A Sea of Smoke_A Dark Romance

by Karen Lynn

  “See I told you it’s not that bad, I just need my belt.” Attempting to reassure her, he placed one hand on the back of her head and unbuckled his belt with the other. She watched grimly as he fastened it above the wound, leaned back and pretended to be good as new.

  “Kristen, we need to apply pressure to her wound!” Logan called out, ripping Gina's shirt away from her stomach to expose one of several entry wounds he found. “Come here!”

  Kristen looked over at him, then back at Jake.

  “Kristen hurry up!” Logan shouted again.

  Unable to move, she gripped Jake’s arm. “Jake... I didn’t mean it...”

  “I know you didn’t baby.” Blinking back the moisture in his eyes, he stared at her briefly. “Just go help him now.” His mouth set in a hard line, his eyes glazing with pain. For the time being he had a lot more to worry about than her interaction with Logan.

  “But, what about you? I'll get you a towel from the kitchen to hold on it.”

  “I'll be fine, she needs help. Go.” His demeanor had a strange calmness, almost a resignation to it. When she gave in, he sighed and limped to the kitchen for the towel.

  As much as she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes on Gina for very long. It was hard to accept the fact that one minute she had been an intimidating force and the next lay barely breathing. Other than during her father’s battle with cancer, she had never been this close to death before, and hated it, especially since it was her fault. Terrified, she turned to Logan, surprised to find him observing her with a strange expression on his face.

  “Are you sure she's alive?” Her voice was unrecognizable She tried to gulp down the huge lump in her throat.

  “Yes I'm sure! Go to the bathroom and bring all the gauze and bandages you find. And some towels,” he ordered, returning his attention to Gina.

  At first her legs wouldn't function then it felt like she was sleepwalking. She could feel Jake's eyes on her and glanced over. He nodded for her to go. She smiled. It’ll be all right. I’ll wake up and everything will be all right. Like before.

  Logan wanted to call 911. There was that slim chance some concerned neighbor reported the disturbance, but just in case. Kristen began to weep. She wasn't ready to go to jail.

  “We have to Kristen. It's not going away.” Jake rested his leg up on a couch, applying pressure on the wound with the towel. The painkillers she gave him were ever so slowly decreasing the pain. Hopefully it would also clear up his head.

  “What are we gonna tell them?” she sniffled, ignoring the queasiness building inside of her. Through the corner of her eye she glimpsed Logan pacing by Gina.

  “The truth. She broke in and attacked you. He grabbed the gun and it went off. It wasn’t your fault baby. Get that out of your mind. And stop worrying. It was all self-defense.” Jake was eager to console her, but found it hard to function himself. The horrific turn of events was not at all how he imagined the day going. Desperate to make her feel better, he stroked her hair with his free hand.

  “No! Kristen come here.” Logan stormed toward her, coming to an abrupt halt when he realized how close Jake was.

  She squinted. Biting her lip, she removed Jake's hand from her head and went to Logan. Disregarding Jake, Logan took her arm guiding her to the hallway. Jake watched in a haze of pain and torment, too exhausted to react.

  She stared at Logan without a word, her eyes filled with anguish.

  “Do you wanna go to prison?” he whispered, his eyes tearing into her. She shook her head, afraid to speak.

  Logan's mind was on fire. He gripped her face, bringing it to his. “Do what I say then and you won't...”

  “But, I…” she stammered, unable to overlook the blood leaking down his cheek.

  “But nothing! For once, just listen to me!”

  Her mind went black. It was so cold. Lost in his eyes, she let him take control.

  “I'm telling them I did it.” He paused, waiting for her to absorb it. Choosing his words carefully, he closed his eyes, trying to convince himself as he invented it. “Like he said, it was self-defense. She broke in, pulled the gun on me. I shot her. End of story.”

  “But, it's my gun Logan... I touched it...” she floundered, her face filled with uncertainty and confusion. She grabbed his waist without thinking, then it dawned on her—Jake was in the other room. In slow motion she brought her arms to her chest and cradled herself.

  Taken aback, Logan choked up for a second, but just as quickly composed himself. “Of course you touched it Kristen. It's your gun.”

  “Let's ask Jake.”

  “Fuck him! This is between me and you!”

  She recoiled, pouting. He pondered his story for a moment, then proceeded in a softer tone.

  “She threatened us with her gun. Your gun was on the table, I grabbed it to defend you. You tried to stop me, I pushed you away and it accidentally discharged, then it fell and went off again, hitting both of them.”

  It should've blown his fucking head off!

  An unearthly calm descended over him, the sense of power and control gripping him, surreal. How ironic, right after I re-discovered my own gun. Where the hell did I put it anyway? I have to hide it before the police arrive.

  In his subconscious, he heard Kristen babbling. She tugged his arm, snapping him back.

  “Will they be able to tell I shot her though?” Her eyes were large and frightened.

  “No! How could they? Go tell him. We need the same story.” He started pushing her back to the living room. She stopped short, blinking back the tears as she turned to face him.

  “Why are you protecting me Logan?”

  With some hesitation, he brought her face closer, his expression serious.

  “You know why.” He kissed her before she could resist. “And I'm adding it your tab. It keeps on growing.”

  That familiar heart melting grin, tugged at his lips. It was contagious, but almost instantly her own smile disappeared into a disturbed frown. “What about your cut?” She cringed, dropping her eyes from the festering wound on his cheek.

  “Don't worry about it. It'll heal. You can kiss it though.”

  She sighed, amazed at his nonchalance. “I meant won't they ask about it? What about Jake? You can’t say he did it!”

  The second she said it his smile disappeared. “That's all you care about? Kristen, I'm saving your ass, I need something in return.” He crushed her to him.

  “That's why you're doing it?” She crinkled her face in a sulk. It figures. How could I be so stupid?

  “What do you think? It's not as if I enjoy being locked up. But I can handle it better than you can. Plus, I’ll get out in no time and when I do you owe me big time.” The smile was back, but the sadness was hard to hide. His hands slid along her back.

  “You need to get out in one piece first.” It was a serious concern, and one she didn't want to deal with. But it was better than her doing the time. Pulling away before he could persist, she headed back to Jake. He followed.

  Jake lay on the floor, his injured leg still elevated onto the couch. When she knelt next to him he leaned into her.

  “Why's he doing it Kris? What does he really want?” There was a darkness in his soul threatening to smother him. The meds were taking their toll and he was on the verge of nodding out. With heavy eyelids, he looked into her terrified face and backed down.

  “Is it still bleeding?” She tenderly touched the blood-stained towel draped around his leg.

  Jake lifted the towel to peek at the wound. “I think its slowing down.” Her concern surprised him, but he couldn't help thinking it was just a ploy to avoid discussing Logan's motive. He decided to let it go for now. He had no choice.

  Logan stood next to them, growing more restless as he pressed a towel up to his cheek. He hated dealing with cops but knew the sooner he got the inevitable crime scene investigation over with, he could get Nick's attorney to start the process and move on with his life. It would be cut and dry self-defense,
stand your ground law. He’d seen them get Nick’s guys off for a lot worse countless times.

  Jake forced himself to acknowledge him. “I don't like your story. She can't be involved at all. Change it! Tell them you did it, accident or not. I don't give a shit. But Kristen never grabbed the gun. Her prints were on it from before.” His voice was bitter.

  He hobbled to his feet to glare dead-on at Logan, his mind whirling.

  If Kristen wouldn’t be implicated in any way, I’d rat him out in a heartbeat. It would definitely make my day if they nailed him for attempted murder—or murder, if Gina doesn’t make it. If they fry his sorry ass, even better. But for now, all that matters is Kristen’s freedom.

  “Hey, whatever you want,” Logan sneered at Jake before turning his undivided attention back to Kristen. “So now that we're all on the same page, let's get it over with. Krissy, call Nick when they take me in. I'll need him to bail me out ASAP. And call his attorney.” He thrust Nick’s business card into her hand, closing his fingers around hers and looking deep into her eyes. “Oh, one more thing. Krissy, can you get me something to clean this up with?” He pointed to the cut, raising his eyebrows. She shuddered avoiding Jake’s eyes and rushed to the bathroom for cotton balls and peroxide.

  Logan waited until she was out of view to discretely search the dining room for his gun. Strange how he’d forgotten he dropped it on the floor by a credenza—it was there the entire time. His eyes flashed to Jake.

  Too bad, I could’ve finished you off and avoided this whole mess. You lucked out this time asshole. I have to lock it up for now. Stifling his laughter, he disappeared down the hallway.

  Jake couldn’t stop frowning after they both disappeared from his line of vision. Funny how she jumps to take care of him, but when it comes to me, it takes forever!

  The loud screech of sirens jerked him back to the present. Showdown time, the cavalry had arrived. It was stacking up to be a long, grueling night.

  * * *

  The paramedics were the first to arrive, followed by two uniformed police officers on their heels. After that it seemed like time flew by in a flurry of activity. They immediately checked out Gina's condition and began scanning the area to assess the situation.

  A tall female cop instructed them to separate and maintain a good distance from each other and the victim. Kristen crept to a chair in the corner while Jake remained on the couch, trying to conceal his injury. Logan waited in the hallway closer to the bedroom, too flustered to stay still.

  The medical team worked with fervor to stabilize Gina. It appeared she was unconscious but still hanging on. Apparently she suffered head trauma from the bang against the wall in addition to the bullet wounds. The chaos escalated when several General Investigation Unit personnel bustled in.

  “Wait!” Kristen hopped up, calling out to prevent the paramedics from leaving with Gina. “What about him? He's hurt too.”

  The female paramedic turned her attention to Jake, gesturing to her partner to give her a minute. She carried her huge red supply bag over, bending down to inspect his injury. Jake rolled his eyes, putting on a brave face when she cleaned and bandaged it.

  “You're very lucky. It just grazed you. But you should get to the hospital right away. You can come with us,” she said, smiling at him.

  “That's okay. I'll wait for her,” he mumbled, pointing to Kristen, who sat on the edge of seat watching them. I may be fucked up, but there’s no way I’m leaving her behind with him.

  In a sudden convergence police staff scurried around them, photographing, measuring, taking notes, inspecting, bagging the weapons, examining everything. The once spacious living room was now noisy, crowded and chaotic. The detectives ordered them to separate into different rooms to prepare for interviews.

  “Why can't we go together?” Not bothering to hide her alarm, Kristen clutched Jake's arm.

  “They need to make sure we don't work together,” he kept his expression grim, determined to show her how serious the situation was. “Don't argue with them, and tell them what happened, like we discussed.” It hurt him to let her go, she looked so fragile. He glanced over, appalled to see Logan staring after her. A strange sinking feeling came over him. If she doesn’t convince them, then what?

  They sat in the dining room.

  “I'm Detective Rodriguez.” Kristen stared up at the large, GIU police officer.

  Nothing registered, she was out of it. Until he announced he was the lead detective assigned to the violent crime unit, and she panicked.

  “She’s not dead is she?”

  “She's stable right now. But you never know!” The stern look on his face and raised eyebrows didn't help relieve her alarm. “And you are Kristen Holder, correct?” She found herself lost in space again, blocking out every word he said. He repeated the question. “You do know your name, don’t you?”

  Her breathing intensified, she failed to pick up on the amused look in his eyes. The grip she had on the dining room table tightened, her knuckles turning whiter.

  “Yes. That's right,” she muttered. Why am I freezing and roasting at the same time?

  After a barrage of basic procedural questions, he delved right in.

  “So Logan is your husband and Jake Wolf is?” His eyebrows shot up. He waited. When he took a long gulp of his Pepsi and thumped the can down on the table, it startled her. He didn't flinch or blink. Just stared.

  Self-consciously, she pushed her hair out of her face and looked at him.

  “Jake's my boyfriend. And she was, she is...” Fidgeting, she stalled, finding it impossible to get comfortable in the hard oak chair. She bit her lip so hard, she drew blood.

  Detective Rodriquez eyed her with new found interest. “She? You mean Gina?”

  After a deep breath and fiddling with her hair some more, Kristen mumbled, “Yeah... I guess that’s her name.” Shut up Kristen. Don’t ramble.

  “Oh, now I get it. Gina is the victim, right?” He grinned without looking up from his notes. “What can you tell me about Gina?”

  Shouldn't he know all this? Or did I say too much? Her mind raced. Do I need an attorney? Isn't that what Logan said? She couldn’t stop blinking. “Do I need an attorney?”

  “Not yet, Kristen. We'll see. So let's continue, okay? Officer Bolton, who spoke to you guys initially said you were a witness. Is that correct?” He stared at her again, his thick mustache shining with droplets of Pepsi.

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath. Suddenly Alex entered her head. Don’t we need to see him? What time is it?

  “Really? So then what happened?” He waited until the vacant look in her eyes disappeared.

  “She, that woman, came out of nowhere acting crazy. She had this gun and pointed it at Logan. He didn't do anything to her, she kept moving closer. He told her to stop and leave. But she kept yelling she was gonna shoot him.” Breathless, she was dying to drink the water sitting in front of her, but was too shaky to pick up the glass.

  Breathe, Kristen! Stop shaking! Don’t make him suspicious!

  “Hmm. So why do you think Gina was so mad?” His voice had become calm and reassuring. After draining the can of soda, he leaned back casually, continuing his close observation.

  Fighting to keep her hand steady, Kristen reached for the glass, bringing it to her lips. It wasn't too bad. Her frantic breathing decelerated.

  “I have no idea. She was really pissed off though.”

  “So he shot her because she was pissed off?” The detective’s hand swiped his mouth, wiping away drops of moisture.

  “No! It was an accident; it just went off. I think he got really nervous. She was threatening to kill me also.” Talking about it made it vivid and real. Her stomach cramped.

  “Okay, Kristen. Just a few more questions. Not too painful, I hope.” He smiled, putting the pen down. She had his undivided attention. He took his time while she stared at him with large, wet eyes.

  “Do you still live here?”

  “No. I live with Jake.
We just had a baby.” Her voice became dreamy.

  “I see. How old?”

  His eyes were glued on her. The warmth and kindness she found in them, drawing her in.

  “He was born as a preemie nine days ago.” She felt the blush creeping up her face. Why am I telling him all this? She crinkled her nose and exhaled.

  “Well, congratulations.” He smiled, still intent on her.

  Despite herself she smiled back.

  “So what were you and Jake doing here today?” His expression turned impassive again.

  Her smile faded. “We were moving out all the baby's stuff. We were about to leave when she came in. Everything's in the truck downstairs.” The room began to tip before her eyes as the dizziness ripped through her. We need to get out of here and go to Alex. He must be going crazy.

  “Was Logan here the whole time?” The detective resumed his scribbling, peeking up every so often.

  What should I say now? We never spoke about this! She concentrated on the swirling colors embedded in the wood of the dining room table. “He came in shortly after we did.” Her voice was tiny, but he managed to hear her.

  “And how long after that did Gina come in?”

  “A while after. I don't remember exactly.” Her left eye began to twitch. She rested her head on her hand, hoping to stop it.

  “And who is Gina again?” His eyebrows raised, but he didn’t meet her eyes.

  “What?” She frowned at him, then regained her train of thought. “Some slu... he knows her from somewhere.” His glaring eyes told her he was waiting for more. “I don’t know her.”

  Without warning, he leaned back, stretched, and rose to his feet. “Okay Kristen. That's all for now. Relax. I'll be right back.”

  Then he was gone—just like that. Her mouth dropped open wide in surprise. She wiggled around in the hard chair to watch him leave. What did it all mean? She could feel the sobs rising in her chest. She needed to call Jake, but didn't dare. He was in the kitchen with the other detective. She wondered where Logan was. Unable to hold back any longer, she dropped her head on the table and burst into tears.