Every Moment with You_Redeeming Love

by J. E. Parker

  I rolled my eyes and whirled around. “Dang Evan, you couldn’t wait—”

  The man standing in front of me wasn’t Evan.

  Tall. Broad shoulders. Clean cut. Bright green eyes. All the air left my lungs in one quick swoosh as recognition set in.

  I knew exactly who the man was.

  I’d only seen one picture of him—his mugshot—but it wasn’t hard to figure out who he was. After all, both of his sons looked exactly like him.

  Colin O’Bannon.

  Sweat broke out on my brow as my heart jackhammered in my chest. My nostrils flared with every breath I took, and my stomach dropped to my feet. “What do you want?” I took a step backward, and he took one forward. “Why are you here?” My lips trembled, and my chin wobbled.

  He tipped his head towards the shelter. “You’ve got my wife and sons in there. I want them back.”

  Not a chance in hell.

  I needed to distract him until Evan realized what was going on and got his ass out here. “Who’s your wife?” My voice shook with every syllable. “There's a lot of women here. How do you know she’s one of them?”

  “Don’t play games with me you little bitch! You and I both know they’re in there.” He grabbed for me, but I jumped back, narrowly missing his grasping hand. He growled, and I glimpsed straight white teeth. “And you’re going to get them for me.”

  Hell no. Try again, shithead.

  “You need to leave—now.” My mind screamed at me to turn around and run as fast as I could to safety, but I couldn’t. Even if I out ran Colin—which wasn’t likely—I couldn’t lead him straight to Clara and the boys.

  I’d die first.

  I glanced towards one of the cameras anchored on the side of the building.

  Come on, Evan.

  Colin’s eyes dropped to my waist, and he smiled. I didn’t pull my eyes away from him—don’t look away!—but I felt for what he was looking at with my left hand. Cool metal scratched against my palm.

  Oh God!

  My ID badge, the same one that with one quick swipe would unlock every door of the shelter, was clipped to the top of my shorts. Colin met my eyes again and licked his lips. “This is going to be easier than I thought.” His mouth twisted into a terrifying grin. “Like taking candy from a baby.”

  One second. Two seconds.

  He lunged at me, and I screamed. Loud. “Evan!”

  Turning around, I made a run for it. My flip-flop covered feet dug into the gravel, and I pumped my arms wildly as I willed my shaking legs to carry me to safety.

  Colin roared behind me.

  My skin felt clammy and my shoulders felt tight.

  Out of nowhere, I heard Hendrix’s voice in my head. “Run, Maddie. Baby, run!”

  Determination set in and I dug deeper. Pushed harder. Ran faster.

  Faster, faster, faster!

  My senses dulled and the world around me slowed. I felt no fear as a mixture of adrenaline, and fierce protectiveness rushed through my veins. I didn’t even feel the sting of pain as my flesh was ripped from the soles of my feet after not just one, but both of my flip-flips were torn from my feet.

  Protect them! My mind screamed. Don’t let him hurt them!

  If I could just get inside before he did, I could warn them.

  The kitchen door came into view and my vision zoned in on it.

  Run fucking harder!

  I was two steps away from the ramp when an arm encircled my waist, and I was picked up off the ground. “Evan!” A hand clamped over my mouth and nose.

  Hendrix’s voice again… “Fight, Maddie! Goddamn it, fight!”

  I threw my elbows into Colin’s ribs.

  I kicked his knees with my feet.

  I slammed my head back into his chest.

  None of it worked!

  Panicking, I tried to think, tried to remember what I was supposed to do. All those self-defense classes and I couldn’t recall a damn thing! I tried to scream behind his hand as I said a silent prayer. Please let someone hear me! My scream was muffled, barely audible beyond the rapid beating of my heart. I tasted salt and felt his roughened skin on the tip of my tongue.

  Then it hit me…

  Bite him!

  If I could only open my mouth!

  My vision tunneled from lack of oxygen. It only made me more frantic, more desperate. Rearing back, I slammed my head into his chest one more time. He grunted but didn’t let me go. I screamed again as hysteria gripped me.

  Fight!

  Colin ripped the ID badge from my shorts. No! Still suspended in the air, I pulled my knees into my belly and with all the strength that I had left, I kicked, slamming the back of my heels down onto the top of his kneecaps. His right leg buckled and his hand loosened its grip on my mouth and nose.

  I allowed myself to inhale once before I opened my mouth wide and bit down. Coppery fluid coated my tongue and lips before Colin ripped his hand from my tightly clamped jaws. “You fucking bitch!” He grabbed me under the back of my neck and spun me to the right before placing a hand between my shoulder blades and shoving me forward.

  My head smashed into the bricked shelter wall. Hard.

  My vision swam and when Colin released me, my legs buckled.

  Get up, Maddie!

  I swayed and fell backward onto my butt. My arms felt heavy, my legs weak. My heart pounded in my ears, and my head lulled uncontrollably from side to side. Colin moved to stand in front of me. Grabbing a fist full of my hair, he wrenched my head back. “You should’ve just given them to me. I wouldn’t have hurt you.” He chuckled. “Not too bad anyway.” He licked his lips before spitting in my face. “But now you’re going to pay.”

  He released my hair, and my body fell to the left.

  Silence surrounded me as my mind screamed, do something!

  I never even saw the first punch coming.

  The side of my face exploded. Bone met bone, and it felt like a stick of dynamite detonated in my skull. Bright lights flashed in front of my eyes, and then everything dimmed. Colors weren’t so bright anymore, and my ears seemed to close off.

  Another hit. More explosions.

  Oddly enough, I still felt no pain.

  Gravel dug into my back, and I lost control of my arms and legs.

  It was at that moment that I realized I was going to die.

  So, I prayed…

  I prayed for my dad. Prayed for my Grandmama. I prayed for the boy that I’d given my heart too so long ago, and for the man who he’d grown to be. I prayed for my intakes, prayed for their families. I prayed for Shelby, sweet baby Lucca, and the rest of my team. I prayed for Hope and asked God to bless her for all that she’d done for me over the years. I also prayed that Evan—not the girls—would be the one to find my body.

  Please, God…

  I prayed for everyone I’d ever met. But not once did I pray for me.

  Suddenly, I regretted never going back home.

  Always too terrified to face the past, I’d made Daddy and Grandmama come to me, all because I couldn’t handle confronting my demons.

  And dear Lord, the secret that I’d kept…

  Now, no one other than Hope and Shelby would ever know.

  Not Daddy, not Grandmama, not Hendrix.

  Emotional pain crippled me as I realized that not only was I a coward but I was also a liar. I’d never meant to lie but lying by omission was still lying. Wasn’t it? Hendrix deserved to know everything. But I’d kept my secrets, refused to tell him the truth.

  All because he’d left me and never looked back.

  Now, it was too late, and he’d never know about—

  My head snapped to the left.

  Colin moved in front of me. His face was red, and his mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear the words he spoke. My eyes slid up, and I saw the sky. Unlike a couple of hours ago, it was clear. Beautiful. The stars were shining bright, and the moon was full.

  It reminded me of the first night I spent on the trestle bridge with Hendrix.
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  I tried to smile at the memory, but my muscles wouldn’t work.

  “A man can’t live without his heart, Maddie. And you, pretty girl, are my heart.”

  What I’d give just to feel his lips on mine one more time…

  Another explosion and my entire body jerked.

  I blinked, and Colin came back into view. He lifted his hand as if to hit me again but then he froze. Turning his head to the right, he sneered at someone.

  Suddenly, the ground below me shook, and Colin’s entire body jerked.

  Once. Twice. Thrice.

  My eyes slid closed and a sense of peace engulfed me.

  I felt hands on me as someone shook me. Warm, soft hands.

  Shelby.

  Then, another pair of hands. Those were bigger. Rougher.

  Evan.

  Strong fingers pressed into the side of my neck.

  My last thought before I faded away: The monster found me.

  Hendrix

  Dressed in my gear, I was sitting in the jump seat behind Pop in Station 24’s main ladder truck.

  Kyle, who I hadn’t seen since leaving Station 41, sat beside me, and on the other side of him sat a big bald guy that I’d never met before, named Curly.

  Curly leaned forward in his seat. “What we got, Captain?”

  Pop turned the call radio up that was attached to the trucks dash. “Something is going on at the women’s shelter. Not exactly sure what yet.”

  Curly furrowed his brows. “Why is dispatch sending us all the way out there? Don’t they know that’s Station 26’s zone?”

  “26 is tied up. They’ve got a house fire and a multiple vehicle collision out on highway eighteen.”

  Curly sat back in his seat and spat a wad of tobacco juice into a Styrofoam cup. Disgusting, man. “Great. Just great.”

  Next to me, Kyle fiddled with his gloves. “Women’s shelter… Isn’t that the place where women and kids go when they’re running from abusive men?”

  Pop nodded once. “Yeah, kid. The place is a shit-hole, but they do good work.” He glanced in the side mirror, and his eyes found mine. “They help a lot of people.”

  The radio on Pop’s shoulder crackled, repeating the same call from earlier. “Medic requested at 321 Sycamore Street. Multiple persons. One male. Early forties. Unconscious. Multiple gunshot wounds. Respiratory and cardiac distress.”

  “Doesn’t sound good,” Pop said before propping his elbow against the side window.

  “One female. Mid-twenties. Unconscious. Head injury. Assault suspected.”

  Pop stilled. “Fuck!” He screamed before hitting the dashboard. His eyes found mine again in the mirror, and I didn’t miss the panic plastered all over his face.

  “Pop! What the hell is going on?”

  He shook his head as static came through the radio followed by the dispatcher’s voice. “Police on scene.” More static. “Scene secured. 24 proceed as normal.”

  I looked at Kyle who merely shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know, man.”

  Then, I looked at Curly who was looking at Pop. “This could go bad—fast.”

  Pop nodded again. “I already know.”

  Not knowing what was going on—and not giving a damn either—I leaned forward in my seat and stared out the dark windshield. Ahead of us, the ambulance made a sharp right, and we followed. An old—but big—brick building came into view. I knew right away it had to be the shelter. Again, the ambulance made a right, and we stayed right on their ass. Driving through a set of opened metal gates, the truck came to a stop in the middle of a gravel parking lot.

  A crowd had already started to form.

  “Is that the people who live here?" I asked no one in particular. I sure as hell hoped not.

  Pop opened his door. “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.” Jumping down, he stomped towards one of the police cars that was parked right in front of us. “Haywood!” He screamed. “Who are those people?”

  The police officers face turned red as he replied, “Residents of the shelter.”

  Pop cursed. “Goddamn it! You didn’t think to at least push them back and put a barricade in place?”

  The cop's mouth opened and closed. “We were trying to secure the scene—”

  Pop cut him off. “Forget it. We’ll handle it.” He turned and found me. “Hendrix, get those people back!”

  I nodded once as I headed for the crowd. “I’m on it.”

  Behind me, I heard Pop bark, “Keep him back until I know what’s going on,” to someone. Kyle, maybe?

  I spun around ready to ask him what the hell the problem was when a girl in the crowd caught my eye. Petite. Almond shaped eyes. Shiny black hair. I recognized her immediately. “You’ve got to be shitting me.” Fisting my hands at my sides, I stomped towards her. Her eyes widened when she saw me headed in her direction. “I know you, don’t I? You were my girl’s roommate at Vanderbilt. Hope, right?”

  “I… I….” she stuttered before looking to her right and screaming out someone else’s name. “Shelby!” I followed her line of vision and saw a girl, around my age, with blonde hair and big blue eyes. Most men would’ve thought she was gorgeous. I didn’t. Her hair was too pale, her skin too tan. “It’s him,” Hope yelled, pointing at me. “I… it’s Hendrix!”

  What in the fuck?

  The girl named Shelby took one step towards me. Then two. That’s when I noticed her hands. They were covered in blood, along with the lower half of her shirt.

  I moved to her. “Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head, her eyes wild with fear. “No, but you have to help her.”

  I kept moving. “Help who?”

  She lifted her hand and pointed towards the area where EMS was working on someone. “Madelyn!”

  One word, one name, and I knew.

  I fucking knew.

  Turning left, I ran towards the scene. Pop was the first familiar face that I saw. Kneeling on the ground, he was crouched beside a body. “Pop!”

  He looked up at the sound of my voice, and his face visibly paled. “Stay back, Hendrix.” Fuck no. I moved faster. “Keep him back!” He shouted at someone behind me.

  Curly stepped into my path. Guess he thought he would stop me but little did he know, a tank couldn’t have stopped me. Dropping my shoulder, I rammed it into his chest, and like a domino—he fell.

  “Goddamn it, son,” Pop bitched as I reached his side and dropped to my knees.

  Taking a deep breath, I looked down at the person lying face up on the ground for the first time. It was a woman. I couldn’t see her face for the bloody clumps of hair that were plastered across her skin. “Pop,” I said, “tell me it isn’t…”

  It’s not her. It’s not her. It’s not her.

  He didn’t answer me as he checked the woman’s vitals. Closing my eyes, I rested the tips of my fingers on her chin. I counted to three before sweeping my fingers upward, brushing the matted hair from her face.

  Deep down, I already knew what I’d see once her hair was out of the way.

  Still, I had to know.

  I opened my eyes.

  “Oh fuck,” I cried, my hands shaking uncontrollably. “Maddie, baby…”

  Pop hit my arm. “Hey,” he snapped. “Now is not the time for you to fall apart. Either get your shit together and help me help Maddie, or get the fuck out of my way!”

  I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.

  All I saw was Maddie, beaten and broken, blood spilling from her nose and ear, as she lied unconscious on the ground. “Pop…”

  “Goddamn it, Hendrix!” He stared at me with cold, hard eyes. “What did I just tell you. If you’re going to fall apart when Maddie needs you, then get the hell out of my way, because someone has to save her!”

  Someone has to save her…

  His words were the kick in the ass I needed.

  Something inside of me snapped, and my training took over. Moving as if on autopilot, I stilled my features, and emotionally numbed mysel
f to the torrent of emotions that were wreaking havoc on both my heart and mind.

  I couldn’t allow myself to feel. If I did, I feared I’d fail to help her.

  I looked over at Pop. “What do you need?” Like him, I wasn’t just a fireman. I was a paramedic too. Had been for a couple of years.

  He tossed an IV start kit in my direction. “Pulse and respiration are both tachy, and she’s losing a fair amount of blood.” He glanced at the blood coating almost her entire face, neck, and scalp. “We need to get a line in her. You think you can handle that.”

  I answered him by moving to Maddie’s left side and ripping the plastic surrounding the IV start kit with my teeth. Pop nodded once. “Good. Now let’s get her stable and get her to the hospital.” He looked at the medics still sitting by her feet. “What the fuck are you two doing? Get a gurney and a spine board—now!”

  My hands moved. Within seconds I had the bend in Maddie's elbow disinfected and the tourniquet in place. I tapped the vein twice before sliding in the needle.

  Pop mumbled across from me. “Come on, Maddie girl. Just hang on.” He placed an oxygen mask over her face as I finished taping and securing the IV line.

  The next few minutes passed in a blur as we loaded Maddie onto the spine board and then the gurney. I didn’t stop to think as I jumped in the back of the ambulance with her. One of the medics climbed in behind me and I looked him over from head to toe.

  Hell no.

  The kid couldn’t be more than twenty-two, and his appearance didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Yes, I’m a judgmental dick.

  I pointed at the bench beside the gurney. “Sit the hell down.”

  His face scrunched up in confusion, and he opened his mouth—no doubt to protest—but one scathing look from me and he sat right down. “This is against protocol,” he said, crossing his bony arms over his chest.

  I didn’t look his way as I went to work checking Maddie’s vitals and readjusting the oxygen mask over her face. “What’s your name, kid?”

  “Daniel,” he said with a huff.

  “Well, Daniel, my name is Hendrix, and this girl right here is my entire world. You understand what I’m telling you?”