“911, what’s your emergency?”
“My name is Dr. Brody Cavanaugh. I’m at 212 Whistler Avenue. I’ve been attacked and I think the attacker is in the house with hostages.”
“I’m sending help. Please stay on the line until they arrive.”
Brody knew that’s what he should do. He was certainly in no shape to help Tia much, but he couldn’t sit out here and do nothing. He couldn’t let another woman he cared for die. “I’m sorry; I have to see if I can help,” he said before ending the call.
He pocketed the phone and then stood testing his vision and balance. Another deep breath and he felt okay to move. The only problem was he had no weapon. Nothing but his hands and with the blow to his head, he didn’t trust their power or their efficiency.
He scanned the area for anything he could use, and then he remembered the tire iron in his car. Popping the trunk, he grabbed it and headed for the house. Brody had never wielded a weapon at anyone, but if it meant saving Tia’s life, he would.
The dark house was silent as he approached. Fear that he was too late raced through his body as he pushed open the door. He wished he had a flashlight as he didn’t know the layout of Cara’s house, but with the front door open, a little light spilled in from the outside. Enough for him to see a few feet in front of him. The immediate area was deserted. He had two choices; he could turn left toward the bedrooms or right toward the kitchen and living room area.
A scuffling sound to his right sent him that direction, and a moment later, the soft light of a flashlight illuminated the room. Tia sat on a chair, tears streaming down her face as she stared into the barrel of a gun.
“Don’t come any farther or I’ll shoot,” the man said as if sensing Brody’s approach. As he glanced Brody’s direction, Brody saw Cara out of the corner of his eye. She was trying to get the jump on the man, but she couldn’t get in the right position unless the man was facing Brody.
“Who are you and what do you want with Tia?”
The man smiled and turned his attention back to Tia. Cara ducked down in just the nick of time. “Why don’t you ask Tia that?”
Brody looked to Tia trying desperately to come up with a plan to get the man focused on him.
“This is Rico,” Tia said, her voice cracking with emotion. “It was you on the patio and in the doorway, wasn’t it? I thought it was the other man, Adrian, but it was you.”
Rico nodded and waved his hands out for a minute as if bowing. “So, it was. You could have left – should have left when I told you, and all of this could have been avoided, but you didn’t. You had to come back and become a loose end.”
“But I didn’t hear anything,” Tia said. “I had no idea what you were discussing.”
“Maybe not, but you were seen leaving and you left evidence. I couldn’t let you live after that. It would have jeopardized my authority.”
Realization dawned on Brody. “You’re the head of the drug ring, aren’t you? Not Adrian.”
Rico’s head shot his direction. “Adrian was too rash to be head of the organization. He planned better than my wife, but he still got caught. Him and his wife. Besides, he was known. I managed to keep my cover in place and lead a profitable life here in Fire Beach on the side.”
“Except they know about you now,” Brody said hoping to keep Rico’s attention on him long enough for Cara to strike. “The police know all about your connections in Chicago. Your publishing company will fold, your wife is going to jail, and the Chicago police won’t rest until they destroy your organization.”
“The only one who will be destroyed tonight is you…..” Cara was in position and Brody held his breath hoping Rico wouldn’t turn her direction. “And her.” His gun swung back toward Tia, and his face was just a moment behind, but it was long enough for Cara to spring up and ram her head directly into Rico’s chest. The gun went flying as he crashed to the floor, and the sound of the gunshot filled the air, leaving a ringing in Brody’s ears.
He glanced first toward Tia, but though shaken, she appeared uninjured, so he turned his attention to Cara who lay on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around Rico’s neck, and her muscular legs pinning his arms to his body even though he writhed against her.
“What do you have to secure him with?” Brody asked looking around the room.
“Zip ties,” Cara grunted. “Over in the desk drawer.”
Brody followed the motion of her head and could just make out the form of a desk. He hurried over and rifled through the drawers until he found the zip ties. Grabbing them, he returned to Cara and secured the man’s hands together. Only then did she let up her grip on him.
“Thanks,” she said shaking out her arms. “He’s a strong one.”
Rico said nothing as he watched them with his icy stare. “How did you manage to secure him so quickly?” Brody asked.
She ran a hand down her thighs as if to loosen those muscles as well. “MMA training in college. It wasn’t as big for women back then, so I used to wrestle with all the guys. There’s a reason they called me Leech. Once I grab on, I don’t let go.”
Somehow Brody didn’t doubt that. “Good work,” he said before turning to Tia. “Are you okay?”
“Shaken up, but okay,” she said, but her eyes stayed focused on the man on the floor. “Will this ever stop?”
“Hey.” He placed his hands on either side of her face and tilted it up until she was looking at him. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”
Her eyes widened when she saw his head. “You’re hurt!”
“Yeah, I’ll need to get checked out, but I’ll be okay too.”
A moment later, Jordan, Al, and two other men Brody vaguely recognized filed into the room. The two men grabbed Rico while Al attended to Tia and Jordan sauntered over to Cara.
“Thank you. I knew you were the right woman for the job.”
She shot him a glare as she massaged her forearms. “Next time, a little warning of what I might be facing would be nice.”
“I would have warned you except we didn’t know what to expect. We thought it was over after the attempt at the hospital, but we didn’t realize Rico was not just the front for the organization - he was the head.”
“Yeah, we know,” Cara said, “He had a hard time keeping his mouth shut.”
“Does that mean it’s really over now?” Tia asked.
“It does. Rico’s going away for a long time along with his wife and the Petrovs. You may have to testify, but we all owe you a debt of gratitude. I know it wasn’t your intent, but through your actions, you’ve managed to help us take down a pretty large drug organization.”
Brody smiled and squeezed Tia’s shoulder. “See? I told you everything happens for a reason. I think you’ve just made up for a lot of the mistakes in your past.”
“Thank you,” she said and when she smiled up at him, Brody knew she was going to be okay.
Chapter 18
Tia woke more rested the next morning than she had in a long time. Some of it was probably not sleeping in a hospital room, but she knew some of it was finally feeling as if she were home and safe. Even in her old life, she’d had no friends like Brody, Cara, and Jordan - people willing to risk their lives to keep her safe. It was nice. And humbling. And today Brody was going to take her to lunch before she started her first shift at Fire Dreams.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had worked in a restaurant, but she was looking forward to it today. Actually, she was just looking forward to not being in a hospital, being shot at, poisoned, or run over. It had been a long week, and one she would probably never forget.
Pushing back the covers, she rolled out of bed and hobbled over to the bag of clothes she had bought the night before. She hadn’t even managed to unpack with all the craziness of Rico, and she definitely wanted to take a bath before she fully dressed. That was another thing she hadn’t done properly in the last week. She’d have preferred a shower but supposed it was out of the question. Surely, she wouldn�
��t have to only do baths until the cast came off though. She’d have to ask Brody when she saw him for lunch.
After grabbing clothes to change into, Tia grabbed her crutches and made her way the few feet to the bathroom. The bath proved to be challenging since she couldn’t get her cast wet, but after a few tries, she managed to get her foot positioned in just the right way so that it was out of the water while most of the rest of her was in. Though she normally didn’t like baths, this one held just the right remedy to wash her fears and anxiety away.
When she was dry and dressed - another adventure she would not miss when this cast came off - she crutched down the hall to the dining area. Cara had a display of food laid out - eggs, waffles, fruit, coffee, juice.
“Good morning, Tia. How did you sleep?” Cara asked as she placed a large plate of pancakes down as well.
“Actually, pretty well. How long have you been up cooking this breakfast?”
Cara laughed. “I know, it’s overkill, but I cooked a lot in my unit. Got used to feeding a dozen hungry soldiers. Guess old habits die hard, but don’t worry the guy in room one will eat half of this when he gets up.”
Tia shook her head as she imagined the stomachache she would have if she ate even half of this. “I’ll just get some eggs and fruit.”
“You sit,” Cara said pointing to a chair, “and I’ll get what you want and bring it to you. Jordan and Brody would have my hide if you tripped trying to carry food and injured yourself at my house.”
Tia laughed but she could see it. “Okay, okay. Eggs, oranges, and coffee please. With cream if you have it.”
“Of course I have it.” Cara loaded up a plate and set it before Tia before filling a cup and returning with it and the creamer carafe. “So, what’s on your agenda for today?” she asked as she grabbed her own coffee mug and sat across from Tia.
“Brody is coming by in an hour or so. I think he planned an early movie and then lunch before my shift at Fire Dreams.” She smiled as she speared a little egg and shoveled it in her mouth. Her day sounded so ordinary - a welcome sound after the last week.
“Jordan roped you into working for him, did he?” Cara picked up her cup and took a sip.
“He did, but only until I get back on my feet. Now that I remember everything, I want to get back to writing soon, but I need to do a few things first. Make some apologies, buy a new computer, move my stuff here.”
Cara raised a brow as she leaned back in her chair. “You plan to stay then?”
Tia grinned as she peeled the orange. “I do. I think there’s definitely some things worth staying here for.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. This town could use a little excitement.”
Tia laughed so hard she nearly spat her food out. “You don’t think the last week counted as excitement?”
“Nah,” Cara said with a flick of her wrist. “That’s not what I mean. We need some excitement people can get behind, and I think a romance author writing about our town might be just the ticket. Be good for business.”
“Well, I’ll do what I can,” Tia said with a smile.
* * *
Brody smiled as he spied Tia behind the counter. She not only looked lighter without the weight of fear on her shoulders, but she looked at home greeting guests as they entered the restaurant.
“Brody.” Her mouth broke into a wide grin when she spied him. “Let me clock out and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Take your time,” he said as he watched her crutch off to the back room.
“She’s kind of a natural,” Jordan said coming up beside him. “I hope she decides to stick around a while.”
Brody smiled at the man he now considered a friend. “She is. Told me this morning when I picked her up. She wants to go to California and make amends and get her affairs in order, but then she plans to find a place to rent locally.”
“Glad to hear it. She seems like a completely different person here.”
Brody shook his head. “No, she seems like the sweet woman I believe she was until greed corrupted her. I just hope she stays that way.”
Jordan put a hand on his shoulder. “With a good man like you by her side, I can’t see her taking that path again.”
“Are you two talking about me?” Tia asked with a smile as she approached them.
“Just telling Brody what a good job you’re doing,” Jordan said.
“Good, then I hope you won’t mind if I ask for a week off? I want to close the chapter on my life in California, so I can start fresh here.”
“I think that’s a great idea, and I’m fairly certain I can convince the owner to give you a week even though you just started.” He gave her a friendly smile before excusing himself to take care of a customer.
“Will you come with me?” she asked Brody as he held the restaurant door open. “To California? I don’t think I can do it alone.”
Brody wanted to say yes, but a trip with her? That was a big step. And it would require more time off work. However, he hadn’t taken a day since Rachel died. He had enough days saved up, and he hadn’t taken a vacation in years. Besides, if he really wanted Tia to make a change, then he needed to support her in any way possible. If that meant a trip to California, then he guessed he could take a little more time off. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips. “I don’t deserve you Brody Cavanaugh, but I’m going to thank God every day for sending you into my life.”
Brody returned her smile and thought he might do exactly the same thing.
Chapter 19
Tia stood outside the door of Ava’s office and took a deep breath. She wanted to apologize, but actually being here was another thing entirely. What if Ava slammed the door in her face? What if Justin kicked her out? They had both agreed to meet her here when Tia called, but what if it was just to tease her about how far she’d fallen?
“You have to knock,” Brody said beside her.
She looked up at him, a pained smile on her face. “I know, but what if they slam the door in my face? I was so awful to them.”
He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed. “They won’t. Besides, you aren’t the same person anymore.”
Right. She wasn’t the same person anymore. She no longer cared solely for money. Not after four attempts on her life. Her priorities had definitely shifted, and while she did want to make enough money to take care of herself and her mother as she’d promised herself so long ago, she no longer needed to be the best. Just being Tia seemed like enough.
She raised her hand and knocked on the door. A moment later, it swung open and Ava McDermott stared back at her. “Hello, Tia,” she said with a slight smile. She stepped back and held the door open. “Won’t you come in?”
Tia squeezed Brody’s hand one more time before letting go of it to crutch into the waiting area of Ava’s office. Justin sat in one of the chairs there and rose as they approached. For a moment, no one said anything and the silence sat heavy in the room.
Tia cleared her throat, forcing her nerves to stop fluttering. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
“You said it was important,” Ava said as she sat down and motioned for everyone else to do the same.
“It is.” Tia glanced over at Brody who smiled and motioned for her to continue. “I came to apologize to you. To you both. A few weeks ago, I landed in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it almost killed me, but as I healed, I realized how awful I’d been. I’m working to change, but before I could, I needed to apologize to those I’ve wronged.” She chuckled ruefully. “It’s been an awfully long list.”
Justin glanced over at Ava and then back at Tia. “We’re sorry for whatever you’ve been through, Tia. It appears like a lot, but we forgave you a long time ago.”
Tia’s eyes widened and she blinked at them. “You did?”
“Of course we did,” Ava said. “None of us are perfect, and we both know that we’ve made poor decisions in our past as well, but
God has forgiven us. However, we couldn’t gain that forgiveness from Him if we didn’t also forgive those who wronged us.”
Tears filled Tia’s eyes, blinding her vision for a moment. “You two are both so amazing. I hope that I can learn from your compassion.”
Ava smiled at her. “I think you already have.”
* * *
Brody stared at the woman next to him as they drove to their final destination before returning home. Though her fingers still sported acrylic nails, nothing else about her appearance looked like the rich woman he had first seen when he pulled her from the wrecked sports car.
Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a simple loose pony, and her outfit was a t-shirt and shorts with no designer tag in sight. He’d wondered if she might revert when she saw her old things and outfits in her apartment, but instead, she’d decided to hire someone to sell it all and send her the money. “That way I don’t have to pay to have it shipped,” she’d said, but he thought it was because those things no longer suited her.
She still was very different from Rachel, more extroverted than she’d been and able to spit words out faster than he could listen half the time, especially when she was excited, but despite her differences, she had one vital thing in common – the ability to make him feel like he was the only man in the room and that he could do anything. He’d certainly proved that to himself over the last few weeks as his healing hand and head proved.
“You ready?” he asked as he pulled up in front of the run-down trailer. He had a hard time believing that this was where she had grown up, but recognition mingled with fear covered her face, and he knew it was true.
Her shoulders pulled back with her breath. “Yeah, I guess I am,” but her eyes stared out the window and he wondered if she really were. It was one thing to apologize to people you once considered friends. It was another thing entirely to apologize to the woman you promised to provide for and then failed.
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