I Want Crazy

by Codi Gary

  How had Will done it? She had checked the discs before she left. Which meant he had to have slipped it in at the bar.

  Or in the car. You did stop off for a pita at the bakery.

  However, he’d done it, he’d ruined her life all over again. Her fresh start, her new home.

  Clenching her fists, she wished she could take a couple of swings at the slimy asshole.

  * * *

  Red and Ray cleared the bar, and as they left, Rand asked if she should go talk to Jessie.

  Red shook his head. “She wants to be alone.”

  Rand opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but Jake touched her shoulder. Without another word, she let him lead her to their truck.

  Red looked off toward the place he’d left Jessie and felt Ray’s hand on his shoulder. “Hey, man. I’ll stay here with her and make sure she gets home okay. I don’t live far.”

  Jealousy ate at Red as he turned toward the handsome chef. “Thanks.”

  “I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not after her. She gave me a chance when no one else would. I respect her. She’s like a sister to me.”

  Red took a deep breath. “Sorry, man.”

  “It’s okay. Hell, I wouldn’t trust another man around my woman.” Ray shot him a wink as he walked back inside, and Red climbed into his Charger fighting the urge to go to her. His first instinct was to fix everything, but he didn’t know how. And he was afraid if he tried, it would just make things worse.

  * * *

  Jessie saw the last car leave and knew it was Red. She shouldn’t have taken her issues out on him, but honestly, she couldn’t stand for him to stare at her like she was broken. That pitying look that says, You poor thing, but you put yourself in that position.

  How do you know he feels that way?

  Because what man was going to be okay dating essentially a porn star, even if it wasn’t by choice? Who knew how many men had seen her? One day they could be on their honeymoon, and someone might recognize her, or if they had kids, and—

  Whoa, honeymoon? Kids? Do you realize what you’re thinking about?

  It was actually scary how much she had been thinking about a future with Red. What it would be like to be a part of his large, boisterous family. Wondering if their kids would have red hair, if they would be tall, and if they would live the rest of their lives in Loco, or would they move somewhere like Florida?

  And now, it was all ruined.

  Getting up from her rock, and wiping her eyes, she headed back to the bar to lock up. She could hear Ray moving around in the kitchen and was glad he’d stayed. Despite her assurances to Red that she wanted to be alone, the fact that Will had left a parting gift for her before leaving town, that he had been in her bar without her knowledge, made her physically ill.

  But having Red stay, hovering over her, hadn’t been what she needed either. When he was around, logic and reason went out the window.

  And she wanted a clear head to consider everything. Then tomorrow she’d go to the police and report Will’s parole violation. She should have done it the first time she saw him in Loco, but part of her still thought the videos were her fault. If she’d only recognized what an evil monster Will was earlier, she would never have been put in this position.

  And you would have never met Red.

  As she walked inside and started closing up, she had to admit that with Red, there was a different kind of happiness that warmed her whenever he texted, called, or touched her. He was the real deal, the kind of guy women looked their whole lives for. Not that he was perfect, far from it. He was stubborn, pigheaded, sometimes sexist, and could rub her wrong like no other.

  But he was also kind and caring, willing to put other’s needs before his own. He was protective and loyal. He was just…right.

  She emptied out the drawer and after locking the money in the safe, she headed for the kitchen to say good night to Ray. She pushed open the door and stepped inside. “Hey, Ray, I’m going to take off—”

  Jessie saw Ray lying still on the ground and rushed toward him. Before she reached his side, something hard hit the back of her skull, and blinding pain shot down her spine.

  And then everything went black.

  * * *

  Red made it home but hadn’t gotten out of his car yet. He couldn’t erase Jessie’s expression when she’d seen that video from his mind. Had she asked him to leave because she really wanted space or did she think he cared?

  Pulling out his phone, he texted her. We need to talk. I don’t care about the video or your ex or anything but you.

  He pressed Send and waited, realizing he really didn’t care about anything she had done or someone had done to her.

  Because in just one month, he had fallen head over feet in love with Jessie Dale.

  He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized it before, but it was true. It was different from the love he’d felt for Rand, which had come over him like a sucker punch. This was slow and had grown deeper with every smile, every touch, and every thought shared. What he felt for her was the kind of love that lasted a lifetime and then some.

  He checked his phone again, and she still hadn’t texted him back.

  “Fuck it, I don’t care if you want to talk or not, woman, I’m gonna have my say.”

  He backed the Charger out of the driveway, then squealed his tires out onto the main road, back to the bar.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The first thought that struck Jessie was that someone was bouncing on her head with a pogo stick.

  Not actually, but that was the feeling currently making its home inside her skull.

  The second thought was that the smell of chemicals was overwhelming, so strong she felt bile rise up in her throat and hadn’t even opened her eyes before she was vomiting.

  When her stomach finally quieted, she looked up, her vision blurry, and saw someone tossing her bar.

  “You’re awake. Good. This is such a nice place you got here, baby. It must have cost a pretty penny to buy and, I’m assuming, remodel. Is that where all my money went?”

  Will. The blurry figure was Will. She tried to focus, and a white jug on the counter caught her eye.

  “What are you doing?” Her voice was raspy with pain.

  “Trying to find where you hide the money from the till.”

  That gave her pause and slowly, everything started coming back. The DVD. Telling Red to leave. Finding Ray…

  Panic jerked her out of her stupor, a wave of dizziness washing over her as she tried to lift her head. “Where’s Ray? Is he dead?”

  He squatted in front of her, blocking out the overhead light. “I’m not really sure. I hit him quite a bit harder than you.”

  Guilt churned in her gut. Ray had already been through so much, and now he was probably dying. All because he’d picked the wrong place to work.

  Her vision finally cleared, and she saw that the left side of Will’s face was puffy, bruised, and his eye was swollen shut.

  She would have smiled if she didn’t hurt so much. “Red really did a number on you.”

  Will’s mouth tightened at the corners, a sure sign that she’d struck a nerve. “He caught me off guard.”

  “You know he’s meeting me here, right? And when he finds out you didn’t leave town, Red’s going to kill you.”

  There was no mistaking the rage that flashed across Will’s face. “Your steroid-sucking redneck boyfriend can go fuck himself. God knows he won’t be fucking you anymore.”

  Jessie laughed hoarsely. “Is that supposed to scare me? I’m through being scared of you, Will. Worried about you finding me when you got out. No matter what you do to me, all the money I got from that settlement is gone. And the money from the till is safe and secure, and I’m not giving you shit, you crazy, punk-ass—”

  She screamed when Will grabbed the back of her head and pulled on her hair. “You think you’re funny now? You’re fucking brave because you think your honey’s going to come back and save you?” He
shook her by the head, and the world spun again. “Where is the fucking till money? I know you haven’t gone to the bank, and I’m figuring there’s just enough to get me to Mexico. Maybe I’ll hook up with some hot little chicas over the border and take my films international.”

  She gritted her teeth, pissed that she’d given him the satisfaction of knowing he’d hurt her. “Fuck you. You’re not getting out of Loco.”

  He backhanded her so hard, lights exploded. She fell hard against the ground, trying to get her bearings again. Holding her face with one hand, she tried to crawl to her feet.

  “Get up and open the safe.”

  She remembered her father telling her to always give up her purse in a robbery, just chuck it and run, because most of the time, they only want the money. Somehow, she didn’t think she was walking out of this bar alive anyway, whether she gave him the money or not, and she really didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

  “Give me the combination.” Will picked up a box of matches, and slipped one of the red-tipped sticks from inside, waving it at her tauntingly. “Or I’m going to light this place up.”

  She held on to the side of a barstool and snapped, “You think you’re going to get away? Red’s no doubt already told his buddies on the police force that you’re still in town. They’re probably looking for you.”

  “I’ll be long gone by the time they come looking for me.” He picked up a bottle filled with liquid with a towel poking out of the top, and she knew. The chemical smell, the matches…

  He was going to burn Ray and her alive in the bar. Despite all the things he had ever done, deep down she had never thought he would actually kill her.

  He flicked the match in his hand, the bright flame burning as he held it to the towel. The minute the flame spread up the white cloth, he threw it against the wall. Yellow and orange exploded as the wood caught fire.

  “If you kill me, you’ll never get your money.”

  His eyes were hard, and all her hopes that he was bluffing flew out the window as real fear finally gripped her.

  “But you’ll be dead. That’s good enough for me.”

  She tried to move toward the door, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. Wrapping his hands around her throat, he tightened until she couldn’t breathe. She kicked and clawed at his hands, but he didn’t relent.

  Fake it, or you’re dead.

  Rolling her eyes back in her head, she stopped fighting and went limp. He let her go, and she struggled not to gasp for air, hoping he’d think she was dead or at least out cold.

  It worked. She heard his retreating footsteps and then the sound of the door opening. The heat and smoke had become suffocating, but she was afraid if she got up, he might still be there. If she could make it to the kitchen, to Ray, maybe she could get them both out the back.

  She climbed to her hands and knees and crawled across the floor toward the kitchen, her eyes tearing as the smoke burned. She hadn’t even gotten past the bar before she was too exhausted to move anymore.

  Her last thought before she passed out was she wanted to tell Red she was sorry.

  * * *

  Red saw the smoke and flames, and his heart stopped.

  Slamming on the brakes and shoving his car into Park, he jumped out, nearly face-planting into the gravel. Panicked, he ran toward the doors, yelling, “Jessie!”

  He reached the front door and saw the barricade across the handles, as if to keep someone in. Raw fury took over his body, and like the Hulk, he tore away the wood from the handles and stepped into the smoky inferno.

  “Jessie!”

  He searched the room, coughing as the bitter smoke filled his lungs. Despite the burning in his eyes, he saw her crumpled by the bar and raced to her side.

  Red gathered her up against his chest, trying not to crush her. He hurried toward the door until he reached the front porch, and safety.

  Taking the steps down to the parking lot, he felt her spasm in his arms as she started coughing. Relief replaced his rage. “Jessie?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  Her voice was quietly rough, but it was there. She was alive.

  “Thank God.” Gently, he tilted her face up, noting the swelling, and his hands shook against her skin. “I am going to kill him.”

  A small smile tilted the corners of her mouth. “Once my head stops hurting, I’ll help you.”

  The fact that she could joke made him less worried but still murderous.

  Her eyes widened, and she suddenly started struggling in his arms. “Ray is still in there! Will knocked him out in the kitchen, and he’s trapped.”

  “Baby, I’ll go back in for Ray, but I need to make sure you’re safe first. I’m going to put you in the car—”

  Jessie cried out, and Red turned, expecting to see Will coming at him, but instead, Ray came around the corner of the building, hauling an unconscious Will over his shoulder. As he drew closer, Red notice the large gash on the right side of his forehead.

  “Looks like he clocked you pretty good. How did you get out?”

  “I crawled through the window in the kitchen and saw this snake creeping through the trees. Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s bruised and bloody, but she’s still got some kick in her.”

  “I’m right here, and can answer for my own damn self.” The glow of the fire lit up the concerned expression on Jessie’s face. “What about you? The last time I saw you, you were lying on the floor.”

  “Just a monster of a headache, but I feel a little better after giving this piece of shit a taste of what he gave me.” Ray unceremoniously dumped Will on the ground, and the other man groaned as he hit the dirt. Considering Red wanted to tear him apart with his bare hands, he thought it showed a lot of restraint on Ray’s part that he hadn’t killed him.

  “We need to call the fire department and police, but I want something to tie the bastard up with first,” Ray said.

  “I have some rope in the trunk of my Charger.”

  Ray’s face split into a grin. “Aren’t you a Boy Scout.”

  Red smiled back. “Never hurts to be prepared.”

  “I can stand on my own.”

  Jessie’s soft voice drew his attention away from Ray and Will. He let her slide down his body, but he continued holding her against him with one arm as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Not yet. I almost lost you, so you’re going to have to give me a minute to make sure you’re really okay. And while I’m holding you and inspecting you, I’m going to call for help.”

  She didn’t argue, just held on to him and he couldn’t stop stroking her as he made the 911 call. The dispatcher kept asking him questions as he watched Ray use the ropes on Will. The idiot started coming to and squinted up at Red and Jessie with fiery hatred.

  “You bitch,” Will rasped. “I should have just paid someone to kill you instead of making it personal.”

  When Red finally hung up, he was tempted to tell Ray to turn Will loose so he could beat the hell out of him, but Jessie beat him to it.

  She pulled away from Red and stood over Will with clenched fists. “It was already personal for me, you prick.”

  Before he could stop her, she’d kicked Will in the ribs.

  “That is for the video,” she said, regaining her balance before winding up to kick him again. “This is for following me here and tormenting me.” She gave him a harder kick to the stomach.

  “And this”—her boot hit his face with enough force to knock his head back— “is for trying to kill me.”

  Red caught her and pulled her away from Will as the parking lot flooded with lights from squad cars and emergency vehicles. Ray hauled Will toward the waiting police officers none too gently, while Red followed behind with Jessie in his arms.

  As the fire department went to work on the bar, Red held Jessie against his chest. Pretty soon, the front of his shirt was soaked, and he realized she was crying.

  He kissed the top of her head gently. “I’m
sorry about the bar.”

  Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs, and when Finn started toward them, Red waved him away. “The ambulance is here. Why don’t we go get you checked out?”

  “I’m…okay,” she said hoarsely.

  “I’d rather have a doctor’s opinion on that.”

  “Why did you come back?”

  He couldn’t tell her the truth, not now. Not amid all this pain and horror. “Because I’m stubborn and don’t listen.”

  He caught the ghost of a smile before she laid her cheek on his chest. “Thank you.”

  “What are you thanking me for?” he said gruffly. “If I hadn’t left at all, none of this would have happened.”

  She stroked his cheek, the tender light in her eyes making his heart squeeze. “You left because I asked you to. You were honoring my wishes. But, what I’m thanking you for is for being such a good man.”

  He blinked and rubbed his eyes as they stung with tears. “Damn smoke.”

  * * *

  The doctors gave her the okay to go home. Ray was in the waiting room, along with Rand, April, and Jake.

  “You guys didn’t have to come down here.”

  “Are you kidding? I want to get my hands on the son of a bitch!” Rand cried, reaching out to hug her. “You poor thing. Your face looks like it hurts.”

  Rand’s concern made Jessie want to weep. She’d forgotten what it was like to have friends who showed up when you really needed them. “It does, but the headache that goes along with it is worse.”

  “I can’t believe this happened,” April said next to them.

  “Well, the good news is that bastard isn’t going to enjoy freedom for a long time,” Jake said.

  Red stole Jessie away from Rand and April and snuggled her back in his arms. “He won’t be enjoying any crap-tastic soy lattes, that’s for sure.”

  An hour later, Red was tucking her into his bed. As he sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, her chest tightened at the intense look on his face.

  “I thought you were going to be dead. I thought I was going to walk through those doors and find you on the ground, not breathing.”