Biting Winds

by Shawna Ireland

  “Dr. James, how did Mr. Hailson react when he heard that his attacker was found?” a voice called out from the crowd of reporters gathered in the hospital’s briefing room.

  “Honestly," Dr. James shook his head, looking down from the camera, “he asked if Mr. Rech's wife was safe. They were just married, the family tells me. The entire Hailson family has been praying for her safety just as hard as they have been praying for Wesley's recovery.”

  A picture of Jessie and Dave, from their wedding, now flashed across the TV screen, with a description of her scrolling across the bottom of the screen. “The police are asking for your help finding Jessica Greene, who we believe still goes by her maiden name, as there hasn’t been a name change filed with Social Security or the Department of Motor Vehicles at this time,” the reporter continued, before flashing to another screen.

  Sangio handed Jessie the tissues he whisked from the box to catch her falling tears.

  Jessie cried out as she saw her weeping parents holding a picture of her. They were standing in front of her childhood home, where her parents still lived. Jessie recognized her neighbors and family, scattered to either side of them. She even saw a few coworkers who made the four hundred mile drive to support her family.

  “Please,” Margie began. “Jessie is a good girl. I assure you she knew nothing about Dave hurting anyone! We thought she was in Fuji until we got the call from the police asking for an interview with her. We thought she was on her honeymoon.” Margie was crying into Alan's shoulder, unable to carry on.

  “Jess?” Her father spoke directly into the camera as if he were looking at her.

  “Daddy!” Jessie spoke back, with one hand, holding crumpled tissue, on the screen where her parents stood. She held her other hand over her heart, as if that could quell the feeling of tearing. Her shaking legs and wobbly knees threatened to fail. Sangio stood beside her, holding her up.

  “Jess, we are going to find you, baby. Mom and I know you’re alive. We know you have nothing to do with this Jessie, but please, your mama needs to hear from you. We all do. Please!” Alan folded over his wife and sobbed as hard as Jessie was sobbing into Sangio’s chest.

  Jessie barely heard them giving a description of her, and never heard the impressive reward amount they offered. She recognized the choked up voices of her friends and relatives as they were interviewed by the camera crew.

  Sangio clicked the TV screen off and held his cell phone out. “You have to call them Jessica.”

  Jessie grabbed the phone, having to enter the number three times because her hands were badly shaking.

  “Shit!” Jessie yelled as Sangio gently took the phone from her.

  “Tell me the number.” Sangio dialed the number, handing the ringing phone back to Jessie.

  “Hello?” Her father’s voice spoke into the phone.

  Jessie found herself too choked up to speak for a second.

  “Who is it?” her mother begged for an answer, in the background. “Tell me who it is.”

  “Hello?” he asked again, then telling his wife, "Stop it, Margie. No one’s there! No one’s speaking.” The desperation was thick in his voice.

  “Daddy?” Jessie managed to croak out.

  “Jesus Christ, Jessica!” Her father screamed into the phone. “Jessie! Oh my God, Jessie.” He was screaming hysterically.

  Jessie couldn’t talk as she listened to her father and mother both screamed her name over and over and over. She heard the entire house as they erupted into yelling, clapping, cheering, crying, and cursing.

  “Hello?” A commanding voice spoke, and Jessie immediately knew it was a police or detective of sorts.

  Still crying, Jessie handed the phone to Sangio.

  “Hello," Sangio responded.

  "Who is this?" the officer demanded.

  "My name is Sangio, and I am a friend of Jessica’s. She’s very shaken right now. She just watched her parents on television, and is having a difficult time talking.”

  “Sir, is Jessie ok? I mean, did Dave hurt her? Does she need a doctor?” the officer asked, his voice shaking as well.

  “Jessica is in perfect health, sir. She was attacked a couple of times by her husband, Dave, but I took her to my home for safety until she could come up with a long- term plan to be safe. We just saw on the news that Dave was arrested, so Jessica knew it was safe to call home.” Sangio told most of the truth.

  “Where is she now?”

  “We are in route to Sacramento to see her parents.” Sangio fast forwarded their plans a little. “We should be in late this evening.”

  “She’s coming home! She’ll be here tonight!” the officer yelled into the crowd, further erupting the celebratory cheers.

  “Sir,” Sangio treaded, “I don’t know that she will be up to an interrogation tonight. Perhaps--”

  “Whoa,” the officer interrupted. “Jess and I grew up on the same block together. I’m here to support Mom and Pop, as a family friend.”

  “That’s a relief! If you don't mind, I think she is ready to speak with her parents.”

  "Not a problem, man. I'm handing off the phone now."

  Sangio handed Jessie the phone after she productively blew her nose.

  She laughed a little as she heard her father yelling to anyone, or everyone to bring him the other cordless phone. She bought them the cordless set with multiple receivers just last Christmas so they didn’t have to talk to her from separate rooms every time she called. She never imagined having a conversation of this seriousness.

  “Jessie?” Margie whispered into the phone, sounding as if she were half of a century older. “Is it really you?”

  “Mama. It’s me, and I’m fine. I’m fine Mama!” Jessie reassured her mom.

  “When will you be home, Jess?” Alan asked after picking up the other receiver, also sounding like he aged greatly. “Do you need me to come get you? Do you need an airplane ticket?”

  “No, Daddy! I’m about four hours away, and my friend Sangio graciously offered to drive me.”

  “I don’t know him!” Her mother panicked.

  “Let us come get you,” Alan pleaded. “We just need to know you’re safe.”

  “Sangio saved my life, Daddy. I couldn't be safer. You sound as if you’re in shock, both of you. Please rest and I’ll be home soon.” Jessie regretted admitting that Sangio saved her when she heard her mother pull in a sharp breath and start crying again.

  “Four hours?” Alan asked.

  “Well, I may have to pee,” Jess joked, but no one laughed.

  “He saved your life, Jess?” Her mom continued whispering.

  “He did, Mama!”

  “What did that bastard do to you? They found blood, Jess. They tested it, and it was yours. We thought--” Margie's voice broke, followed by her fathers cursing.

  “Listen, both of you.” Jessie regained her strength. “Trust me. I am ok. I will tell you everything. I promise. But it can’t be like this. I have to see you, and you have to see me to believe I’m ok. I don't want to do this over the phone. I just want to come home,” Jessie cried softly.

  “Yes, Jessie. Come home," Margie sighed into the phone, realizing it was her turn to be strong for her daughter.

  “Put this Sangio on the phone!” Alan demanded.

  "My dad,” Jessie explained as she handed the phone to Sangio, grinning through tears.

  “Mr. Greene? This is Sangio."

  “Look, I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but I want to tell you this. My wife and I handed our daughter off to a practical stranger a few weeks ago, and he promised us he would take good care of our girl. He lied. I told my wife that my daughter was in good hands. I was wrong. I was so wrong.” Alan paused to compose himself, trying to sound strong, but failing. “I was going to threaten you, Sangio. But the truth is, when the cops showed up at our door and told us what Dave did to this man in Colorado, and we couldn’t find our daughter, our only child, it almost killed us, Sangio. It damn near killed
us. So, I have no threats left. Just please, bring my girl home safe. Her mother needs to feel her in her arms before she goes to sleep tonight. Can you promise me that?”

  “You have my word,” Sangio said with as much strength as he could muster, thinking of the grief he saw in his own father’s eyes when he was attacked many years ago.

  “Thank you!” Sangio heard the broken voice of what must have been Jessie’s mom. “Thank you for saving my daughter.”

  “You’re welcome,” Sangio said.

  “Wait!” Margie cried out, panic rising in her voice. “Don’t hang up. I can't do this. I can't hang up.”

  “Do you have Caller ID?” Sangio asked.

  “Yes!” both parents cried into the phone.

  “Then my number should have shown up."

  "Ok, ok. Hold on a second." Sangio could hear Alan fumbling with the phone. "Danvonne? Is that you? Sangio Danvonne?"

  "That's me. Please, feel free to call her on this number anytime. Every five minutes if need be. You can even hang up and call right back if that reassures you. As a matter of a fact, maybe that would help Mrs. Greene?"

  It took Jessie’s father less than five seconds to recall and dial the number on his Caller ID. It took Jessie five minutes to convince her mother that she needed to get off the phone so she could start her journey home.

  “You’re quiet,” Jessie observed after an hour into the drive.

  “I’m worried,” Sangio admitted.

  “About my parents?” Jessie laughed. “They’re going to love you.”

  “Not about meeting them. About driving you to them. I don’t know what this means.” Sangio looked over at Jessie with his dark, clouded eyes. “For us, I mean.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t even thought of that. What’s next?” Jessie inquired.

  “I don’t know, Jessica. That is up to you.”

  “What does that mean? Don’t you have anything to say about this?”

  “Is that smoke coming from your ears?”

  “It’s just, it’s not my decision. It’s not all up to me. I’m not the only one with feelings here. Well, I hope not.” Jessie folded her arms across her chest and stared out at the road ahead of them.

  “Look,” Sangio said, still chuckling at Jessie’s temper. “I’d love nothing more than to stay with you. I don’t want to drop you off and call you on the phone while you get settled in. But I also want to give you the time you need with your parents, and to heal from the emotional pain Dave caused you."

  Sangio pulled the car over to the side of the highway and got out. Jessie was startled until he opened her door, kneeled down, and held her hand. “I can’t just assume you want me in your life as badly as I want to be in yours, Jessica. I can’t assume you have even had the opportunity to consider what being with me means, the sacrifices you will make.”

  “Then don’t assume!” Jessie scolded him, turning her legs out of the car towards him. “Don’t assume that I’m not smart enough to figure out that we couldn’t have babies together, or that you won’t age while my bones become brittle and my hair turns grey. I’ve done nothing but think about that for the past few days. I don’t have all of the answers either. I don’t know how I’m going to explain to my parents, that I left on my honeymoon a month ago with Dave, and I am now showing up at home with a new man, before I even file my annulment papers.”

  “Just tell them you finally came to your senses and traded up.” Sangio’s joke brought him a small kick from Jessie, taking him slightly off balance.

  “I’ve never been so scared, Sangio,” Jessie admitted. “My perfect husband turned out to be a violent criminal who was wanted by the law, and basically killed me on my honeymoon. The man turned into a monster right in front of my eyes."

  "And then you met another monster," Sangio smiled sadly.

  "And I watched the monster turn into a man," Jessie smiled back. "You saved my life. If it weren’t for you, my parents would have received a much different phone call. You saved them, as well. And Dave could have gotten away with it. He was already on the run. He would have just kept going. You probably saved an entire line of women from him."

  "I'm not the hero, Jessie. I used what I had in me. So did you. You didn't have to go back and face him at all. You stood up to him. He's a lunatic, so if you expected to have an amicable conversation--,"

  "I didn't. Well, is expecting and hoping the same thing?"

  "Not even close, Jessica. One should always have hope, but also be prepared for the unexpected." Sangio's hands were resting on Jessie's lap.

  "This month has been more dramatic than any Lifetime movie, or any book I’ve ever read from Oprah’s book club. But at the same time it’s such a beautiful story, I can’t imagine not being a part of it. So, here I am. I’m choosing to be a part of your life. I've lived enough of my life to know that I don't ever want to live it without you.”

  “And I can't imagine living it, really living it, without you being a part of it. I've met so many people in my life."

  "I bet!"

  "And I've never felt such a strong connection to anyone. I've not cared for another person since the day my father and brother died."

  "Then you'll stay at my parents house with me? For a while?"

  Sangio nodded his head. "Then it’s settled. We head to Sacramento, file your paperwork, and stay with your parents for a while.”

  “Then what?” Jessie asked. “Back to the mansion?”

  “That chapter has yet to be written, Jessica. We can go wherever we want. We can go to the mansion, stay close to your parents, travel the world, volunteer to build homes in Haiti, sail the seas."

  “Yes!”

  “Yes?” Sangio asked. “To which?”

  “Yes!” Jessie repeated. “To all of the above, and more. After nearly dying, I can think of nothing better to do than to really start living my life." Jessie's eyes danced with more light than ever before.

  "I have only one condition." Sangio's eyes darkened as his brows met. "And I'm very serious. I don't intend on putting my foot down on anything, but this."

  "Ok, let's hear it."

  "I will never, ever, ever, ever go camping again. Ever," Sangio said as he held Jessie's laughing face in his hands. "I'm serious. This is a deal breaker."

  "You took the words right out of my mouth! Shall we shake on it?" Jessie held her hand out.

  "Better yet." Sangio stood, taking Jessie's hand and pulling her from the car and into his arms. He searched her face for signs of fear, and when he saw none, he lowered his lips to hers. She met his lips, his kiss, with equal passion. He felt her heart pounding against her chest. He pulled her in closer, sharing her heartbeat.

  "Everything alright?" a deep voice asked.

  Jessie and Sangio looked up to see a highway patrol officer standing in the open door of his cruiser, with its lights spinning. They hadn't even heard him pull up.

  "Everything's great," Jessie blushed. "It's never been better."

  The police officer tipped his hat, realizing that he had interrupted a romantic moment. "Alright then, you may want to get back on the road. The breakdown lane isn't safe." He started to get back in his cruiser, but turned towards Sangio with a sideways grin. "There's a Hilton a couple miles up the highway. Just thought I'd put that out there."

  Jessie dropped her head into her hands, hoping she covered enough of her face before her burning cheeks were any more apparent, and slipped back in the car. Sangio closed the door for her, waved to the officer, and resumed his driving position.

  "Can we stop for a minute?" Jessie asked after driving another two hours.

  "Here? On the bridge?"

  "Yeah. I need a minute."

  Sangio pulled over, and Jessie stepped out of the car, onto the San Rafael bridge. The wind was blowing hard, tossing her hair all around, but this time, there was no bite in it. It was warm and welcoming. She walked to the edge of the bridge and pulled her diamond wedding set off her left hand and threw it into the San Francisc
o Bay, without a second thought, where it was swallowed by the black, choppy water.

  ###

  Author Connection

  One thing I learned while writing Biting Winds is that my readers fall in love with some of the characters that only have a moment's spotlight in the story. Besides the love story between Alan and Margie, my readers begged to learn more about Lilly. The great news is that I already felt my own connection to Lilly, and began writing her story before I completed Biting Winds. (Great minds think alike.) And, I have included Chapter 1 as a tease.

  There have been so many books, where I have gotten to the last page and felt like I lost a part of my family. I actually missed the characters. I wanted to know what was next for them. For this reason, I stay connected to my readers to hear what stories they want to see develop.

  The few trusted souls that I have editing Lilly's story have already strongly suggested that, Anthony, a very sinister character, needs a story of his own. So, feel free to connect with me and tell me who your favorite characters are, and help me decide which characters need their own spotlight.

  Don't forget to read the first chapter of Storms of Innocence below. Also, use the links below to find out the status of Storms of Innocence, and other titles.

  Stay Connected With Shawna Ireland!

  Smashwords author page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ShawnaIreland

  Twitter: http://twitter.com/shawnairelandCA

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShawnaIrelandCA

  LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/shawna-ireland/6b/892/570

  Storms of Innocence

  By Shawna Ireland

  I was born on a perfect spring day in April of 1790, with skin as white and creamy as an Easter Lily, so my parents named me Lillian Jane Sumner. Jane was my grandmother’s name, and she loved me as much as she could get away with, without offending God because she was supposed to love him most of all.

  My daddy used to brag about what a good baby I was. That is, when others weren't beating him to the punch.