Kara's Protector

by Angela Franklin

  “Sweetheart, I would rather cut off my own arm than hurt you.” He said dropping to his knees beside her. “I have told you repeatedly, that there is nothing fake or pretend about our marriage. I hate that you keep pushing against me. I want you to be comfortable and happy here. Can you please just give this a try?” He had locked eyes with her.

  “Okay.” She said turning away.

  “Why do you do that?” He asked placing a hand on her leg.

  “What?” She still wouldn’t look at him.

  “Why does it bother you to make eye contact with me? I see you do it with everyone else, but not me.” He turned her face and her eyes instantly connected with his.

  “Because I get lost in your eyes.” She whispered unable to stop the words from tumbling out.

  “I’ll always find you.” He whispered, then kissed her knuckles. “Eat your breakfast, sweetheart.” He said as he stood up and went back to his chair.

  “Do you have a plan?” She said then bit into a crispy piece of bacon.

  “For what?” he asked eating his eggs.

  “For stopping Aiden. For making sure our friends don’t find out. Take your pick.” She ate on her breakfast in silence for a moment before he spoke.

  “At this point, it’s Aiden’s move. Unfortunately, the guys know the truth.” He said shrugging as if it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Damn, well since they already know, we might as well tell everyone, then we can have this marriage annulled, and you can get on with your life.” Just the thought of it sent a pain through her heart, but that meant it was better to do this now.

  “No.” He said with storm clouds in his eyes. “The guys aren’t telling anyone. They said they would keep their eyes open for anything unusual, but they won’t tell anyone. All they know is that you are in trouble, they don’t know the details. And if you keep talking about ending this marriage, you are going to give me a complex.” He got up and put his plate in the sink, then went toward the bedroom.

  She finished her breakfast, then walked to the sink. She automatically started washing dishes, as her mind wondered. As if someone like her could hurt his precious ego. She couldn’t believe she had admitted why she didn’t look him in the eye. She was washing the last frying pan when strong arms wrapped around her from behind. For just a second she froze, but her body quickly recognized his touch and melted her back into him.

  “I was going to take care of those, Kara.” He whispered by her ear, causing her to shiver.

  “I don’t mind, it keeps me busy. I need to call Susie about work.” She said, then felt his lips on her neck. Her head automatically tipped to the side to give him better access. It was like she wasn’t in control of her body when he touched her.

  “I need to check in with the station.” He mumbled, but didn’t pull away. His lips trailed up to her ear, and her knees buckled. He caught her, but the move jarred her ribs. “Go sit on the couch for a little while. I’ll be in soon.”

  When he pulled back, Kara did as she was told. She grabbed her phone off the table as she passed, then curled up on her couch. Once she was comfortable, she called Susie. Susie told her not to come back till next week, but Kara talked her into letting her go back the next day on light duty.

  “Cameron, can we go get my car today?” She asked getting up from her comfy spot.

  He didn’t answer, so she assumed he was still on the phone with the station. Opening the front door, she saw a swing on the front porch. She had always wanted one of those. She sat down on it, and used her foot to push herself. Apparently, Cameron didn’t live in the main part of town. There wasn’t another house in sight. She must have dozed off, when she woke it was to a hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

  “So, you want to play house? Was my house just not good enough? Don’t worry whore, I’m going to take you back home where you belong. I’ll make sure another man never touches what’s mine again.” Aiden pulled out a gun, then put it to her side. “Now, stand up. If you try anything, I will kill you, then go after your little boyfriend.”

  Kara stoop up slowly. The porch swing made a loud squeaking noise and she cringed. Anything could set Aiden off. Once she was standing, he stepped behind her and shoved her hard. She stumbled, but managed to right herself without falling. When she reached the top of the steps, he kicked her lower back and she toppled down them. A scream was ripped from her throat as she felt her arm snap at the odd angle it had landed in. She heard a gun fire, and prayed he would just kill her and get it over with. Instead, there was a burning fire that raced through her leg. Tears streamed down her face, but she refused to make a sound. She didn’t think she could handle any more pain.

  “Get up, bitch. I didn’t shoot anything vital. This is just the beginning of your punishment for running from me. When we get home, I promised the guys that have been looking for you that they could have a turn with you. Of course, I get the first turn.” He reached for her and she heard another gun shot.

  She was sure he had shot her again. Her body was in shock from the pain and possibly from the blood she was losing thanks to the first gun shot. She didn’t feel the second one, but that was probably a blessing. She waited a minute before she opened her eyes. The sight before her made her scream. Aiden’s sightless eyes were staring at her from ten feet in front of her. She tried to push herself away, but the pressure on her arm and leg caused her to collapse to the ground hard.

  “Kara, I’m right here baby.” She heard Cameron say. “Help is on the way, just hang in there.”

  Kara turned her head away from Aiden. Cameron was sitting on that side of her, but he wasn’t touching her. With her good arm, she reached for him. He grabbed her hand like a life line.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I promised I would keep you safe. I’m so sorry.” He kept saying over and over.

  “I’m okay.” She could feel herself fading. For the second time in three days she was passing out from injuries. What had she done to deserve this?

  *****

  Cameron had never failed at anything. The one time it mattered most, he had failed. Kara was laying in front of him unconscious for the second time in three days. This sweet, amazing woman had gotten hurt at his house. He had come for her here. He should have been on the porch with her. He had been in his office trying to get himself together when he heard her scream.

  He was trying to give her space, to let her get comfortable in her new home. When he brought her back, he wasn’t leaving her side. He would be her shadow. They were married, that gave him the right to be by her side. In the distance, he could hear sirens. At her scream, he had texted 911 to his deputy. He knew what was going on, and knew that was the signal for help.

  “Kara, baby, help is almost here. Please, baby, you have to be okay for me.” Cameron could hear the break in his voice, but he didn’t care.

  “Sheriff, what happened?” The paramedic said as he pulled the stretcher over to Kara.

  “She was shot in the leg, and it looks like her arm is broken. I think she may have been pushed down the steps.” Cameron said hating he had to step back to let them work.

  “Is he the one who did it?” His deputy asked coming up beside him.

  “Yes, his name is Aiden Simmons. He’s from Montana.” Cameron relayed the information without taking his eyes off of Kara. “You will need to call in the SBI since it was an officer involved shooting. As per protocol, I am on administrative leave pending an investigation.” He watched as the paramedics carefully moved her onto the stretcher.

  “Cameron, you know only family can go with her.” The paramedic said as he headed for the ambulance.

  “Yes, I do, and I am her husband. That makes me family.” The paramedic looked at him stunned, so he held up his had to show his ring, then pointed to hers.

  “Of course. With her injuries, they will need to do scans. Can you take off her ring and hold on to it so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle?” The paramedic asked.

  “Sure.”
Thankfully it was the right arm that had been broken, so he didn’t have to hurt her to take it off.

  He watched as they worked on her on the way to the hospital. How could he have let this happen? How did Aiden find her so fast? Would she ever forgive him for not being there when she needed him? His mind was spinning as he followed them into the ER.

  “Sheriff, didn’t I just see you in here?” The doctor asked.

  “Yes, sir.” He said quietly. Maybe having the same doctor would be a good thing. He already knew of her other injuries.

  The paramedic went through his findings with the doctor, then the doctor started barking orders. They were taking her immediately for scans to check her injuries. Same as last time, they put her in a medically induced coma till they could see just how bad it was. With her out for tests, he started making phone calls.

  “Hiya, Sheriff. You want me to run y’all some lunch?” Susie asked when she answered.

  “No, Susie. We are back at the hospital.” Cameron said and heard the sob on the other end of the line.

  “What happened?” Susie gasped out.

  “Aiden found her. I don’t know all the injuries, but I do know her right arm is broken and she was…” He took a breath wishing he didn’t have to say it. “Shot in the leg.”

  “How could you let this happen? She was supposed to be safe with you.” Susie screamed at him.

  “I’m so sorry, Susie.” He whispered feeling the tears on his cheeks.

  “I’m coming for my baby.” Susie said then hung up. Cameron swiped at the tears, then dialed the next number.

  “Hey sheriff, how’s Kara today?” Luke asked when he answered.

  “I have her back at the hospital. He found her on the porch. I was inside and heard her scream. When I got to her, she had a broken arm, and he had shot her in the leg.” Cameron relayed the information as if he was writing a report, it was the only way he could get through this.

  “Oh, God. Will she be okay?” Luke sounded far away.

  “I think so, they are doing scans now. Can you just let the others know? Susie is on her way here.” Cameron couldn’t handle anymore phone calls right now.

  “No problem. Keep me undated.” Luke said, then hung up.

  “Sheriff, do you know her next of kin?” The doctor asked as he walked in the room.

  “That would be me.” His heart stopped, he couldn’t lose her.

  “How are you related?” The doctor asked confused.

  “I’m her husband.” He replied quietly.

  “Yes, sir. I need you to consent for us to go in and remove the bullet.” The doctor said pulling out some papers.

  “Of course. How bad is she hurt?” Cameron had to know.

  “Her arm was a clean break. All we will have to do is reset it and put a cast on it. Thankfully, the bullet missed the bone. It’s close, but it won’t cause any permanent damage. If you will please sign these, I will have them start prepping her for surgery.” The doctor’s words gave him some peace, but he couldn’t relax until he could see her and know she would be okay.

  “Are you keeping her sedated till the surgery?” He wanted to see her, but if they were keeping her out, it wouldn’t do him any good.

  “Yes. When I hand them these papers, they will go ahead and start the anesthesia. There are always risks, but I have no doubt she will be fine.” The doctor shook his hand, then left. Cameron immediately called Susie.

  “Is she okay?” Susie answered on the first ring.

  “Her arm is clean break, so they only have to cast it. They are prepping her for surgery now to remove the bullet. The doctor said it didn’t hit the bone, and there shouldn’t be any problems.” Cameron relayed to the woman who was basically his mother-in-law now.

  “Cameron, why didn’t you protect her?” Susie asked on a sob.

  “I was in my office and didn’t know she was going outside.” He cradled his head in his hands.

  “You were supposed to protect her.” Susie snapped at him.

  “I know. Trust me, I know. We can talk about it when you get here. You need to concentrate on the road right now. Please, be safe. Call me when you get here, and I will come get you and bring you back here to wait with me.” Cameron knew the odds of having an accident went way up when people were distracted.

  “I’m only about fifteen minutes away. I’ll call you soon.” She said, then hung up.

  “She had better be okay, sheriff.” Lindy said when she answered Luke’s phone.

  “The doctor thinks she will be.” He said, then relayed the rest of what he knew.

  “We are on our way, and I mean all of us, even Taylor and Tray are with us. We will be in the ER waiting room. I expect updates, are we clear?” Lindy could be a spitfire when she wanted to be.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Cameron replied somberly.

  “I’ll pass the news on, you concentrate on our girl.” Lindy said then hung up on him.

  “Yeah.” Cameron answered when his phone went off in his hand.

  “Sheriff, I have called in the SBI. We are still on scene. They said they would need your statement, but that they would send someone to you.” His deputy was more than capable of stepping in during the investigation.

  “Understood. Please give them my number and have them contact me with their ETA. They are taking Kara into surgery to remove the bullet now.” Cameron was in sheriff mode, and able to keep most of his emotions from showing through.

  “Will do. We will be praying for Kara.” The deputy said, then hung up.

  Susie called a few minutes after he hung up. He stopped by the nurse’s station to let them know he was going out to bring her mother back. He didn’t want anyone to think she had been abandoned. Susie was waiting for him when he got to the door. He knew she was furious, and that she blamed him. He blamed himself too. He wasn’t leaving her alone period from now on.

  “How long will she be in surgery?” Susie asked when the door shut behind them.

  “They didn’t say.” He replied softly.

  “Why did you leave her alone?” Susie asked taking the seat beside him.

  “I was trying to give her space and let her get comfortable in her new home. She said she was going to sit on the couch and call you, so I went to my office and called to check in with the station.” Cameron would never forget the sound of her scream.

  “How did he find her so fast?” Susie asked as she laid a hand on his arm.

  “I have no idea. She hadn’t even been there twenty-four hours. We weren’t trying to keep it secret, but I never thought he would have been there so fast.” Cameron had wondered that himself.

  “Is he in jail now?” He forgot he hadn’t told them everything.

  “No.” Cameron started, and Susie gasped. “He is in the morgue, or will be when the SBI are finished with the scene.”

  “Even better. She can come stay with me while she recovers now.” Susie said with a smile.

  “No. I’m not letting her go.” Cameron said turning to look at her.

  “Cameron, the agreement was until this was over. It’s over. She is free now.” Susie wasn’t happy with him right now.

  “She’s my wife, Susie.” He had only been with her a few days, but he knew he couldn’t let her go.

  “I was afraid you were in deeper than you thought. That girl has been through hell. She needs time to figure out who she is and what she wants.” Susie had a point, but…

  “She is stronger than you are giving her credit for. She knows who she is, and she is doing her best to be who she really is. Susie, since I’ve been with her, she has showed me so many sides of her. She is strong, stubborn, sweet, sassy, playful. She is shy, but she’s trying to fight it. She’s a light weight when it comes to pain medicine, she’s compassionate, and loyal. She is so beautiful inside and out, but she doesn’t see it. She needs someone who can help her see that she is all of that and so much more.” In his mind, all he could see was her pushing him back with her foot last night as they picked back a
nd forth. “I’m sorry, Susie, but I can’t let you take her.” Cameron said as he looked up at the closest thing to a mother Kara had.

  “The girls are helping her. Maybe she could stay with one of them for a while.” Susie didn’t want her with him.

  “I know I failed her when she needed me most, but I can’t let her go.” Cameron said quietly. Susie was getting ready to speak when the door opened.

  “She did great through surgery. Her arm has already been cast. They are going to be taking her up to a regular room in about fifteen minutes. She will be in room 515, if y’all want to head on up and meet her there.” The doctor said, then left them alone.

  “I have to tell the others. They are in the ER waiting room. Then I’m going to her room to wait.” Cameron said and left.

  “Is she still in surgery?” Callie asked as he walked out.

  “No, she is out and they will be taking her to a regular room. She will be in room 515 if y’all want to go up and wait in that waiting room. She isn’t a wake, they said she should wake up within the hour.” Cameron said. “I will let y’all know when she wakes up.”

  As a group, they took an elevator to the fifth floor. They found the waiting room, then him and Susie went in the room. Susie wasn’t talking to him, but he understood why. She wanted what was best for Kara, and she didn’t think that was him. She might be right, but he couldn’t let her go. They were in the room for twenty minutes before they brought Kara in. She was still out, so they both pulled up chairs on opposite sides and held her hands, well Cameron held her hand, Susie was rubbing her fingers where they were sticking out of the cast.

  He didn’t like her not having on her wedding band, so he took it out of his pocket and slid it back on her finger. When it was in place, he leaned over and kissed it. He felt her fingers flex, and looked up at her.

  “Cameron.” She whispered, her eyes were still closed.