by M. A. Foster
Three seconds doesn’t seem like a long time, but when every second counts it feels like a lifetime. I can only hope that it’s been three seconds when Tripp reaches out, grabs me by the ponytail, and spins me around so my back is pressed against his chest. He pins my arms to my side and presses his forearm against my windpipe, making me drop my purse and keys.
I struggle to break free from his hold and suddenly everything I learned about self-defense escapes me. The more I struggle, the tighter his grip becomes. The scruff along his jaw feels like sandpaper against my cheek. He drags his lips over my jaw, up to my ear, before he bites down on my earlobe hard enough to make me flinch. “Keep fighting and wiggling that sexy ass, pretty girl,” he hisses, thrusting his hips forward. “Mmm. You smell good.” He trails his lips down my neck, nipping at the skin where my neck and shoulder meet.
“Leave her alone, Tripp,” Kali pleads, then turns to Austin. “Let her go and I’ll go home with you. Please, just leave her out of this.”
Austin’s expression is blank as he seems to be considering her plea, but the anger is still there in his eyes. He’s not gonna let me go.
Suddenly, he reaches out and snatches Kali by her hair again, slams his fist into her face repeatedly before he shoves her to the ground and proceeds to kick her in the side. “You don’t get to call the shots, Kalista.”
A small cry escapes me seeing my tiny friend curled up on the ground, not moving.
Austin shakes out his hand and runs it through his hair before he turns to me. My body trembles as tears stream down my face. Rage surges through my veins. I want so badly to rip this motherfucker’s head off.
Austin reaches out and grabs my face the same way he did Kali’s and slams his mouth down on mine. He presses his fingers deeper into my cheeks, forcing my lips apart, and pushing his tongue into my mouth. His other hand travels roughly up to my breasts and down over the front of my jeans. I flinch when he pulls away and drags his teeth over my bottom lip. I jerk my head to the side, out of his grip, and gasp for air. Tripp continues to press down on my windpipe. “She tastes good,” Austin says to him, keeping his eyes on me, slowly allowing them to travel lower. “I’ll bet she feels even better.”
“Mmm,” Tripp hums close to my ear as he grinds his hips into me from behind. “She’s got a nice little ass.”
Austin reaches out and squeezes my breast through my shirt. “Nice set of tits too. A little skinny, but I could have fun with this one.”
I try to convince myself that they’re just trying to scare me, but my gut tells me they’re serious. Closing my eyes, I inhale through my nose, forcing myself to remain calm as I pray someone shows up to help. How is there no one around in broad daylight?
Someone gasps and then I hear a familiar sweet voice. “JJ?”
Willow.
Then Zoe starts to cry.
Sucking in a breath, I can’t turn my head, but I can see Harper out of the corner of my eye, standing there shocked and wide-eyed with two confused toddlers at her side. Her eyes fall to Kali curled up on the pavement and slowly she begins to back away.
“Where do you think you’re going, red?” Austin says with a smile. He looks over at Tripp. “All these pretty girls. My day just keeps getting better.”
You’re a fighter, Princess.
My protective instincts kick in and, with everything I have, I lift my leg and kick Austin in the balls hard enough to drop him to his knees. I’ve never been more grateful for my long-ass legs than I am right now. “Run, Harper!” I choke out before bringing the pointy heel of my boot down on the top of Tripp’s foot.
Tripp howls in pain, his hold on me loosening just enough for me to throw my head back and connect with his face. He stumbles back and cups his hand over his nose. “Fuck! She broke my nose.” His cry is all muffled and nasally. Obviously, these guys aren’t used to girls fighting back. And I’m not done. I throw my elbow back and connect with his jaw, dropping his ass to the ground.
B would be proud.
Then I run.
“Get that bitch!”
Harper screams for help as she runs back to the mall entrance, dragging Zoe and Willow by the arms. A pair of arms wrap around my thighs from behind, bringing me to the ground. I put my hands out to brace myself, but it only softens the blow as my head slams against the pavement with a smack and a sharp pain shoots through my head, down to my toes.
I’m disoriented as I’m rolled over on my back and dragged before Austin straddles my chest and wraps his hand around my throat.
They say that right before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes. Like photographs on shutter speed. But as I drift in and out of consciousness, it’s not my life that flashes before my eyes; it’s the faces of the people I love, and the fear of leaving them behind.
And regret for everything I’ve taken for granted.
I buck my hips and kick my legs, trying to knock Austin off me, but he’s too heavy and I’m fading fast. My lungs burn, begging for air as I switch between clawing at the hand around my throat and blocking the blows to my head, face, and ribs.
My limbs grow heavy.
I’m so tired.
Austin’s rage-filled face blurs and fades to black.
“No! No! Jayla! Nooo!” Mom.
“Motherfucker!”
Oomph!
LOGAN LEAPS FROM the front of the boat onto the dock to help Dad guide the boat onto the lift while Cole and I gather the trash from inside the boat.
All I want is a shower and my girl. I missed her today. I always miss her when she’s not around, but today just felt… off. I can’t explain it. But the sooner I get off this boat, the sooner I can get to her.
“Zach!” Logan looks over his shoulder and I stare past him to see Brad running toward us with a panicked expression on his face. Hopping from the boat to the dock, I start toward him. “Jesus, we’ve been calling you,” he rushes out, breathless.
I pull out my phone and see a shit-ton of missed calls from Brad, Evan, Justin, my mom. There’s more, but I don’t bother looking because my heart is racing, my stomach is in knots and everything around me starts to spin.
“What’s wrong?” Logan asks from behind me.
“It’s Jay and Kali. They were attacked at the mall today,” Brad explains, running his hands through his hair. “It’s bad.”
“What?” I breathe out.
“Where’s Zoe?” Logan asks in a panic.
“Your mom has her.”
I turn to Bass. “Yo, B!”
Laughing, he turns to me and holds up his index finger. “Hold up, Romeo,” he says, pulling his phone from his pocket. Looking down at the screen, he frowns before answering, “Levi?” With the phone to his ear, he leaps from the boat onto the dock. My heart nearly beats out of my chest as Bass’s steps falter, every muscle in his body tenses, shoulders rising, and his knuckles are nearly white from the grip he has on his cell phone.
Then his hand falls to his side as he lowers his head. Taking a deep breath, he turns to face us and says in a tone I’ve never heard from him, “We gotta go. Now!” Bass doesn’t wait for a response before he turns and sprints toward his truck. I stare after him in shock.
“Zach, did you hear me?” my dad asks, gripping my shoulders. I blink several times before shifting my gaze to him.
“What?”
“Son, we need to get to the hospital.”
My chest heaves as tears pool in my eyes. “Jay?” I choke out.
He nods once. “Yes. She’s at the medical center. She has a pulse and she’s breathing. That’s all I know.” I look around and notice that everyone is gone.
“Where is everyone?”
“They left. Come on, we need to go.”
NEWS VANS FROM every station in town are lined up along the curb outside Heritage Bay Medical Center. Police are blocking the entrance and reporters are set up on the sidewalk, speaking into cameras.
“What the hell? Why did they bring her here?”
Dad shrugs. “I assume it’s to protect Jay from the media. This is private property,” he says, pulling into an empty parking spot. The medical center isn’t a hospital, but it’s owned by Dr. Mackenzie, and it’s private property. It makes sense why they would bring her here.
A black town car is idling in front of the entrance. The driver pulls a suitcase from the trunk and wheels it over to the walkway under the awning. The back door swings open and Evangeline steps out, wearing sunglasses and pulling a large bag over her shoulder. She thanks the driver, grabs the handle of her suitcase and heads toward the sliding doors.
“Need some help?” I call out as I jog toward her.
Eva spins around, ready to tell me to fuck off, but she realizes it’s me. “Oh, my God, Zach,” she cries, dropping her bags before slamming into my chest. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I say, hugging her close.
Dad retrieves Evangeline’s bag and suitcase and leads the way into the atrium of the medical center. Security is guarding all the entrances and elevators. Levi sees us and leans over to speak to a man with a blond buzz cut wearing a dark blue T-shirt, gun holster on his side, and a badge clipped to the front of his jeans.
The man looks at us and then says something to Levi before he makes his way over. “You can let them through,” he says to one of the guards. “Hello, I’m Special Agent Avery.” He extends his hand and I raise my eyebrows. Avery?
“Wow, it’s been a long time, Patrick,” my dad says as they shake hands.
He nods and offers my dad a tight smile. “It has, Mike, and I’m sorry that we’re reuniting under these unfortunate circumstances.”
“This is my son, Zach. Zach, this is Patrick Avery. Your principal’s son.”
I hold out my hand. “Good to meet you. What’s with all of the security?” I ask.
“It’s necessary,” he replies.
“Where’s JJ?” Evangeline asks.
“She’s with the doctors.” He points to a set of doors. “There’s a private waiting room upstairs on the fourth floor.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a business card. “Things are a little chaotic at the moment, but if you have any questions you can reach me on my cell.”
“Sure.” Dad takes his card and shoves it in his pocket.
BRAD, CHERRY, JUSTIN, Carter, Olivia, and everyone from Jay’s Project Mayhem class are in the waiting room with their eyes glued to the flat-screen television suspended from the ceiling in the far corner. The ticker moves across the bottom of the screen, says “Austin Boyd, son of Congressman Boyd, arrested in beating of two young women.”
“Kalista Rosewood, heiress to the Rosewood Winery, and Jayla King, daughter of the late Marcus King, were rushed to Heritage Bay Medical Center this afternoon after being attacked and beaten. Sources say Austin Boyd, son of Congressman Boyd, and Tripp Daniels were arrested and taken into custody and may be looking at charges of assault and battery and attempted murder.”
“Hey.” Brad stands and pulls me in for a hug before reaching for Eva. The rest of us exchange hugs and handshakes.
“Does anyone know what happened?” I gesture to the television.
“I don’t know, dude,” Brad says. “I was in the parking lot when Max pulled up with Emerson and Mimi. She was so hysterical she was puking. I heard her say….” He shakes his head as a tear rolls down his cheek and he quickly wipes it away.
“What?” Eva presses.
“She said, ‘He was killing my baby and I couldn’t save her,’” Justin finishes.
Eva whimpers beside me and exhales a shaky breath. “I need to find Alex and make some calls,” she chokes out as she leaves the waiting room.
“Dude, it was awful. I feel so bad for her.” Brad hangs his head.
“Zach,” Cole calls from the doorway, jerking his head to the side for me to follow.
“I’ll be back,” I tell them before turning to leave the room.
The hallway is flooded with security as nurses flutter in and out of the rooms. Two large men stand side by side outside a closed door while the others work to secure the rest of the rooms.
“Hey,” Cole whispers, leaning against the wall outside another closed door. He gestures to the door. “Zoe and Willow are in there sleeping. My dad and Dylan are in there with your dad and Logan.”
“Were the girls hurt?”
He drags his hands down his face and exhales. “Emotionally, yes. A few cuts and scrapes on their legs and knees. Zoe was really upset. Willow is confused. She said a man was hugging JJ and then Harper screamed and hurt her arm. Then she made her fall and hurt her knee.” He huffs out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. “She doesn’t understand what happened. She’s more upset over dropping her doll on the ground and getting it all dirty.” He rolls his eyes and I smile. “I’ve already called Build-A-Bear and talked to the manager. After I explained the situation, she offered to drop off two new dolls on her way home.”
“Where’s Harper?”
“With the detectives.” His expression turns to anger.
“Kali is in there.” He points to the door blocked by two bodyguards. “I have no idea what that’s all about.” He gestures to the bodyguards.
“According to the news, Kali’s real name is Kalista Rosewood. Supposedly, she’s an heiress or something. One of the guys they arrested was the son of a congressman.”
Cole’s eyebrows shoot upward. “What the hell? This is some Lifetime movie shit.”
“What did your dad say?”
“Just that Mac called and said that there was an emergency and to get over to the mall. Dad said when he got there, the paramedics were putting Kali in an ambulance. Em was too hysterical to ride in the ambulance with Jay, so Alex rode with her. My dad drove Em and Mimi here. And Evan and Lexi brought the girls in Jay’s car.”
“What was Evan doing there?”
“I don’t know.”
“He said Kali was beat up pretty bad, but Jay got the worst of it.” He takes a deep breath. “She has a serious head injury.”
I drag my hands down my face. I’m going to be sick.
The door across the hall opens and Mimi walks out arm in arm with my grandma Kate. Cole pushes off the wall and moves to wrap her in a hug as I do the same with Grandma Kate.
“Mimi, are you okay?” Cole asks.
Mimi pulls away and my grandmother hands her a handkerchief. “No, baby, I’m not okay.” She dabs the handkerchief at the corner of her eyes. “I’m heartbroken, my daughter is heartbroken, and my granddaughter is just… broken,” she cries. “We almost lost her today and if it weren’t for those friends of yours, we might have.”
I turn to Cole with raised brows and a silent question. What friends? Cole shakes his head in response, telling me he has no idea.
“What friends, Mimi?” he asks.
“Those Martinez boys.” She sniffs. “They saved her life.”
“ZACH.” I LOOK over to see my dad standing in the doorway. “Come on, son.”
Standing up, I look around the room at the curious eyes of our friends pleading with me not to leave them hanging. With a nod, I silently tell them all that I’d let them know something as soon as I could.
Eva and Alex are standing in the hallway outside Jay’s room. Eva throws her arms around me. “She looks really bad, Zach,” she cries into my shoulder. “You know I’m not one to sugarcoat and I’m not going to start now. You need to prepare yourself. Whatever you’re expecting—it’s worse.”
“Babe,” Alex gently admonishes.
“What, Alex? He needs to be prepared.”
Alex sighs, running a hand over his face. “She doesn’t look good, Zach, but Mac said most of her injuries are superficial.”
I nod and follow my dad into Jay’s room. Bass is sitting in a chair beside her bed with his head in his hands, his entire body shaking as his girlfriend Lisa tries to comfort him by running her hand over his back.
It won’t work.
His whole world revolves
around his princess.
Cole’s mom, Grace, my grandma, and Mimi are sitting on one of the sofas lined along the wall. Emerson and Cam are in the bed beside Jay’s. Emerson is asleep against Cam’s chest and my mom is perched on the edge of the bed stroking her hair, like the last twenty years never happened. Women are so weird.
I make my way over to Jay’s bedside and all the air leaves my lungs. I don’t recognize the girl laying in this bed, broken. How could someone do this to her?
A strong hand clamps down on my shoulder and delicate arms wrap around my waist as my parents stand at my side. “She’s gonna be okay, Zach,” my mom assures me, tightening her hold.
The door opens and Mac walks in holding a clipboard under his arm, followed by my grandfather, Cole, Alex, and Eva. His gaze immediately falls on Emerson with a concerned expression on his face as he makes his way over to Mimi. “How you holding up, Ella, sweetheart?” he asks, bending down to place a kiss on her forehead.
“I’ll be fine, Mac, as long as my family is safe,” she replies in a shaky voice.
My parents and I make room for Mac as he perches on the edge of the bed. Leaning over, he brushes the back of his hand across Jay’s bruised and swollen cheek.
“Our granddaughter is a fighter, Ella.”
“That’s because she’s a Mackenzie, Mac.”
These people are killing me.
Mac looks over at Cam. “She needs to be awake for this.”
Cam leans down and whispers in Emerson’s ear. A moment later, Emerson stirs and lifts her head. Her gaze immediately shifts to Jay and she burst into tears.
Mac moves over to her bedside and pulls her into a hug. Emerson sobs into his chest as he shushes her. “She’s going to be okay, Emi bear. I know she looks bad, but she’s a Mackenzie. She’s tough. She’s a fighter.” He pulls back and pushes Emerson’s hair away from her face. “Do you want them to stay in here for this? It’s your call.”
“They can stay,” she says in a shaky voice.
Mac nods. “She has a fractured skull and cheekbone, two bruised ribs on her left side, and one on her right. Her forearm has a small hairline fracture and she has three broken fingers.”