by N Kuhn
Letting himself into the kitchen, he was confronted with the two men, sitting at the counter drinking the coffee he had made for himself and Mara.
“I hopes you don’t mind there, no one was here. We could smell the coffee all the way upstairs.” Beau forced himself to smile.
“Nah, you’re all good. Jennie will be making dinner. But we have no lunch plans. We just opened, so you’re our first guests. I can recommend the diner in town for lunch,” Beau said, hoping he sounded helpful and not like he was rushing them out of the house.
“Yea, we was thinking we would hit up the town.” Paulie nudged Jimmy and they both got up. As they adjusted their suit jackets, Beau saw their guns. Things were happening faster than he expected. Caustiously he followed them out to the front door. As he opened it, Jennie was just walking up. She paused momentarily, stunned at the sight of the men before her. She quickly caught herself and smiled.
“Hello there, you must be our guests. I’m Jennie. Hope I’ll see y’all at dinner,” she said cheerily as she pushed past and into the house with her box she carried. The men said hello and continued to their car.
“Let us know if you find out anything, right Mr. Belmont?” Paulie asked as he got into the passenger side of their rental car. Beau nodded and waved from the porch, watching the men drive off. Heading back inside, Jennie was waiting in the entry way.
“I’m guessing the danger came to town and moved right in?” Beau nodded, still looking out the window as the men drove away.
“Mara needs to stay out of sight, so it’s you and me for now. I have to fill you in. Let’s go in the kitchen and grab some coffee.”
Chapter 9
“So, the FBI will be here right?” Jennie asked as her and Beau sat over a cup of coffee. He had told her the whole story. Everything Mara had told him, what the FBI had filled in and what he knew.
“Yes, they will be sending a tactical team. We just have to keep Mara out of sight until then.” Jennie moved to grab her box.
“I’m just gonna drop this in the room and then help you carry her boxes over. With those guys gone, it won’t look odd to see us doing that and then it’s done.” Beau followed her, grabbing at some of the boxes Mara left. Jennie picked up the suitcase. They made their way across the yard to Beau’s house. As they neared, Beau could sense something was off. He dropped Mara’s boxes, turning to Jennie. He tossed his cell phone to her with one hand while pulling his gun out with the other.
“Dial the last number that called me. Ask for Agent Michaels. Tell him to get here immediately. Lock yourself in the B and B. Now,” he said in a harsh whisper. He waited for her to move and then quietly stalked towards his open kitchen door. The shattered mug of coffee on the steps and door wide open raised his hackles. He backed against the wall, peering around the corner into the kitchen. No one was there. He could hear Bear, whimpering from the pantry. With the door closed, the dog couldn’t escape. But at least he was safe and alive. Beau blew a breath out silently. With his gun raised, he crept through the kitchen. He could hear voices in the other room. As he reached the entry to the living room, the floor beneath him squeaked. He silently cursed himself and froze. The voices stopped. He closed his eyes, trying to regulate his heart rate and breathing. Hearing a click, his eyes snapped open.
“Mr. Belmont, thanks for joining us. Jimmy will take that gun.” Paulie stood next to him with a gun to his head. The cold metal pressed against his temple. Jimmy moved in front of him, yanking the weapon from his hand and putting on the safety.
“As soon as I saw you walking across the yard with her, I knew it was my Julie. I know the sway of that ass. Even with that shitty hair she has now, I knew it as soon as I saw her. It was mine for many years. Still is,” he said, leaning in close to Beau’s face. “It’s a sweet ass, isn’t it? I know you’ve tasted it.” His breath stank, blowing right in Beau’s face. He swallowed hard to prevent his stomach from unloading down the front of him.
“Jimmy, let’s get him into the other room, yea?” Paulie grabbed at Beau’s arm, propelling him into the living room. Mara was tied up, a rag tied around her mouth. She was on her knees in front of the couch, her hands behind her back. Tears streaked down her face, her lips bloodied. A bruise was already forming on her cheek. Anger infused its way throughout Beau. He tightened his fists, his biceps stiffening. Every muscle in his body ached to do something about this. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. He stopped mid step, quickly kicking back and twisting into a roundhouse. His heel caught Jimmy in the jaw, knocking him over before he knew what was happening. Beau was in the military. He knew how to get himself out of situations like this, but with Mara’s life at risk, he didn’t want to push it too far. Paulie shot a round into the floor near Beau’s foot as he landed from his assault on Jimmy. The sound of the gun caused Bear to bark and growl from his locked up position.
“Mr. Belmont, though I appreciate your bravado, we paid you for a job. Tsk tsk, you won’t be getting a good reference from us.” Paulie shifted his gun, waving it at the couch. “Jimmy, get off your ass and tie him up.” Beau hung his head, moving to the couch. He didn’t want to look at Mara and see the disappointment in her eyes. Jimmy limped over, holding his head.
“You bastard, I can’t wait for you to watch her die, and then I’m going to enjoy killing you next,” he spat in Beau’s ear. He cringed at the feel of spit landing on his face. Feeling Jimmy behind him, tightening a rope around his arms, he slammed his head backwards. He must have caught Jimmy in the nose, because the satisfying crunch and cry from behind him indicated his mark was hit. “Seriously, try something again and the next bullet goes in her head,” Paulie shouted, moving closer to Mara, the gun aimed at her. Beau held still while Jimmy finished tying him up. The man came around the front of the couch, blood seeping down his face. His fist flew through the air, landing on Beau’s. His nose cracked and his eyes immediately watered. He could feel the blood drip down his face.
“Enough,” Paulie instructed.
Paulie sat himself down in the recliner next to the TV. Jimmy limped around the room, holding his face. He cried about his face hurting and the blood clogging his breathing.
“Stop being such a baby,” Paulie said.
“I’m gonna kill the asshole,” he said, though it came out hard to understand with his broken nose.
“Not yet. We wait for the old man and then do what he says. You’re lucky we even let you live, Jimmy. If you had kept your bitch in line along with your temper, we wouldn’t be in this situation. You should have just taken your bid and done the time. But no, you had to get high and almost kill her. Damn it, if you do something like that, you need to finish the job. Hopefully you’ll get the chance to clean this mess up today.” Jimmy’s eyes widened in fear. Apparently Joey was going to be here, and if he let Jimmy live, they were going to die. Beau felt desperate. He broke his promise to Mara, to keep her safe, to prevent anyone from hurting her again. But instead of anger, when he looked at her, he saw, understanding. As if she accepted her fate already. They sat there silently for almost an hour, waiting, not speaking. The whining from Bear had stopped. The house remained silent.
Finally, after who knows how long, Beau heard his front door open and an older man walked in. The moment he opened his mouth, he knew this was Joey Ciminelli.
“Paulie, good job boy. Good job.” Joey stood in the room, exuding power. Hands on his hips, he looked around the room.
“What about the old lady?” Jimmy asked. Paulie looked at Beau. There was no way he would allow Jennie to be in danger too.
“I told her I was spending the day with my girlfriend. She won’t bother us. She has nothing to do with any of this.” The two gun men looked at Joey. He waved a dismissive hand and looked at Beau.
“Mr. Belmont. I’ll expect a refund, if you’ll just let us know where the money is?” Beau sat silently, hoping that if he didn’t speak, it would buy them time. Hopefully Jennie got through to Agent Michaels and they would be here at
any moment. His fingers fidgeted behind him, knowing Jimmy didn’t tighten the ropes enough, in his hurry to get at Beau. He worked at the ropes carefully to keep from being found out.
“Hey asshole, he asked you a question,” Jimmy moved in front of him, sucker punching his face from the other side. Pain exploded in his right eye socket and the lid closed. He couldn’t open it again. Staring one eyed at the man before him, he hoped it expressed his lack of fear. He wouldn’t give this monster what he wanted. He would not cower to him. As they slid from his wrist, he kept his arms behind him, waiting for the right moment to make a move. That moment didn’t come though.
As Joey stood to move towards Beau, the front door exploded open. Canisters rolled across the floor. Everyone looked at them. Beau shut his eye, knowing what came next. A loud bang and flash had the men crying out in pain. He heard clattering, of someone dropping a gun to the floor in an attempt to wipe at their eyes. Even with his eyes closed, the bright flash caused his eyes to water and ache.
“FBI, put your weapons down,” he heard shouted from the front of the room. Yelling ensued between everyone and he knew what would come next. Beau used his judgement to figure out where Mara was. He could barely open his good eye, but did, using it to gauge where she kneeled. He wrapped his arms around her, knocking her to the ground. He rolled so that his body covered hers. Gunfire erupted around them as the men blindly shot towards the intruders, the Feds shooting back. Something hit Beau and he ignored the pain shooting through his side. Mara trembled beneath him and he tried to whisper in her ear, to keep her calm.
“God, I’m so sorry I let you down, but trust me, you’re going to be safe now,” his voice weakened as he spoke, the room going black. The last thing he felt was hands grabbing his arms and pulling at him, then nothing.
Epilogue
“Damn it, wake up,” Beau heard Mara yelling at him, but it sounded tinny, far away. His head throbbed, his blood pounding in his ears. He could feel her soft fingers on his cheek. Trying to pry his eye open, he quickly closed it again, blinded by the lights. “Beau,” Mara said excitedly. She spoke to someone else, he couldn’t tell who, but they quickly turned the lights off in the room. He tried opening his eyes again. This time, her beautiful face came into view. Her black hair hung down her face, landing on his chest.
“What’s up sweetheart? Why are you shouting?” Beau could recall coming in and out of consciousness at the hospital. Between his cheekbone breaking and being shot, he knew he had been here awhile. He wasn’t sure how long though. The worry on Mara’s face told him that it must have been awhile.
“Beau, don’t you ever scare me like that ever again or we aren’t getting married.”
“Whoa, who said marriage?” Jennie’s voice came from the other side of his bed. He tried to turn and look at her but it caused him to get dizzy. Blackness crept into his field of vision and he blinked rapidly to clear it. Staring into her eyes, he tried to focus and stay awake. Drowsiness threatened to take him under again.
“Married?” His voice croaked out.
“You asked me, I know I said no, but I want to change my mind, and I can. You owe me that much.” As his sight cleared a little, he could see the bruise on her face was starting to fade. “Plus, I can wear my cowboy boots you never got a chance to see.”
“How long have I been here?”
“A week. Now, about the changing my mind. I told you not to put your life at risk over me. Yet here I am, having spent a week at your bedside because you were shot. You promised no one would find me. Yet they did. You owe me one hell of a wedding and the way I see it, that hundred grand in cash I found under your bed, well, that’s going to give us one.” She grinned, hoping that he got her humor and wasn’t angry.
“Anything for you sweetheart.”
“Nice to see you awake,” Agent Michaels said from the door. “Jennie told me you were awake.” He walked into the room, standing at the foot of the bed.
“Michaels,” Beau said. “Is Parker here too?” Everyone in the room stiffened, shifting their gaze away. Agent Michaels cleared his throat.
“We found his body in an alley behind the bureau offices. He had been tortured and dumped there. We think that’s how they found your home. But we managed to link Paulie and Jimmy to that and we caught Joey at your house. So they are all going away for a long time. We also worked out that deal you spoke to Parker about. It’s all set. Mara is safe now, for good.”
“Yea, he filled me in,” Mara said, a hint of anger in her voice. “Didn’t I say don’t put yourself in danger over me?”
“Would you let the man rest already?” Jennie chided from beside her. “Don’t you have some guests to go check in?” She stood. “We’ll see you later boy,” and she walked towards the door. Agent Michaels raised his brows at Beau, grinning. Mara stroked his arm.
“Yea, rest up, because I’ll punish you when you’re better.” He tried to smile, but it hurt his face. She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for freeing me. Now hurry up and heal, you have work to do to fix up your house before I can move in.” Her smiling face was all he saw as his dozed back off into sleep, partially smiling, as much as his injuries would allow.
The End
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