“Jax?” Lainie was calling me. Thinking that I’d almost lost her sent me over the edge again. I stumbled into the cabin and saw her sitting up talking on the phone with Jordan. She turned and looked at me. “You okay, Jax?”
I dropped down beside her and pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down my face.
“I almost lost you.”
Jordan’s voice cut in. “Jax? I need to talk to you.” I picked up the phone and turned off the speaker mode. “I knew you could do it. You need to get her to an ER. Promise me, Jax.”
“I’ll take her right now. Love you, Jordan.” I heard traffic in the background. “Where are you? You shouldn’t be driving while you’re on the phone.” I walked out on the porch and stared off into the distance, trying to hide my emotions from Lainie.
“Don’t worry, I’m not driving.” I heard her cover the phone and talk to whoever was driving. I couldn’t make out what they are saying.
“Who’s there with you, Jordan?” I heard a voice telling her she needed to get off the phone, that the call could be traced. “What are you doing with Brent? Put me on speaker so I can talk to him.”
“Jax, everything is fine,” Brent said, “but you need to be careful. He went after Jordan this morning.”
“What? What do you mean he went after Jordan? Dammit, Brent, did he touch her?”
“No, she’s fine. She locked herself in a closet and called me. Luckily, I was in town. He must have heard me pull up because he was gone by the time I got in the house.”
I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to keep Lainie from seeing them shake.
“God, will this ever end? I hope he comes after me. I really need to hurt him.”
“Be extra careful, he may be able to track the signal from the cell phone you’re using. We are headed out of town and will ditch Jordan’s phone. Stay safe, Jax. I’ll call you on the next cell tomorrow.”
I pulled Lainie up and sat her on the couch.
“We need to get you to the nearest ER. I’ve got to make sure you’re okay.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there? I can see it in your face. Tell me.”
“He went after Jordan.”
“Is she okay? Oh my God, this is all my fault.”
I pulled her into my arms again when I saw the look of horror on her face.
“She’s okay. She’s with Brent.” My voice cracked. “He got to her in time.” I grabbed her coat and put it over her shoulders before I picked her up and carried her out to the Chevy. While I drove, I worked on ideas for our next move.
Lainie
My mind was racing. Jax tried to hide it from me, but I could see how terrified he was for Jordan. I was so thankful that Brent was able to get to her before Keith could do anything. I would never be able to forgive myself if he had hurt her.
I coughed, and Jax looked over at me as if I were going to keel over right there in the seat. With his anxiety about needles, it was a miracle he was able to inject the epinephrine that saved my life. Something was starting to go our way because the cell phones didn’t always work in the cabin and he was able to get through to Jordan. I took that as a good sign of things to come.
There was so much I wanted to say to Jax while we rode to the hospital, but I didn’t know where to start. He seemed to be deep in thought as well, so I turned on the radio for distraction. A country station would fit the bill so I turned it up. When the song ended, the DJ came on with the news headlines. I couldn’t believe it when he said that Jim Bradley’s Las Vegas home had been burned to the ground this afternoon. “What’s wrong, Jax?” I asked when he started grinding his teeth. “You think it was Keith, don’t you?”
“I gave Matt the code to Jim’s house this morning while I was in town. They were going to stay there tonight. Call Matt, Lainie.”
I dialed the phone and prayed that he would answer. My eyes started to fill with tears just as he answered, “Johnson.”
“Thank God! We just heard about Jim’s house. Were you and Mom there?” My hands were shaking, so scared that he was going to tell me that Mom was hurt.
“Yes, but we’re okay. We were out shopping when Keith set the fire.”
“How did he get there so fast? He was in Indianapolis this morning…”
“You okay, Elaine?” Matt asked. “Your voice sounds funny.”
I didn’t want to tell him about what just happened. Everything turned out all right, so there was no reason to worry him. “I’m just freaked out hearing about Jim’s house. I’m fine.”
“Stay safe. We love you. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
And then he was gone, hanging up before anyone could trace the call.
My entire body began to shake uncontrollably. How can we get away from him? How can this be happening? We were so careful. Now Jax’s sister and my Mom and Matt were in danger because of me. I would give myself up to Keith if I thought that it would end this.
By the time we arrived at the hospital, I was a mess and apparently in shock.
“I know you’re worried, baby, but Brent and Matt know what they’re doing.”
I managed to pull myself together long enough to walk into the ER. My mind raced as I watched Jax talk with the nurse at the window. They’re going to ask for my insurance information. Oh God, he’s going to find us.
He must have seen the fear on my face. “What’s wrong? Is it getting worse?”
“No,” I whispered, “they’re going to need my name.”
“All covered, I used a driver’s license from an undercover assignment and told them I was so panicked we left without your purse. I promised to bring your information in later.”
After Benedryl and some tests, they sent us on our way. The thought of Keith going after Jordan was playing out over and over in my mind, and I needed to get to my notebooks so I could write. That was one of the few things that could take my mind off this whole situation. I stared out the window, lost in thought.
The moon was shining down on us when we got back to the cabin, and Jax made me stay in the car with the doors locked while he checked out the inside. I walked into the house when he gave me the all-clear, picking up my notebook. Before I got to the bedroom door, he handed me his revolver, insisting that I keep it with me at all times. Keith was getting closer, and Jax became more worried as each day passed. I made sure the safety was on and put it in the waistband of my jeans. I hated the feel of it against my skin but knew it made him feel better if I had it on me.
The tears appeared as soon as I closed the bedroom door, silently running down my face. I stifled the sobs, not wanting Jax to hear me cry. After putting the gun on the nightstand, I sat on the bed and leaned against the wall as I found the next blank page in the notebook and began to write. The words seemed to show up on the pages at the same time as my thoughts. My hand moved faster as the tears slowed, transferring my frustration and feelings to the paper. I wrote about almost dying and how Jax saved me, despite his fear of needles. I explored how it felt when I saw the look on his face when he heard about Keith going after Jordan and then when he heard about Jim’s house fire.
I was scribbling away when Jax knocked and opened the door.
“You doing okay, baby?” He sat on the bed next to me.
I nodded yes as I wrote down one more thought and then closed the notebook, not wanting to show him what I was writing; it was too soon, too raw.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I just needed to get it all written down so I could stop thinking about what had happened every second. Putting pen to paper seems to help me push it down and get it out of the way until I think I can process it.”
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight.
“It’s late. Do you think you can sleep now? I don’t want Matt and Liz thinking I’m not taking care of you when they get here tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’m tired.” I stifled a yawn. “Maybe tomorrow will be the day that this all ends.”
Chapter 12
Jax
/> Lainie was sleeping against my chest with her hand curled up under her chin. She’d gone through so much in the last ten years since Keith destroyed her life and took her away from me. The waiting was wearing me down, and I was itching for this to be over so we could get on with our lives. At this point, I hoped that Keith found us soon so I could take care of him once and for all, preferably with a bullet between the eyes. Maybe seeing Matt and her mom would bring back Lainie’s smile. I haven’t seen it much the last few days.
She uncurled her hand and flattened it out on my chest. Her touch always sent a shock through my body like when someone touches you with static electricity. Lainie’s touch was magical to me.
“Morning, sweetheart,” I said as I kissed her forehead. “You ready for breakfast?”
After we had used all the hot water showering together, I filled the generator’s gas tank and made sure it was running smoothly. At the sound of a car coming up the drive, I hid until I saw who it was. It was Matt and Liz.
“Lainie, they’re here,” I yelled.
Liz jumped out of the truck as soon as it came to a stop. “Where’s Elaine, Jax?”
I gave her a quick hug and motioned to the front porch where Lainie was writing. She whispered in my ear, “Thank you for keeping her safe, Jackson.”
“Always,” I whispered back before she hurried toward the cabin.
While Liz walked away, I asked Matt if he was able to get a laptop. “It’s a little beat up, but it works fine. What did you want it for?” he asked as he picked up two suitcases and started to carry them into the cabin.
“It’s a present for Lainie. She’s been writing a journal about this whole screwed up mess, and she made a comment about wishing she had her laptop so she could put her thoughts in some kind of order. Writing about everything seems to be helping her deal with it.” I managed to get the laptop case into the house and under the couch without her seeing it. I’ll surprise her later.
Matt and Liz were out on the porch with Lainie, and I let them have some time alone. I pulled the cell phone out of my pocket and realized it was time to call Brent. The phone rang five or six times, and I was starting to get concerned when he finally answered. I let him have it. “What the hell, man? What took you so long to answer?”
I could hear the sleep in his voice. “Jax? Shit, is it ten already? We drove all night and finally stopped at five o’clock this morning to get a room.” I heard another voice, and it sounded as if they were in the bed next to him. “What is it? Did something happen?”
“Is my sister in bed with you?” Anger welled up in me as I tried to make sense of this. I knew women seemed to find Brent attractive, but my sister?
I had to stop and get myself back in control before I could say a word. “We will discuss this when you get here.” Wishing I were on an old-fashioned phone so I could slam it down, I hit end and threw it across the room where it hit the wall and fell to the floor in pieces. The pounding in my head increased as I thought about Jordan being in Brent’s bed. It was bad enough when she married Chad, but Brent was a good friend of mine. I figured he understood that Jordan was off limits. I ran my fingers through my hair and sat on the couch with my head in my hands.
“You okay, Jax?” Lainie was looking at me with fear in her eyes as she sat on the steamer trunk in front of the couch. God, Jackson, get a grip.
“Yeah.” I kissed her knuckles and pulled her to me and into my arms. “I just talked to Brent, and they should be here later today.” I could tell that she saw the anger in my eyes—time for a distraction. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” I reached under the couch and pulled out the laptop case just as Matt and Liz came back inside.
“What’s this?” she asked as I laid it on the trunk and started to unzip the case. I pulled out the laptop, and her eyes lit up. “I figured this would be easier to carry than all those notebooks,” I said. “I asked Matt to pick it up in Las Vegas.”
She threw herself at me and started kissing me all over my face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she exclaimed. “You are the best.”
Liz grabbed Matt’s hand and pulled him towards the kitchen as I kissed Lainie long and slow.
“Let’s give them a few minutes,” Liz said when they reached the kitchen table.
We finally come up for air when I heard Matt clear his throat.
“I think we need to have a talk, Jax,” Matt said as he pulled a couple of beers out of the fridge. “Let’s go out on the porch.”
Lainie and Liz sat at the table drinking coffee and talking. I smiled when I realized that this was probably the first time they’d been able to spend any time together since that night ten years ago.
Matt frowned. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Hopefully nothing.” He handed me a beer, and we sat on the glider and stared out over the river. “I think I know why Keith is still after Elaine...She must know something that will put him away for good, or else she has some evidence that she doesn’t realize she has.”
I stared out over the water wondering what it could be and thinking back to the day we ran. She left her purse in her car, only bringing what she was wearing and her cane. I remembered Lainie fiddling with her locket as we waited at the hospital, and just then it hit me. The locket was the only thing she had that she owned back in high school. “I think I know what it is!” I shouted as I got up and walked into the cabin and over to the table. “Lainie, can I see your necklace? I think I know why Keith is still after you.”
She pulled it over her head and handed it to me. “What does my necklace have to do with anything?” she asked.
“It may be the key to everything.” I opened it and found a picture of Liz and Lainie’s dad. She has his eyes. I carefully pulled the picture out and noticed a small strip of paper folded up behind it. After setting the necklace and the picture on the table, I unfolded the paper. There were two sets of numbers on it. My guess was a bank account number and password. If so, we should be able to trace any deposits and withdrawals back to their source once we find the account.
“What is it, hon?” Lainie asked. “Can we use it to put him away forever this time?” I showed her the paper and she got upset. “That’s my dad’s handwriting. Do you think Keith was behind the hit and run that killed him?”
“Maybe,” I answered. “If he knew your dad had this, it might also be why he got involved with your mom.”
I handed the paper to Matt. “It looks like a bank account and password to me. What do you think?”
Matt studied the numbers. “I think you’re right, Jax. I’ll call my partner and have him get started looking for this account so we can get a warrant.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Matt,” I said. “The more I think about it, the more I think Keith has someone in the FBI helping him. We should let Brent follow up on this. He wasn’t connected to this before I asked him to help us disappear.”
Matt frowned. “Maybe you’re right. Can you get in touch with him without giving away our location?”
We all turned at the sound of a car outside. “Baby, get in the bedroom,” I said. “You still have my gun?”
After getting confirmation of my question and making sure she went into the bedroom and shut the door, I walked over to the front door and opened it just enough to see who had arrived before I opened it the rest of the way. “About time you got here. We need to talk.” I was glad to see them safe but still not happy with Brent.
Jordan ran to me and pulled me into a hug before pulling back and looking me over. “You okay, Jax?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “Just a lot happening right now.” I hugged her tighter. If Keith had gotten to her, I would have never forgiven myself. At least Brent got that right. He was carrying their bags into the cabin. “I need to talk to Brent. Can you give us a few minutes?”
“Sure,” she said as I led her into the cabin.
“Brent,” I said through gritted teeth while trying to remain calm. “Outside. Now.”
/> I followed him out to the generator, staring holes in his back. When we got out of sight of the cabin, I lost control of my temper, punching him in the jaw after he turned around.
“Damn, you’ve got a hell of a right hook, J. I guess I deserved that.” Brent rubbed his jaw, making no move to retaliate. “Let me explain…,” he began.
“What the hell? My sister?” I shoved my hands in my pockets but changed my mind and hauled off and slugged him again. “How did my sister end up as your latest conquest?” I started pacing, not knowing how to get rid of the rush of adrenaline I got when I had punched him.
“She’s not the same as the others,” Brent said. “I didn’t set out to get her in my bed.” He stood tall with his arms crossed, not letting me intimidate him at all. “I’ve been attracted to Jordan for a long time.”
I stopped pacing and looked him in the eye, seeing that he was telling me the truth about this. “Why now? Jesus, you couldn’t have given me some warning?”
I’d never seen that expression on his face before. “When I got to her place after she called me, I found her curled up and shaking in the closet. She was terrified. It took me ten minutes to convince her that I was there to help.” He stopped, trying to find the right words to continue. “Do you know what Chad did to her?”
I started getting a sick feeling and wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what he had to say. I had my suspicions about Chad when she married him, but I kept them to myself.
“Tell me.”
“It started as all verbal but progressed to physical abuse. When he hit her, she left.” Matt grabbed my arm as I turned to go back to the cabin and find out why she never told me about any of this. “Calm down, J. You can’t let her know I told you.”
“You lay something on me like that and expect me to keep it to myself?” I asked as I continued pacing and grinding my teeth. “He’s lucky I don’t have time to go after him right now.” My hands were clenched so hard that my knuckles were white. It had taken a couple of minutes before I calmed down, but Brent had told me this for a reason. “So, what does the fact that Chad is slime have to do with you sleeping with my sister?”
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