by Imogen Wells
“Jess, it’s me, Rick,” I say, my voice elevated and hands shaking as I check her body over. I find a deep stab wound to her right side, a smaller, shallower one below it and one to her shoulder. There’s also a slash across her left ribcage. Dread sits in the pit of my stomach as my mind goes back to the day I lost Kuffs.
“Ryder, Ryder! Help! Someone fucking help me!” I scream as panic grips me, and I close my eyes, trying to get my breathing under control. “It will be okay. It will be okay.” I repeat it over and over as I strip my jacket and the vest off and begin tearing at my t-shirt.
“R-Rick?”
“I’m here, Jess. I’m here. It will be okay. You’re okay.” I shove Jess’ top up and place my torn t-shirt against the deepest stab wound, pushing hard against her body to stem the bleeding.
“W-w-where’s Max? Is…he okay?”
“He’s okay, Jess.” I have no idea if that’s true or not, and I’m literally torn in two as I battle my need to save the woman I love or go and find Max.
“I’m sorry,” she rasps.
“Shhh, you have nothing to be sorry for. Don’t talk, just rest.” I feel the blood begin to coat my hand through my t-shirt, and Jess’ breathing becomes shallower, rasping in and out. “Come on, come on, hurry up,” I mutter, looking around for a sign that someone is coming.
“Rick.” I look back to Jess to see her eyes are open and focused on me, and she seems almost lucid.
“I’m here. Just hold on. Do you hear me, JJ. Hold the fuck on.”
She smiles. “I…love y…” her words trail off as her head lolls to the side and she stops breathing.
“No, no, no! Don’t you dare fucking die on me, Jess.” I quickly check her airway and tilt her head back, then begin chest compressions. “One, two, three… Come on, breathe, Jess. Six, seven, eight.” Noise ahead of me has me looking up quickly, and I see Ryder come crashing through the grass, dropping down the other side of Jess.
I stop compressions and give her two rescue breaths, then continue pumping her fucking chest as Ryder changes out my blood-soaked t-shirt for the other half and applies pressure.
“Paramedics are coming, Rick.”
“Come on, Jess.” I stop, another two breathes, then compressions again. I look up to the sky as I count.
I continue for what feels like forever, my heart growing heavier with every minute that passes, but I refuse to give up. And I let the fucking world know too.
“You’re not fucking taking her!” I holler. “Not this time. Jess, come on, baby, breathe. I fucking love you, and I’m not losing you.”
As if my words were the key, Jess suddenly sucks in a breath just has the paramedics arrive.
Ryder pulls me away as they take over, and I drop to my arse on the ground. I sit and stare at my blood-stained hands as they hook her up, and the beeping of her heart sounds like the best fucking sound ever.
There’s a flurry of activity around me as they load her on to a stretcher, and I climb to my feet, sending a thank you to the heavens.
“Daddy, Daddy.” Max runs straight at me, and I drop to my knees as he reaches me, wrapping my arms around him. I let the tears fall as I hug my son.
Ryder touches my shoulder, and I look up to see them wheeling Jess away. Picking Max up in my arms, I follow behind them and listen intently to Jess’ heartbeat as we walk.
When we reach the ambulance, Max looks up from where he was resting his head on my shoulder. He places both hands either side of my face.
“Mum said that Jess will be okay, Dad,” he tells me.
My eyes widen, and I swallow the lump in my throat. “What do you mean, Max?”
“While I was waiting in the trees, I heard her. She said that Jess is special, just for you and me. She said I was to tell you that it’s okay, and she’s happy for you.”
I’m speechless and choked with emotion. Max wriggles in my arms, and I reluctantly let him down. He walks to Ryder, taking his hand. “We’ll see you at the hospital, Dad.”
I look at Ryder, who shrugs. The paramedic in the back of the ambulance pokes her head out asking if I’m coming with them. I look to Max, and he nods his head, a wide smile on his dirt covered face.
“I don’t—”
“There are some things best not questioned. Just go with it. I’ll see you in a bit,” Ryder says, with a shrug.
I climb into the back of the ambulance in a daze of shock and confusion. Our journey to the hospital passes in blur as the paramedic works, and I listen to every beep of the machine like it’s my own heart beating.
As the paramedic, Claire, prepares to unload Jess, she asks me my name.
“It’s Rick,” I tell her, undoing my seatbelt and stepping out.
“Well, Rick, you did real good.”
It’s been several hours since Jess arrived at the hospital, and in that time, I’ve drunk four cups of the most disgusting coffee known to man.
I’ve also had the biggest bollocking of my life from my mum, who is apparently feeling much better.
My head feels like it’s full of cement, and I can barely string a sentence together. But Jess is alive. Max is safe and unhurt, physically at least. God knows what the emotional fallout will be from being kidnapped and running for your life. I also don’t know how much of what happened to Jess he saw.
Sheets crinkle on the bed beside me, and I turn to watch as Jess shifts in her sleep, and a frown of discomfort mars her face. She’s been in and out of sleep since they brought her to the ward.
The CT scan revealed that whilst the larger of the two stab wounds to her torso was fairly deep and had nicked her right lung, it hadn’t caused any other damage. The one to her shoulder is going to take some time to heal and will probably require physio to gain back full movement.
I have entirely too many emotions floating around my body right now. The one thing I am more sure of than ever is that I love Jess, and I’m not going to allow something I had no control over to ruin what I’ve got. There’ll always be that one percent of me that throws the occasional ‘what if’ and ‘I could have done more’, but it’s overridden by the reality that I did everything I could possibly do.
The door opens, and Ryder’s head appears. I get up and step out into the corridor to talk with him.
“How is she?”
“Doing okay. Sleeping a lot, but the nurse told me that’s to be expected. How’s Max?”
“He’s good. Seb and Jamie are bringing him up now. He’s been checked over and is absolutely fine.” He rubs the back of his neck.
“What’s up?”
“How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better.” Ryder folds his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow. I let out a sigh as my shoulders drop, knowing I don’t need to put on a brave face with him. “Honestly? I’ve never been so fucking terrified in my life, and we’ve been in some sticky situations, Ry. Not going to lie, I was worried there for a second.”
“Me too, man, me too.” Ryder’s eye flick over my shoulder as the sound of squeaky shoes on the shiny hospital lino echoes down the corridor. All of a sudden, the squeaking gets louder as tiny feet pad over the floor. I turn in time to catch Max as he dives at me.
“Hey, you,” I say, picking him up and holding him in one arm as Seb and Jamie join us. “You good, bud?”
“I’m good, Dad. Can I see Jessica now?”
My eyes scan the others, who all just smile like crazy people. “Well…er, she’s still—”
“Max?” comes a croaky voice floating from the crack in the door.
Max wiggles, asking me to put him down, and I do. He pushes the door wider, and as soon as he sees Jessica, he runs towards her.
Forty-Four
Jess
“Fuck that,” I curse as I turn too quickly. Opening my eyes, I see that it’s dark. The curtains are open, and the streetlights outside, although fading now, cast a shadowy light over the room. Easing to my back, I turn my head towards a beam of light spilling in from the cor
ridor outside where I can hear voices. My head is little foggy, but I’m certain it’s Rick and Ryder.
Their muffled voices drift over me as I try to get comfortable, easing the bed into an upright position with the remote.
As I listen to the deep timbre of Rick’s voice, I’m assaulted by so many emotions that my body feels drained, wrung out, and I’m left feeling more exhausted than I’ve ever felt before.
I’m disgusted and ashamed; I’m angry and full of unresolved rage; I feel so much guilt for the things my father has done.
My whole life has been a lie, and the man I call father is the same man responsible for the death of countless people, woman and even children. Including his own. He’s exploited and manipulated people to climb to the top.
I may have crossed lines to get justice, a justice that should have been dealt by the police, the courts, but it’s not surprising when men like my father are at the helm of the justice system. Their justice is selfish, unfair and not a justice at all.
Now it’s my turn to dish out the justice.
I might not walk away unscathed, I may lose everything; my career, the man I love, but at least I’ll be able to look myself in the eye and sleep at night knowing that I did everything I could. That I did it without taking the lives of others and gained nothing in return.
I’m snapped from my thoughts when I hear shoes running on the lino, squeaking as they go. Then a voice that makes my heart skip a beat. A voice I was worried I’d never hear again. Max.
When I hear my name, I call out to him, so elated to hear him and terrified too. What if he’s hurt. What if Rick blames me? So many what ifs.
The door eases open, and I see Max. My whole body heaves a relieved sigh as I scan him and see he’s unhurt. So much so that he runs across the room towards me calling my name.
“Jessica.” He’s stopped just before he can leap on the bed, and my eyes meet vivid green ones.
“Careful, bud, Jess isn’t ready to be jumped on yet.” Rick sweeps Max up in his arms and places him on the bed beside me, his legs dangling over the side. He raises one leg, tucking it under himself as he turns towards me.
“Are you okay?” Max asks, and I look at him, my eyes filling with tears at this beautiful, sweet boy.
Reaching out, I stroke a hand down his face. “I’m more than okay now I know you are too.”
He smiles. “I did what you told me, but I saw the police cars and came back. I was so scared.”
The room fills with people as Ryder, Seb and Jamie enter, closing the door behind them and gathering around the bed. I swallow thickly, looking at each of them unsure of what I’ll see, but they give a smile and a nod.
“I know but you were so very brave, Max. I’m sorry you had to go through that.” I look up to see three heads shaking at me from the end of the bed as I make my apologies. When I look to Rick, he too is shaking his head minutely with blazing green eyes. I have no idea what I did or said to make him so angry. I’m suddenly unsure and wondering if I misread their smiling faces moments ago.
“I—”
“Okay, Max, I think we should let Jess get some rest. You can come and see her again later.” Rick goes to help Max down, but he pushes Rick’s hands away, and instead, climbs to his knees, leaning in and hugging me.
I hug him back with every bit of strength I can muster. He pulls back, stroking his small hand over my cheek.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he whispers, as Rick lifts him down and sees Max and the others out. It’s not until after they’ve gone that I realise I’m crying and Max was wiping a tear from my face again.
Closing the door again, Rick strides confidently towards me without a damn word, gripping my damp face in his hands and kisses me. It’s just like the first time he ever kissed me, and I grip his t-shirt, screwing it up in my hand.
I break the kiss before I do myself an injury, and I really need to say something.
“Rick, I’m so so—”
“Don’t you dare say it,” he orders, placing a finger against my lips. “We are not doing the blame game, Jess. There’s been too much of that, and I’m done with it. I didn’t do this and neither did you.”
“Are you practicing what you preach?” I ask with an arched brow.
He leans down, replacing his finger with his lips. It’s the gentlest of kisses but speaks volumes.
“I know what happened to Kuffs and Sam wasn’t my fault, and I know there’s nothing I could have done to change it.” He grips my face, bringing his lips to mine again. He rests his forehead against mine. “I was so fucking scared, Jess. You died in my arms, and I thought…”
“Shhh, I know. But I’m here, I’m alive, because of you.” I kiss him as more tears track down my cheeks.
He breathes against my lips. “Thank you for keeping my son safe, Jess.”
“He’s your son, Rick. I’d have done anything, given my life if I’d had to, to make sure he was safe. Because I love you,” I sob, unable to hold it all in a moment longer.
“Fuck! I love you too, JJ.” Rick peppers kisses all over my tear-streaked face, and I cling to him for all I’m worth.
I wish I could climb inside his body and curl up there forever, but our intimate moment is shattered as the doors whoosh open behind us and a nurse walks in.
When she’s finished her checks, I ask her what happened to the clothes I was wearing when I came in.
“I’m afraid they won’t be any good to you anymore. We had to cut them off you.”
“But you still have them, right?” She cants her head, looking at me as though I took a bump to the head, and Rick looks at me not too dissimilarly.
“Of course, I’ll bring them to you, Ms Fisher.”
“Thank you.” The nurse leaves, and I turn to Rick. “What?”
“Why are you so worried about your clothes?”
“You’ll see.”
While we wait, Rick tells me that Garcia is dead, my mother is alive in the ICU, and my father has been arrested, although he’s being treated here for a stab wound, head trauma and several broken ribs.
The nurse returns a few minutes later with a clear plastic bag containing the remnants of my blood-stained clothes.
She wasn’t wrong about the clothes; they are nothing but strips of bloodied cloth. I pull out what’s left of the shorts, and a smile pulls at my mouth as I remember the beautiful moments before everything went to shit.
“We’re doing that again by the way,” Rick says, quickly adding, “I mean the screwing on the hood of the car.”
I laugh, and I don’t give a shit that it hurts because this right here, is why it was worth it.
I turn the shorts so I can access the small pocket at the front. Please be there and in one piece. My fingertips brush something hard, and I almost whoop with joy. Unable to get a proper grip on it, I begin pushing it up from the outside with my other hand.
“Gotcha!” I exclaim as I pull it free. I hold it up so a puzzled Rick can see it.
I’m about to explain when I hear raised voices in the corridor seconds before the door to my room is flung open and Roxy strolls in.
“I ought to kill you, JJ, for scaring me like that, but I need you alive because we have work to do.” She pushes Rick to the side, wrapping me in a hug.
Rick clears his throat. “Where the fuck were you, Roxy? I sent you the address, but what, did something more important come up?”
She spins on him before I can stop her. “You’re lucky I don’t throw your arse in jail, Sullivan. I have a list as long as my fucking arm of offences I could arrest you for, not least being carrying and firing a military issue firearm, so watch your step.”
“Rox,” I warn.
“Don’t you Rox me. I did what you asked, JJ, and look where that got us? You almost fucking died, and whilst I’d like nothing more than to have an excuse to blow your father’s brains out, I like my job and my life. A jailbird I am not.”
I feel Rick’s gaze swing to me and burn up the side of my
face.
“What is she talking about?” Rick demands, gone is the soft, loving tone from earlier. This tone is gruff and tells the story of a not very happy man.
I raise an accusing brow at Roxy before turning to Rick. “Look, I asked her to… er…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. She called me and asked me to make sure you didn’t go gung-ho and get yourself killed. I was meant to get there before you. But… Well, never mind, it’s not important—”
I see Roxy swallow down whatever she was going to say, which is completely out of character for her.
“Seems important to me, especially seeing as if I hadn’t been there, she would be fucking dead right now!” Rick shouts the last part. I see this is only going one way in a minute if I don’t do something.
“Enough. You’re like a pair of bickering kids. Now, please, just fucking stop. Rick, I know how it sounds, but it really wasn’t like that,” I narrow my eyes at Roxy, who snorts in derision. “And you, I appreciate what you did, but Rick is right, had he not been there then I wouldn’t be breathing right now. So, how about we put everything else aside and concentrate on what needs doing.”
I hold the USB out to Roxy, which she takes before moving to the other side of the bed and sitting in the empty chair.
Rick continues to stand, arms folded, lips tight and eyes narrowed. The door swings open again, and it’s like a damn revolving door as Jay hurries in carrying a laptop.
He walks straight to Roxy, handing it over. “It’s all set, just plug it in, and you’re good to go.” He gives me a smile and moves to stand beside Rick, who he raises his chin to.
“What is that?” Rick asks me.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I’m hoping there’s enough evidence to put my father away for a very long time.”
We watch with bated breath as Roxy slides the USB into place and waits for the screen to load.
Her eyes move incredibly fast over the screen as she scrolls and flicks through whatever is on there.
“Rox?” I ask tentatively.
“Jack-fucking-pot!”
“Does someone what to tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Rick demands.
