Barred

by Paisley Walker

  “I got a letter,” Jonathon says, his voice cracking with emotion.

  “Let’s see it,” Emerson says, reaching back to inspect the letter. Jonathon walks over, placing the letter into his hands as he places his hand onto Emerson’s shoulder. “Fuck!”

  “I know, I have no clue who could have taken her.” Jonathon whispers as Emerson re-reads the letter again.

  “I do. I know, let’s go.” Emerson growls, while grabbing the keys to his car, storming out of the room like a man on a mission.

  “Emerson…” Jonathon runs after him, trying to get him to see reason. “How do you know who it is?”

  “Think about it. Who the fuck did we not give two million to, Jonathon?”

  “I don’t know.” Jonathon answers truthfully as he racks his brain.

  “Masterson, it’s the fucking Masterson case!”

  “Fuck!” Jonathon lets out in one big breath. He knows Emerson is right. “But, we still can’t go running out there to Natasha. We need to call the cops.”

  “Fuck that! I’ll kill the bitch.” Emerson roars again.

  “No you will not.” Tyler says as he steps out of the elevator. “Where does this woman live? You’re sure she’s the one who has her?”

  “Yes!” Emerson yells at him. “That bitch has had a vendetta since I found out she was screwing the fucking pool boy.”

  “Well, where does she live?”

  “Three houses down from me,” Jonathon says, shaking from the anger coursing through his veins.

  “I’m going to get her back,” Tyler calls over his shoulder. “You two stay where you are. Don’t do something stupid.”

  “Okay!” They both say in unison as they go back to their offices to work.

  Kimberly wakes up to hear a bunch of noise coming from downstairs.

  “How the hell do you think you are storming in someone’s house like that?” Natasha yells from downstairs.

  “Where is she?” A male voice sounds from the bottom floor.

  “I have no clue who you’re talking about!”

  “You tell me where Kimberly is and you get off scot-free. You don’t and I find her, your ass is going to jail for kidnapping.”

  “She isn’t here!” Natasha yells as the footsteps get closer and closer. Kimberly can hear the heavy footfalls on the stairs.

  “Help! I’m in here!” She yells out as Natasha squeals. The door busts open and Kimberly stares at the man who has come to help her. She looks at his green eyes, his buzzed hair and ripped body.

  “Unchain her now,” he sneers at Natasha who is shaking. “Now!” He roars when she doesn’t move. Her feet finally move toward Kimberly, fumbling with the chain on her neck. She undoes the handcuff and grabs a handful of Kimberly’s hair.

  “I want my fucking money.” Natasha sneers, pulling a knife out of her pocket.

  “The cops are on their way. I wouldn’t do anything stupid. You’re already going to jail. Women like you don’t do well there.” The man says.

  “I’ll kill her.”

  “Try it.” He calmly states, looking into Kimberly’s eyes, telling her it’s going to be okay. Things will be okay in the end. When he sees Natasha raise the knife, he runs toward them, but Kimberly beats him. She slams her head into Natasha’s nose, making her drop the knife instantly.

  “You bitch!” She squeals as she reaches for her nose which is now dripping blood all over the white rug in the room.

  “I’m a bitch? Really?” Kimberly utters astonished. “I’m not the one who just held a fucking knife to your throat! Reality check, bitch.”

  “Oh, your sister must get her personality from you.” Tyler speaks up. “I’m Tyler by the way.” He smiles a crooked smile and cuffs the woman standing in front of him.

  “Sarah? How do you know anything about Sarah?”

  “I’ve been keeping an eye on her in case they knew about her.”

  “Oh, well thank you.”

  “Oh, she hates me.”

  “No, that’s her defense. You got under her skin if she’s being a bitch.” Kimberly smiles as she hears the sirens in the background.

  After an hour of going over everything that happened the last two days, Kimberly and Tyler finally walk out of Natasha Masterson’s home. She shivers as she thinks of what she will be going home to after all that mess this woman created. Tyler walks her to his huge truck, helping her in as he closes the door behind her.

  “Thank you,” she whispers as he slides into the driver’s seat.

  “For what?”

  “Saving me.”

  “Don’t thank me. I was the muscle. Emerson was the brain.”

  “Emerson?”

  “She sent a note looking for the money, he thought about it and knew she was the one who they cost two million.”

  “Oh,” she answers as she looks out the window. “Where are we going?”

  “Emerson’s. The guys are waiting for you.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I just wanted to go home and see the damage.”

  “Your house looks just like it did before that happened. Sarah cleaned it.”

  “Great. Thank you for looking after my sister.”

  “Oh, well you’re welcome. She may not thank you for it though.” He chuckles.

  “I think she will. A hot guy looking after her, she loved it.”

  “Well, thanks for that compliment. I’ll keep that one in this truck. Your boyfriends would shoot me where I stand.” He says with that crooked grin and his dimple showing. He makes one more turn before pulling into Emerson’s driveway. As he pulls in, both men run outside, both looking the worst that Kimberly has ever seen them. Jonathon’s normally sexy styled hair is sticking up all over the place and Emerson’s normally tamed curls look as if they were caught in a twister. Both of their clothes are wrinkled and disheveled. Kimberly can’t help but smile at the sight of them. It means they care.

  Jonathon reaches her first, running his hands all over her, making sure she isn’t harmed. “I’m so sorry baby.” He says, wrapping her in his arms. She breathes him in as she makes eye contact with Emerson. He gives her a tired smile as if he hasn’t slept in the two days she’s been away.

  “It’s okay, you both found me. I’m safe now.”

  “Yes, you are.” Emerson responds, coming to stand beside her. She lets go of Jonathon to throw her arms around Emerson. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers in her ear, kissing her temple. She clings to him, realizing she really is safe.

  “It wasn’t either of your faults. That bitch was crazy,” she mutters as she buries her face into Emerson’s shoulder.

  “I’m going to go, let you reunite properly,” Tyler says, walking to his truck. “I may even stop and bug another Weston while I’m at it.” He chuckles when he climbs up into the driver’s seat.

  “I’ll send your money in the morning,” Jonathon says, grabbing Kimberly’s hand.

  “Whenever, brother.”

  “What money?” Kimberly asks as the men lead her into the house.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Emerson quickly replies, heading inside.

  “Don’t worry about it? I’m not an idiot Emerson, you paid off my debt.”

  “Kimberly, we just got you back. Please don’t.” Jonathon cuts in.

  “Fine,” she says in a clipped tone. Neither Jonathon nor Emerson will let go of her. It’s as if they need to feel her to know she’s still with them. They walk into the house, sit on the couch and turn on the television.

  “Would you like to watch a movie?”

  “Sure, what about a funny movie?”

  “Whatever you want,” Emerson replies as he stands to walk into the kitchen to get some popcorn ready. Jonathon smiles at her, rubbing her hand.

  “I’m sorry I let that woman do that to you. We need to have a talk.”

  “About?”

  “We are worried about what being with us means for you.”

  “You’r
e breaking up with me.”

  “No baby, that’s not what I’m doing.”

  “Yes it is.”

  “Listen to him, Kimberly.” Emerson cuts out as he brings in the popcorn.

  “We are just worried about you, with us being in the paper together, you are a target for people just like Natasha. We don’t want that to happen to you again. I… We…we love you.”

  “What?” She breathes heavily. She can’t hear over her heartbeat pounding in her ears. There is no way he just said what she thought he said.

  “Kimberly, we love you,” Emerson repeats, knowing that’s the part she wants to hear. “We’ve both loved you for some time now, but we just didn’t want to acknowledge it.”

  “Love gives you power, an advantage.” Jonathon cuts in, grabbing her hand. “You being taken, opened our eyes, we need you to know that. You have come in here and swept both of us off your feet.”

  “I love you,” she says, kissing Jonathon. She stands and looks at Emerson, wrapping her arms around him, tears in her eyes as he smiles at her. “I love you, too.”

  “I know,” Emerson smiles. “Jonathon has to leave tonight to go to New York on a red eye, but we wanted to make sure you were safe. Let’s watch a movie and spend time together before he has to leave.”

  “You’re leaving?” She sniffles, sitting in his lap, not wanting either of them out of her sight.

  “I don’t want to, but this case is worth a lot of money. I’d send jerk face if I could, but I handled most of the case.” He lets out a sigh but then smiles. “But, we have a surprise for you this weekend when I get back.”

  “A surprise?”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “Not a haunted house again?” She throws an evil look at Emerson, which in return gets a huge throaty laugh.

  “Even better,” Jonathon smiles.

  Three hours later and a movie and a half down, Jonathon stands up. He kisses her as he gets ready to head to the airport. It’s the last thing he wants but he knows he has to go. “I love you, I’ll be home before you have time to miss me.”

  “I love you, too.” She mumbles sleepily.

  “Take good care of her,” Jonathon says as Emerson walks him to the front door.

  “Are we really going to have this conversation as if she is a child, not a grown woman?”

  “Don’t start,” he growls.

  “Fine, yes father I will watch over her,” Emerson says with a smirk. “Especially while she is naked in my bed.”

  “You better be glad I consider you my brother, or else you’d be knocked out on the fucking floor.”

  “Have a safe flight,” Emerson says with a gleam in his eye.

  “Yeah, yeah. Remember payback is a bitch,” Jonathon smirks, making his way to the cab waiting for him.

  Once again, Jonathon finds himself back in the suite at the hotel in New York without the woman he just professed his love to. How the fuck Emerson always gets her to himself is beyond him, but this time payback will be bittersweet. Jonathon grabs his computer, looking into some travel arrangements for Kimberly and himself to have some alone time. Around two, the place is booked and he finally lays between the sheets of the comfortable bed. Why Emerson always puts him in the Plaza, he never understands, but he does. Jonathon would be comfortable at the freaking Holiday Inn instead, but he lets Emerson have his way.

  He wakes with a jolt around five in the morning, shaking and grasping his chest. He looks around the room, taking in his surroundings, realizing it was just a dream. The dream felt so real though. He shakes his head as he tries to clear the images of Kimberly laying in a casket with her skin the color of a porcelain doll. He reaches for his phone and dials her number from memory.

  “Hello?” Her groggy voice comes from the other line, and finally he can breathe again.

  “I’m sorry for waking you,” he gasps, trying to catch his breath.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, but I want you here. Will you please come here,” he begs her.

  “What about work?”

  “Kimberly, I just had a dream you died. I need you here. Your employees can run the daycare.” He can sense her hesitating so he resorts to begging again. “Please.”

  “Okay, I’ll wake Emerson and get him to drive me to the airport.”

  “Thank you… I love you,” he whispers as she disconnects the line. He isn’t sure when he realized he needed her as much as he did. Now he knows she is the reason he lives these days, the reason the blood pumps through his heart and that scares the shit out him. She may love him, but what if she loves Emerson more. That isn’t an option he thinks he would agree with. He lies back down on the sweat covered pillow, trying to ease his mind and hopefully fall asleep, but it seems to evade him.

  He gets up, slides on a pair of running shorts, a t-shirt and his shoes. He makes his way outside of the Plaza Hotel and down the streets of New York. He runs until his lungs burn, then turns around and runs back. By the time he gets back to the hotel, his body feels as if there are thousands of bee’s stinging him but it’s a welcome pain. It’s a pain he can understand, the pain of that dream isn’t something he has ever felt. It was like losing her, made him lose himself and that isn’t something he has ever felt either. Even with Mallory, sending her away hurt, but it was minimal. This kind of hurt was as if someone shoved a torch inside his heart cavity and burned it until it was seared beyond saving. That kind of pain is the pain that will wreck someone, and that is exactly what Kimberly did. She wrecked him for anyone else and to say he minded, would be a lie. He wanted her to own his heart, the only problem with that was that half of her heart belongs to his best friend.

  He walks into the hotel after his run, his head cleared as the cold November air hit his body. He probably should have taken a jacket but the thoughts raging were enough to keep his mind off the chilly bite of the air. He slides his key into the lock of his suite before opening the door. He sheds his clothes as he walks to the shower. The clock sitting on the fireplace mantle catches his eye and he’s shocked to see that it is already seven o’clock. He’d run through the streets of New York for two hours. He turns the warm water on in the shower before walking to the mini bar and downing a bottle of water. His anxiety of seeing the woman he loves coursing through his veins as the image of her in that casket replays in his head. He shakes the thought, climbing into the shower, but he can’t seem to let it go. Hearing her voice wasn’t enough for him, he needs to see her alive and breathing to know that it really was just a nightmare.

  “Emerson, wake up,” Kimberly whispers, pushing his shoulder gently.

  “What is it?” He asks sitting up in the bed, the sheets dropping to reveal the sexy divots of the muscles making the v of his hips.

  She licks her lips then shakes her head as the fear in Jonathon’s voice comes through her mind. “It’s Jonathon, he needs me to come to New York.”

  “What? Why?”

  “He had a dream I died, he said he needs to see me to know I’m really okay,” she replies. She stares at Emerson in shock as he jumps out of the bed grabbing the nearest pair of pants he can.

  “Let’s go,” he says in a clipped tone.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  “He lost his mother, I was there. It wasn’t a pretty sight. It’s his greatest fear to lose someone close to him. You need to be on a plane, now.”

  “Oh God, he never told me.”

  “He doesn’t tell anyone because of that reason. If they knew, they would hurt you to get to him. Everyone knows you’re the one thing that matters to him. Example being Natasha.”

  She shivers as he brings up the woman’s name, and makes a mental note to never tell the boys just how close the woman was to making that fear a reality with that knife she had. Emerson grabs a few of her clothes lying around his room and packs them into an overnight bag. He smiles and kisses her forehead.

  “You’re going to have fun in New York, and don’t worry about anything else. We w
ill handle it,” he says, grabbing her hand and walking with her to the car. He drives her to the Baton Rouge Airport, parks his car in a no parking zone and walks her to the terminal.

  “You’re going to get towed.”

  “That’s okay, I just wanted to make sure you got here safely. I love you,” he says, kissing her temple. She really wants to grab him, pull him into her arms and kiss the hell out of him, but she knows that she can’t. She hates it for him and for her. She wants people to know that this amazingly sexy man is hers.

  “I love you, too,” she says as she walks onto the plane for New York. He waves, giving her a reassuring smile before turning to head back to his car. She gets on the plane, sits in her seat in first class and gets ready for takeoff. In just a little over three hours, she will be in Jonathon’s arms and he will be reassured that nothing bad has happened to her.

  Kimberly is awoken by the flight attendant as the plane starts to descend into New York. She looks out the window, in awe of the city that has always fascinated her. They never had the money to do a lot of traveling growing up, but now that she saw it, she feared she would go into debt making sure it wasn’t a one-time trip. She gathers her jacket and the bag Emerson packed for her, waiting for the plane to reach its terminal. She smiles as she gets into the airport, taking a deep breath and watching all the busy people who make New York, well New York. She walks out to the front of the airport knowing that Emerson has already made her arrangements to get to the hotel. Once her bag and she is situated in the town car Emerson hired, she is brought into the heart of New York—her eyes as wide as saucers, taking in all the sights of the city. She’s almost disappointed when she realizes she is already at the hotel, but when she notices it’s the Plaza, she can’t help but feel giddy all over again. She is almost like a child in a toy store seeing all the new things. Things she has only admired from afar now in her grasp.