The Intruder

by Joannie Kay

  Kari went into the bathroom and came back with a tissue for Violet. "Was he very angry?" Violet nodded. "Because you were so late?" Kari questioned, trying to understand the problem.

  "No. He said the baby was good, and he enjoyed the time alone with him. He was upset over the speeding ticket. It was my second one this month," she confessed.

  "Was he angry about the money?" Kari guessed again, and was surprised when she shook her head 'no'.

  "Well, he wasn't happy about the money... or the fact that our car insurance is going to go up... but that wasn't the main reason he was so angry with me."

  "He doesn't want you to have an accident and get hurt..." Kari said in a soothing voice, knowing full well that Jake would be upset with her if she got two speeding tickets. He took her safety seriously, and she probably wouldn't be able to sit down once he got done telling her how he felt about driving irresponsibly. "Ohhhhhh," she whispered, looking at Violet. "What happened, Violet? Did he scold?"

  "It was worse than that, Kari. He... he... he struck me," she whispered, her face turning scarlet with embarrassment. "I never thought he would abuse me, but he did!"

  "Did he use his fists on you?" I was confused. Why would a man who was concerned about his wife being injured because of speeding hurt her? It didn't make sense.

  "No," she said, and then said, "He treated me like a child and spanked me. I'm too sore to sit down today!" she confided. "Kari, I never thought Jerry was the type of man to do something so awful."

  "Violet, did you talk to him about this?" I asked.

  "No! I told him to get out before I called the police and had him arrested. I locked myself in the baby's room until he left. I don't want to talk to him."

  "If you talked to him, Violet, he would probably tell you that he spanked you because he loves you."

  Violet looked at Kari and said, "What? How is that loving?"

  "Jake says that a marriage can't survive without loving discipline. Jerry didn't really hurt you, did he? I mean, he turned you over and spanked your bottom, but he didn't hit your face, or strike you with his fist... He scolded you and said he didn't want you hurt in a car accident, right?" Violet nodded. "If you wouldn't have run to the baby's room, he probably would have held you afterwards and told you how much he loves you... enough to spank you when you earn a spanking."

  "You don't think a spanking is abusive?" Violet asked me.

  "No. I think it's another way of showing love." Kari waited a minute or two and then said, "Violet, if I got a speeding ticket, I can almost guarantee that Jake would make sitting impossible for a day or two." Kari smiled at Violet's shocked expression. "In fact, he would spank for my going shopping for over four hours and leaving my cell phone in the car... after I was told to go straight home and get some rest."

  "Oh my! You're sore, too?" she asked.

  Kari nodded. "I am assured I am very much loved, and I am guessing that you are very much loved, too, Violet. Why don't you call Jerry and talk to him. Give him a chance to tell you that. Crying and thinking of divorce isn't nearly as much fun as making up and knowing that you are tender because he wants to protect you."

  Violet swiped at her eyes and nodded. "I'll call him, Kari. Oh, please, don't tell anyone else. I'm so embarrassed!"

  "Now that I can understand and appreciate. I don't want anyone to know either." Kari quickly filled her coffee mug, added creamer, and then hurried back to her office.

  A short while later, there was a tap on her door and Violet came in, smiling happily, the sparkle back in her eyes. "I had to come and tell you that you were right, Kari. Jerry said to tell you 'thanks' from him, too. He said he was planning to give me today to calm down, and then he was going to come and turn me over his knee again and spank me until I listened to him! I'm so grateful that isn't going to happen now," she giggled. Kari reassured her she was happy she could help, and Violet went back to work, a happy smile on her face.

  Kari was busy until she looked up to see Jake standing in the doorway. One look at his face told her that he wasn't pleased. "Come with me now, Kari," he said firmly.

  Chapter Eight

  "What's wrong, Jake?" Kari asked, getting to her feet.

  "Darles knows you work here," Jake said shortly.

  "But, how...?"

  "Let's go, honey. It isn't safe for you to be here right now," Jake's voice was stern, and Kari didn't argue with him.

  "I need to tell Mr. McCrady," she said quietly.

  "I already spoke to him, sweetheart. We're leaving right now." He took her arm and marched her out of the offices and Kari wanted to cry. She tried to hide the fact from Jacob, but he was too perceptive, at least where she was concerned. Once she was safely buckled in, he reached across the seat and took her hand. "I'm sorry, Kari. I know this is hard on you, and I blame myself."

  "Why? It's not your fault, and if you tell me that you started it all by dropping into my apartment, may I remind you that I might have died if you hadn't... and even worse than dying, my darling, would be not meeting you at all! I love you, and right now I'm acting like a big baby, feeling sorry for myself! I'm pouting!" she made a face, even as she reached into her handbag for the packet of tissues she kept inside. She took one out and dabbed at her eyes.

  Jake couldn't help chuckling, but he said, "I love you, too, sweetheart, and once this is all over, I'm going to take you on a real honeymoon."

  "Really?" Kari asked.

  "Really. Where would you like to go?" he asked of her.

  "I don't have a clue," she admitted.

  "I have a few places I don't want to go," he frowned. "Would you like to go to Paris... or Rome?"

  "No. I would rather do something right here in the States. There are so many wonderful places I've never been. I'd be perfectly happy with a cabin in the mountains, Jacob."

  "Which mountains?" he asked with a grin.

  "I don't care, just as long as I'm with you," she told him, meaning every word.

  "I'll surprise you, then," he said with a smile.

  "That will be fun," she nodded in satisfaction, and then asked, "Where are we going, Jake?"

  "Nevin and Kelly Wintrow own a farm; it was Kelly's grandparents' and she inherited it a couple years ago. No one is living in the house right now, and you are going to stay there with Kelly until I deal with this situation and put Darles behind bars."

  "How did you find out that he knew where I work?" she asked, and felt a twinge of fear when Jake's face reflected his outrage and anger.

  "He sent me a message." Jake wasn't about to tell Kari that the message was delivered via email, and contained an attachment of photos of her sitting at her desk working. Darles had someone in the next building shooting photos through the window... The camera could just as easily have been a gun! Jake was crazy with fear until he got to her office and pulled her out of there. Darles knew he was a cop... and that put the rest of his family in danger, too. He'd warned all of them to be especially careful, and insisted his sister come home from school. Jenna wasn't happy, but Jase went to bring her home, and if she didn't settle down and stay with Ma, Jake was going to put her over his knee and straighten her out fast... if Jase didn't beat him to it, and that was likely to happen if she cursed at him the way she did Jake when he called her to tell her to get packed up.

  "Jacob Tobias, do you remember a conversation we had about honesty and not keeping me in the dark for 'my own good'? I'm not a child, and you are hiding things from me..."

  He looked at her, and then nodded. "I just want to protect you, but you're right, sweetheart. You have a right to know what is going on, especially since it concerns you and your safety. That bastard Darles had pictures of you sitting at your desk working. They were taken this morning. He emailed them to me... along with the reminder that the camera could have been a gun. He wants you alive."

  "To sell me," she shuddered.

  "Or abuse you to hurt me," Jake said quietly. "I want you to be extremely careful, Kari. You need to mind Kelly,
and let her do her job. She'll keep you safe as long as you do what she says."

  "I'm not exactly helpless myself," Kari informed him. "I might not be a police officer, but Dad made sure I took some self-defense classes."

  "I hope it doesn't come down to that, sweetheart," Jake said. "I'm going to catch the bastard and put him away. I have enough evidence to make the charges stick, and we have a warrant for his arrest. All you need to do is stay out of sight. Can I trust you, sweetheart?" he asked meaningfully.

  "Implicitly," she nodded. "Don't even let your mind stray where it's going," she warned. "I do not need another spanking for any reason ever again!" she assured him, her voice emphatic.

  "Pretty sore, huh?" he asked sympathetically.

  "Oh yeah!" she admitted, her cheeks turning a bright pink with embarrassment.

  "That doesn't make me happy," he told her. "Do you believe that?" It was important to him that she not fear him, or think him an ogre.

  "Yes, I believe you, Jacob," Kari smiled. "I know you love me... a lot...!" she added with a giggle.

  "Yes, I do, and I will love you a lot more if you give Kelly any grief whatsoever, Mrs. Tobias," he warned, his voice soft and all the more threatening for the quiet intensity.

  "I will behave," Kari promised. "I am already sore enough to remind me I don't want another spanking ever!" She changed the subject. "How much farther do we have to drive?"

  "Another five minutes," he admitted.

  "Where are you going to be while I'm out here?" she asked, a bit frightened at the thought of being so far away from him.

  "Searching for Darles until I find him, sweetheart. I can't run the risk of staying out here at night; I could lead him to you."

  "Are you sure we're not being followed now?" she turned around in the seat to look out the back window for any sign of another vehicle.

  "I'm positive. This car was searched thoroughly for any kind of bugs," he told her. "I had the car watched from a distance while I was inside getting you. I've been watching, and we've taken a scenic route to get out here. I'm doing my best to outsmart Darles, sweetheart. I want you keep you safe," he said solemnly.

  "I hate the thought of being separated," Kari admitted, tears in her green eyes.

  "I hate it, too," he admitted, and the look he gave her was sad. "I promise that I'll find him, sweetheart, and we'll get our lives back. Mr. McCrady gave me his word that he won't fire you or replace you. He says you are a good worker and he values you and wants to keep you."

  "He said that?" she was pleased.

  "Yes, he did," Jake nodded. "He knows this isn't your fault, and he wants you to be safe. So, please try not to worry about work right now. Just try to relax, and enjoy spending some time with Kelly. She said she had some ideas to keep you both busy while you have so much time on your hands."

  "What about her husband and kids...? Surely she can't stay with me until this is all over...?" Kari protested. "That wouldn't be fair to her... or them!"

  "She asked for the assignment, and Nevin supported her. They're acting as friends, sweetheart, and I trust them implicitly with your safety."

  "I do, too," she agreed, and a couple minutes later they pulled into a long driveway. Two large dogs came running, barking and growling, until Kelly came outside and called them down.

  "Queenie, Midnight, come here," Kelly patted her leg and the two animals came to her, wagging their tails. "This is Kari. She's a friend." She looked at Kari and smiled reassuringly. "Hold out your hand, palm up, Kari, and let them smell you. They won't hurt you, and want to say 'hello'. You can pet them now and they'll be friendly. Most of all, they'll protect you if need be."

  Kari wasn't afraid of the dogs, and within seconds they were friends and the animals were in love with her. Kelly insisted that Jacob do the same, and the dogs fell in love with him, too, especially when he picked up a stick and threw it for them to chase. "It's a great idea to have the dogs here, Kelly," he told her. "Thank you for going out of your way for us."

  "You and Kari are friends," she said simply. "The dogs are Nevin's idea. He knows that no one will get close to the house with them here to guard us."

  "I feel better about that, too," he confessed. He then smiled at Kelly and asked, "As a friend who cares about you, do you have plenty of ammunition if you need it, Kelly?"

  "Yes. Nevin made sure I was well stocked," she replied, and she looked at Kari and gave her a barely perceptible nod, but Jake saw it and asked, "What?"

  "Kelly was telling me that she brought a weapon for me to use, too, if necessary," Kari immediately spoke up. "Now, don't look at me like that. I'm aware of what you think about civilians arming themselves, but I'm not a novice, Jake. Dad taught me self-defense, and that includes guns. Someday we'll go to a range and I'll show you, but Kelly trusts me to help out if need be, and don't worry, I won't shoot you or Nevin if you come in some night after dark."

  "You didn't have a gun in your apartment," Jake said.

  "Yes, I did. You just didn't know where to look, and it sure didn't do me any good where I had it, either," she confessed, and then admitted, "Darles and his men have it now, honey. It was taken when they trashed the place."

  Jake wasn't happy and it showed for one brief second until he forced it down. "We'll discuss a better way of keeping a gun once this is all over, sweetheart, and just for the record, I'm glad you couldn't get to your gun that day. I wouldn't have been expecting it, and one of us could have been injured or killed." He kissed her, hard. "Be careful, and listen to Kelly. Trust her instincts. Don't argue if she tells you to do something. Do it as if it was me telling you. Got that, sweetheart?" he asked gruffly, grasping her shoulders and giving her a single shake.

  "I give you my word I will do everything possible to keep us both safe," Kari promised, and then she grabbed his shoulders and tried to give him a little shake. "I want your word that you won't take any stupid risks with your safety, either, Jacob Tobias! I love you!"

  "I promise," he grinned at her, then leaned down to kiss her. He turned to Kelly, and gave her a hug. "You be careful, too, little one. Thank you for your help."

  They watched Jake drive down the long driveway and onto the road. Once he was out of sight, Kelly said, "Come on inside and I'll show you the house, Kari. I want you to memorize where everything is so that you could walk through here blindfolded. If something happens, we'll kill all the lights and have an advantage. Pretend that you are in school now. This house is old, and has lots of doors and little cubbyholes. And the floors are uneven in spots. Rooms added on, and at different levels. Just part of the charm, but dangerous in the dark if you don't remember."

  Kelly was a relentless teacher and Kari proved herself an apt pupil. She didn't complain, even when Kelly put a blindfold on her and made her navigate the house without any help at all. Kari passed with flying colors, and then hugged Kelly. "Thank you for believing in me and treating me as a competent person capable of helping in an emergency. That means so much to me, Kelly. I'm so grateful to have you here with me, although I feel guilty at taking you away from Nevin and the kids."

  "You're my friend, Kari. Even though I never ever want you to do it again, I was so touched when you came running outside when you thought I was in trouble. I don't think either of my sisters would have done that; they'd be too scared and afraid for themselves. You're special, Kari," she said emotionally. "Nevin thought it 'foolish but very brave,'" she imitated his deep voice, and then giggled. "I felt awful that you got into trouble with Jake because of me."

  "It wasn't your fault, Kelly; it was all mine. And, it was just the last straw with Jake for the day," Kari admitted. "I earned the spanking I got, and I know it was given with lots of love," she said, although her cheeks were pink.

  "He hated it, Kari. I could see the regret in his eyes; reminded me of Nevin when I've crossed that proverbial line."

  "I know of a third lady who has discovered her husband loves her enough to spank," Kari confided without mentioning any na
mes. "I'm beginning to believe there are lots of special husbands out there."

  "Maybe we should form a club to pass out frozen peas and sympathetic hugs," Kelly grinned, then reached for her gun when the dogs started barking like crazy. "Go and hide where I told you, Kari," she said firmly.

  Kari nodded and did as she was told. The farmhouse was very old, and one of the features was a secret hiding place that was used in case of Indian attack, and also has a place to hide runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. Now it was a safe place for her to hide while Kelly faced danger! Kari didn't want to remain hidden. She couldn't hear what was going on, but Kelly was back in less than ten minutes, a smile on her face. "Come on out, Kari. It was Mrs. Henderson from next door. She noticed the lights and decided to come and say hello. I've known her all my life. She brought us a loaf of freshly baked bread and it's still warm. You want some?"

  "Of course!" Kari promptly agreed. She followed Kelly to the kitchen, and once they were happily eating their snack, she said, "I hate hiding and leaving you alone to face whatever, Kelly. It just doesn't feel right to me."

  "I understand, but I want you to know that I expect you to do it anyway." She leveled her eyes on Kari. "I'll tattle if you don't listen!" That made both of them giggle.

  Kelly talked about her grandparents and spending time on the farm, and said that of all the grandkids, she was the one who loved it most, and that was why her Granddad left it to her, much to her surprise and her siblings and cousin's envy. "He gave them some money each, but made it clear the farm was mine because he trusted me to keep it as a farm, and leave it to a child or grandchild of mine who would do the same. He wants it to stay in our family as it has since it was built."

  "It's lovely, Kelly. Do you and Nevin plan to live here someday?"

  "No. Nevin likes to come out here on weekends, but he's a city boy and uncomfortable with the idea of living here. I'm okay with that. We hire the farming done, and maintain the house and use it to get away. The extra income helps a lot with the kids, and now..." she suddenly broke off.