Keeping Her Safe

by Sherry Lewis

  “I didn’t care about the money,” Larry insisted. “Remember, your mother walked out and took Devon away from me. I was the one who was supposed to be hurting, and Christina used Devon to get even with me. I was given no choice. I had to give Devon up because your mother had everyone so convinced I was some horrible creature—”

  “Yeah? Well, it was true.”

  Galloway glared at her. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you? You didn’t learn then, and you’re still not learning. So what are you doing here—turning Devon against me?”

  “I don’t need to,” Laura said. “You’ve already done it yourself.”

  “Don’t start with me, you stupid bitch.” Galloway slapped the side of the house with an open palm. Flesh hit wood with an almost-sickening pop, and Adam unsnapped his holster as a precaution.

  DJ flinched, Laura’s face tightened and across the yard, Marissa let out a wail that seemed to jerk DJ back to reality. DJ searched for her with frantic eyes, and to Adam, she looked like a startled bird ready to take flight.

  He hesitated only an instant. He didn’t want to leave Galloway alone with DJ and Laura, but he had to get Marissa to safety. He didn’t want DJ to go to her or Galloway would follow, and he had to keep Marissa from crossing the lawn and putting herself in harm’s way.

  Racing down the steps and across the lawn, he scooped the child into his arms and cradled her against his chest for an instant. She felt small. Vulnerable. Fragile. And the absolute trust she offered threatened to bring tears to his eyes.

  She wrapped her quivering arms around his neck and hung on for dear life. “I want Mommy,” she sobbed.

  Adam rocked her gently and spoke so low only she could hear. “It’s okay. Mommy’s going to be all right. See her? She’s okay.”

  Marissa buried her face against his shoulder. “I don’t like him. He’s mean. I want him to go ’way.”

  Adam tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “I do, too,” he said honestly. “If I put you down by this tree with Holly, do you think you could stay right here and watch her?”

  Marissa looked up at him with a tiny frown. “I don’t want to stay here by myself.”

  Adam lowered her to the ground and then hunkered down to her level. “I know you don’t, but I need you to stay safe right over here—okay?”

  Marissa looked uncertain.

  “I won’t be gone long. I’ll be right over there where you can see me. And I won’t let anybody get hurt. Okay?”

  She studied him with dark, baby’s eyes. “Will you make him go away?”

  “Yes,” Adam promised.

  Marissa didn’t question how. Or when. She just leaned her head against his shoulder again and sighed.

  She trusted him to keep her safe. She believed in him. And DJ believed in him.

  He’d faced dangerous men before. He’d handled angry, violent people more than once. But he’d never had so much to lose.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  DJ WATCHED ADAM rush across the lawn and Marissa lift her arms to him as he approached. When Marissa buried her face in his neck, DJ tried to fight a sudden rush of guilt. She should be the one comforting her child, but she couldn’t make herself move.

  When Larry swore violently and Laura shouted something back at him, DJ knew she couldn’t let this go on any longer. Someone would get hurt. Marissa didn’t need to see or hear any more.

  She started toward them, surprised by Laura’s lack of control. Laura had always seemed so together, DJ had a hard time connecting the sister she’d always known with the woman standing before her now.

  Without warning, an image of a much younger Laura filled her mind. She stood with her head bowed and her shoulders quaking as she cried, and DJ could sense cold anger in the air around her—the same cold anger she felt radiating from Larry now. The picture vanished almost instantly, but the fear and sadness remained.

  Blinking rapidly, DJ tried to convince herself it had been imagination—not memory. But she knew she’d seen Laura like that before.

  She drew abreast of Larry and forced herself to look into his eyes. “I remember now. I remember how you hurt my mother and Laura.”

  He stared at her in stony silence for several long seconds. “What if I did? You got a problem with that?”

  “Why can’t you just leave and stay gone?” Laura shouted.

  Larry glared at her. “Why should I? This is my daughter’s house. I belong here. And I want my family together, no matter what it takes.” He pivoted back to DJ and tried to look kind. “I lost you once. I won’t lose you again. From now on, I’ll keep you next to me. I’m holding on to my family.”

  Laura pushed between them. “We’re not your family!” Her voice shook with the force of her emotions and her face grew an angry red. “You gave her up, and I never was part of your family.”

  Larry pushed her shoulder, and without warning, Laura struck his hand away. “Don’t touch me. Don’t you dare touch me.” She lashed out at him again, then shoved his chest with both hands hard enough to make him stagger backward.

  He worked up a cold, hard smile and jabbed her shoulder. “What’s the matter with you?”

  Adam worked his way past DJ and planted himself in Larry’s path. “Don’t touch her again,” he warned.

  Larry glared at him. “What the hell—?” He stabbed his fingers at Adam. “Keep your nose out of this. It isn’t any of your concern.”

  “It is my concern,” Adam insisted. “Don’t touch her again.”

  Larry lifted both hands in a gesture of surrender, but DJ could see anger simmering in his eyes. “All right. You want to play big man, go right ahead. But you don’t know squat about what’s going on here.” He used his head to point at Laura. “This one’s been jealous of Devon from the minute she was born. Jealous and spiteful. Jealous because she didn’t think I loved her as much as I loved Devon, and she looked for any excuse to hold against me.”

  “That’s not true!” Laura shouted, and she came toward him as if she intended to strike him again.

  DJ wrapped an arm around her and tried to hold her back while Adam kept himself directly in Larry’s path. “Laura, please,” DJ said. “Let’s just get rid of him. Let it be over.”

  But Laura didn’t want to listen. She strained against DJ’s hold and battled tears of rage. “It’s not over. It’s never going to be over. I still have nightmares about him.” She tugged one arm from DJ’s grasp.

  Terrified that Laura would do something to make the situation even worse, DJ clutched the material of her blouse, but Laura pulled so hard, the fabric gave way in her hand.

  Catching Adam off guard, Laura darted around him and struck Larry across the face with the palm of her hand. As if in slow motion, Larry clapped one hand to the side of his face, and for one awful moment, DJ thought he’d hit back.

  Thankfully, Adam stepped farther into his path. “Don’t even think about it.”

  But Larry’s temper had grown too hot for Adam to present much of a deterrent. He shoved Laura’s shoulders and swore again.

  Laura looked terrified, but she didn’t cower under the force of his rage. She pummeled him with her fists and struck his chest, his sides, his arms. Adam pivoted toward her and tried to stop her, but she pulled away from him and struck out at Larry again. She landed a blow to his neck and another to the side of his chin. “Go away!”

  Again, Adam pushed between them. “Laura—”

  She wheeled away from him, and her anger frightened DJ. She had no idea how best to react. After checking on Marissa, she forced herself to move closer and prayed for sudden inspiration if the need arose.

  Larry caught Laura’s hands in his and grinned. He turned to DJ. “Your mother thought she could take you away from me,” he said. “She thought she could keep you from me. But she didn’t win. She’ll never win. I’ll see her dead first.”

  DJ’s heart beat high in her chest and her throat burned dry. She’d never been so frightened, but she coul
dn’t let this go on any longer.

  She took another cautious step toward them, but Adam got there first. “All right, Galloway. That’s it—”

  Laura interrupted with a howl of rage and fear. “I hate you!” she screamed. “I want you to die!”

  Without warning, Larry released her hands and hit her across the face with the back of his hand. Blood spurted from her mouth and trickled from her nose. She covered her face and head with her arms. Her knees buckled, and she sagged to the ground.

  Adam lunged at Larry, but Larry avoided him neatly and drew back his hand as if he intended to hit her again.

  Forcing herself into action, DJ used her weight as a weapon and lunged at him. She caught his hand with her shoulder just before he struck Laura again, but she did nothing more than deflect the blow. His hand caught Laura on the side of the head and hit DJ in the shoulder.

  Laura cried out in pain, and DJ stumbled backward toward the edge of the steps. When she landed the wrong way on the top step, her ankle twisted and threw her off-balance. Pain shot up her calf, and her ankle gave way beneath her.

  Frantically, she grasped for the porch rail, but she was too far away to reach it. She plunged down the steps and landed on one knee with a sickening pop. The pain blazed a trail up from her knee to her thigh, and her ankle throbbed with every heartbeat.

  Only Marissa’s cry from somewhere behind her on the lawn kept her from closing her eyes and giving in to the pain for a moment.

  While DJ tried to stand, Laura threw herself at Larry again. “You hurt her!” Laura cried. “I knew you would someday.”

  Larry grabbed her by the wrist again, but Adam intervened. Grasping Larry’s wrist, he wrenched his arm behind his back and forced it up toward his neck. From across the porch, he locked eyes with DJ. “Can you walk well enough to get inside?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Can you try? I need you to call 911. Get the Salt Lake Police Department over here.”

  “I didn’t do anything!” Larry roared. “Laura brought this on—not me!” Eyes wide with surprise, he tried to pivot toward DJ. “Tell him, Devon. I was trying to defend myself. You could see that, couldn’t you?” When she didn’t answer, he shouted again. “Are you blind?”

  He wrenched free of Adam’s grasp and turned to DJ with a wild look in his eyes. “Can you see now why I had to keep them in line?”

  DJ couldn’t see anything but a bitter, hate-filled man who hurt the people she loved most. Gritting her teeth, she gripped the porch rail for support and pulled herself to her feet. Pain seared her knee, and for a moment she didn’t think she could remain standing.

  In the background, Marissa’s cries grew louder and the dog’s angry barking pierced the morning air. A second later, Holly bounded past her and up the steps. Before DJ realized what the dog had in mind, Holly attacked, but she succeeded only in fastening her teeth into the denim near Larry’s ankle.

  Swearing, Larry tried to pull the dog from his pant leg, but Holly refused to let go. He swore aloud and kicked several times, but still the dog maintained her grip. At last he connected with the dog and sent her flying into the railing.

  With a whimper of pain, Holly let go. But Larry aimed another kick at the dog’s small body.

  Marissa screamed and started across the lawn. “Don’t you hurt my dog! Don’t hurt my mommy!”

  Adam hit Larry squarely in the stomach, and he staggered backward as Marissa started to climb the steps. DJ grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into her arms. “Stay with Mommy, sweetheart. Stay right here.”

  Holly lifted her head and tried to pull herself closer to Marissa, but she gave up after only a few inches and lowered her head to her front paws with a whimper.

  “Mommy? Is she all right?” Marissa spoke softly, and circled DJ’s neck with an arm.

  “I hope so, sweetheart.” Praying the dog hadn’t been seriously injured, DJ extended a hand and rubbed Holly’s furry head.

  Adam lunged again and struggled to pin Larry to the deck, but the older man used his feet as weapons. He struck out wildly and connected several times.

  Marissa buried her face in DJ’s shoulder. “Make him stop,” she demanded. “Make him go ’way.”

  DJ held on to her, but she felt too frightened herself to offer much comfort.

  Then Adam managed to hit Larry with an uppercut to the chin and a left jab to the stomach. Larry doubled over in pain and gasped for air. He struck back at Adam, but his few blows didn’t carry much force.

  With the advantage on his side for a moment, Adam fought harder and nearly pinned Larry to the floor. But Larry didn’t give up. He thrashed and kicked and twisted under Adam’s weight. He swore brutally and lashed out at Adam again and again. “You’ll pay for this, McAllister,” he snarled. “You’ll be sorry you ever messed with me.”

  “I don’t think so.” Adam’s voice sounded harsh and unfamiliar as he worked one knee into the center of Larry’s back, pushing him against the cold wood.

  Larry twisted again, reaching behind him and gripping Adam’s shirt as he tried to roll away. Adam pulled back, but Larry didn’t release him. The movement hoisted Adam’s shirt up and exposed a handgun tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

  At the sight of it, DJ’s stomach revolted and her senses reeled. Adam had brought a gun into her home! He’d kept a weapon around Marissa without even discussing it with her!

  Larry swore again and tried to dislodge Adam from his back. “You think you’re big enough to keep me down? You think you’re man enough?”

  Adam’s expression tightened. With one last effort, he forced Larry’s head to the floor and pinned his hands behind his back. “I’m both big enough and man enough to detain you until SLPD can arrive to take you into custody.”

  “For what?” Larry shouted. “You can’t do that.”

  “I sure as hell can,” Adam said. “You’re going down. Two counts of assault. Parole violation—” He broke off and shouted again to DJ. “Call 911.”

  DJ couldn’t move. She could only stare at his gun. She tightened her hold on Marissa and prayed Adam wouldn’t pull the weapon, that it wouldn’t dischargeaccidentally or that Larry wouldn’t do something so stupid that Adam would think he had to use it.

  “DJ?” Adam fixed her with his gaze. “Make the call, please.”

  DJ still couldn’t make herself move. She pointed at the gun and glared back at him. “What are you doing with that?”

  His face mirrored confusion for half a second, then he touched his back and flushed a deep crimson as he met her gaze again. “I can explain. I’m licensed to carry a concealed weapon if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t care about that. I want to know why you have it in the first place.”

  “I promise you no one will get hurt.” He looked confident. Sure of himself. “I’ll lock it in my bag again as soon as the police get here.”

  Laura stood slowly. “Don’t be ridiculous, DJ. You ought to be glad he’s got it.”

  DJ felt sick to her stomach. Larry frightened her. She didn’t want him around Marissa any longer. But she’d seen a side of Laura she hadn’t known existed. And Adam—If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit she didn’t know Adam at all.

  Maybe she shouldn’t be surprised by the weapon. Maybe he did this sort of thing all the time. Maybe he wasn’t the man she thought she knew, after all. She pulled in a shaky breath and stubbornly refused to look at Adam when he said again, “Call the police.”

  “You can’t do this!” Larry roared. You’re my daughter—my baby!”

  “Do it,” Adam said.

  “You can’t send me back to prison, Devon,” Larry shouted. “You’re not the vindictive type.”

  “Well, I am,” Laura retorted. “If I have my way, you won’t be free again for the rest of your life. In fact, if I had the gun, I’d shoot you myself.”

  “Shut up, you stupid bitch,” Larry growled.

&
nbsp; Determined to stop this nightmare before the unthinkable happened, DJ hobbled the rest of the way up the steps. She needed to get Marissa inside where she’d be safe and call the police before someone got seriously hurt or killed.

  Adam jammed his knee farther into Larry’s back. “Keep your mouth shut,” he warned again. “If it wouldn’t cost my job and Laura’s freedom, I just might let her do it.”

  DJ froze midstride and stared at him. “Your job? What do you mean, your job?”

  As if in slow motion, he raised his eyes to hers. He didn’t say anything, but resignation mixed with apprehension on his face. “I can explain everything—I promise.”

  DJ’s heart raced with dread. “What job?”

  “I was trying to tell you when Laura showed up this morning. We can talk about it after Larry’s in custody.”

  “Talk about it now. What job?”

  Marissa tugged on the shoulder of DJ’s shirt. “Mommy? Don’t be mad at Adam.”

  That didn’t even begin to describe how DJ felt. Numb. Apprehensive. Frightened. Furious. A combination of all four.

  Adam still didn’t speak for what felt like an eternity, but DJ refused to look away. “I’m not a writer,” he said at last. “And I’m not a friend of your mother’s, either. I’m a private security officer your mother hired after Galloway’s release from prison to keep you and Marissa safe. That’s why I’m here, and that’s why I have the gun.”

  For half a heartbeat, DJ thought she’d heard him wrong. In the next second, she prayed she had. Her stomach lurched and everything inside her turned to stone. “She hired you?”

  He nodded. “My primary objective is to catch Galloway in violation of his parole and return him to custody.”

  “You lied to me about that, too?”

  He lowered his gaze, then lifted his eyes to meet hers again. “Not by choice.”

  “You lied to me!” she shouted. Tears filled her eyes and her breath came in shallow gasps.

  “DJ, listen to me—”

  But she didn’t want to listen. She didn’t want to look at him or even hear his voice.-She backed away. “Don’t. Don’t talk to me. Don’t give me excuses. Just leave.”