by Sam Destiny
“Keep coloring, buddy,” Jam ordered, tousling his son’s hair. Luckily, Lesso didn’t even look up while Jam moved, so he stood, hiding their boy from Collene’s view.
“I’m out vacationing for a few weeks and bam, look who shows up. With my kid!” She lowered her sunglasses while walking closer, dragging luggage behind her.
“Collene, hey,” Jam greeted her, wondering which was the best cause of action. He had no idea if assaulting her would keep her away from Alessandro or if playing nice would do the trick.
“How about a kiss as a welcome, lover boy?” she inquired, and Jam’s insides churned.
“He loves my mom,” Lesso injected, and Jam looked up to the ceiling, wondering if someone up there tried to punish him for something.
“I am your mom,” Collene protested, moving so she had a visual on the boy they were talking about.
Jam felt how Lesso took a spot next to him, grabbing his father’s hand.
“Alessia is my mom,” his son stated, his voice hard, his expression the same.
“I carried you and then you were taken from me,” Collene gave back, and Jam wondered if she realized that she was discussing with a ten-year-old. He did notice the way her eyes glazed over with anger though at the mentioning of Aly’s name.
“People in town say I was saved from you.” Shocked, Jam stared at his son. He couldn’t believe someone in town had been brave enough to say that to the little boy. “Grandma says my mom … Alessia was my salvation.”
“You don’t even know what that means,” Collene hissed, leaving her luggage behind as she came closer.
“Grandma said it meant I couldn’t swim and was in water I couldn’t stand in, and Mom taught me how to swim so I wouldn’t die.” Jam wanted Alessandro to stay quiet, but the fight in his son was obvious. He had not the slightest idea what Collene could do, and if Jam had any say in it, that wouldn’t ever change.
“That's not what salvation means.” Collene’s eyes went from the little boy to Jam, and it was the best thing Jam could wish for. “Salvation means you are close to dying and someone comes to rescue you. There’s no salvation for people like you and your father, Zack.”
“Wrong, Collene. He has been saved before, and I don’t care what you’ll do, touching my son is not an option.” Her face froze, and Jam realized that this was probably the harshest he had ever spoken to her.
“Dad, can we just go?” Alessandro finally seemed to pick up on Collene’s aggressive mood, and it was good that his instincts told him to run.
“You can go. I need to talk to that woman for a few more minutes,” Jam replied, kneeling down to tell his son good-bye properly. His stomach felt heavy as if his whole body knew something that his mind hadn’t realized yet.
“Come with me, Dad,” Lesso pleaded, wrapping his small arms around Jam’s neck.
“Don’t cry,” Jam whispered. He didn’t mind, but he knew it would cause Collene to be even more of a bitch. She had a thing about tears. They turned her on, gave her a feeling of power. She had a hard time letting her victim go once she spotted the first tears. “Go, and don’t come back. If you meet someone, tell them you got lost and you need to find Greg Rhyme. You know your uncle. That’s who you are looking for.” He said it so quiet; he hoped that Collene wasn’t able to hear him. “If I say go, you need to start running.” Lesso nodded slightly against his shoulder, and Jam prepared mentally for keeping Collene’s attention on him when his son was torn from his side.
“Stop the whispering, you pussies.” Jam cringed at her words. Lesso didn’t belong in a world so crude, so brutal.
“Let him go,” Jam demanded, getting back to his feet to have the advantage of height. Not that this had ever helped him.
Collene didn’t. Instead, she shook the little boy until Jam could hear Alessandro’s teeth clatter.
“I see how it is,” Jam taunted, his voice cold even though he was feeling anything but. “I’m too much for you to handle, huh? You are getting old. Thirty is right around the corner, and you don’t have enough strength to push me around anymore.”
The grip on his son’s arm tightened, but Collene’s eyes were on him.
“Shut up,” she almost screamed. Jam wondered where the rest of the household was, but then he guessed that the staff was used to screaming and even more to looking the other way.
“Why? Don’t you like being talked to as if you’re worthless?” he went on, stepping toward her even though his heart beat an erratic tattoo against his chest. He had never been so scared in his life and the imprint of his fear would probably be visible in his chest.
“Jamison, be quiet,” she shrieked, and then pushed Alessandro away so hard the boy stumbled. Jam wanted to kneel down next to him, but he couldn’t. He needed to keep Collene occupied.
“I really was a bad boy if you call me Jamison.” He laughed. It came out as a choked sound, though.
“I can still take you on,” she replied, and he felt the blow before he saw her hand moving. She had hit him right below the ribs, and she still had a lot of force in her arm.
“What was that?” he asked, blinking as if she had merely tickled him even while the pain was radiating from his side. She hit again, higher this time, and he had to hold his breath in order not to double over.
“Run, Lesso,” he ordered, for a quick moment looking at his son, whose eyes had widened in utter disbelief.
“Zack! His name is Zack!” she screamed and then kicked Jam in the knee, making him go down. It was the last thing he had wanted, but he couldn’t change it.
“Dad!” He could hear his son, but all that mattered now was letting him get away.
“You definitely got weaker, girl,” he sneered, and she punched him right in the face. He felt his nose breaking, knew the feeling too well. The next minute, Collene howled in pain, kicking Lesso. He had thrown himself at Jam’s attacker, biting her in the leg. Now, he was crumpling on the floor in pain. It made Jam see red. Before he could say or do anything, though, a fourth person joined them and it was then that Jam realized he had never before felt true fear in his life. With a trained eye, he took in all the ‘weapons’ in the room, everything that could be used by Collene. There were too many to name, among them a bottle and a fire poker. He knew Collene to be able to do immense damage with both. It settled like lead in his stomach.
Someone was going to die that day and the way luck had been playing him, it definitely wouldn’t be Collene.
Aly was seething. She had broken every speeding law out there once she had heard that Collene had been sighted in town. Ringing the doorbell most likely would have been a stupid idea, so she had walked along the property until she found a door on the garden wall. It was slightly ajar, obviously having been thrown closed yet not with enough force. Following a path leading away from there, she had found a rose garden and then heard screaming.
The first thing she saw was a bleeding Jam then her son on the floor.
“You fucking bitch will die for that!” She held onto her handbag as if her life depended on it. She had the papers in there, the ones she needed to have signed, and as much as she didn’t want to let go of them, she feared it was better to separate them from her body.
“Mom!” Alessandro pushed himself off the floor, clearly in pain, but nevertheless, eager to get to her. She embraced him only slightly, too worried to hurt him further.
“Go, there’s a police officer outside, the one you met before, the one who handed you his card, remember?” She knew because she had shot Phil a text to get them out just in front of the property, waiting for something to happen. Now, she just hoped they were ready to take Lesso away.
“She’s hurting Dad,” he whimpered, and she kissed his hair, time running out quickly.
“I know. I won’t let that happen. I never let anyone hurt you, right? Now, you need to go. I’ll be right out with your dad,” she promised and then made him leave, walking by his side to keep Collene’s eyes on her. It wasn’t hard. The crazy
woman watched her like a hawk.
“You! I had totally forgotten about you after that little party,” Collene remarked, and Aly shook her head, knowing exactly which one she referred to.
“Go, Alessia,” Jam demanded, his breaths coming short; his voice sounded stuffed due to what surely was a broken nose.
“Don’t you hate her, Jammy? It was her who caused all that pain after all,” Collene asked, her voice taking on a soft, compassionate tone.
“It was you, not her,” he forced out, the hatred so visible in his emerald eyes that Aly cringed.
“No. It was her. She was on my list. A girl with too bright a smile, too good a character. She needed to be broken. But then you came and I forgot about her. I forgot about everyone.” Bile rose up in Aly’s throat as Collene touched Jam’s chin in a caressing gesture.
“Take. Your. Filthy. Hands. Off. Him.” Aly spoke slow, quiet. She was set on not letting Collene hurt Jam any more than she already had.
“Alessia, stay out of this,” Jam ordered, starting to stand. It was obvious how much pain he felt.
“I’m not. It’s time I carry what was supposed to be my burden.”
“A lover’s quarrel! How adorable,” Collene snickered, and Aly walked until she stood between Jam and his abuser. It couldn’t be more obvious how powerful Collene was even though she seemed to be so tiny. If Aly hadn't known Jam as closely as she did now, she wouldn’t have seen the fear etched into his eyes each and every time his eyes fell on Collene.
“I wonder if maybe you’d hurt more if I…” Collene trailed off and then kicked Jam in the knee again, making a crack reverberate throughout the big place. Jam groaned quietly, holding a scream in while Aly stormed toward the woman who had turned her life into a nightmare.
It took only a few seconds and Aly realized that whatever she thought she could do with her anger didn’t outweigh Collene’s decades of causing pain. The woman knew what she was doing, hitting Aly in the throat right away, raining down punches until Aly couldn’t do anything but cover her face with her arms. She stood in front of Jam, ready to take on whatever Collene would bring, but her body was starting to scream in pain.
No matter what she had thought, Aly hadn’t been prepared for the blunt force Collene used. When the woman suddenly turned away, Aly sobbed in relief, only to notice the bottle Collene was grabbing. It was a typical wine bottle, half of the red liquid still inside. Collene didn’t care, spilling it onto the floor right next to the empty wine glasses that stood on a tiny table next to the seating arrangement. Then Collene came for her.
“No,” Jam moaned next to her, and she looked at him for a quick second. It was all she needed to straighten her shoulders again.
Aly was empty-handed and usually against violence. How in the world did she think she could do anything against Collene?
“How did you manage it that he loves you like that?” Collene asked, the bottle in her hand lazily swinging. She sounded curious, and it caught Aly off-guard. Then again, she could talk, so maybe if she occupied Collene long enough, Jam had a chance to get away.
They had moved away from the seating area, and Aly was glad about that. It was somewhere behind her now, but at least there were no direct obstacles between her and the garden or her and the way to the front door, even though Aly remembered the way only vaguely. Jam would know better. That was what mattered.
“I never beat him into submission. I gave him my heart and that was all he needed. He’d walk to the end of the world for me,” Aly answered casually, blindly trying to reach for the man in question. He was somewhere near. She could hear him breathing heavily.
“Leave her alone, Collene. You never enjoyed beating anyone as much as you enjoyed beating me,” he said, and suddenly, he was so close, he squeezed her hand.
Aly spun around to glare at him, positioning herself between Jam and the Karmison daughter.
“Shut up. Get out of here. Let her get whatever she thinks she’ll get out of this situation. But you need to go and grab my bag. If something happens, something serious, it’s the leverage you –”
She didn’t get to finish as stars exploded in her vision and blood filled her mouth. She heard Jam call her name, but it was as if cotton packed her ears.
She emptied her mouth of the metallic tasting liquid and then turned back to Collene, seeing the green bottle shine with something red.
Her blood. And Collene was swinging again.
She couldn’t think, her natural instincts kicking in and making her back up. Collene aimed for her head again, but this time Aly raised her arms, the pain from her head making her numb to everything else. She walked blindly and heard Jam call out, but she didn’t care. She didn’t stop. Then she was falling, tumbling over something in her way. Collene was the last thing she had seen before her head hit the coffee table.
She must’ve been closer to the table than she had guessed. It was the last thought she had before darkness claimed her.
“This is almost too easy.” Collene dropped the bottle, and Jam heard it shatter on the tile floor, the glass splinters jumping all around them, but his eyes were trained on a lifeless Aly. Her head wounds were bleeding, covering the tiles with what looked like velvet and truly was hell.
He could hear the clatter of the fireplace instruments, and he knew she going for the kill. Collene was in a murderous frenzy, and he couldn’t even say why. Then again, something as small as him being back or Lesso talking to her the way he had was enough to make Collene’s sanity turn off.
Jam crawled over to Aly, making her as small as he could so the crazy bitch behind him had nothing to aim at but his body.
“I’m sorry, Aly,” he whispered into her sticky hair, not caring that he got her blood all over him.
“Step away. She ruined my life. I could never own you because she did. Every single day we were together, right? That’s why you never loved me!” Collene demanded to know, and Jam ignored her, cradling Alessia close.
“I am talking to you,” she screamed in outrage, and Jam closed his eyes.
“I’m not talking to you,” he replied, his voice calm. He was no longer afraid of her because unless Aly would open her eyes again, he had nothing to live for. “Alessia, open your eyes. Look at me, beautiful. Don’t let her win,” he pleaded against her clammy skin.
“Shut up. I always win!”
“Aly, I love you,” he whispered, ignoring Collene even though he knew this would only make her angrier.
“You should love me!” Collene’s anger echoed throughout the room and Jam knew the moment she fully snapped. He anticipated the first blow with the heavy metal, even knew the ribs she was breaking. After the first two blows, numbness took over his body. His arms were getting heavy, and he was hardly able to hold onto Aly. Lowering her back to the floor as gently as he could, he bent over her, his eyes trained on her face. If he’d die, it would be with her face in mind. He wouldn’t look back at the object of his torture because it would give Collene too much power.
Suddenly, hot white agony raced through his veins. She didn’t hit him; instead, she stabbed him with the poker.
“You don’t deserve to live.” She laughed, sounding like the true maniac she was.
Jamison’s vision turned blotchy, black taking over most of what he was seeing. He knew that once Collene had finished him, she’d return her attention to Aly. All he had wanted to protect her from, all he had endured for her had been in vain in the end.
Aly became conscious with a start. She sat up, feeling something restrain her, and she started screaming. Her mind was fuzzy, shattered memories appearing and disappearing without a warning. She heard voices; screaming, sobbing, low discussions, hurried words. It all blended in a nerve-racking hum.
“Stay where you are, Miss Rhyme,” someone said, and she turned her aching head. A paramedic. Someone was injured or paramedics wouldn’t be there.
“Jam!” She tried to sit up again, this time even managing to. Her eyes searched the room, find
ing Thea Karmison and Collene sitting on a sofa, both pale while Shannon sat in front of them, waving papers and making gestures. Then Aly’s gaze landed on the bloody floor and the body which two more paramedics crouched over, working hurriedly. A doctor gave instructions, his white gloves and clothes covered in more blood. How much blood could a single person lose before they’d never get up again?
“Jamison,” she called out, trying to get off the stretcher. Why the hell was she on a stretcher and Jam on the damn ground?
“Miss,” the paramedic pleaded, but she still stumbled away from him, strangely aware of the fact that all eyes were on her while silence descended over the room. Aly’s heart stopped. There was no movement from Jam; a mask covered his face, cuts and purple bruises covered his body where they had cut open his shirt.
“He’s not dead. He’s not dead. He’s not dead.” She repeated that sentence over and over again before breaking down next to his body. “No,” she sobbed, not even daring to touch him.
“He doesn’t feel pain,” the doctor offered gently next to her as if he could tell how badly she needed to feel Jam.
“That makes it better, right?” she snapped and then still leaned over, covering him with her body while she held onto him, resting her forehead against his chest. She could feel the pads stuck to Jam’s chest to monitor his heart as they pressed coldly against her face, and it only made her cry more.
“We need to get you to the hospital,” the doctor told her. Her mind took the words in, yet her heart was oblivious to them. She didn’t feel anything but the cold of Jam’s skin under her hands and the way his heart was beating so weakly; she felt as if she should press her body against his just to make them both beat in one rhythm.
“He tried to save your life. I’d even say he succeeded.” Someone stepped next to her, and in her daze, it took her a moment until she realized it was Greg. He was the one reaching out for her, pulling at her shoulders. God, why was she hurting so bad?
