Little Bird (The Tangled Series)

by Gaines, Liza

  Savannah thought again about stalling, hoping to give Lee time to get back. She looked up at the man standing next to her and shivered. He was a big guy, easily over six feet tall and broad. But he was also older, she guessed in his late forties, and didn’t appear to be in very good shape. She was certain in a fistfight Lee could take him, if it weren’t for that damn gun. No, there was no use stalling if it would only get Lee shot.

  As if he’d read her mind, the man raised his hand to his side, touching the gun through the cheap fabric of his jacket. “Come on, little girl. No dawdling.”

  With a big gulping breath for courage Savannah took the first step toward the front door.

  Rounding the corner of Savannah’s block, a cup of coffee in each hand, Lee noticed a dark blue Cadillac Escalade parked at the curb in front of her building. Probably someone waiting for one of her neighbors. It was Sunday morning, maybe someone picking up a family member or friend for church or brunch.

  As Lee drew closer, the driver got out of the SUV and their eyes met for a brief moment before the driver slammed the car door and turned away to casually lean against the front quarter panel of the Cadillac, still on the street side. Something struck Lee as odd about the driver. He didn’t know what it was, he couldn’t explain why, but when the man looked at him he’d gotten a queer feeling in his gut, and he reflexively quickened his step.

  Lee was taking the third step of Savannah’s porch when he heard the front door open. He glanced up with a friendly smile, expecting to see one of Savannah’s neighbors. Instead, his eyes met Savannah’s as she stepped out on the porch. Making eye contact with her, he registered the sheer terror written across her pale face before also noticing the man crowding through the door behind her.

  Lee and the man behind Savannah noticed one another at about the same time and the man cursed under his breath. He planted his hands firmly in Savannah’s back and shoved her down the steps toward Lee. He had only a second to brace himself before Savannah crashed into his chest, hot coffee splashing all over them both as he dropped the cups. In his peripheral vision, Lee could see the man reaching into his coat, probably for a gun. Although he couldn’t see the Escalade and its driver at the curb behind him, he was certain this was who the driver had been waiting on. He had to get Savannah away from here.

  Dropping his hands to her waist, Lee pushed her hard toward the railing, grunting with his effort. He watched for only a second, just long enough to see Savannah tumble over the railing and fall with a thud on the ground below. It was a short fall, only four or five feet, and he hoped like hell he hadn’t hurt her. Still, a broken ankle or arm would be several orders of magnitude better than getting shot or kidnapped.

  Lee shouted at her, telling her to run, as he swung back to the man at the top of the stairs. He was right, the man had a gun and it was now squarely aimed at Lee’s chest.

  Lee could hear Savannah scrambling to her feet, cussing and crying like a frightened animal, but he didn’t dare look at her. Their attacker heard her, too, and he did look in her direction. He was only distracted for a second but Lee took his chance and lunged forward, up the remaining two steps, elbowing the man’s gun arm wide as he grabbed his jacket with both hands, pulling the man toward him.

  Stumbling together they fell backward, their combined weight propelling them both down the stairs, until Lee came up against the railing on the other side of the steps. He struggled to keep his balance, not letting their momentum push him over.

  Their attacker shot wide as he tried to regain his footing and Lee threw himself forward, landing a solid punch to the man’s chin. It was enough to knock him further off balance and the man groaned as his arms pin wheeled. But it wasn’t enough and the man’s body twisted as he careened backward down the remaining steps.

  Lee heard Savannah screaming his name and he looked up, over their attacker’s shoulder, in time to see the driver of the Escalade extending his arms over the hood of the car, bracing himself, as he aimed his gun at Lee. Before Lee could react, the gun fired and he watched as blood erupted from his attacker’s throat. Lee looked down with a startled grunt when he felt the sharp bite of a bullet in his right shoulder, the impact knocking him off his feet. He had just enough time to be surprised the bullet had passed through his attacker with enough force to bury itself in his own shoulder before he cracked his head on the top step and lost consciousness.

  “Savannah?” Slowly coming awake, Lee murmured her name. He needed to see her face and hear her voice. He needed to know she was okay. His mouth and throat were dry, he’d never been so thirsty in his life, and his voice scratched as he said her name again. “Savannah?”

  “Shh, Lee, go back to sleep, honey.”

  It was a woman’s voice, but not Savannah. He fought through the fog in his brain, trying to place the familiar sound. Finally it came to him. Ginny. His head throbbed as he opened his eyes to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand rubbing his left forearm. Turning toward her, he moaned, pain exploding in his head, and he noticed Mike sitting in a chair nearby. He blinked twice, trying to focus, as he scanned the room. He was in a hospital, obviously, and looking at the window he was surprised to see it was dark outside.

  “Savannah. Where’s Savannah?”

  Ginny offered him a tender smile. “She just went down to the cafeteria with Joni to get a bite to eat. She’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Lee grunted and scowled but didn’t speak. He wanted her here and was pissed she wasn’t, but more than anything, he was relieved to hear she was okay. Still, he needed to see her for himself to be sure.

  Mike must have read his thoughts. “Don’t be such a selfish prick. She paced and cried, inconsolable, while you were in surgery. She sat by your bed all damn day. It’s after midnight, you know. We couldn’t get her to eat or sleep. She refused to leave you. I called Joni in desperation, figuring if anyone could convince her to at least eat a little something it would be her.”

  Lee closed his eyes again, trying not to laugh for fear of the pain, which would surely come with it. “I’ve been shot, Hoss. I think that entitles me to act like a selfish prick for a little while, at least.” When he heard Mike snort he paused before adding, “So, she’s okay?”

  Mike nodded. “She’s fine. A little bruised and sore from her tumble when you chucked her over the railing, but nothing requiring medical attention. How much do you remember?”

  Lee narrowed his eyes, concentrating. “Most of it, I think. Well, right up until I hit my head anyway.”

  “Yeah, you have a concussion.” Mike yawned sleepily. “The driver got away and the other guy died. The fact that his partner unintentionally hit him first probably saved your life or at least your arm.”

  “Are you sure? Because I feel like I’m dying.”

  Mike laughed. “You’re going to be fine. They took you straight into surgery and were able to patch you right up.”

  Lee turned to Ginny. “What does a guy have to do to get a drink around here?”

  “Sorry, just ice chips for now.” She reached over and picked up a Styrofoam cup, pulling out an ice cube and holding it to his lips.

  Sucking the ice into his mouth, Lee frowned. He was so thirsty he was convinced he could drink a gallon of water so the damn ice chip was just frustrating. Crushing it between his teeth, he looked up at Ginny, giving her his most charming smile, or the best approximation of it he could manage with his raging headache.

  “You still mad at me, Gin?”

  “It’s hard to be mad at you when you’re all helpless and bleeding all over the place. Ask me again in a few days when you’re feeling better.” She smiled at him, a teasing glint in her eyes. But as they looked at each other her expression softened and she leaned in to place a soft kiss on his forehead. “It’s my turn to repay a favor you did for me a very long time ago. You need anything, anything at all, you let me know. And please don’t be difficult about this. Let me do whatever I can to help you.”

 
“Gin.” Lee’s voice was ragged as he lay looking up at her. They hadn’t talked about that night in years, not even in a vague sort of way like she’d referenced it just now. “You’ve never owed me a damn thing.”

  Ginny laughed and shook her head, looking at him like he was an idiot. She was always good at giving him that look. “You’re a stupid fool, Lee. I don’t think you even understand how much it all meant to me. And then, on top of all that, you introduced me to the love of my life and broke his nose when he forgot my birthday. If nothing else, I owe you for that. The stupid man has been very careful to make sure he never forgot an important date again.”

  “Notice how we’re both stupid and she’s the poor long suffering martyr who has to put up with us.” Mike stood next to Ginny, his hand on her back. She seemed relaxed and at ease but they knew how much it cost her to remember that night.

  “All right, fine. You owe me. So go find Savannah and bring her back here, right this damn minute, because she’s all I want.”

  Ginny laughed and shook her head. “Let the poor girl eat. She’ll be back soon enough.”

  Lee snorted and let his eyes drift closed, trying to soothe the throbbing ache in his head.

  “Love you, Lee.” It was Ginny again, her voice small and quiet. Those were words they didn’t say much but they both knew were true, nonetheless.

  “Love you, Gin.” Lee didn’t open his eyes, thinking he might fall back asleep after all.

  Lee wasn’t sure if he’d actually gone to sleep or not, the concussion or the drugs or maybe both were making him fuzzy, but when he heard Joni’s voice in the hall he did open his eyes. Looking toward the door expectantly he held his breath as she and Savannah walked into the room.

  When their eyes met Savannah stopped, standing in the doorway, staring at him. Lee offered her a tired smile and was surprised to see tears welling in her eyes. Lifting his left arm he bent his fingers, beckoning her to him, and she rushed to his side. Ginny quickly got up, moving out of the way and Savannah took her place. But instead of sitting on the edge of the bed, as Ginny had been, Savannah crawled in, nestling herself against his left side, her head on his shoulder.

  Lee gritted his teeth and winced. Savannah was on his good side, but she jostled him as she positioned herself, and the searing pain in his shoulder made him groan.

  Joni noticed Lee’s pained expression and followed her to the bed, putting her hand on Savannah’s back. “Honey, I don’t think you should…”

  Lee interrupted, wrapping his arm around Savannah, as he looked up. “She’s fine.” Savannah sobbed against his chest, so he added softly “Shh, Sweetheart, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

  Mike sighed and ran one hand through his hair. “No, Joni’s right. You’re obviously in pain. I know Savannah’s upset, but you need your rest right now. She should come home with us and get cleaned up and get some sleep.”

  “She stays.” Lee shook his head, daring Mike to argue with him. He knew his friend was right and he should send Savannah with them, but he couldn’t make himself do it. He needed her right now just as much as she needed him.

  Mike sighed, frustrated but knowing it was useless to argue any further. “Come on, Ginny. We should get some sleep ourselves. We’ll come back tomorrow. You want a ride, Joni?”

  “That would be great. I took a cab down here.” Joni leaned over and kissed Savannah’s cheek. “You call me if you need me.”

  Savannah nodded weakly as Lee said, “Thanks, guys. For coming and for sitting with her and…” His voice trailed off as he realized he wasn’t exactly sure how to tell them he was grateful to have such good friends, so he finished lamely, “Well, just thanks.”

  Ginny leaned over Savannah to kiss Lee’s forehead. “Anytime, Lee. You may be a bastard, but you’re our bastard.”

  As they all filed out of the room, Lee looked down at Savannah. She had stopped crying but her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks still damp with tears.

  “You okay, Little Bird?”

  Savannah nodded and looked up at him, her voice quivering. “Yes. I was just so scared you were going to die.”

  “I’m not going to die anytime soon. Promise.” Lee ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tears.

  “You better not. How are you feeling?” Savannah offered him a smile and he knew she was trying to put a brave face on for him, which was mildly amusing after the way she’d been bawling a few minutes ago.

  “All things considered, all right, I guess. I have a splitting headache and I feel like my shoulder is on fire.”

  “Can I get you anything?”

  “A beer and a blowjob would be fucking great.” Lee grinned at her when he saw the shocked expression on her face.

  “Uh, I’m pretty sure neither of those things is allowed here.”

  Lee chuckled and rubbed her back. “Well, you can’t blame a guy for trying. You’re probably right though. The way my head feels, I’d probably have an aneurysm if I had an orgasm right now. So do you feel up to talking about what happened this morning?”

  Savannah snuggled closer to him and told him in as much detail as she could remember everything that had happened that morning before he arrived.

  Lee frowned and closed his eyes. “It’s not safe for you to go back to your apartment now. Or my place either. You should stay with Mike or Joni until I get out of here. Mike preferably.”

  “No, I’ll stay with you.”

  “I appreciate that, sweetheart, but I don’t know how long they’re going to keep me here. You’re going to have to get a good night’s sleep and a shower at some point.” He paused to kiss the top of her head before asking, “So, what did you tell the cops, exactly?”

  Savannah shrugged. “I told them the guy came in and tried to kidnap me and you came back just in time to save the day. I didn’t tell them the part about trading me for Cara or any of the stuff about Cara. I wasn’t sure if I should or not. The cops said they’d be back to talk to you after you woke up, so I just figured you could tell them if you wanted. But we need to warn Cara. I’ve tried to call Paul but he isn’t answering and I don’t know what else to do.”

  As she finished, Lee could hear the panic rising in her voice so he gave her a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out. The most important thing is keeping you safe. Try and get some sleep and we’ll talk about this more in the morning.”

  He could feel Savannah nod against his chest, and as he lay listening to her breathe, he was surprised by how quickly she fell asleep. He’d meant to spend some time trying to sort out the situation in his own mind and figure out what to do next, but the soothing sound of her slow, even breathing and the relaxing effect of the pain killers lulled him to sleep before he was able to concentrate his thoughts on the problems at hand.

  The next morning, Joni stopped by with coffee and donuts for Savannah, which the girls greedily inhaled while Lee jealously poked at the bland food the nurse brought for his breakfast. He claimed to be starving, but only managed to choke down half of a piece of toast before giving up and trying to convince the girls to share the donuts. Joni almost gave in, but the arrival of the police provided the distraction she needed and she left, promising to return the next day with more donuts she would gladly share if his nurse approved.

  Savannah was seated in the chair next to Lee’s bed and both police officers moved to stand at the foot of the bed, the older of the two speaking first.

  “My name is Detective Harris and this is my partner, Detective Baker. Glad to see you’re feeling better this morning.”

  Lee smiled politely at both officers. “Thanks, I am. Is there any news?”

  Detective Baker shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. We were hoping you might be able to help us with that. Did you recognize either of the men involved?”

  Lee sighed and pushed the tray of hospital food away. “No. I’ve never seen either of them before. Do you know who the dead guy was?”

  Harris nodded. “Hi
s name was Frank Porter. Well known around town for running numbers and other unsavory activities. He had a slip of paper in his pocket with both Ms. Alderton’s address and your address on it. Your doctor tells us you’re real fortunate he stepped in front of that bullet. Any idea what they wanted with you two?”

  “No.” Lee didn’t hesitate for even a second before answering. Savannah had thought him paranoid for not calling the police after his house had been broken into. But now, knowing a Senator was involved, she was relieved he’d followed his instinct. Who knew what connections a man like Hartwell had which he could exploit?

  Baker glanced at Savannah and then said, “I was sort of thinking, Mr. Jackson, you’re a pretty wealthy guy. Maybe they got the idea they could ransom your girlfriend or something.”

  Lee shrugged and then winced as the pain in his shoulder flared. “Maybe so. Any ideas who the shooter was?”

  Baker frowned. “Not yet. Porter had several known associates but none of them match the descriptions given by Ms. Alderton or her neighbors and they all seem to be going about business as usual today. One of the bystanders got his plate numbers, but that wasn’t much help. The car had been stolen from a little old lady in Waldorf, Maryland earlier that morning.” Baker stepped around the corner of the bed and handed his business card to Savannah. “If either of you thinks of anything else, please give me a call right away. We’ll let you alone to get your rest now.”

  Savannah pocketed the card and offered the officers a friendly smile as they left. When they were gone, she turned back to speak to Lee but his eyes were closed. She was pretty sure he was awake but she didn’t want to take any chances, so she settled back in her chair and started leafing through a magazine Joni had brought her.

  When she heard someone at the door again, she looked up, expecting the nurse or maybe the doctor. Instead she was surprised to see Paul, Geoff, Mindy, and another man Savannah had never met before. Geoff closed the door behind them.

  Savannah held her finger to her lips and nodded toward the bed but Lee opened his eyes. “It’s okay, Little Bird, I’m awake.”