by Lori Mack
Mike just shook his head, “I didn’t hear that. Oomph!”
Jenna had taken his shirt off and put on her own clothes. At his last statement, she picked up his shirt and threw it at him. “Don’t worry about it, Mole. Mike’s not here right now. He’s upstairs getting the key card and my purse.” Jenna made a shooing motion with her hand and Mike walked out the door.
“Am I still on speaker?”
Jenna picked up the receiver again. “No, it’s just us now. What’s going on?”
“I don’t want to discuss this over an open line. When are you coming back?”
“We’ll head out shortly. I think we’re both too tired to do much more tonight. We still have a few units to check, but I think we can wrap that up tomorrow. We should be back in less than an hour.” She started packing up the food and cleaning up their dinner dishes as she spoke.
“Okay. I’m sorry about this, Jenna. I hoped this wasn’t true, but I think you’ll find the files you need in unit 0215.”
A chill swept over Jenna and she put down the half-full bottle of wine she had been sealing for the ride home. She leaned her head against the cabinet and closed her eyes. “What aren’t you telling me, Anna? Unit 0215 isn’t on the list of my aunt’s units. I can’t access that unit with my key card.”
“It’s under your name. Alice set it up, just in case.”
Jenna didn’t need to ask, just in case of what. The ‘what’ had already happened. “It’s two-fifteen for a reason, isn’t it?” But, Mole had already hung up.
“Jenna?” Mike walked in the Vault carrying her purse and the leather portfolio with the key card. “What is two-fifteen?”
She looked up at him and said, “It’s the day my parents were killed. February fifteenth.”
***
Mike knew his time had just run out. It would only be a matter of minutes before Jenna knew the truth. He needed more time to make her understand. For her to fall in love with him again. To trust him again.
Wordlessly, they finished packing up the leftover food to bring back to the house with them, then walked up the stairs to the second floor together. Unit 0215 was the smallest size unit. But it wasn’t the quantity of information that was going to threaten their relationship. In fact, there was only one box in the unit and it didn’t even feel full he realized as he carried the box to the hallway, where the light was better. The box hadn’t been sealed and Mike watched as Jenna approached it like a snake charmer approached a basket with a cobra inside.
He had to say something. To let her know how much she meant to him, had always meant to him. He hadn’t made the decision to break up with her ten years ago lightly. He hadn’t wanted to break up with her at all, but he’d made a promise and the only way he could keep the promise was to break her heart. He wondered, not for the first time, if he’d made the right decision. Telling her the truth ten years ago would have driven a wedge between her and the only family she had left. And, there was no guarantee she would have understood and forgiven him. She might have lost everything: Alice, her past and the only family she had, and him, her future and the family they could have had together.
Jenna lifted the lid and Mike closed his eyes. He saw her as she was earlier, finding peace and joy in his arms. He knew he would forever remember her as she had looked earlier tonight, tucked away safe in his arms. He heard the swift intake of breath and slowly opened his eyes, expecting - and probably deserving - the hatred he would see in them.
Jenna stood there holding a large, sealed envelope. It looked to be about 2 inches thick and there were two white envelopes taped to the front. She raised her head and stared at him. “Mike?”
She turned the large envelope around and he saw his own name printed in bold letters on one of the small envelopes attached to the front. Her name was printed in the same handwriting on the other envelope.
“Jenna, let’s not do this here. We’ll go home and sort through it all there.”
She nodded, not speaking. He took the envelope from her and placed it in the bag with the leftovers and half-full bottle of wine. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he prayed it wouldn’t be the last time he held her, and walked her out to his truck. He helped her in the front seat and placed the leather portfolio with the key card still in it on the seat next to here. He might be a federal agent, but even he wasn’t stupid enough to drive with an open container in his vehicle. He locked the bag of food and wine in the tool chest in the bed of his truck.
“Take the slow route home, please.” Her small voice broke his heart. She was delaying the oncoming pain by just five minutes, but if it would make her feel better, he’d drive her home by way of Canada.
This late at night there was no one else using the back roads, so when he spotted the car racing up behind them, his training took over and he prepared for the worst. He reached across the front seat and jerked her seatbelt tight.
“Hang on, Jenna.”
As they approached the narrow, one-lane stone bridge the car behind them sped up. Jenna appeared to have come out of the fog she’d been in since seeing his name on the envelope and turned in her seat to watch the other car’s progress.
“Jenna, turn around and sit facing forward. Keep your feet flat on the floor and trust the seatbelt to-”
Jenna screamed as the car hit their left rear bumper, forcing the truck off the road just before the bridge. The water was low from the hot summer and lack of rain so there was about a ten-foot drop from the road to the river bed. Mike fought to keep the truck away from the cliff, but the force of the strike and the angle used to clip the rear bumper made it impossible to stay on the road. All he could do was try to keep the truck from going completely over the cliff. The only way to do this was to intentionally drive the truck into the stone guardrail.
“Hang on, Jenna!” He used all his strength to turn the wheel and head straight for the low stone wall. He was aiming for hitting the wall on the left side of the truck in the hopes it would lessen the impact for Jenna.
When the truck came to an abrupt stop in the low stone guardrail, the airbags exploded out in a puff of powder with the force of a small bomb. Mike was thrown forward into the billowing airbag until the seatbelt caught and he was thrust back into the headrest. His head bounced on the headrest a couple times before coming to rest on his chest. He tried to shake off the pain, but that made it worse. He turned to the side to see Jenna had fared about the same. Please, God, don’t let her be hurt again.
Chapter 8
Jenna was back in Mike’s arms, where she belonged and where she was safe. How had this happened? It had been years since she’d seen him and now, in just a matter of days they’d gone from near strangers to lovers. And, maybe more? She couldn’t deny the feelings were still there. Actually, they had never fully gone away. Mike had held a piece of her heart even after he’d shattered it. Maybe that’s why she never married or even seriously dated anyone. Her heart hadn’t been wholly hers to give. She just hoped he wasn’t planning to return the missing piece and walk away again.
She knew she should be doing something important, but she was just too tired to care. Maybe Mike would take care of whatever it was she was forgetting. And, didn’t that feel strange? And wonderful! Mike was there to help her out. Sure, she’d been an independent women and was proud of it. She was also enjoying the sensation of being back in his arms. She should probably wake up and tell him that.
Mike! She tried to open her eyes but they were gritty with powder. She flashed back to him tugging her seatbelt and then an explosion and dust floating everywhere. Her head was throbbing and her body ached. But, not in a good, I’ve just been thoroughly loved, way. Forcing her eyes open, she tried to turn her head to the side but that movement hurt and she groaned out loud.
“Jenna?” Mike’s voice sounded thready and far away over the constant blaring of the horn. What had happened? She vaguely remembered finding an envelope and getting into Mike’s truck. A light flashed directly in her eyes and she
shrank back trying to block the glare.
“What the hell?” Her own voice sounded warbled and distant.
“Jenna!” This time there was an urgency in Mike’s voice. “Talk to me, baby.”
Through half-open eyes she watched as a beam of light danced through the cab of the truck. Every once in a while, it caught her in the eyes and she winced against the blinding white light. “Mike, stop.”
“Stop what? What’s happening?”
“The light - stop flashing it in my eyes. I can’t see.” She felt hands roughly pushing her aside, groping under her legs and around her back. “Geez, Mike. Now’s not the time or place. Knock it off.”
“Jenna, what the hell is going on?”
A male voice whispered in her ear, “Tell him everything is fine or I’ll snap your neck like a twig. Got it?”
Her gasp was cut short when she felt a rough hand press against her throat. “M-mike, I’m f-fine.” She closed her eyes and tried to sit perfectly still as the stranger rummaged all around her.
“Where is it?” He demanded. “Where are the papers you found?”
She couldn’t remember anything and tried shook her head. He must have taken that as a refusal to tell him and he tightened the hold on her neck. “Tell me!” He shouted. She reached up and yanked on his hand, but she couldn’t budge his grip. She tried to feel around her for some type of weapon. There, her purse was half under her left hip. She tried to yank it out from under her but the seat belt pinned her in place.
Mike must have finally heard him over the still blaring horn because he yelled out, “Jenna, hang on!” She felt Mike moving around on his side of the truck and then felt her seatbelt being released. She started to slump, but the hand at her neck held her against the seat. She scrabbled at his hand with her fingers, but he just tightened his hold. She couldn’t breathe and there were spots dancing in front of her eyes. She wasn’t going to survive this time, she thought. She wouldn’t get the chance to tell Mike she still loved him, either. Damn! Now that made her mad. In one last burst of energy, she lifted her right hand and scratched out at where her attackers face might be.
She hadn’t hit him hard enough to hurt him, but the surprise of the attack had him stepping back a bit and he released his hold on her throat. She gulped in deep breaths of air and slumped forward to press her head between her knees. This movement caused her purse to slid out from under her. Her attacker must have seen it at the same time she felt it, because he shoved her down hard off the seat and climbed half-way into the truck to reach over her and grab her bag. Under her bag was the leather portfolio from Vinny’s. The attacker grabbed that as well, then back out of the truck. She looked up at the window and saw the barrel of his gun pointed straight at her.
***
Mike took the brunt of the impact on his side of the truck, hoping to spare Jenna. He could sense her moving around and could hear her talking, but he couldn’t quite make out the words over the blaring of the horn. His eyes wouldn’t quite focus and there was powder floating through the air from the airbags engaging. He didn’t think his nose, was broken, but he’d probably have a couple black eyes from the airbag hitting his face.
As his vision started to clear, he noticed the beam of a flashlight bouncing around the interior of the cab. He heard Jenna mumble something about the light and not the right time. What the hell? He glanced over and saw someone climbing in the window. Damn, where was his weapon?
He patted his side where he normally kept his holster, then remembered he’d left it at Alice’s house. But, he still had a weapon in the holster mounted under his seat. Mike struggled with his seatbelt, but the release was jammed and the seatbelt was too tight to allow him to reach under the seat. He managed to lean forward just enough to yank the keys from the ignition and access the pocket knife on his key chain. He heard Jenna’s scream and looked over to see the dark figure grabbing her throat. He yelled to her and reached over to release her seatbelt. He saw her start to slump forward as the tension from the seatbelt eased, then watched as the man grabbed her throat and pressed her back against the seat.
Using the pocket knife, he sliced through his seatbelt and grabbed his weapon. As he swung his weapon around to fire at the intruder, he saw Jenna being pushed off the seat. His vision still wasn’t 100%, so he couldn’t risk shooting her. Mike blinked to try and clear his vision. When he looked over again, he saw the barrel of the gun pointing towards the floor where Jenna was and Mike fired.
The man spun away from the force of the bullet hitting him in the shoulder. Mike closed one eye and tried to focus, but the man was running away now. Mike dropped his gun on the seat and leaned over to check on Jenna.
“Jenna, are you hurt? Come here, baby.” He helped her off the floor and into his arms. They sat that way for a few minutes until he saw the flashing lights of the approaching emergency vehicles. He kept his gun close by until he recognized Jonah Baudouin and the Fire Chief, Roman Brady, walking to his truck.
Jonah leaned in and took in the woman in his arms and the gun in his hand, “I’m guessing it wasn’t a skunk that ran in front of your truck?”
Mike released his hold on the weapon, but tightened his hold on the woman. “Oh, it was a skunk alright. A skunk with a bullet in his shoulder. Should make him ease enough to track down. Even for a small-town cop like you.”
Jonah laughed and patted the car door, “Hang tight. We’ll get you out of here in a minute. Us small-town cops like to take our time and do things right. Unlike you big-city feds who rush in, guns blazing, shooting poor innocent skunks.”
Mike huffed out a laugh, “Take your time, Officer. I’m comfortable where I am.” With that, he leaned down and kissed Jenna like his life depended upon it. He poured every ounce of relief that she was safe into his kiss. He shared every truth, everything he felt for her in his kiss. And, she took it all in and gave just as much back to him.
He reluctantly pulled his lips from hers. Holding her beautiful face, despite being covered in dust from the airbags and showing the strain of the last few days, he simply said what was in his heart. “You’re safe, Jenna. I’ll never let anything happen to you. I love you. I’ve always loved you and I will always love you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and her lower lip quivered. “Oh Mike, I love you, too.” She leaned in to kiss him and was rewarded with a cheer!
In hindsight he probably should have waited until they were alone instead of declaring his undying love for her in front of the entire St. Helena Fire and Police departments. He’d never hear the end of this one. And, for once, he didn’t mind that in a small town, everyone knew your business.
Chapter 9
“We’re not having this discussion again, Mike,” Jenna glared at him from the same hospital gurney she occupied just a few short days ago. The only difference was this time Mike was sitting on the gurney opposite her. He’d insisted on keeping the curtain separating their treatment cubicles open at all times. “Besides, the doctor suggested you should spend the night for observation, not me.” She sat with her arms crossed over her chest, mimicking his stance.
“Yes, and I told you, if I’m staying, you’re staying. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“It’s a good thing I’m here to drive you two home.” Jenna looked up and smiled as Mole walked in. “Come on, I convinced the doctor the entire hospital would be better off if you two weren’t here. I might have suggested they should only bother making up one bed if they wanted both of you to stay. Fortunately, Roman and Jonah were there and starting tell the staff about the show you two put on at the accident scene. The doctor signed the release orders, stat. Look,” she held up the papers, “it’s even legible.”
Mike groaned and muttered something about small-towns and their meddling ways, but Jenna just hoped off the gurney and hugged Mole. “Thanks, sweetie. Let’s go home. I could use a glass of wine. Oh, the wine and papers!” Jenna spun around and looked at Mike. “We need to get them out of the truck. That mu
st be what he was after.”
“No luck on the skunk, and I’ve got some bad news about that open bottle of wine I found in your truck, Mike. Here are the papers you requested,” Jonah walked in with the packet of papers and handed them to Jenna.
“It was not accessible, Officer,” Mike shot back.
“Oh, that’s not the problem. It seems it tipped over and your tool box now has a nice fruity smell to it. But, based on the amount of damage to your truck, that’s probably the least of your worries. I’m sure your insurance company will write the whole thing off. Too bad, too. It was a nice truck.”
Mike shrugged and looked at Jenna, “I got the only thing in that truck that mattered. I don’t care about anything else.” A chorus of ‘ahs and ohs’ sounded from the group of people standing outside the cubicle.
“Welcome to small-town life, Fed,” Jonah laughed as Mike closed his eyes.
Jenna placed her hand in Mike’s and said, “Let’s go home and get this over with. I need to know what’s going on.”
They were all silent on the ride back to Alice’s house. Jenna sat up front with Mole, while Mike sat alone in the back. She tried not to compare this ride with the last ride, but she did breathe a sigh of relief when they finally arrived at Alice’s house. Mike took her hand and let her in the house. “Come on, let’s get a few hours of sleep.”
Jenna started to protest, but reconsidered. A glance at the clock showed it was close to two in the morning. She’d had too many close calls and too many late nights this week. If she was going to learn the truth, better to do it when she was awake enough to understand. She squeezed Mike’s hand and said, “Follow me.”
Their love making was slower, but no less intense this time. Mike was gentle with her as he kissed every inch of the bruises left by the seatbelt across her upper body. She saw his eyes flare with anger when he glanced at the hand print on her neck, but she reassured him it didn’t hurt. Jenna spent several long minutes kissing away all his aches and pains, until he couldn’t take it anymore. He rolled her to her back and gazing steadily into her eyes, he thrust into her, creating a slow burn that had her toes curling and her ankles crossing behind his back. When she arched her hips up and tilted her head back, he placed small, open-mouthed kisses along her collar bone and down to her breasts. He sucked her nipples as he pumped in and out. Her orgasm was longer and deeper than earlier, but no less explosive. She cried out his name in release and when he took his own release, he triggered a series of small aftershocks in her. Mike held her close and took her mouth in his as she circled back down to him.