Justice for Milena

by Susan Stoker

  She closed her eyes and tried to hold herself together. JT was still screaming, although he’d stuffed his face into her shoulder so his cries were somewhat muffled. She could almost pretend he was a couple months old again and she was dealing with his colic, but it was impossible to forget what had just happened. Not when she could smell the coppery scent of the blood in her hair and on her body. Not when she could still see Jeremiah’s evil grin. Not when she still heard all the things he’d planned to teach her son echoing through her mind.

  And not when all she had to do was look behind the wall of men standing protectively between her and the dead man on the ground to see how close she and her son had come to a very different outcome.

  The sirens were getting louder, but it was the crunch of tires on the gravel surrounding the school that had Milena opening her eyes and turning.

  Headlights were headed toward them at a breakneck speed. Milena didn’t even flinch when gravel went flying as the black Mustang came to an abrupt stop. Everyone around her faded into the background. She heard the men talking, even heard Sadie’s voice, but she only had eyes for TJ.

  The second the car came to a stop, he was out and moving toward her. Milena stayed right where she was. He’d come to her. He’d always come to her.

  The second he got close enough, one of his hands went to the back of her neck and she immediately felt comforted by his familiar touch. The other palmed their son’s head, his hand engulfing it. TJ pulled his family into his embrace, not caring that Milena had Jeremiah’s blood spattered all over her.

  Milena sagged against him. She wrapped her free arm around him and held on to his shirt at his back with an iron fist.

  Neither spoke. Milena knew she didn’t really have any words anyway. She was simply so grateful to be alive. For her son in her arms. That TJ had done what he’d done.

  After a long moment, Milena felt TJ take a deep breath and drop his hand from her neck and pull away slightly. “Are you all right, Doc?”

  She looked up into his brown eyes and nodded.

  “He didn’t hurt you?”

  “A few bruises. Nothing that won’t heal,” she said quietly.

  At her words, his eyes darkened, but his hold stayed gentle. Caressing JT’s head, he asked, “And our son?”

  “I don’t think he’s hurt. Just scared. He was also unconscious for a bit too.”

  TJ’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t pull away from them. “We’ll get both of you checked out at the hospital,” TJ said softly. Then he asked, uncertainly, “Can I hold him?”

  Without any qualms, Milena shifted and allowed TJ to take their son from her arms. The thought of anyone else taking him from her at that moment made her want to hold on tighter, but handing her son over to his father was as natural as breathing.

  “Hey, bud,” TJ murmured into JT’s ear. “You’re okay. Daddy’s got you.”

  It took a while, but amazingly, with TJ’s words in his ear, the toddler eventually stopped screaming and collapsed into his dad’s embrace. His little arms went around his dad’s neck and he looked like he was trying to burrow into him.

  Milena’s eyes filled with tears for the first time that night.

  “Cruz is going to talk to the Feds,” Dax said quietly from next to them. Milena turned her head to look at the other man. “They’re going to want to know what happened.”

  Milena stiffened, but TJ didn’t even flinch. “Then tell them.”

  Dax frowned, but the man attached to Sadie’s side came up to them. Having obviously overheard the short conversation, he said, “I’ve already called my colonel. The base general has this, and you, covered,” he said. “He’s not happy that Jeremiah was former Army and doesn’t want any negative publicity. Because TJ’s a highly decorated former Delta Force soldier, and Jeremiah was obviously not an upstanding citizen, he’s willing to do what he can to help make sure there aren’t any repercussions about what happened here tonight.”

  Milena was completely confused, and she looked up at TJ for reassurance.

  “Doc, this is Chase Jackson. He’s a captain in the Army. He’s stationed at Fort Hood, and we’ve crossed paths before.”

  “Oh…hi,” Milena said, frowning.

  TJ held out a hand to Chase. The two men shook and TJ said, “I wasn’t worried, and I don’t care if there’s blowback. I would do the exact same thing again.”

  Chase and TJ eyed each other for a moment, then the Army captain nodded. “I’ll see you back at the hospital. We can talk more.”

  “Milena, you’re good, right?” Sadie asked before Chase could drag her away.

  “Yeah. You?”

  “I’m fine. Just pissed that Jonathan got away.”

  “Speaking of which, I need to go organize a search for that asshole,” Cruz said before turning and striding toward the first police cars that were pulling into the area. “He has to be here somewhere. We’ll find him this time, even if we have to take this place apart brick by fucking brick.”

  Milena watched as Chase hauled Sadie toward one of the ambulances pulling into the increasingly crowded area.

  She felt numb. Like what had just happened was something she was watching on TV.

  TJ lifted her chin and stared down at her. His thumb brushed back and forth over her cheek. She didn’t know if he was trying to remove some of the blood that had splashed onto her face or if he was absently caressing her. She supposed it didn’t matter because either way, she loved his touch.

  “Are we okay?”

  Milena’s brow wrinkled. It was an odd question. If he had asked if she was okay, she would’ve nodded immediately, but she wasn’t sure what he was asking. “Are we okay?” she echoed.

  “I lost you for three years because of something stupid I did. I’m telling you right now I can’t lose you again.”

  Milena took a page from his book and reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck. “You aren’t going to lose me.”

  “I shot him, Doc. I was over a mile away and I shot him while he was holding our son,” he said quietly. He paused as if waiting for her to yell at him.

  “Thank God you did,” Milena said.

  TJ looked unconvinced. “He was holding our son and you were right in front of him.”

  “Why do you think I kneeled right where he told me to?” Milena asked. “I could’ve refused. Could’ve stayed standing and demanded he just shoot me. But I didn’t. You know why?” She didn’t give TJ a chance to answer. “Because I knew you were out there somewhere. Knew I needed to get out of your way and give you a clear shot. I knew you wouldn’t hit our son. No way. So I kneeled and waited. And you didn’t disappoint me.”

  TJ’s eyes closed and his head dipped.

  Milena stood on her tiptoes and leaned into him. “From the second I woke up and saw Jeremiah, I knew you were coming for me. Yes, you killed him, but from where I’m standing, you saved hundreds of other girls from his abuse. He told me all about his future plans. About how he wanted to use our son. How he wanted to turn him into a pedophile like him. I’m not sorry you killed him, TJ. I didn’t feel safe until Jeremiah walked us outside. Because I knew you were there. Watching over us. Waiting for the perfect shot. All I had to do was stay alive and out of your way long enough for you to do what I knew you were doing to do. I love you, Thomas James. All of you. Every single part.”

  “I don’t deserve you,” he choked out.

  Milena saw the tears on his face. He wasn’t trying to hide them from her, but it was more than obvious he wasn’t comfortable with his emotions. “We deserve each other,” she told him easily and without a single doubt.

  At that, he took a deep breath and straightened. He kissed the side of JT’s head and nodded. “Yeah, we do.”

  “Daddy, cry?” JT asked, patting one of his dad’s cheeks.

  “Yeah, buddy. Daddy’s crying. But they’re happy tears.”

  “Bad man.”

  “Yeah, he won’t hurt you again,” TJ reassured his
son.

  “Daddy save.”

  It was Milena’s turn to blink back tears now. She leaned up and kissed JT’s cheek. “Yes, Daddy saved us. He’ll always save us.” And with that, she wrapped her arms around her entire world.

  The three of them stood there for a long while, watching as the police searched for Jonathan…without luck.

  Finally, TJ pulled away and urged Milena toward an ambulance. “Come on. Let’s get you both checked out. I called your mom when I was on my way to you and told her JT was safe.”

  Milena jerked. Shit. She hadn’t even thought of calling her parents. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I know it’s still the middle of the night, but what do you think about all of us heading to their house after we’re done at the hospital? She feels guilty about JT being taken, even though there was nothing she or your dad could’ve done, and I know she needs to see for herself that her grandson is okay. I didn’t tell her that you had also been kidnapped, and I think she needs to hear that piece of news in person. I told her I’d call if she needed to meet us at the hospital, but reassured her that JT seemed to be okay.”

  Milena’s love for TJ was already rock solid, but at his concern for her parents, it grew even more. “I’d like that,” she told him.

  TJ nodded and turned them, not letting go of her waist, and headed for one of the ambulances. The other vehicle, with Sadie and presumably Chase, had already left.

  JT refused to let go of his dad after they’d climbed inside, so TJ simply sat on one of the gurneys. Milena’s eyes met his as the paramedic began to take vitals from JT.

  She mouthed, “I love you,” to TJ, and smiled when he returned her silent words. Milena knew she should be freaking out about everything that had happened, the fact that Jonathan was missing, and that she’d narrowly escaped death, but she couldn’t. She was alive, her son was alive, and they were with TJ. They were as safe as they could be right there with him, and always would be.

  Epilogue

  TJ was nervous. And he wasn’t a man who got nervous. His hands were fucking shaking. He was a sniper, for God’s sake. Was known for being unflappable. But tonight, he was way out of his league.

  Erin had arranged with her boss at The Sloppy Cow to close the popular bar to the public for the evening. TJ and all his friends were having one hell of a huge party. All of his law enforcement friends were there. Dax and Mackenzie, Cruz and Mickie, Quint and Corrie, Hayden and her man, Boone, Erin and Conor, and even Calder had shown up. He’d been shying away from big events like this because he said he felt weird not having a significant other, but tonight, he’d come.

  And the cops weren’t the only ones who’d been invited. The men—and woman—from Station 7 Firehouse had come too. Sledge and Beth, Crash and Adeline—and her service dog, Coco—Chief and Sophie, Squirrel, Driftwood, Taco, Moose, and Penelope had also shown up.

  The two friends who were with Sophie at Five, the night Milena and Sadie had been taken, had also joined them. Milena had even invited her parents. Since it was a private party, JT was allowed to tag along, although at the moment, he was fast asleep in a stroller sitting next to Milena’s parents in a dim back corner of the bar.

  Even TJ’s own parents were there. Milena had encouraged him to call them after the incident with Jeremiah. They needed to know they were grandparents. They’d been shocked and overwhelmed, but also extremely emotional. They’d wanted to fly down to Texas immediately to not only meet Milena, but their grandson as well.

  The only people missing, as far as TJ was concerned, were Sadie and Chase, but Milena understood why her friend couldn’t be there.

  After Jeremiah was killed, the FBI had spent an entire day searching for his missing son. They were determined to figure out how he kept disappearing from right under their noses. And they’d finally found the reason. The escape tunnel system under the school was as impressive as it was frightening. The number of weapons that had been found was equally scary. It seemed the government was right to be concerned about the school in the first place. Yes, it was a haven for child abusers, but Jeremiah and Jonathan had also gotten their hands on quite a few illegal and deadly weapons. The Feds didn’t appreciate RPGs being stockpiled by anyone, for any reason.

  Chase had whisked her up to the Fort Hood area before anyone could protest. It had been a little over a month since anyone had seen Jonathan, but no one was going to underestimate him this time. TJ had talked to the Army captain recently, and he’d said that Sadie and her uncles had agreed to let him keep her safe until Jonathan had been caught. No matter how long it took.

  TJ figured the Army captain had his hands full with Sadie. If Jonathan wasn’t found quickly, she wouldn’t be content to be “looked after” for long. From what TJ had heard, she was almost as badass as her uncles…at least in attitude if not physically.

  However, Chase’s challenge to not only win Sadie’s heart but keep her safe as well was as far from TJ’s mind as it could be at that moment.

  The ring he’d been carrying around since the day after he’d saved Milena from Jeremiah Jones was burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted her to remember the day he’d asked her to marry him, for the rest of her life. Wanted it to be memorable and romantic…unfortunately, he wasn’t the most romantic of men. But he wanted to try. For her.

  Clearing his throat, TJ took Milena’s hand in his and stood. It took a bit, but finally his friends noticed them and stopped talking.

  “What are you doing?” Milena asked as he turned to face her.

  Not taking his eyes off hers, TJ forgot the fancy speech he’d memorized and spoke from his heart. “I love you, Doc. I think I’ve loved you since the moment I met you. I was lying in that bed at the VA hospital, in pain, bitter and angry about what had happened to me and my team, and you came into my room with a huge smile on your face. Even when I grumped at you to leave me alone, you smiled.”

  “TJ…” she started, but he talked over her.

  “I don’t deserve you. You could have any man in the world, and they’d be the luckiest son of a bitch to call you theirs. But you chose me. Even when I hurt you, you let me back in. And that’s a miracle, Doc. A fucking miracle.”

  “Don’t swear,” she whispered, tears shining in her eyes as she realized what was happening.

  He smiled at her. “Sorry. You’re a miracle, Milena. My miracle. I’ll move heaven and earth to make sure you have everything your heart desires. I’ll make sure you and our children hear every day how much you’re loved.” He dropped one of her hands and reached into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out the ring he’d known was perfect for her the second he saw it, and held it between them.

  “I already asked your dad, and he gave me permission.” A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, but TJ ignored it. “Milena Reinhardt, will you marry me? Will you let me take care of you and our children for the rest of our lives? Will you give me the privilege to continue to hold you in my arms every night and walk down the street with your hand in mine?”

  He had more he wanted to say, but Milena didn’t give him a chance. Ignoring the ring he was holding out, she threw herself into his arms while saying, “Yes!”

  TJ caught her easily and spun her around, holding her off the ground. He barely heard the cheers of their friends and family in the background. He placed her back on her feet and took her left hand in his. He eased the ring he’d chosen on her finger and couldn’t help but feel extremely emotional as he saw it there. It solidified the fact that she was his. That she’d always be his.

  He looked into her tear-filled eyes. “I told you this before, but I’m not sure you really heard me. I wasn’t going to let you go again, Doc. No matter if it took years for you to forgive me, I wasn’t going to give up. The only way I would’ve backed off was if you wore another man’s wedding ring.” He caressed the base of her finger next to his engagement ring. “You’re mine now. My ring will rest here on your finger for the rest of our lives, telling everyone to back o
ff.”

  “And will you wear my ring?” she challenged.

  “Fuck yes. With pride and pleasure. Although you never have to worry about me straying. I’m yours, just as you’re mine.”

  He thought she’d look at the ring then. Ooh and ahh over it. It was big; really, too big for her dainty finger, but he didn’t give a shit. He wanted everyone to know Milena was taken.

  But she didn’t even glance at it. She put her arms around his neck and stood up on her tiptoes, plastering her body to his. He felt himself harden against her. He couldn’t help it. He loved everything about her. He felt as if he was always semi-hard around her.

  Smirking, as if she knew exactly how horny he was and how much he wanted her, she put a hand on the back of his neck and tugged his head down.

  Obliging, TJ bent and felt her lips against his cheek before she moved them to his ear. Her warm breath brushed over his sensitive lobe as she said, “I love you, Thomas James Rockwell. I can’t wait to become Milena Rockwell. I’m going to change JT’s last name too. As soon as possible. But…what would you say to giving him a brother or sister?”

  TJ pulled back and gazed down at the woman he loved so much, he felt as if his heart would burst. “As long as the doctor says it’s safe for you to have another baby, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

  “I’m not sure we can wait for the doctor to give the all clear.”

  TJ knew his brows were furrowed in confusion, but he asked, “Why?”

  “Because it’s too late.”

  Clarity came to him then, and TJ felt an emotion he couldn’t identify moving through him. His eyes widened and he swayed a bit on his feet. “But you’re on the pill!”

  Milena’s smile was so huge it lit up the space between them. “Yeah, well…you apparently have the world’s most potent sperm. I don’t think they cared about something as pesky as the pill. They got into my womb and forced it to produce an egg they could impregnate.”