There was a knock on the door, and an unfamiliar voice shouted, “Ms. Curtis! Are you okay?”
“Help! Somebody—”
Her voice was cut off by the hand clamping over her mouth.
“Shut up,” the man hissed. “I have a gun. You don’t want me to use it.” She could only signal with a tiny movement of her head that indeed, no, she didn’t want that. “All right. I want you to go back to the door, don’t open it, but say that everything’s fine in here. Make him go away. You do something stupid, I swear you gonna regret it.”
Emma wasn’t sure if she’d be able to speak or walk at this point, but she nodded.
“It’s…it’s fine,” she said, clearing her throat when her voice was barely audible. “I was watching TV. I’m sorry if it was a little loud.”
It had to be the officer watching the building for Deirdre to arrive, but hopefully the intruder would think it was a neighbour, and not hurt anyone. Emma had seen enough people get hurt while she could do nothing but stand by.
No more.
“Okay. Must be a good show. I suppose you can’t talk then.”
“No,” she whispered. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. See you soon, Ms. Curtis.”
“Now where were we? You know, Deirdre will come crawling back sooner or later. Why don’t I wait here until she does, and meanwhile…” He gave her a hard shove. “You start talking? I don’t want to hurt you…”
Liar, she thought. You already did.
“…but I will if I have to.”
Emma had a split-second, enough for all the horrible possibilities to enter her mind before the front door came down, and policemen filed into the room, handcuffing the man who had invaded her home. She dropped to the floor by the window, blocking out the sounds around her until a gentle touch to her shoulder startled her back into reality.
“You did good,” Jayce said, giving her a reassuring smile, even though she looked as exhausted as Emma felt. “We got Deirdre too. It’s over.” Even in her warm embrace, Emma couldn’t stop shaking, because part of her was still afraid “it” would never be over.
There was comfort, though, in knowing that Maxine would never get out. Emma had been given a second chance to be brave, and selfish.
Jayce kissed her cheek softly before she got up, offering her hand to Emma. “Don’t get me wrong, but I really hope this will be the last time we have to take your statement. You might want to pack up a few clothes and Elvis.”
“What? Why?” Jayce stepped aside, and for a moment, Emma could only stand and stare. “Oh. Right. I don’t have a front door.”
“I’ll have someone take care of that,” Jayce promised. Emma hoped her gratitude was self-evident, because she was too overwhelmed to react in any appropriate way. “Hang in there for a bit longer. I have a little surprise for you later.”
Emma managed a weak smile at that. “I’m not sure how many more surprises I can handle.”
“This is a good one…unless you’d be more comfortable in a hotel. We can arrange that too.”
“No. No, this is okay.” This was hardly the place and time for the conversation they needed to have, soon, so Emma hoped that Jayce had heard all the words that were left unsaid for the moment.
She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold herself up.
* * * *
Jayce didn’t prod or ask any of the questions that must have been on her mind. Instead she went out of her way to make Emma comfortable in her home, including offering a hot bath which Emma gratefully accepted.
She wasn’t sure if she could ever feel comfortable in her own home again, no matter how much everyone had tried to reassure her—but maybe it would happen with time. The past few days had provided her with a harsh lesson. They had also made some things clearer.
She would meet the lawyer Jayce had talked about, if only to gauge her chances. She’d be able to tell Emma if the hope of clearing her name was more than a waste of time and money. If it wasn’t…Emma assumed that could make a lot of things easier for both her and Jayce. She had to try, at least.
A soft knock that nevertheless made her jump preceded Jayce into the room.
“Hey. I wanted to make sure you’re not falling asleep in here,” she said softly.
Emma had to admit the possibility, though there was too much on her mind to relax that much. At least she wasn’t shaking anymore.
“People will always ask questions, as soon as they know I served time. One way or another that will reflect on you.”
“Emma, please.”
“I know. You’re an adult, and you know what you’re getting yourself into—I hope—but I want to do my share too. I will see the lawyer.”
The surprise was visible in Jayce’s face. “Are you sure?” Behind that question was another, her tone so hopeful Emma wished she’d never given her any reason for doubt in the first place.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep, I was scared no one would believe me, and…I don’t want you to get into any trouble because of me—but I hope you still want me, even if I said all those things.”
Jayce wrapped her arms around Emma, regardless of the fact that she was still fully dressed, and then they kissed, all the answer Emma needed.
When Jayce pulled back, the bathwater had turned her white shirt see-through.
“I do,” she said, laughing. “I guess you figured that out by now.”
“Good, but you should get out of those wet clothes.”
“I should. Would you mind…?”
As badly as the day had started, it couldn’t get much better than this, Emma thought, sharing a tub with Jayce in this softly dimmed room, warm scented water enveloping their bodies.
There was a time when Emma had been convinced that there was no safe space left for her. Maybe she’d been wrong after all.
* * * *
“You don’t have to see the lawyer for me though,” Jayce reminded her when they had retreated to the bedroom. In here, the dark seemed no longer frightening, and the truth didn’t come with a heavy weight. “I’m sorry if I pushed too hard.”
“You didn’t,” Emma said. “You were right. I should know what my options are. At least Deirdre told the truth, and she’s not going to harass me any longer. I’m sure Maxine had a good laugh about me getting tangled up in all of this.”
Jayce silently found her hand in the dark, entwining their fingers.
“I know you want to ask, why did I stay with her? Sometimes, I don’t know either…but other times, I remember I felt like I had nowhere left to go. That sounds silly, right?”
“No, not at all. Some people are clever manipulators. Did she ever hurt you?”
Emma wasn’t too surprised about the conclusions Jayce was coming to. She didn’t want to mislead her either, but it was hard to find the right word to describe the train wreck that her relationship with Maxine had been.
“Not physically,” she said, because that was the truth. There was no saying what could have been, if things hadn’t gotten out of control that one day.
“I’m so sorry. You were right—it isn’t fair. Would you want to talk to somebody? Maybe a lawyer isn’t the first person to contact after all.”
“No, not right now. As you recall, there were lots of opportunities for that in the halfway house.”
“Yeah. Emma…I know you worry, but you don’t need to. If my career was ever at risk, I was the only one who did that. Not you.”
“You can tell me,” Emma whispered. “It’s impossible that you messed up worse than I did.”
“I’m not sure, but I think you deserve to know. The story I told in group therapy was obviously just that, a story, but some of it wasn’t too far from the truth. I was in an accident, and on painkillers for some time.”
Emma had seen the faint scars, but she wasn’t going to ask until Jayce wanted to share. “You stopped at some point though.”
“Not when I should have, but yes, I stopped. There was a time when I thought…wel
l, let’s say I don’t look back on that with pride. I want you to know you did everything you could, that time, and today. That’s all we can do.”
“Thank you.”
Jayce laughed softly. “I’m afraid those words of wisdom aren’t all mine. I saw a shrink I actually told the whole truth.”
“I mean, for listening…and understanding what I want to say, even if I’m saying the opposite.”
Emma leaned in for a kiss, meaning a lot more. Fortunately, Jayce understood that too, without words, until there were no more doubts, just pleasure. Even back in the halfway house, with an uncertain future and too many secrets between them, Emma had found she was safe with her, could give herself into her hands with ease. She craved those hands on her body, the gentle caresses and a firmer touch, sensation taking over, chasing away the worrisome thoughts. Jayce moved between her thighs, fingers tightening on her hips as she continued her intimate explorations until Emma had no choice but to surrender, trembling with the intensity of the moment.
There was no time to waste. Her hands were still shaking when she touched Jayce in return. She needed to.
“You can take your time.” There was a smile in Jayce’s voice, but her tone was dark and warm with lust. “Or not. That’s fine with me too.”
It had been a long time since Emma had longed to forge a connection with someone, for reasons other than not being lonely, to satisfy them beyond the physical. She was still amazed that with Jayce, it was so easy to go there.
When the world returned to a slower pace again, she wished they could have stayed in the comfort of the dark and quiet forever, with nothing between them.
Elvis, having no problems adjusting to her temporary new surroundings, jumped onto the bed and curled up at its foot.
No ghosts would be haunting them tonight.
I love you. She said those words only in her mind. It might be much too early to say them out loud, but that didn’t make them any less true.
* * * *
Crisis averted. They’d been so damn lucky, Jayce thought, wide awake at 4:30 a.m. and well aware that Emma sleeping by her side tonight wasn’t something she could take for granted.
She had seen the rap sheet of Deirdre’s boyfriend Ted, shuddering at the thought of this man in the same room with the woman who had come to mean so much to her. Meeting Brianna, the lawyer, was only the first step, and of course, no one could guarantee a positive outcome. Except…Deirdre wanted to do something for her sister. Nothing Jayce had learned about the case suggested that Maxine wasn’t able to determine wrong from right. She understood that she was committing a crime by shooting a man because she didn’t want to pay for snacks bought in his store. The evaluation would show this without a doubt, but still Deirdre seemed to think this was the way to go.
Jayce got out of bed, slowly and carefully so she wouldn’t wake Emma, and sent a text to Detective Jackson. This was probably the best opportunity they would ever get, and it would give Brianna something to work with.
She slipped back under the covers, curling around Emma’s sleep warm body for a few more hours of blessed peace.
* * * *
When the phone rang, it was still much too early for a Sunday morning. Jayce wasn’t worried though when the caller ID showed Kitty and Daniel’s number.
“Hi,” she said. “Don’t worry, we’re still coming to dinner. In fact, we could both use the distraction. It’s been a few wild days.”
“Jayce.” Kitty sounded uncomfortable. “Is Emma with you?”
“Yes, and she’s still sleeping. Can’t this wait?”
Kitty sighed. “You’re going to find out anyway. In fact, I hope you might help me with this and find someone who can look into it without causing a stir and more of a headache for you two. I’m aware that this is not your typical case.”
“What are you talking about?” Jayce was wide awake now, and none of Kitty’s words offered any reassurance.
“Samantha. She came back to work yesterday, and she found some irregularities in a couple of receipts, so the numbers don’t add up. That happens sometimes, but now she already told another girl in the store and…I don’t want any rumors to start.”
“They don’t believe Emma took money from the store? That’s ridiculous!”
“You and I know this, but people are bound to talk. I wanted to give her a heads up, and frankly, I need this problem solved yesterday.”
“You don’t believe she did it, right?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course not. Emma takes this job more seriously than any of the others.” Kitty’s response was swift and without any ambiguity.
“Okay. Good. I can send you someone to do this discreetly. Thanks for the warning.”
After making a couple of calls, Jayce prepared breakfast, the scent of coffee finally coaxing Emma to wakefulness.
When she walked into the kitchen, looking a bit worse for wear from yesterday’s incident, Jayce had the instant impulse to keep Kitty’s call a secret. Emma didn’t deserve this, the distrust, the innuendo—but she deserved the truth.
“Good morning,” Emma said, making a surprised sound when Jayce pulled her close. “You missed me?”
“Yeah. I’m afraid…There’s something we need to talk about, and don’t worry, we will fix this.”
They would, once and for all, Jayce vowed silently.
Emma sat at the table, wrapping her hands around the mug Jayce set in front of her, the resignation in her expression heartbreaking. It was no wonder she had trouble believing that this was the start of a new, better life, when the bad news kept coming.
“All right. Hit me.”
Both of them winced at Emma’s choice of words. She listened impassively, her only reaction gripping the mug even tighter.
Jayce sat across from her, wrapping her hands around Emma’s.
“It’s a good thing Kitty let us know. She believes in you. We all do. I’ll have someone look into it, and meanwhile, don’t let that kind of gossip bring you down.”
Emma shook her head. “You don’t understand. That’s how it always starts, and all of a sudden, everyone is looking at me. It’s only a matter of time. God, at this rate, I should have stayed in prison. At least I knew what to expect.”
“I know you don’t mean that. I promise we’ll figure it out.”
“I hope you’re not suggesting I sue her too.”
Her smile was a small success, Jayce decided, something to build on. “I could ask Brianna about that… No, come on, I’m kidding. You’ll be okay. There will always be people looking to exploit somebody. I wouldn’t be surprised if Samantha had something to hide, and if that’s the case, we’ll find out.”
Emma didn’t have anyone in her corner for a long time. Jayce was determined to make sure she’d get used to it—after all, they’d dealt with worse than a gossip-spinning co-worker.
* * * *
“I talked to McAllen today,” Daniel said when they were having a glass of wine in the den before dinner. Kitty was off with Emma to show her some new designs. Jayce felt grateful that they weren’t around for this part of the conversation. Emma probably couldn’t care less about the shop talk. “There was a drug overdose at Marks Hospital. A thirty-six year old woman.”
“Suicide?” Jayce winced.
“They don’t know yet. It’s odd, in any case…”
“Wait…That’s the place where Nathan Dolby hit his shrink over the head.”
“It is. I think we’re going to hear a lot more on this. If there was indeed foul play involved, Dolby’s story doesn’t sound crazy at all, and maybe Chomsky will want to send someone in.”
Jayce took a sip of her wine. “You want to volunteer?”
“I don’t think I’d be her first choice,” he said, and all of a sudden, Jayce understood where he was going with this.
“Tanya could do it. There’s a lot going on in my life right now. I’m not sure it would be a good idea to add a psych ward to the experience.”
�
��Everything worked out all right at the halfway house,” he reminded her. “You don’t have to worry anymore.”
“That I can’t trust myself around drugs? No, I don’t worry about that. I’d like to stay under the radar for a bit, enjoy life, you know? If Chomsky wants to go there, I won’t be the first to raise my hand. I think Ray and Tanya have got this.”
“Okay. I thought you’d like to know.”
“I appreciate it.” Much had changed in the past months, Jayce reflected. When she came back to work after the accident, she would have jumped at any chance to prove herself. Shutting down the dealings at the halfway house and arresting a high profile dealer and most of his crew in the process had made her regain her confidence in her abilities, but she had gained something else as well. Her priorities had shifted.
When Emma and Kitty returned to the den, it was clear that stationary and greeting cards weren’t all they’d been talking about. Jayce had never been more grateful for her friends. The time to come might still be difficult, but she and Emma weren’t alone in any of it.
* * * *
“Can you imagine? Ria and I have been working here from the start, and this girl comes in and takes all the hours, basically takes over…and what do I hear? She was in prison. Her girlfriend killed somebody.”
“Wow,” the new employee said. “That’s quite the story. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable around someone like that. She seems so nice.”
“Well, looks can be deceiving,” Samantha said. “We can’t trust her.”
“What can we do?”
“We are protecting ourselves, make sure Kitty will kick her ass out on the street.”
On the video that showed the kitchen in the store, Samantha rambled on, trying to convince the rookie cop on her first undercover assignment that she’d been righteous, stealing money from her employer and pinning it on a co-worker.
“Wow, indeed,” Kitty said. “I’m feeling a little sick right now. Thanks, Jayce, for setting this up. Emma, I don’t know what to say. This is terrible. I’ll make sure it’s her ass that’ll be out on the street the moment she comes in, and Ria too, if she knew anything about it. I’m so sorry for not catching this earlier.”
Jayce & Emma Page 9