Chapter Nine
“So everything is going great. We repainted all the rooms, the floors are refinished, and we’re now waiting on the furniture delivery. While we’re doing that, Zach and Chase are working on renovating the bathrooms. I can’t wait for you to get out of here so you can see it.”
Sami poured Gran some juice at her regular daily visit. It had been almost a week since she and Gabe finished repainting the kitchen and the work on the B and B had gone at a blistering pace.
Gran smiled. “I’m looking forward to that myself. The doctor says at the end of the week I’ll get to move to one of those rehabilitation centers, but we don’t have one in Plenty. I chose one in Tampa. Fran Davies said she’d come visit me while I’m there so you don’t have to worry about making the trip.”
Sami shook her head as she rearranged some of the flowers in the vases. She liked to spruce up Gran’s room when she visited. “I don’t mind the drive to Tampa. I’ll visit you every day.”
“No, you will not,” Gran said firmly. “You’re busy with things here. You can come by on the weekends maybe, but not every day. That’s too much. That’s why I called Fran.”
Sami remembered Fran from years ago and knew Gran would be in good hands. Fran was a good woman with several children and grandchildren. She liked to bake cookies and play shuffleboard.
“We’ll see. The house is almost done. I’ll bring more pictures next time, but they don’t do the place justice. Gabe and Jason have worked so hard. I couldn’t have done this without them.”
“Gabe and Jason seem awfully smiley when they visit me.” Gran chuckled. “Seems things are going well between the three of you. Am I wrong?”
Gran wasn’t wrong. Things were going very well indeed.
“We’re doing okay. It’s going to take some time but I think we’re on the right road. It’s strange but we’ve all changed so much it’s like falling in love with different people. I remember how I loved them before, but how I feel for them now isn’t the same. It’s deeper. It means…more.”
Sami wasn’t sure how to describe it but Gran nodded her head in understanding. “You’ve grown and changed. A woman’s love is deeper, more mature as she ages. This is no crush or infatuation you have for those men. This is the real thing. It’s something to treasure.” Gran placed her wrinkled hand on Sami’s. “It’s something worth fighting for, child.”
Sami’s phone started to go off and Gran laughed. “Better answer it. Those newfangled rings are sure loud and annoying.”
Normally her ringtone wouldn’t be turned up that loud, but with all the work at the B and B it could get too noisy to hear her phone. She was delighted to see it was Trish, her other roommate from Orlando.
“Hey, girl. I haven’t heard from you for awhile. How’s everything going?”
“Thank God, you answered, Sami.” Trish’s voice was tremulous and even over the phone, Sami could tell her friend was upset.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” A feeling of foreboding started to creep over Sami. Things had been going too well and she should have known better than to think they’d stay that way.
“It’s Sadie. She’s in the hospital.” Trish sounded like she was trying not to cry. “Ray came here last night while I was at work. I guess he got mad and he beat her up pretty bad.”
Sami could hear Trisha crying now. Her own voice wasn’t working well and her heart plummeted to her stomach.
“Is–is she going to be okay?” Sami swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Sadie was one of the best friends she’d ever known.
Trisha sniffed a few times before answering. “Yes, but she has to stay in the hospital tonight. She’s all upset because she doesn’t have any insurance and she’s going to miss work tonight. She thinks they’ll fire her.”
“I’ll be right there. Which hospital is she in?” Sami knew what she needed to do and it wasn’t sit in Plenty while her friend suffered. Ray would never have knocked Sadie around if he hadn’t been looking for Sami.
“Oh, I was hoping you’d say that,” Trisha sighed. “I know Sadie wants you here but she won’t ask, you know.”
Sami knew every well. Ray would probably be lurking around the hospital corridors waiting for Sami to show up and Sadie wouldn’t want that to happen. That’s why Sadie had taken a beating instead of just telling him where she was. Trish told Sami which hospital and room and Sami hung up, shaking her head. Gran gave her a sharp-eyed look.
“Looks like bad news. A friend?”
Sami dropped a kiss on Gran’s cheek and gathered her purse and keys. “Yes. A friend of mine in Orlando was hurt and I need to get to her. I’ll probably spend the night there.”
Gran grabbed her hand. “Call Gabe and Jason.”
“I don’t want—”
“Samantha,” Gran interrupted sternly. “Call your men. At the very least let them know, but give them a chance to help you through whatever this is. They want to be there for you. You didn’t give them a chance before. Give them that chance this time.”
Sami hung her head, knowing Gran was right. She’d fled Plenty last time, not willing to talk about anything. She nodded her agreement. “I’ll call them. I promise, okay?”
Sami headed down the hall, punching buttons on her phone. She’d call Jason and Gabe, grab a change of clothes, then head to Orlando. What happened to Sadie was all her fault and somehow she needed to make this right.
* * * *
Jason walked next to Sami down the hospital corridor, his nostrils full of the smell of antiseptic. He hated hospitals but wasn’t about to let Sami deal with all this alone. She’d insisted she didn’t need anyone to accompany her to Orlando, but one look at her shattered expression had told him he needed to be there. Gabe couldn’t leave the club, but Ryan had given Jason a few vacation days without any problem.
“This is it. 318.” He held the door open so Sami could precede him into the room. His gut tightened into a knot as he spied the lone inhabitant in the room. At first, he thought it was a child, the woman was so small and thin. But now he could see she was an adult, perhaps in her mid-twenties. Her face was battered and bruised, one eye swollen shut, her lips puffy. Her left arm was in a sling and there were a smattering of bruises up and down the exposed skin of her arms and neck. This Ray guy had put a major hurt on this tiny woman. The thought that this could have been Sami made acid rise in his throat. Jason was going to feed this guy his fingers, one by one, then start on his spleen.
Jason saw tears in Sami’s eyes as she rushed forward and they awkwardly hugged, the woman obviously in pain. She kept shaking her head in denial. “You shouldn’t be here. Ray will find you.” She kept saying it over and over again, both of them in tears. Jason hung back, not sure what to say or do to make everything right. He only knew he damn sure wasn’t letting this guy get near Sami or her friend ever again. He needed to have a long talk with Ryan when they returned to Plenty. Jason had given him a bare bones sketch of what was going on but they’d agreed Sami needed to come talk to Ryan and put an end to all this once and for all. Ryan had connections with the Feds and heaven knew who else. For once, Jason was glad his boss was a total badass.
Sami brushed her tears away and smiled. “Sadie, this is Jason Carrington. Jason, this is Sadie Stewart.”
He shook Sadie’s good hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Are they treating you well here? Is there anything we can bring you?”
Sadie’s eyes welled up again. “I need to get out of here. I can go back to the apartment. I don’t have any medical insurance and I’m going to miss work tonight. Harvey is going to fire me.”
He patted her hand. “Don’t worry about the bill. We’ll take care of that. As for your job, I don’t think you should worry about that. We’re here to take you back to Plenty with us tomorrow morning when they discharge you.”
Her eyes went wide. “Leave?” She turned to Sami, clearly panicked at the idea. “Is this your idea? How will I pay my bills if I’m in Plenty? I�
��ll lose the apartment. Trisha can’t pay the rent by herself.”
Sami calmed Sadie down, holding her hand and sitting next to her on the bed. “We’re taking both of you with us. It’s not safe here in Orlando. Jason and I discussed this on the drive here. Is there anything to keep you in Orlando? You said you don’t have any family and let’s face it, all we had here was a crappy job and a shitty place to live. You can get a job in Plenty.”
He saw hope light up in the poor girl’s eyes. “You’re really taking us? Do you think I can get a job in Plenty?”
“What do you do, Sadie?” Jason asked.
She looked up at him and he sat down in a chair so she wouldn’t have to crane her neck. She must be sore as hell from a beating like that. “I’m a waitress right now. I used to do some clerical work when I could find it.”
“I bet you can work for Gabe,” Jason nodded. “He has a club and Sami’s working there right now. He’s always complaining he can’t keep good employees.”
Sami rolled her eyes. “For good reason.” Sami leaned forward and whispered loudly. “It’s a BDSM club. You know like in those books you read.”
Sadie looked shocked and then smiled, wincing as she did so. “Shit, that hurt. Note to self. Don’t smile or laugh until my lip and ribs heal.” Sadie pressed the button that lifted the bed so she was sitting more upright. “Have you talked to Trisha about this? I don’t think she’ll go. She has family here.”
“We haven’t talked to her.” Sami shook her head. “But we’re heading over there tonight to pack up what’s left of my stuff and yours, too. We’ll talk to her then.”
“She’s working tonight so she won’t be there.”
“We’ll go by in the morning then.” Jason couldn’t sit still. He walked over to the window that looked out over downtown Orlando. The city streets below were full of people and traffic. Too much for his small town soul. He didn’t know how Sami could stand it. He could only take a big city for a few days. He turned back to Sadie, who looked exhausted. They needed to let her get her rest if she was going to leave with them tomorrow morning.
“Does he know Sami’s in Plenty? It’s okay if you told him. I just need to warn Gabe and Sheriff Ryan if he does.”
“I swear I didn’t tell him. He was so mad when he showed up and you weren’t there. There was no reasoning with him.”
Sami patted Sadie’s hand, her expression anguished. Sami was blaming herself and Jason needed to intervene quickly. While she was busy beating herself up over this, she wouldn’t be thinking clearly. They all needed to be thinking clearly right about now. Currently, there was a violent asshole out there who didn’t care who he hurt to get what he wanted.
They stayed for a little while longer but it was clear Sadie was exhausted from the pain and the medication they were giving her. They left with a promise to pick her up in the morning.
“Should we go to the apartment tonight or tomorrow?” Jason asked as they drove away from the hospital.
Sami checked her watch. “Let’s go now. Trisha is a bartender and works the late shift so we might catch her at home before she leaves for work.”
“Just point me in the right direction.”
Jason didn’t know the roads of Orlando well. He knew how to get to Disney and Universal Studios, but that was about it. Sami directed him and with each turn he became more alarmed. By the time they pulled up in front of her apartment building, Jason was sick to his stomach. The woman he loved had been living in what could only be described as a dump in the middle of the worst neighborhood he’d ever seen in person or on television. His hand automatically went to where he normally wore a sidearm and he sighed in frustration when it wasn’t there.
No wonder Ray had been able to get away with beating up Sadie. No one would notice in this hellhole. They walked up the stairs and Sami produced a key that to Jason’s dismay opened up a flimsy lock on the doorknob. They didn’t even have fucking deadbolt. Thank God he was taking the women back to Plenty in the morning. The thought of Sami living like this was horrific.
Sami pushed open the door and the sight greeting them was even more depressing. Faded, torn furniture, and stained carpet was the main decor. A woman rushed to the door from the back of the apartment dressed in short shorts and a tight T-shirt. She ignored him and hugged Sami.
“Sami, I’ve missed you! You look great! How’s your grandmother doing?”
“She’s doing fine. Getting better every day. I’m so glad we caught you before you headed to work. We want to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?”
Trisha grimaced. “Just. As you can see from this ridiculous outfit, I’m bartending tonight. Did you see Sadie?”
Jason and Sami sat down on the worn sofa. “We did,” Sami answered. “I told her we’re packing up her things and taking her to Plenty with us. With Ray, out and about, it’s not safe to stay here. We want you to come, too. Oh, this is Jason Carrington. Jason, this is Trisha.”
After seeing the neighborhood, Jason didn’t think it was safe to stay even if Ray wasn’t an issue but now wasn’t the moment for him to air his opinions. He and Trisha exchanged greetings, but she shook her head in response to Sami.
“I really can’t leave Orlando. I have family here. A sister. She’s been after me to move in with her but I didn’t want to leave you and Sadie in the lurch. I can move in with her now and not feel guilty. Thank you for thinking of me though. Maybe I can visit you sometime?”
“We’d love that. Are you sure? I think you’d really like Plenty.”
“I can’t.” Trisha shook her head sadly. “I can’t leave my sister. She’s been through too much. She really needs me. I’ll miss you though. Promise me you’ll keep in touch.”
The women hugged and promised to exchange emails and texts which Jason knew was the modern way to communicate. Personally, he preferred to talk to someone face to face. He was old-fashioned that way.
Trisha headed to work and he and Sami started to pack up their belongings. Once again, Jason was struck by the meagerness of what they owned. There was no television, and just a few pots and pans. Both women had some clothes but not many. Now he knew why there wasn’t a better lock on the door. There’d been nothing to steal.
“Do we need to inform the landlord you’re leaving?”
Jason had to make a concerted effort not to say slumlord. Sami continued packing photos and personal items for Sadie. “No. I’ve never seen him or her. They have a drop box by the mailboxes. I’ll leave them a note. They won’t care.”
Jason carried the last box and suitcase to his SUV. Sami was standing at the door of the apartment looking at it with a mixture of sadness and disgust.
“I know what you’ve been thinking. It’s truly awful. The apartment, the neighborhood. I guess I got used to it but after being in Plenty even for a few weeks, coming back here…” Sami shuddered and he put his arm around her shoulders pulling her close. “It was all I could afford. I’d sold off everything to keep paying Ray. All three of us were scared but there are really nice people in this neighborhood. They watched out for us.”
Jason sent a prayer up to heaven in gratitude that these women had someone who’d been looking out for them. He rubbed her arm in a soothing motion.
“It’s over. You’re coming home.”
“It’s not over. Ray’s still out there. He’ll come after me.”
Her eyes were shiny with tears and it tore at Jason’s heart. “I’m working on the whole Ray thing. Trust me?”
“I trust you with my life.”
Jason helped her into the truck and they drove away. Sami never looked back as they headed down the street toward the freeway. He would make sure she never had to live like this again.
* * * *
“Did you get enough to eat?” Jason asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and carefully folded it back into his suitcase. Much to Sami’s relief, he’d insisted they get a hotel room instead of sleeping at her shit hole of an apartment. She’d been mor
tified when she’d seen his expression. Looking at it through his eyes had been painful, but with some luck it was all behind her. Jason and Gabe had vowed to get Ray off her back. She didn’t know how they were going to do it, but felt relieved she had someone on her side.
“I ate enough for two people.” Sami grinned and patted her stomach, eyeing Jason’s muscular, bare chest. “Are you hot?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
She giggled and made a grab for his arm, tugging him down onto the bed with her. “I think the answer is yes, but that’s not what I meant. I was asking if we needed to turn the thermostat down, silly.”
“Temperature’s fine. I just don’t like extra clothes if I don’t have to have them. I prefer running around in shorts if the truth be known.”
He looked a little embarrassed and Sami couldn’t stop herself from teasing him a bit. “Deputy Jason, long arm of the law, doesn’t like to wear clothes? He wants to run around naked?”
He lounged back on the bed, his hands behind his head. Sami’s gaze was drawn to the flex of his biceps and the ridges on his flat stomach. She had an overwhelming desire to trace his abs with her tongue. She dragged her attention from his muscles and back to his face.
“Maybe I do like being naked. I like it when you’re naked.”
She sat up and swung her leg over his hips so she was straddling him on the bed, his cock hardening underneath her. “Is that a hint? Are you going somewhere with this conversation?”
He grasped her hips then ran his hands up her ribcage, under her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it away. His eyes were dark with passion as he reached behind her to flick her bra open.
“I’m not much for subtlety, sweetheart. How about I say it loud and proud? Let’s fool around.”
She giggled and helped him fling her bra over her shoulder and off the bed. His large hands were warm as he caressed her breasts, stroking the sensitive skin underneath and teasing the taut nipples with his thumbs.
Plenty of Chances [Plenty, FL 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11