by Sarah Gay
She clomped through the snow, picked up the box, and quickly unwrapped it to find a small velvet jewelry box inside the larger one. With a nervous inhale, she slowly opened the jewelry box. Diamond solitaire earrings sparkled in the waning sunlight. She held them to her chest. “I love them!” she shouted out to Dax, wherever he was hiding, and quickly placed them in her ears.
Her phone vibrated. Dax’s message read, Not from me.
Julia froze, fear paralyzing every muscle in her body.
She received a second message, Call 911 and run. I’m coming.
Her fingers fumbled to dial emergency services. She attempted to steady her shaking hands as a shadow moved along the edge of the barn. She spoke into her phone frantically, taking her first quivering leaps toward home, “Call 911.”
It rang three times before her phone went quiet. She had lost reception. Out of the corner of her eye, a figure cloaked in black ran after her in long, determined strides, progressing from the side of the barn in a diagonal line. She could run and jump across the river to lose him, but she needed to stay in the path of people. The more populated the better, but she hadn’t seen anyone during her entire run. Her feet stumbled, but she recovered. She cast a sideways glance, locking eyes with Walter. His icy blue, lurid eyes caused the blood in her veins to run cold. Her tired legs betrayed her. She gasped as he closed the gap between them.
All her mind could process was that Walter would catch up to her, and she would die. The jewelry. The other victims. No! she screamed to herself. Dax knew where she was, and he was on his way. She had to fight until Dax could reach her.
His footsteps were right behind her. Walter’s sickening breath reached her neck, she planted her feet to stop herself and threw an elbow back. Move into the punch, her mind echoed Dax’s voice, embrace the element of surprise. Walter let out a low moan as her elbow sank into his gut. She jumped, lifting her feet momentarily, allowing his forward motion to carry her without tripping under his weight. His arms wrapped around her chest and squeezed, taking her breath and threatening to crack her ribs.
“I’ve waited so long to hold you in my arms.” He ran his tongue from the tip of her ear down to the bottom of her earlobe, then bit her lower lobe, his braces scratching the diamond earring like nails trailing down a chalkboard. She writhed her legs as he lifted her up and pulled her off the trail toward the barn.
Julia’s stomach cramped as Walter’s hand slid down to her waist and pulled at her shirt, his cold fingers pressing into her skin. “You touch me,” she warned through clenched teeth, “and Dax will tear you apart.”
He released a heinous laugh. “Your pretty boy will take the fall for your murder. He was so worried about your house being alarmed, when what he should have been worried about was his own. Want to know the beauty of this?”
“You’re sick,” she spat out, wiggling to free herself.
“You’re right. I am sick, but in a few minutes, you’ll make me better.” He licked the side of her face. “When your pretty boy is out searching for you tonight, I’ll be burying you in his backyard.” He tightened his grip. “I’ve already planted evidence in his house, the blond wig with strands of his hair mixed in and a few empty bottles of red spray paint. Isn’t that poetic?”
The lack of circulation caused her arms to tingle. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“Yes, I will. I already have. And after I’m finished with you, I think Abi could use a new pearl necklace.”
Anger fueled Julia’s spirit and cleared her mind. She held tight to Walter’s arms for leverage as she drove her ice cleats into his toes. He howled in pain as he released his hold, allowing her time to thrust her elbow into his groin with force. He gave a yelp and bent forward. Her mind shot back to Dax’s voice, Foot, Crotch, Eyes.
Julia thrust her hand into the side pocket of her running pants and retrieved a handful of pink peppercorns. She ground them into her palm, lifted her hand, then shoved the pepper flakes up into his face. With an open hand, she rubbed the flakes into his nose and stabbed his eyes with her sharp fingernails.
Walter wheezed, flailing his arms and reaching for the air in front of him as he stumbled to one side. Now completely free from his captivity, Julia lunged away from him, but, before she cleared sufficient distance, he drove his shoulder into her legs, pushing her down into the gritty snow with him. In one fluid movement, she spun on top of him, wrapped her legs around his, maneuvered his arm behind her shoulders, and arched her body onto his—executing the same guillotine pin she had utilized on Dax. She clamped her hands together around his neck and strained his head into a choke hold.
“Bravo,” he laughed out. “But this just makes the kill all the more thrilling.”
“Why wait for Dax?” She tightened her grip, restricting his air supply. “I’m going to kill you myself. We’ll call it justice for those women you murdered.”
He labored a breath. “You’ll get tired soon, and then I’m going to enjoy making you beg for mercy.”
Julia wouldn’t allow this murderer to touch another woman ever again. Walter had no comprehension of her resolve and endurance. Her determination would win over his. She prayed for the strength to hold the evil monster.
With the braking of tires on ice and slush, her prayer was answered before her next breath. Julia craned her neck to catch a limited view of the road. Dax and Blue jumped from Blue’s truck and ran toward her. A police car approached with flashing lights, with additional sirens blaring in the distance. It was over. With Dax in sight, Julia’s strength waned and her grip on Walter slackened.
Walter threw his head back into Julia’s face, causing the bones in her nose to crackle. Her face warmed before the snow was painted red with a torrent of her hot blood.
“Thank you!” Dax shouted up to heaven as they approached the barn to find Julia wrestling on the cold earth with her attacker. He had found her alive. Dax jumped from the truck and began his sprint to Julia as Blue’s car skidded to a stop.
Julia appeared in control of the fight, giving Dax comfort and an intense sense of pride.
Noticing Julia relax at his approach, Dax kicked up his speed. He couldn’t let this guy gain control over Julia and use her as a hostage. The attacker threw his head back into Julia’s face, shuffled to his feet, and ran toward the barn before Dax could reach him.
Dax couldn’t stop at Julia’s side and allow her attacker to get away. He most likely had a car stashed behind the barn with an alternate escape route—a road that didn’t connect to the one they had come in on, which could make it difficult to catch up to him.
“I’ve got him!” Dax yelled as he ran past her, his eyes focused forward on her attacker. “Blue, use that arm and nail him in the head!”
Blue advanced to Dax’s side and scooped up a ball of snow. “My pleasure.” He took a raging step forward, followed by two shorter steps, then hurled the snowball in the air.
The ball of ice punched the fleeing attacker in the back of the head, causing him to stumble and slow.
“Again!” Dax yelled.
Within moments, a second snowball cracked the side of the attacker’s face, allowing time for Dax to catch up to him. “Blue, help Julia.”
Police guns were close, but Dax needed assurance this guy didn’t get away. He would secure Julia’s attacker with good old-fashioned, hand-to-hand vengeance.
As Dax approached the barn, he noticed a car idling behind a row of bushes. He couldn’t wait any longer. With a few long strides, Dax propelled himself forward, closing the distance between them. He jumped, extended his arms, and grabbed around the perp’s waist, tackling him to the ground.
Dax pulled at the perp’s lower lip and chin, twisting the creep’s head to the side and squeezing the air from his lungs. The perp thrashed his legs until Dax was able to gain control of them. Dax punched the guy in the face with his free hand, his other hand yanking the perp’s chin.
Dax released a second punch to creep’s nose. “This is for J
ulia, scumbag.”
“Walter. You’ll cry out that name when you take your last breath.”
“Walter,” Dax spit out. “I had a man on you.”
“You mean the guy in my trunk who I’m going to bury in your yard.”
Dax’s stomach turned. Did Walter really murder the private investigator Dax had hired? In Dax’s moment of surprise, Walter wiggled out of the hold and jumped up. Dax’s anger returned with vengeance as he leapt up and punched Walter in the face with a backfist as a distraction before throwing himself into a circle to gain momentum. Dax followed through, punching Walter’s temple using a spinning hammer maneuver.
Walter stumbled to the side. Dax would finish this guy off with his signature combination. He lifted his leg, sending a roundhouse kick through Walter’s gut and clobbered him with a straight punch to the face, causing Walter to crumple forward. Dax grabbed Walter’s head and held it in place as he brought up a knee, thrusting it through the murderer’s jaw. The bones in Walter’s jaw crunched and popped before he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Dax pulled Walter’s hands behind his back and drove a knee into his spine, assuring that if he came to, he wouldn’t go anywhere. The police were at his side the moment Dax knelt into the Walter’s back.
“He’s all yours,” Dax said with relief as he stepped away from the motionless body. “With perhaps a few less brain cells.”
“Not bad for a needle fairy,” one of the officers joked, as he turned the attacker on his side and checked for a pulse.
He would normally enjoy that type of banter. Other emergency services, like law enforcement and hospital paramedics, had a beef with firemen for being chick magnets and being able to sleep while on duty. Who could blame their jealousy? How many buff ambulance drivers or cops could be found bare-chested and oiled up in a benefit calendar? But he’d leave the playful banter for another day.
Dax cocked an eyebrow as he ran over to the running car. “Good thing I left the cleanup for the glory hunters.”
Another officer scratched his chin. “Yeah, you must be tired. It might be a good time for you to curl up and take a nap.”
Dax popped the trunk from the driver’s seat then ran to the back of the car to find a man tied and gagged but wiggling around. It was a miracle he hadn’t passed out from the exhaust. The officers had the private investigator untied within moments.
Sirens from his beloved fire engine screamed up the road. Dax needed to get back to Julia. He gave a nod before sprinting away.
Julia sat on the steps of the fire engine, holding a saturated gauze to her nose. Every Engine 2, B-shift firefighter and most of the police officers surrounded her as she gave a play by play of the incident to the police investigator and the other mesmerized men.
The police officer who had pulled them over came to Dax’s side as he rushed to the fire engine. “I tried to take her to the hospital to get her nose checked out but she’s refusing.”
“Sounds like Julia.” Dax shook his head. “She knows her own mind.”
“But it could be broken,” he argued.
“I’ll get her into an ENT within the next day or two. We’ve got some time, but thanks for your help, officer?”
“Ketchim.” He held out his hand. “Remember our deal?”
Dax shook the officer’s hand. “Absolutely.” A mischievous smile split his lips. “Hey, tell all your guys thanks for your help today. Can we catch a lift? I want to send you back to your sub-station with a token of my thanks.”
“Will Julia be with us?”
Dax nodded. “I’ll even find out if she cares about me or not. It’ll be the perfect opportunity to set the two of you up if she dogs me.” And the perfect opportunity for me to get back at you for even thinking about dating her.
Officer Ketchim’s eyes filled with hope.
When they reached the fire engine, Dax pushed his way through the entranced men and scooped Julia into his arms, interrupting her midsentence. “Can that wait? I’ve heard the woman I love is refusing medical treatment, and I thought I’d take a closer look.”
“Dax!” Julia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his birthmark as her warm tears trickled down his skin. “You love me?”
His chest nearly burst with joy. “I’ll love you till the day I die if you’ll let me. I just have one question for you.”
Julia’s chest warmed, her heart threatening to explode from the firestorm of shooting sparks Dax created. Could this be the moment that would determine her future? She fluttered her lips over his, savoring every moment his warm lips delicately folded over hers. “What question?”
“Will you date a fireman?” he teased.
Her heart dropped. He was joking with her. She would play along, but only momentarily to prove her point. “No. I don’t date firefighters.” But it was no longer time to toy around. She had found the man she wanted. The man she needed. When he had plowed up the road in that truck then sprinted to rescue her, she knew in that moment exactly what she wanted—what she needed. And she couldn’t play this one off. To keep it inside and ignore her need would be worthy of capital punishment. But if he wasn’t ready to completely commit to her, it would castigate her heart as if she had been sentenced.
Dax released a defeated sigh. He had received her response as a rejection. She took in a deep breath to stay her nerves as her hands found the back of his neck. She knitted her fingers together, weaving them into his hair as she pulled his face back down to hers. She kissed him deeply. “But I never said I wouldn’t marry one.”
Dax’s face lit like the midday sun as he spun her in rapid circles. He threw his head back and shouted a resounding woot.
“Dax, I not only want you.” She cupped his face in her hands. “I love and need you.”
“Good thing. Because you got me.” He gently placed her onto her feet. “Whether you want me or not. No one else will ever come near you.” Dax turned his attention to a police officer kicking at a mound of snow as the officer made his way to his patrol car.
Julia recognized the police officer as Officer Ketchim, a well-respected officer she recalled working with in the past.
“Wait!” Dax shouted to Officer Ketchim as he entered his patrol car. “We still need a ride.”
The officer motioned them over with a reluctant wave of his arm and a grunt.
Julia never thought she would find herself in the back seat of a patrol car, but here she was, and deliriously happy. Although, her delirium may have been caused by that hit to her head. How could she be happy and still be in so much pain? Her entire face throbbed. The paramedic offered her a morphine drip to combat the pain, but she hated pain meds. She would be a ghastly sight at her birthday party that evening, but it was more than worth the pain to incarcerate that creep.
She sighed back into her seat. “Can you believe we caught him?”
Dax ran his fingers down her arm. “You did all the hard work. We just happened to show up at the end.” He kissed her forehead. “You kicked butt today.”
“Maybe, but I couldn’t have done it without you. Dax, I need you. And…” She drew in a breath. “I love you.”
Dax kissed her deep, yet cautious. She melted at the care he took in avoiding her injured nose. His kisses sent swirling sparks through her body—like the howling fireworks that spin, sparkle, and pop; and like those fireworks on the Fourth of July which light the night’s sky, his fire lit the profound corners of her soul.
Officer Ketchim cleared his throat.
Dax released her and motioned to the perturbed officer.
“And thank you Officer Ketchim.” Julia winked at Dax as she offered her earnest appreciation for the officer’s help. “I understand you were vital in locating me and my assailant. I would not be here right now without your assistance.”
The officer sat taller in his seat.
Dax winked back at Julia. “Watch this,” he whispered to her. “Officer Ketchim, could you turn left up here and turn into that gas station?
”
Julia stifled a laugh as Dax jumped from the patrol car and ran through the parking lot to the adjacent building where he entered a Dunkin’ Donuts. And this is the life she would be blessed to share with her handsome trophy husband; a life of triumphs, adventures, and laughs. Dax came into her life to bring her joy and teach her a lesson.
14
Julia stood on her back porch, staring inside at her friends and family. A cool breeze ruffled her hair and cascaded down her arm, resulting in a full body shiver. No matter, she could handle the cold if it meant this moment would be burned into her mind and soul forever.
Abi had been planning Julia’s party for months with the hope that it would leave a lasting mark on her memory. Julia’s twenty-eighth birthday proved to be a day she’d never forget, nor did she want to forget it. All the people she loved were here to celebrate her life with her—a life she nearly lost today. Her parents and Abi were in there, along with Dax’s crew and their significant others; Carl, the public prosecutor and his wife; friends from high school, college, law school; all amazing people she had grown to love and appreciate. These were people who buoyed her up and enriched her life.
“Julia?” Abi opened the glass door and wrinkled her forehead. “You okay?” she questioned with concern, placing an arm around her. “Everyone’s looking for you.”
“I’m fabulous. Just needed a minute to soak in all this excitement.”
“When you say excitement, do you mean kicking that guy’s heinie? Or your new diamond earrings?”
“Those earrings are now at the police department being processed as evidence.” Julia shook her head as they stepped back inside. “Turns out Walter’s family owns a pawn shop. No new jewelry for me today and I’m good with that.”
“I’m not.” Dax stepped forward, bending down onto one knee and extending his arm out, his fingers holding out a solitaire ruby ring.
