“But you have lost me, John,” she said, making sure to keep an eye on him and what was happening downstairs. Cat was on the phone.
“No!” he shouted, slamming his fist into the wall. Plaster scattered at their feet, but it didn’t faze him. “I refuse to lose you! I won’t let you go! Just come home with me, please. I promise everything will be okay. I love you.”
“You don’t love me.” Her words were true. She knew it. He knew it. He may have thought he loved her, but he needed a reality check. This was it.
“That’s not true,” he said, shaking his head as he pointed a finger at her. “Everything was okay with us until that punk came into town. Tell me how I’m supposed to deal with that. The thought of losing you makes me crazy, and he’s going to take what’s mine.”
Before he had a chance to grab her, heavy footsteps landed on the front porch. Police stomped in, K-9 unit in tow.
“Freeze!” an officer with his weapon drawn shouted, laser point focused on John’s chest.
With the cops taking control, Jenna let out the breath she had been holding since John’s attempt to grab her.
Everything happened in a blur. More cops hustled in, surrounded John on the stairs, and took him down. Only when he was handcuffed Jenna felt safe, but she knew it would only be short-lived.
Chapter 17
Seeing a closed sign in the window of the diner made Ian’s stomach turn. He knew something wasn’t right. There wasn’t a day this diner would be closed unless an emergency came up and caused the owner to not show up. A part of him wondered if it had anything to do with Jenna. The thought of something happening to her wracked his nerves and caused panic. He had no idea where she lived, and no clue where Cat lived either.
Todd sat in the passenger seat, glancing over at Ian while Ian paced through his thoughts and worry. “What are you thinkin’, boy?”
“Something isn’t right,” he said, pointing to the diner’s closed sign. “This place never closes, does it?”
“Once in a blue moon,” Todd said in a grunt, confused as to where Ian’s worry was coming from. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Something came up, and I want to make sure it doesn’t involve Jenna.” His gut instinct was hardly ever wrong. When it was, it was over something minor, nothing like this where life and death was concerned. “Not knowing if she’s okay is going to drive me crazy.”
“Then let’s go find out what’s going on,” Todd said, waving a hand out the window, swishing his smoke from the cab of Ian’s truck.
“Where do you suppose we start? I don’t trust myself going straight to Jenna’s.” The shit-eating grin on his face covered up the true emotion he felt. The constant nagging of his conscience. He knew Jenna needed him. Something deep down wouldn’t let the thought rest.
“Let’s head to Cat’s,” Todd said, flicking the butt of his cigarette out the window. “You’re going to want to take a left at the end of the block and head north about three blocks.”
Ian followed the old man’s directions. G2 leaned his body against Ian, a sign he knew of Ian’s unease.
“It’s all right, boy,” he said, scratching the dog behind his ears.
G2 offered a nudge of his nose in return.
“Right up here on the left is her place,” Todd said, his gruff voice slightly muffled by the rumble of the engine. “Pull in right behind her beetle.”
The woman had quite the personality at the diner, but to see it shine brightly outside of the diner was something Ian couldn’t help smirk at. Her bright yellow beetle sat parked close to the garage door, an inch from touching.
Shifting the truck into park, he killed the engine and couldn’t calm the nerves wracking inside of him. The thought of something bad happening had been on his mind a lot lately, and he would kill a man if Jenna…
“You coming?” Todd called out to him, standing on the porch ready to knock. Standing in front of his truck, Ian cleared his mind of the negative and climbed the porch steps.
Todd gave a couple of subtle knocks on the oak door and stepped back. Catching a glimpse, Ian realized the old man might actually be sober. The usual glassy look in his eyes was gone. There was a clear reflection of their surroundings.
A chain unlocked behind the closed door, followed by the creak of the door as Cat opened it and peeked out. No sooner than she saw it was them, she opened the door wide, ushering them in quickly. A rush unnatural for Cat.
“I’m so glad you guys are here,” she said, her voice just above a hushed whisper. A look of relief washed over her face as they followed her into the living room.
Ian glanced around the house as she guided them through the entryway. Pictures of what appeared to be her kids, or possibly some other relation, lined the walls, crowding every inch of free wall space.
“I just got her settled and comfortable,” Cat said, showcasing the spot she had prepared for Jenna, who was now sleeping in a fetal position, holding tight to the quilt covering her. Ian’s heart stopped when he saw the fresh marks on her face. The swelling of her cheek and top lip could be seen from the doorway they were standing in—more than ten feet from her. That son of a bitch did it again.
“She came here yesterday,” Cat explained, offering the two of them a glass of water. “I had no choice but to take her in. I feel so sorry for her. I’m not sure how she’s managed to put up with that sick bastard for as long as she has.”
If he had a say in the matter, he would take Jenna to his rental house and hide her out there.
“He came here last night,” Cat said, offering them to sit on a nearby couch. When she turned her face to look back at Jenna, Ian caught a glimpse of a shiner on her cheekbone. Turning back to the guys, Cat slid into the chair next to them. “It caught us off guard.”
Tears slid down her cheeks as she told them the events of the night. Jenna hadn’t hidden her car in the garage. That’s how he found the house. There was no doubt in Ian’s mind the sadistic fuck had been following Jenna around town, watching her every move.
“If only I had told her to park her car in my garage,” Cat said, her voice trailing off in emotional trembles of her lips.
Todd reached over and offered her a gentle, reassuring squeeze of her hand.
“I felt so helpless. He was at the door and inside in a matter of seconds. The strength he used to get through the door… and the look on her face when he flew up the stairs at her...”
The scene Cat was creating with her words was blotchy, and Ian couldn’t wrap his head around most of it, but he knew that whatever they went through last night was enough to traumatize two women and that pissed him off.
“He’s lucky the cops got to him first, but I don’t think that’ll stop him. He’ll be out before too much longer.”
The justice system was a nice thing to have, but it failed too many times to count on one hand. Everyone knew the repercussions of breaking the law in this small town were hardly enough to break a person, let alone stop them from acting out again.
“I couldn’t leave her here alone just to tend to the diner, so I had no choice but to keep it closed for the day, or however long she needs me.”
Ian nodded, understanding the thought process behind Cat’s decision. Cat would no longer have to worry about the diner being closed if he had a say in it. He was going to offer to take Jenna to his place. He wouldn’t leave without her.
Jenna stirred on the couch and they watched her in silence. The anger he felt dissipated while watching her wake from a deep sleep. Her hair fell gently against her face, causing an envy deep inside of him. His fingers itched to reach out and touch her face, to allow himself the feel of her bruised skin, to make everything bad disappear for her.
Blinking her eyes open, she focused on him as she came to, slowly sitting up as she pulled the quilt closer to her chest. He wanted nothing more than to take her away from here and keep her safe from the monster capable of shattering the innocently sweet woman he remembered most.
“What’s going on?” she asked, confusion prevalent on her face. “Is he out? Why are you guys here?”
Panic crossed her face and Ian couldn’t bear the feeling it stirred inside of him. He wanted nothing more than to take care of her and protect her. He wanted nothing more than to prove to her she had nothing to fear anymore. But until that piece of shit was out of her life for good, he couldn’t promise her what he wanted to. He could only promise her he’d never leave her. He’d protect her until his last breath.
“No, sweetie, he’s not out,” Cat reassured her. “He’ll be in there for some time.”
Jenna’s face flushed with frustration and tears. Ian walked to her section of the couch and sat down next to her. Regardless if she wanted him to or not, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his chest. Placing a kiss against the top of her head, he took a few seconds to breathe in her scent. She always managed to smell good, with a hint of lavender.
Her sniffles were muffled by his shirt as he held her tight against him. He refused to let her go. She would have to push him away and a part of him wanted to believe that would never happen. No matter how bad he had hurt her by leaving, he was here now and he would do whatever it took to make it up to her.
“I’m not sure I want to press charges against him,” she whispered only loud enough for Ian to hear. His words caught as he bit his tongue. The choice to press charges was hers, and if she wasn’t willing to press charges, there was nothing keeping John from her. “He’ll find a way out of it, Ian.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, trying his hardest to find the right words and not mess this up. “He won’t be able to get out of what he did to you. And Cat.”
He tossed a quick glance back at Cat to make sure she was in agreeance with what he was saying. There was no way John would be able to get out of the assault charges, along with several other charges—it didn’t stop there, he was sure. The list went on and on. Whether or not the system would follow up was another question and doubt on its own. For right now, his only worry was Jenna being safe.
“He’s a lawyer, Ian,” she whispered, her voice frail and tired. “He’ll know all the right words to say. The right things to do. Hell, he’s probably friends with half of them, including the judge.”
Ian refused to believe this town was crooked enough to believe and side with a manipulative abusive piece of shit. “I don’t think this town would be stupid enough to believe him.”
The shrug she offered in response to his assumption gutted him. Her doubt was deep and it was understandable.
“He’ll be out soon and he’ll know where to find me,” she said, the emotion in her voice raw. “He’ll find me because I have nowhere else to go.”
Her parents crossed his mind. When they were growing up, her parents had welcomed him with open arms. He had no choice but to wonder why she wouldn’t go back home…unless—no, they couldn’t have passed away, because he would have heard about it. He’d been keeping tabs on this town for a while now. It was the whole reason he made it out of Iraq.
“What do you want to do?” he asked, keeping the ball in her court. This was her situation to deal with. He was only there for support, and the last thing he wanted to do was take full control away from her like that bastard had done the last however many months Jekyll had been present.
“I’m not sure,” she said, pressing herself closer, snuggling deeper into his shirt. “I have no idea what to do.”
“Nothing has to be decided on right this moment,” Cat said, offering a sympathetic smile at Jenna while handing her a glass of water. “But I have no doubt in my mind that we should press charges. Honestly, I’m left with no other choice. He broke through my door and assaulted us. There’s hell to pay and the debt is his.”
Cat’s anger, mixed with his, would be enough to get the ball rolling on pressing charges and making that coward own up to what he did. But first, he needed to make sure Jenna was taken care of.
“Jenna,” he said, pushing her gently away from his chest in order to look into her eyes. “I want you to be safe and taken care of.”
She nodded. Half asleep and half exhausted, she tried her hardest to offer him a smile. He could see the corners of her lips curl.
“I want you to come with me.”
The hesitance in the silence was not what he was expecting. For some reason, he was expecting her to press back into his chest and accept his offer. Instead, a painful expression pressed against her face and with it a mix of emotions. He should have known this wouldn’t have been as easy as he was hoping it would be.
“I don’t know if I can, Ian,” she whispered, fighting back tears as they welled in her eyes.
Chapter 18
The look on his face when she said those words was nothing she’d ever seen before. Maybe he didn’t believe she meant them, but she did. She had to stay away from him. Not just because of John, but for her too. There was so much past between them, she couldn’t trust herself around him.
Sure, there was a lot of making up to do, but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with that right now. She needed to focus on her own problems with John at the moment. She couldn’t be in a different headspace when John was released from jail, which would be soon. Sooner than later. For all she knew, he might already be out, prowling the streets, waiting for the right time to make his next move. The thought scared her enough to want to run into Ian’s arms and leave with him, but she needed to stand up and deal with this the best she could on her own. Of course, with the help of Cat, she wouldn’t be alone.
The minutes ticked by on the clock as they stood in silence, waiting for the other to move first. When she didn’t budge, Ian nodded and waved for Todd to follow him out the door. Before leaving Cat’s, he turned to face her one last time. “You know where I’m at. My door’s always open.”
She slowly nodded, fighting back tears. She knew leaving John would have been tough but standing here watching Ian walk out the door yet again tugged at her heart.
“Ian,” she called out. Before she thought twice, she was chasing after him onto the front porch. “Wait.”
He stopped, turning to face her once again with a pissed expression he was failing to hide. “Yeah?”
Without words, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. Holding him for a minute, she whispered, “Thank you.” Followed by a silent, “I’m sorry.”
“Just come with me, Jen,” he said, holding on tight to her hand, refusing to let go as time stood still. “Please?”
Tears welled. Refusing his offer, she shook her head. “Ian, I can’t. Involving you in this mess isn’t what I want to do.”
Ian pulled her closer, the scent of his Old Spice cologne strong as she pressed into his chest. “This mess wouldn’t be happening if it hadn’t been for me. Let me help you, please?”
Pulling back from him, she offered a sympathetic look of frustration mixed with fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the diner. For breakfast?”
She tried to offer a smile, a way for her to ease the seriousness of the situation. His anger was apparent on his face, but she had to stand her ground. It was too dangerous to involve him. She knew what would happen if John came around and she was with Ian. An ugly situation would become a bloodbath. The last thing she wanted to have was Ian put in that kind of situation. It wasn’t worth it.
She would be okay. She could take care of this herself. For right now, she needed to get back to normal, or as close to normal as she possibly could while she had time.
Taking today off had been Cat’s idea, a good one, but she was ready to get back to work and distract herself from this crap.
Chapter 19
There was nothing he could do. It wasn’t like he could force her into his truck and drive her to his place. Kidnapping was against the law. Whether she would see it as kidnapping or not, it was still wrong. She said no, and he had no right to disrespect her wishes. He would have to
wait it out and be on standby. There was no way he would sit back and watch something awful happen. He would step in and do whatever it took to keep her safe.
“What’s the plan now, boss?” Todd said, flicking his lighter and inhaling a long drag off his cigarette. A large gray cloud of smoke filled the cab of the truck before making an exit out the window. “She’s pretty adamant on staying there at Cat’s. You think that’s a good idea?”
Ian gripped the steering wheel. His knuckles turned white, mirroring his frustration. When the plan sounded lined up and almost perfect, she had the last say, and she sure let it be known. He shrugged off the thoughts and glanced at Todd. “I’ve got no choice but to respect what she says. She’s a strong woman who knows what’s best for her. I can only stay on standby and wait for her to need me.”
“Somethin’ about those strong women, huh?” Todd said, chuckling to himself. Of course the old man had an opinion on strong women. He was once married to one, and that hadn’t worked out the best for either of them.
Ian laughed at the thought. “Yeah, they drive you crazy, but at the end of the day, you love ’em a whole helluva lot.”
“You can say that again,” the old man said, taking another long drag off his cigarette while scratching the dog behind his ears.
“So you do love her?” Todd said, muffling his laugh into the crook of his arm as he hacked up part of a lung. Ian knew that wouldn’t go undetected for long.
“Yeah, I guess I do.”
There was no sense in denying it. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning to have breakfast and see her again, but for now, they had plenty of stuff needing done at the rental and he was still pushing the two-week rule, regardless of what was going down around this small ass town.
Saving Jenna Page 9
