“Wake the fuck up, Kat!” Jackson shouted. “Wake up now. Damn it, I just saw you move. Kat, please, I really, really need you to wake up.” He pounded on the steering wheel as his anger grew.
I wasn’t ready to let him know that I was coherent yet. He might think I am, but I wouldn’t confirm it until after my head stopped spinning.
Why did Jackson have me tied up? He came over, he ordered me to get into his car, and when I refused, he forced me. Did he hit me over the head?
His phone rang, and I closed my eyes, listening since it was on speaker.
“Yes?”
“Jackson, my love.” Holy fuck, that was that bitch’s voice. “You scooped up Caleb’s prize before he could get to her, why did you do that? I told you that I’d take care of your whore.”
“Yes, I have her.” He has me? What about, she’s not a whore, you stupid crazy ass bitch?
“We’re waiting for you, see you soon. Make sure to leave her somewhere, Caleb will find her.”
“I’m bringing her with me, I knocked her unconscious.”
“I told you it would all work out. Hit FaceTime and let me see her.”
“I need to let you go so I can drive,” Jackson said.
“No, just show me her and then you can set the phone down, this way we can still be together.” Oh my god, how sickening. How was I so wrong about him? At least it made sense as to why she was still always around and Jackson never quite called the cops. But I didn’t understand why they had dragged me into this . . . unless that was part of the game to them.
I didn’t open my eyes, waiting for him to show her that I was back here, I knew the moment Jackson had obeyed the orders by Tammy’s excitement. “Oh, you tied her up too. That’s perfect.”
“Julien, where’s Julien?” Jackson’s voice was frantic.
“Don’t worry, he’s here. He’s with his mommy.”
“Tammy, don’t say that to him, please, you’ll confuse him.”
“Stop, Jackson, stop right now. I told you that we would be a family again and you’re already putting him before us. Damn it, I’m important, me. It’s my time to be the most important in someone’s life.”
Holy shit, Julien, slowly more of this puzzle was fitting together. If only I had taken my gun or my phone instead of walking out of my house with no sense of self-preservation.
My heart picked up speed as the car slowed.
“Is that you?” Tammy asked.
“Yep, pulling in now. I’m going to hang up so I can get her inside.”
“I’ll meet you on the front porch to help.”
He put the car in park. “Kat, wake up,” he whispered in a strained voice. “Please, please, please. I need you to wake up.” I heard the car door.
“I’m awake, but let’s keep pretending that I’m not.”
“Oh my god, how much did you hear?” Jackson pleaded.
“All of it. Let’s save him.”
Jackson bent at his waist and hoisted me onto his shoulder. We were completely alone out here, save for whatever animals lived in the woods to our left. Other than that, it was nothing but empty lots and weeds. Great. No one to hear me if I screamed.
“Jackson, is everything okay?” Tammy asked from somewhere behind me or in front of him, depending on how I looked at it.
“Ah, she’s still out, just strap her tighter into the chair so she doesn’t fall over. It’s the chair right next to Julien.”
Jackson carried me up the metal steps to the mobile home as my ears rang and I choked back vomit.
“What did you just say about Julien?”
I started to flail when I saw Julien hunched over, and Jackson, who had me over his shoulders, lost his balance. Before he fell and dropped me on the floor, he released his hold on me. Getting to my feet was awkward, but I made it, and then I turned a hate-filled glare on Tammy. “Untie him, he’s an innocent kid, or I swear to—”
“What? You swear to god you’ll arrest me?” She laughed in my face and I wished, not for the first time since I woke in Jackson’s car, that I had my gun. “Keep this up, and I’ll blow his brains out. He’s so young, what a waste. But at least Jackson will pay attention again.”
She had her own son, the boy she had carried for nine months. My belly ached over the mere thought; it made my blood boil just thinking about him being in her hands. I turned my hatred on Jackson. Did he know about this? He knew that she was dangerous but how about now, this cruelty?
Jackson simply nodded and pleaded for me to go along, he didn’t say a word, it was all in his eyes.
“Untie my feet, I’ll go willingly,” I said with all the bravado I could muster.
“That’s what I like to hear. Jackson, untie her, but if she runs, I kill the kid.”
Jackson bent, and once the ties had fallen away, it took everything in me not to lift my knee and crash it into his face. Giving him a broken nose would have made me happy.
Instead, I followed behind Tammy, Jackson behind me as she led me across the wide room to my chair. It was how I imagined marching down death row would feel. In my mind, I kept hearing some Southern voice shouting, “Dead man walking!” Only problem was that I was hoping she was going to be the dead man and not me, and definitely not Julien.
The trailer stank of stale carpet, mildew, and a hint of whatever shit perfume Tammy used to hide the stench of her evil. In the corner of what was probably meant to be the living room was the kid, the one who had come to mean so much to me. Not thinking, I ran to him and dropped to my knees in front of him so I could take him in, searching for injuries.
“Julien, oh my god, Julien, honey.”
“Oreo? You’re here.” His hazel-colored eyes darted to the right. “Daddy.” And then all hell broke loose as Julien started crying.
“Owww.” My head was yanked back as Tammy grabbed ahold of my hair and lifted me to my feet.
“Go to that chair.” Tammy pointed one chipped nail. “Now.” She released her hold on me, and for the first time, I realized that she was holding a gun. I would lunge toward her and fight for it, but my hands were still bound, and I wouldn’t risk Julien. After I took my first step in following her order, she turned to Jackson and tossed him a bundle of rope. “Tie her up.”
Jackson knelt beside me. “Relax, I need your ankles,” he instructed. I glanced over at Tammy, who was still pointing her gun at me but had moved to stand next to a wailing Julien, and then followed instructions.
After a second, he moved to kneel behind my chair, and he started to work on my wrists. As he fastened me to the chair, he touched something against my open palm. I felt it for a second and recognized the familiar cold metal. Then he moved it away and slid it into the back of my jeans where it rested against my back. “Sig, 9 mm,” Jackson whispered so quietly I could barely make out his words. “Fifteen-bullet magazine, one in chamber.”
Confused, I sat obediently as he untied my wrists and then restrained them again so loosely that it was almost laughable. I flexed my feet and realized the ankle straps were barely even on. What was the plan here, was he counting on me to get loose and take out Tammy? Okay, I could do that, it was totally my job.
“Hurry up,” Tammy whined.
“Just finishing.” Jackson stood and stepped away.
Tammy sidled up to him and tilted her head, her lips puckered. She lowered her gun to me.
Jackson obeyed and kissed her. Watching the two of them together made my stomach roil.
I glanced over at Julien, who had stopped crying but had dried dirt and tears on his face.
Kat
Sweat trickled down my face, and I shook my head to keep it from rolling into my eyes. God, how long had we been here? Two hours? Three? I’d lost track of time.
“Where is he?” Tammy mumbled as she paced back and forth and shoved her hands into her hair, which had obviously not been washed in a few days. “Why hasn’t he called? He’s going to be in trouble. I’ll punish him, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll punish him.
” She continued pacing. “Jackson, honey, come here. I love you, Jackson. I’m so glad that you came to your senses. Now we can be a family. You, me, and our baby.” She rubbed her stomach with the butt of the gun in her hand. Not once did she look at Julien. The woman was mad, she was chanting over and over. She must have said Jackson’s name at least fifty more times.
“Baby? You mean Julien?”
“Our baby, the one I’m pregnant with.”
“We haven’t slept together. Tammy, I haven’t been in contact with you for almost three years.”
“Why are you lying?” Tammy whined. “Why do you always say such hurtful things? Is it because she’s listening? Be honest.” Tammy tilted her head as if she were examining him for the first time. “Tell the truth, damn it!”
Jackson jerked at her screeching shouts. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry for what?”
Jackson locked eyes with me, and I tried to tell him to go along with whatever it was she wanted just to keep her calm. “You’re right. I’m so happy that we can be a family now.” If Tammy could see Jackson’s eyes, she might just believe him. Only, he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at me. “I can’t believe how fast I fell for you.”
“Awe, see, little one, I told you that Daddy would come back to us.” Tammy continued pacing and dragging the barrel of the gun along everything she passed.
I shifted, twisting my hands and trying to wiggle loose when Tammy’s back was turned.
Her phone dinged, and she spun, eyes narrowing on the device sitting on the counter. “Damn it, he was supposed to call me, not text.” She stared at her screen. “At least he’s here. My brother is waiting for you, time to go, homewrecker.”
His little body shaking, his head moving erratically, Julien cried, “No, don’t go, Oreo.”
That was what finally broke me. My heart split, and I realized that I wholeheartedly loved this kid.
“Shut up,” Tammy snapped at him. “Untie her,” Tammy ordered to Jackson.
Jackson knelt behind me again, whispering, “I don’t want you to go out there.”
“I have to, it’s what I do. I protect people. Just promise me you won’t let her hurt Julien. You two get home safe.”
“I promise,” Jackson whispered.
“Is she untied yet?” Tammy snapped.
“Almost.”
“Nooo.” Julien sobbed. “Daddy, please.”
“I love you,” I said to Julien before standing. I turned to face Tammy, trying to think of how fast I could pull the gun. Yes, I still had reservations about whether it was loaded, but what other choice did I have? If it was empty, I died in here. If it wasn’t and I didn’t try, then I died out there. I must have hesitated for just a moment too long, because when I glanced back to Tammy, she had the gun pressed against Julien’s head.
“Go. Now.”
I stepped backward toward the door, not wanting to turn my back on the crazy bitch. Slowly, I moved one hand to my back for the doorknob and for the gun so I could defend myself against the brother . . . whoever he was.
Each step took forever. I knew that if I left, she would probably kill Julien. Jackson had made it clear that she didn’t like the attention that Jackson gave Julien, and I didn’t doubt for a second that she would try to kill their son again if she had the chance. Jackson would lose his shit, and Tammy would probably kill him too. It would come down to who was more cold-hearted, and I wasn’t sure that Jackson had it in him. He wasn’t a killer. No, that was my job, not necessarily to kill but to protect the innocent, and that little boy was absolutely that. Jackson was somewhat debatable.
All of my training roared through my head, words of every instructor, images from every in-service video, memories from every practice drill.
Sliding through the open doorway, I slowly inched my non-dominant foot back and then in just hundredths of a second, I knelt, pulled, and fired before Tammy even had a moment to register what had happened.
Julien screamed.
People rushed in, jumping over me.
A hand was on my head and pushing me forward.
Jackson was pinned to the floor.
More people rushed in.
And through all of that, Julien’s wails rang through the confined space.
“Kat?” I glanced up at Finn, a member of Orange County SWAT. “She’s one of ours.” The officer holding me released me, and Finn helped me up. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Let me get to Julien.” I pulled out of Finn’s grasp and rushed over to him. The boy was taking huge, heaving breaths between gut-wrenching sobs. “Honey, I’m here.” I wrapped him in my arms, and he clung to me, trying to bury his body into mine as if I were a protective shell. “Okay, okay, you’re safe. We’re safe.”
“Daddy, where’s Daddy?” Julien’s words were soft.
I glanced around in time to see someone hauling Jackson through the open doorway. He was bent almost in half and his arms were cuffed behind his back, but I held my words. They had a job to do, and that meant I had to be the one to hold this little boy together.
“He’s okay, I promise. The cops are talking to him.”
“You killed her.”
“I had to, she was going—”
“I’m glad you did, she was Tanos.”
“Tanos?”
“Superheroes kill bad people,” Julien explained as he played with my hair.
“Oh, Thanos. I had to protect you and your daddy.” I glanced around for Finn and found him watching me from a few feet away. “Can I get a blanket for him and some sterile wipes?” I hated to say that he had Tammy on him, but he did. I wanted to get it off before he noticed.
Finn nodded and headed outside. When he came back a minute later, he handed me what I’d asked for. “Paramedics are here.”
“Good,” I sighed, wiping off Julien’s face and tossing the wipes behind him where he wouldn’t see before tucking the blanket tightly around his tiny body. “Let’s go, little man.” I stood with him in my arms, tucked Julien’s face tight against me so he couldn’t see the room, and let Finn press a hand to the small of my back as he led us from the trailer.
We moved, edging near Jackson; he was handcuffed and face-down on the ground. I pushed Julien’s head against my shoulder even tighter to keep him from seeing his dad in that position. But anger unlike any I’d ever felt before surged through me. More than anything I wanted to draw my foot back and kick his sorry ass for playing cop.
Finn must have seen the look on my face because he lightly pushed me forward. I turned back to face him, ready to kick him as well.
Finn just shook his head. “Kicking is battery, don’t make me have to charge you.”
“Fine, I won’t touch him again. Ever.” I delivered that promise directly to Jackson’s eyes, and he flinched. “I understand the why, but I don’t understand the keeping it all a secret.”
“Kat, come on,” Lieutenant Callum McGuire, a detective for Orange County, said as he came to stand to my left. “We need to get you and this little guy checked out, and then you need to come to the station so we can take your statement.”
“Call Max, tell him to have Mindy meet us so she can get Julien,” Jackson said as he was hoisted up.
“Daddy.” Julien started wiggling.
“Hey, brave boy, I need you to go with Kat, but Mindy will be coming to get you, okay?”
I leaned in to him. “Tell your daddy okay.”
“Okay, Daddy.” He sounded so dejected.
This was all basic protocol, but a four-year-old wouldn’t understand that. “Detective Monroe will be escorting Mr. Boudreaux back to the station. Your parents have been contacted and will meet you at the station. But until you both give your statement—”
“I know, I can’t talk with anyone.”
“Yeah, but it’s protocol, you know that. You’re riding with me and we can talk on the way.”
“What about Julien?” I asked, frantically worrying about a booster seat for him
.
“Kayson is outside, he brought a kid seat for him.”
I held Julien in my arms as he clung tightly to me while the paramedics attempted to do their jobs. But there was no rationalizing with a traumatized kid, so they worked around him in my arms.
“Who’s this little guy?” Dash, one of the sexiest firemen, asked. “Kat, I need you to turn him around so I can check his pupils, I want to check him for shock.”
“Hey, little man, I need you to let go of my neck and turn around. This is my friend Dash. He wants to look at your eyes. Show him how gorgeous they are.”
Julien didn’t move at my words so Dash tried, “Green? I thought you said blue like Aquaman.”
“Der green,” Julien mumbled with his face buried into my shoulder and probably sucking in a mouth full of hair.
“I don’t think so.” Dash totally knew how to play this kid.
Julien let go from around my neck and turned his bright green eyes up toward Dash, “See, der green.”
“Yep, guess you were right.” Dash quickly flashed a light across his eyes and watched for his pupils to return to normal. “Anything hurt, Mister Green-eyes, like your arm or leg, maybe your neck?”
Julien shook his head. “No, just my heart. I want my daddy.”
I pulled him tightly to me. “I know, buddy, we will go to him.” I turned back to Dash. “We good to go?”
“You both appear to be fine, but you already know this. If anything shows up, headaches, dizziness, frequent chills, all of those can be signs of shock. Don’t hesitate, go to the hospital.”
“Will do, thanks.” I stood with Julien still in my arms and headed toward Callum. Callum opened his passenger door, and I slid in. Kayson had already fastened in the booster seat, so he pried Julien away from my arms and secured him in.
Kat, Knight Watch (Iron Orchids Book 11) Page 11
