take a closer look. "You think one of our women did this."
"I think if he came here to cause one of them harm, it's a damn big possibility. The question is, where are they now." Austin takes a deep breath and turns towards the door. "Think they may have chased after a second guy. Maybe we should go check it out."
Jaxon stands up and nods. "Yeah, I think that's a great idea."
They head for the door, a little shaken by what they discovered only moments ago. As soon as they step through, two shadows are jogging toward them.
"Jaxon?" He hears Hannah shout.
"What happened inside? Who is that guy? Where..."
A loud blast and flash interrupts him, has them all covering their ears, and taking cover. It takes them a few seconds to recover, as they all stare at the smoke and dust left behind.
Johannah and Kendra stop dead in their tracks and spin around. They look at each other, before taking off in a sprint, heading directly for the smoke.
"Paige!" Kendra yells out, attracting Austin's attention.
He takes off, passing them like a man with everything to lose. "Paige. Paige! Paige!! Answer me! Please love, answer me."
The closer they get to where the smoke is now clearing, the easier it is to see. Two forms are lying in the fetal position on the ground. One is sheltering the other as if trying to protect the smaller of the two from the blast. Neither is moving.
Austin drops to his knees when he reaches them. Afraid to touch the wavy blonde hair, that he has run his fingers through so many times since he met her. His hand hovers and shakes, while tears stream down his face, praying his worst fear won't come true.
Ears still ringing, Paige finally decides the coast is clear. She barely got the vest off of Anton before he gave it a toss and started running. They took maybe ten steps when the force knocked them to the ground and his larger body covered hers.
"Anton?" She nudges him with her elbow. "Anton?"
A moan, followed by a grunt, comes from him thankfully. "Damn, that was way too close for my liking."
"Up we go." Paige nudges him again. "Jo and Kendra have got to be freaking the..."
As soon as Anton rolls off of her, she is scooped up into large arms that she is very familiar with. "Austin? When did you get here?"
"What the ever-living hell were you thinking?" Austin grumbles. "I think you just knocked ten years off my life since we arrived."
Kendra and Johannah are on Anton, helping him to his feet.
Jaxon however stopped a few yards away. He is staring at the scene unfolding in front of him. Going over in his mind all the ways this could have so very differently ended.
Two men pass him, Raphael and Harrison. They take over for the women and notify them at the same time help is on the way.
Two hours later, it's just the five of them, plus four members of Jaxon's security team. The majority are gathered in the front living room area where the pile of pillows has been moved.
The three women have talked with detectives, separately and together. Giving them their account on what went down and filling them in on what they believe lead up to tonight's events.
An ambulance took Anton to the hospital shortly after it arrived. He will be interviewed once his doctor has cleared him to do so. Considering all he has been through that night, he seemed to be holding up. Although he has some serious injuries that were certain to cause him some issues if they didn't get taken care of.
The entire room is eerily quiet right now. Everyone is spread out, resting the best they can after a situation like this.
Currently, Paige is wrapped up in her husband's arms. He hasn't left her side since he first found her on the ground. Austin nearly went ballistic when he learned she was the one who shot the guy in the kitchen. Then he about lost it again when he heard her retell it to detective about her idea of removing the vest. Nearly passed out, when he heard how close they had essentially been to not getting it off in time before it exploded. She will probably be lucky if he ever leaves her side again.
Jaxon, however, is having a completely different reaction. He hasn't spoken to, touched, or even gotten near his wife after what he witnessed. He has kept his distance and slid into that mask he has always used to protect him when he gets too overwhelmed.
Johannah hasn't bothered trying to figure out what her husband is thinking. She has too much on her mind to worry about him. After everything was over, it all came crashing down on her. The reality of the fact that her stalker was her ex-boyfriend, Casey Little, was blowing her mind.
Casey was always a laid-back guy for the most part. He didn't get angry or upset. When things didn't go his way, or as he thought they should, he complained, but that was about it. He never liked the fact Johannah wanted to be a USSS agent, thought she was trying too hard to be like her brothers.
When all three women got hired around the same time, he mentioned how they needed to aspire for something much bigger. He wasn't impressed about her being picked personally by the Andrews, and flat out told her so.
She has gone over their entire relationship countless times in her mind, to figure out if he ever showed any signs of possessiveness. There were a few things, but nothing that went so far that would have let her know how truly obsessed he was with her.
The last words he spoke to her have been playing in her head like they were on repeat. "I let you have your fun. Gave you time to play out your fantasy. Now it's time for you to grow up and be with the man who you were always meant to be with.
"Do you know how hard I've worked at keeping you safe? How many hours I spent making sure no other man ever got close enough to ruin you for me? I've kept an eye on you all these years, with a plan to come back when the time was right.
"I had it all worked out too. I was the man you were intended to meet that night, not some rich pretty boy with issues. You always were a sucker for the weak. Felt it was your duty to protect and help those who couldn't take care of themselves. It was always a character flaw
I found appalling, and one that will no longer be tolerated. I can't believe you married a man like him. Let him touch what was mine. I'll have to purify you again, but it will all be worth it. God will forgive you for falling from grace and not following the plan."
Most of the last part made no sense to, her. She wasn't sure she ever really wanted it to even. The man had obviously gone off the deep end and was having some sort of mental breakdown.
"I don't understand how he did it." Kendra breaks the silence as she tries to get them talking.
"None of us do, Kendra." Johannah tilts her head sideways, so she can see her friend more clearly. "He was a genius at technology. Last I heard, he moved to Philadelphia. Accepted a position with the University of Pennsylvania in the engineering program. I believe he was working on his Ph.D., having something to do with Computers and Technology. I haven't heard from or seen him in almost seven years."
"I ran into him occasionally," Paige admits. "He asked about you every time I did, but since you were our only connection, I never thought much about it. Now I see it differently and realize that you were the only thing we ever talked about."
"Don't do that to yourself, Paige," Johannah warns her. "How were you to know he was off his rocker?"
"She's right." Kendra sits up. "That man had taken a rocket to some strange and bizarre planet, where he was living in his own alternative universe.
"Remember how we used to make fun of some of our professors in college? How we asked if they lived in some strange world that made them believe their world was where we all should strive to end up? Maybe there is some reality to that theory and all professors have to be a little loony to become one."
Leave it to Kendra to make such a serious situation sound like some crazy comedy. The entire room is laughing, even Jaxon.
"Wow, look at that." She points to the sulking man in the corner. "He does still have a funny bone after all. I thought maybe we had finally sent him to the madhouse. Was having these flashbacks from when we first met him, and he was like this..."
"Tall, Dark, and Handsome angel, God sent me for my birthday." Johannah interrupts, recalling her thoughts and words that night.
Jaxon shifts just a little. "You thought I was a tall, dark, and handsome angel?"
Kendra snorts. "I believe she told Paige to back off. Used it being her actual birthday as a way to place her claim on you."
"You wanted Jaxon?" Austin sounds hurt.
Paige rolls her eyes. "Every woman in that joint wanted Jaxon. I believe I notice him first because he is kind of hard to miss. I believe my exact words were, if you were the leftovers, I'd be more than willing to partake of them if I had to. The three of you really shouldn't be allowed out in public together, it's just not fair to all the other guys."
A loud knock on the front door followed by an equally loud voice has Kendra moving. "Open the damn door."
She barely gets it unlocked before she nearly gets knocked over when it flies open. "Geez, give a girl..."
Wes doesn't let her finish before he lifts Kendra off her feet as he kisses the heck out of her. The love that man has for this whirlwind of a woman who acts long before she usually thinks. A woman who says what's on her mind even when she probably shouldn't. That love explodes in that one sensual kiss.
Still wrapped up in his arms, dangling in midair, Kendra let her head fall back. "Wow. Hello, to you too."
Dropping his forehead to land on her shoulder, Wesley tries to catch his breath. "You have got to stop this putting yourself in danger thing. My heart can't take the not knowing."
"I am not quitting my job, Wesley. I love it as much as you love yours. Plus, this time was different, I wasn't even on the job." Kendra turns her head so she can kiss his cheek. "Furthermore, tell me when was the last time an agent got shot?"
Wesley starts to tell her, but she stops him. "Before me."
"I have no idea."
Johannah decides to help her out. "That's because the last time an agent was shot was in the '80s. We take our job seriously, as you know, Wes. We don't take chances. If anything, we go above and beyond what is necessary to ensure we don't have an incident. What happened at Colton's school will never happen again. What transpired here tonight wasn't her fault, and you can't blame her for not being more vigilant.
"If anything, I am the one you should blame for it all. The man, after all, was obsessed with me. He was prepared to do whatever he had to do. I should have done a better job at..."
"Stop!" Jaxon shouts. "Just stop!"
The room gets really quiet.
Wesley places his wife's feet down on the ground and wraps her in his arms. "I'm going to take this one with me if that's alright with you girls."
"It's fine." Johannah walks over to her friend and hugs her. "We'll reschedule. Thanks for having my back."
"No other back I'd rather have than yours or Paige's. Go easy on him too, will you?" Kendra offers a little advice. "It's been a rough couple of weeks."
That actually makes Johannah snicker. "Yes, it has."
A few minutes later Austin is dragging Paige out the door as well. They give her the same advice as they say their goodbyes.
Raphael and his team finish doing the initial clean up and then set up camp in the basement. No way they are leaving tonight after everything that has happened.
Which leaves Jaxon and Johannah to finally face the elephant in the room.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Nothing was handled as it probably should have been last night.
After standing in the living room for a good five minutes just staring at each other, Johannah finally had all she could take. So instead of encouraging the man, who she didn't even recognize at the moment, to just let it all out. She opted to ignore it and headed upstairs.
She was exhausted and ready to put the day behind her, ready to put the last couple of weeks behind her. After a long hot shower in her new bathroom, she crawled into the brand-new bed and went to sleep.
Alone.
Jaxon had no idea how he was expected to deal with something of this magnitude. How do you get past something so huge? How do you put it all behind you and move forward?
This wasn't your average crisis that could so easily be dealt with and then simply forgotten. This was a huge crisis. It would probably be analyzed to death by the USSS, the FBI, the local police department, the press, and anyone else who thought to do so. They would be dealing with this for a very long time. Not only because it would draw the intention of the public. But because this had turned out to be way more personal than any of them had ever suspected.
It was the wee hours of the morning before he made his way upstairs. He stood at the foot of the bed and stared at his wife's sleeping form for a long time. Letting all the emotions he felt for her flow through him.
After a hot shower, he finally crawled into bed next to her. Laid on his back and stared at the ceiling until his eyes grew heavy, and he drifted off into a restless night's sleep.
The next morning, they woke up around the same time. Right as the sun was rising, lighting up the empty bedroom. They were facing each other, but not touching, never touching.
"Morning," Johannah whispers sadly.
"Morning," Jaxon responds equally miserable.
"I'm sorry." She closes her eyes to hold back the tears. "I'm so sorry."
"I know." He sighs, sounding defeated.
They stare at each other for the next several minutes. Both searching for the right words, but neither one sure where to start, afraid they will say the wrong thing.
Jaxon makes the first move. He shifts his foot toward her until his big toe brushes against her leg. Just that simple contact is like lighting a fire to a very dry piece of wood. It seems to spark the flame and send it all into motion.
It becomes a frenzied mess as they crash into each other. He is trying to rip her nightgown over her head, at the same time she is trying to rid him of his shirt. And neither is cooperating with the other. Only fighti
ng to get the upper hand while trying to get the other person naked, so they can touch them.
"Stop fighting me." Jaxon has her nightgown stuck around her neck and at her elbows. "Would you work with me, please? I need to touch you."
Johannah shoves him back and yanks her gown over her head without his help. "Geez. There happy?"
"No." He growls as he yanks his t-shirt off. "Not at all happy."
She climbs on top of him and pins his arms to the bed as she kisses him hard. "Well, that makes two of us. You hurt me."
"Hurt you?" Jaxon nips her lip. "I should spank you for sending your detail away. I should tie you to this bed and punish you for that."
Johannah pinches the soft skin under his arm. "I dare you to try."
Rising under her, he reverses their position, pinning her under him. "Don't tempt me, sweetheart."
Lifting her head, she yells. "Do it! Punish me if that will make you feel better! Maybe it's what I deserve!"
Jaxon drops his weight onto her and releases his grip on her wrist. "What you deserve, is to be loved and cherished like a queen. To be taken care of by a man who can protect you even from yourself. Am I that man? I want to be, but I'm not sure you do?"
"Because I dared to defy you? Oh, Jaxon, you have a lot to learn about me still." She stares into his gorgeous eyes. "I don't need you to protect me like that. I need you to protect what we have between us. Fight with me when you get mad at me because I went off-script. No one will ever or could be that for me, but you.
"You will never be able to control me. Never be able to put my own protection, our family's protection, even your personal protection in someone else's hands. I will always take responsibility for that and be right in the middle of it. Don't blame your men for what happened last night or you. If I didn't see the twist coming, there is no way they could have predicted it either. I'm sure more information will come to light, giving us a better picture that will explain a few things. People snap and sometimes we don't even know why."
