Shayla rubbed her eyes and lowered onto the sectional. Less than a second later, a loud crash made her jump back to her feet, gasping. Eyes wide, she watched as Jason jerked back several feet to avoid the broken glass. There was a brick on the floor in the middle of the living room. The blinds were askew and swaying back and forth.
Jason pulled a gun from the back of his jeans as he eased up next to the window. Jake grabbed Shayla and yanked her down to the floor behind the couch. He set his lips on her ear. “Shhh. Stay down,” he whispered.
Her heart was racing. How could something like this happen to her twice in the same week?
Jake’s hand was on her back, but it slid away as he jogged across the room, staying low, gun drawn. He made hand signals toward Jason, who nodded. And then Shayla gasped as she watched Jake leave the house through the back door.
She wanted to scream. She hated him going out there. Dammit.
“You fucking bitch,” Hawke yelled from the front lawn. There was no mistaking his voice or the fact that he was drunk.
Shayla shrunk down lower, scared out of her mind about what might happen to Jake. What was he doing?
A gunshot made her jump out of her skin. And then she realized Hawke was shooting randomly at the house. “Fucking come out here, or I’ll keep shooting until you do, bitch.” A dog started barking.
Jason was suddenly beside Shayla. “Do not move from right here unless you have to, understand?”
She nodded.
“And stay as low as you can. The sofa is protecting you.”
“Okay,” she murmured as he crawled low back toward the window.
Another shot hit the house.
She cringed as she put her hands over her head.
The next shot came from another direction, and Shayla realized it was probably from Jake.
Someone screamed. In pain? Hawke. God, she hoped so.
“Drop your weapon,” Jake shouted. Every single syllable was amplified by the fact that the window was missing, though it was a wonder she could hear Jake over the cacophony of barking dogs.
“Fuck you, asshole.” Another shot.
Shit. Shayla was shaking violently now. Every time a gun went off, she feared Jake would be hit. Or Jason.
She heard sirens in the distance. Thank God. She had to pray they would get there before Hawke shot someone. Lights were coming on in the surrounding homes, illuminating the front yard.
Another shot.
“Drop the fucking gun, Hawke. You’re not going to get away with this.” Thank God. She exhaled when she heard Jake’s voice.
“Fuck you,” Hawke screamed yet again. “Tell that bitch to get her ass out here.”
“Not gonna happen, man. You’re just making things worse for yourself.”
In a crazed shout that sounded like a feral animal, Hawke once again yelled, “Fuuuck you!”
The sirens sounded louder. They had to be close.
Another shot.
And then Jason said, “Shit.”
“What? What happened? Jason, tell me what happened.” She feared Jake had been shot this time based on Jason’s reaction. “Is it Jake?”
“Nah.” Jason chuckled, which seemed like a ridiculous reaction. A second later, he was standing over her. “You don’t know Jake very well if you think any drunk asshole could ever manage to hit him with a bullet. He’s invincible. You can get up now.”
She was trembling as he helped her stand. “Did he…” She swallowed. “Did Jake shoot Hawke?”
“No. He didn’t have to. Hawke shot himself.” Jason helped her around to the other side of the couch and lowered her to sitting. “Stay here. I’ll send the police inside. You don’t want to see that.”
She nodded. If Hawke shot himself in the head or the chest or something, she sure didn’t want to see it. She was shivering, even with her arms wrapped around her middle as Jason opened the front door and stepped outside. He didn’t bother to shut the door behind him.
She could hear several voices. The police were there now.
Finally, Jake stepped inside and turned on the lights.
She squinted up at him. “It’s over?”
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s over.”
“Jason said Hawke shot himself.”
Jake nodded as he sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. “He did. I tried to get him to stop, but he was manic. He kept swinging his gun around, shooting it off at random. I was worried he would hit you or a neighbor, so I shot him in the leg, but he still refused to stop. Until he heard the sirens. That’s when he realized it was over.”
Shayla continued to shake uncontrollably, even though Jake was rubbing her arms. “I hope it doesn’t make me a bad person that I’m glad he’s dead.”
“Not at all. It was the only way to eliminate the constant fear. Worrying when he might show up. It’s over now. He’s not going to come after you again.”
She finally let herself breathe as she grabbed on to Jake’s shirt with both hands. And then she gave him a shake. “Why did you go out there? You scared me to death.”
He leaned back, frowning at her. “I was never in any danger. Believe me. I’ve faced dozens of crazed men. He doesn’t even rank up in the top ten. No one has managed to get a shot in me yet.” He grinned.
She rolled her eyes. “GI Joe.”
“Yep. That’s how I got my nickname. Tank. The guys thought it was crazy how I could keep moving forward on a target and never get hit by a bullet. They used to say that with my build, they figured maybe I had actually been shot, but the bullets bounced off me.”
She chuckled. “You are kinda muscular,” she said as she squeezed his biceps.
He kissed her briefly. “Let’s deal with the cops so we can go back to bed.”
Chapter 30
Two weeks later…
“Where do you want this box?” Bracken asked. Bex was right behind him with a smaller box balanced on her baby bump.
Shayla glanced at the label and pointed toward the kitchen. “You can set it on the table. Thanks.”
Bex set hers on the coffee table and dropped onto the couch.
Shayla sat next to her. “You think it’s too soon?” she asked before she bit down on her thumbnail and scrunched up her face.
Bex turned toward her. “To move in with Jake? Hell, no. I think life is too short to squander a single moment. You’re in love with him. He’s in love with you. This is where you should be.”
Shayla nodded. “My mom called again this morning.”
“Yeah? What does she think about Jake?”
“He has her wrapped around his pinky.” Shayla rolled her eyes. “Every time I FaceTime with my parents, he leans into view and brown-noses them.”
Bex laughed. “He’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, I’m kinda fond of him.” Shayla watched as Bracken and Jake returned with another armload of boxes. It had only taken one trip to get everything from the condo. She didn’t own much. She’d left most of the furniture for Heather who moved in with Raeann.
“We’re going to need to get some more friends,” Bex stated.
Shayla glanced at her in confusion. “Why’s that?”
“We keep moving. Our condos have very complicated lease agreements with so many subleases that the landlords must be very confused. But more importantly, who’s going to move in with Heather when Raeann decides she can’t live without Deacon another moment?”
Shayla chuckled. “You think they’re an item?”
“I think so. She refuses to talk about it, but I think she’s been spending a lot of time with him. Heather is about to find out. Then we can ask her for the gossip.”
Shayla laughed again. It felt good. For the first time in months, she was finally free of the constant worry. Hawke had really fucked with her mind. Now that he was gone for good, she was focusing on her own mental health. She had a counselor the airline assigned her, and she was working with HR to make sure they improved their internal harassment policies to make
it easier for women to come forward if they were being harassed on the job.
It turned out the airline was very disturbed to find out so many women had been harassed by Hawke and kept it to themselves. Every one of them stated they didn’t feel like anyone would believe them. That was unacceptable, and Shayla intended to help make some changes.
“You ready to go, Bex?” Bracken asked after carrying in the last of the boxes.
“Yep.” She rose and then leaned down to give Shayla a hug. “Give me a call this week. Come by the bakery. Let’s have lunch.”
“Thanks for everything. I will.”
Jake let them out the front door and then dropped down in the spot Bex had vacated, draping an arm around Shayla’s shoulders and pulling her close. He kissed her forehead. “You okay?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I know it makes you nervous to give up your lease and move in with me.”
She leaned back. “I’m not nervous. Promise. I haven’t slept in my condo for almost a month. It was ridiculous to continue paying for it, and Raeann was living without a roommate.”
“You sure Raeann sleeps in the condo?” He was grinning.
“I’m not sure of anything. Bex suggested the same thing. What do you know about it?”
He shrugged. “Not much. Just that Deacon has a grin on his face most days. The man is pleased with himself.”
“I guess they’re having fun then.”
“Seems that way.” He tipped her chin back and met her gaze again. “Back to my question. I know this is a big step. I’m so glad you decided to move in. I love you. You know that, right?”
“Yes. I love you too.” She smiled at him. She meant it. She really did love him. He was amazing. He’d saved her life too. Not once but twice. Who wouldn’t love a man that devoted to them?
She might not have expected to find someone this perfect, but now that she had him, she wasn’t going to let him go. Moving in with him actually had the opposite effect from what he was thinking. Instead of feeling like she’d taken a huge step, she felt like she was home. He obviously wasn’t nervous about it. Why should she be?
As she stared into his eyes, she knew with unwavering certainty he was the one. This was rock solid. Nothing was going to tear them apart.
“So…” he began, his eyes dancing. “Do you think we might be able to lock the doors, turn off our phones, and finally spend several quality hours in the bedroom without interruption?”
“Do you still have those wrist cuffs?” she asked, unable to keep from grinning.
“Of course.” He rose to his feet and then turned and leaned over her, his hands on the back of the sectional next to her head. “I can even add a blindfold this time.” His hand slid down to her shoulders and then farther until he grabbed her hands and hauled her to her feet. “You think you might be willing to let me see your entire naked body now?”
She nodded. “The bruises are almost gone. I’m all yours.”
He kissed her. “You were always all mine. No matter what you look like. You’re gorgeous inside and out.” He kissed her again and then trailed kisses to her ear. “I love you,” he whispered.
She squealed as he suddenly lifted her off the floor and tossed her over his shoulder. “Jake,” she protested, but it was a weak protest. She couldn’t stop smiling.
And she couldn’t wait to be naked on his bed, restrained to the corners, apparently blindfolded this time.
Her heart was full.
I hope you’ve enjoyed Standby. Please enjoy the following excerpt from Takeoff, the fifth book in the Open Skies series.
“So, what happened between you and Deacon?” Heather asked.
Raeann glanced at her roommate over her shoulder in the bathroom mirror. She’d been messing with her dark hair for far longer than necessary. It was fine. Blow-dried. Straightened. Brushed to a shine. Lately, her hair had consumed her thoughts, and she needed to stop it.
When Raeann didn’t readily offer any information, Heather continued. “I mean, you two went out several times when you first met. I thought you hit it off, but then you stopped mentioning him.”
Raeann shrugged. “No big deal. I knew it wasn’t going to work out. It seemed ridiculous to pretend otherwise.”
Heather’s brow was furrowed. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nope. Like I said, it’s no big deal.” Except it was. Especially today. She hadn’t seen Deacon in a month but today she wouldn’t be able to avoid him. All their friends would be at Bracken and Bex’s baby shower. Including Deacon.
She needed to pull up her big-girl panties and face him anyway. She owed him an apology.
Raeann fiddled with her hair again, tucking it behind her ear over and over.
“Why do you bleach that front section and then try to hide it all the time?” Heather asked.
Raeann turned to face her friend. “I don’t bleach it. I was born this way.” She rarely discussed her hair with anyone. She knew most people assumed she bleached it on purpose, and it was easier to just let them think it was her style preference.
“Oh. That’s so cool.” Heather looked at it closer. “Yeah, I guess I never notice the roots. It’s always white.”
“It’s the bane of my existence,” Raeann admitted.
Heather frowned. “Why? Most people work hard to get their hair like that.”
Raeann shrugged. “I guess it’s like anything else. People who have curls wish their hair was straight. People with straight hair wish they had curls. And on and on.” She didn’t feel like getting into it about her hair right now. Plus, they needed to leave.
Heather sighed as she gave a tug to a lock of her curly hair. “No truer words have ever been spoken. Most of the time, I’d give my right arm for straight hair.”
“See?”
“I guess. But, I think yours is cool,” Heather stated as she turned to leave the bathroom. “Meet you downstairs?” She headed into her own room across the hall.
“Yep. Five minutes.”
It was a Tuesday night, but when dealing with flight attendants it was hard to get them all in one place. Libby had planned this party, and Raeann knew she’d juggled everyone's schedules for weeks trying to make it work for the majority of them. As it was, the only close friend who couldn’t be there tonight was Destiny. And even she might make it at the tail-end if her flight landed on time.
Raeann grabbed her flats and rushed down the stairs to meet Heather at the door. They had all decided to dress up for this party. Make it something slightly formal instead of the usual jeans event. After all, this would be the first baby in the group. That was cause to celebrate.
Raeann grabbed her gift off the table and followed Heather out the door.
“I’ll drive,” Heather stated.
“Sounds good.” Raeann climbed in the passenger side of Heather’s Toyota and fastened her seatbelt. She was far more nervous about this party than she wanted to admit to herself or Heather. Facing Deacon was going to be tough. Tougher than anyone knew. Including Deacon.
She forced herself not to fidget during the drive and took deep breaths as they parked and walked toward Bex and Bracken’s house. Christa and Kraft had pulled up at the same time and arrived at the door simultaneously.
When they entered, Raeann was spared having to face Deacon by the chaos of everyone greeting each other. She accepted a glass of wine from Libby almost immediately and took a seat next to Bex where the women were all gathered to comment on how huge her belly was.
Raeann kept her focus on Bex for the next two hours while she opened gifts and they all played silly games. It wasn’t until she went to the bathroom that she finally encountered Deacon.
Not by accident. He obviously followed her and was standing in the hallway waiting for her when she came out.
She was startled to find him there, leaning against the wall across from the door, fingers in his pockets, gaze narrowed on her. For a moment they just stared at each other, neither uttering
a word. Then Raeann motioned over her shoulder. “I should get back…”
Deacon reached for her hand and stopped her. “No. You should talk to me.”
She swallowed as she lowered her gaze. “There’s nothing to say.”
“Oh, there’s a lot to say.” He crowded her, his scent overwhelming her.
Why did he have to smell so damn good? And why did her heart rate have to pick up as his thumb stroked the back of her hand? And why did a flush have to crawl up her cheeks at the thought of other places he’d had his hands on her body a month ago?
“You can talk to me right here right now or wait until everyone leaves, but we’re going to talk before this night is over.”
She flinched at his demand. She deserved it, but part of her had hoped he would accept her ghosting and move on without pushing the issue. At the same time, part of her was glad he wouldn’t be so easily swayed.
It would be easier to walk away without a word. Safer. Tidier. Less stressful.
Lonelier.
An unexpected and uninvited tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it away. Why the hell did she have to start crying? Jesus. She sucked back her emotions and took a deep breath. “After. Please,” she murmured.
He cupped her cheek, tipped her head back, and met her gaze. “Okay,” he said softly, wiping another tear. “Did you drive here?”
She shook her head. “No. Heather did.”
“Good. Leave with me. We’ll talk.”
She looked away. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Leaving with him would end with her dumping on him, and she didn’t want to dump on anyone. She wanted to bury her problems and keep them to herself. That had been the problem with Deacon from the day she’d met him. He drew information out of her easily, and she wasn’t a sharing sort of gal.
They’d spent two weeks together, sort of dating, though they hadn’t slept together. Two weeks during which she pretended she was a regular person with normal relationships. Two weeks of blissful ignorance on his part.
She never should have gone out with him to begin with. She’d been caught off-guard the day he picked her up from the airport to keep her safe from Hawke Richman—the airline pilot who was stalking her roommate at the time, Shayla. It wouldn’t have been safe for Raeann to go home, so she’d gone home with Deacon.
Standby (Open Skies Book 4) Page 17
