Saving Jenna

by Christina Butrum

  “Jenna! Get out of here! Now!” When she didn’t budge, Ian’s anger amplified, making her jump into action. “Go!”

  The strike of John’s fist caught him off guard, causing him to stumble forward. John wasn’t wanting to fight Ian. She could see it in his eyes. He was there for one thing and only one thing—her. He wasn’t going to leave without her.

  Chapter 23

  John’s cheap shot knocked him forward, causing him to stumble. He would have seen it coming if it hadn’t been for Jenna. Seeing her standing there, the look on her face distracted him for a mere second, allowing the son of a bitch to take one on him. “Jenna! Go! Now!”

  The fear written all over her face was the last thing he wanted to see. Todd grabbed a bat from behind the counter and perched it on his shoulder as he sauntered toward John. Ready and willing to strike. But Ian knew Todd was no match for John. Todd didn’t have what he used to as far as strength and stamina. Ian kept his eye on John while Cat kept Jenna at a fair distance. What the hell had Jenna been thinking coming out of hiding?

  He could tell the guy didn’t want to fight with him. This guy was the same man who had stumbled into Ian’s yard the other day, causing an uproar. Ian remembered the guy’s face—the same one he was looking at now, ready to take him down if he took one more step in Jenna’s direction.

  John gave a pointed look in Ian’s direction. One of warning, but Ian saw no threat. He’d taken him down once, he would do it again.

  “I think you should get out of here before it’s too late,” Ian said, staring John down. “There’s nothing here that’s yours.”

  His words cut the man deep. His repulsed reaction written all over his face quickly mixed with anger and no sooner than Ian’s last word was said, John stumbled toward him, taking a quick swing in his direction. Ian grabbed his arm and tossed him. Flinging him like a ragdoll, he shoved him to the ground and held him there.

  Spit filled words sprayed upward in Ian’s direction. “She was mine before you came to town.”

  Putting more pressure into his grip, Ian kept his hand in place, causing John to squirm, trying to breathe and spit at the same time. “See, that’s where you’re wrong, my friend,” Ian taunted, keeping a smirk plastered on his face. This was mere amusement as far as he was concerned. Jenna was safe as long as John was on the floor. It was only a matter of making John realize this was a losing battle he could never win. “She was mine long before you came to town.”

  “You son of a bit—” John’s words were interrupted by the screeching of sirens. Police cruisers surrounded the building, making their way inside long before Ian had no choice but to knock this sore loser out of here.

  “I don’t want to see you around here again, you hear me?” Ian said, gripping John’s shirt as he made his final threat. “I’ll kill you if you ever think of laying another hand on her.”

  A smug grin, followed by a sarcastic chuckle was the only response from John as the cops took the man in handcuffs and hauled him out of the diner.

  “We’ll need a report from all of you,” the officer said, making his way to the counter with a stack of papers. “Maybe this time he’ll realize he can’t keep doing shit like this.”

  “I think you’d have to lock him up for life in order for that to sink in,” Ian said, reaching for a pen.

  Jenna’s eyes caught his. A look he couldn’t read crossed her face. Once the cops were out of here, he was leaving her with no choice but to come with him. And this time, he’d mean it.

  Chapter 24

  There was no doubt in her mind this wasn’t over yet. Having John show up at the diner, Ian taking it into his own hands, and now giving her no other choice but to come with him. He was beside himself with anger and wasn’t up for negotiating.

  They both knew John would be out in a matter of time—hours if it was anything like last time, which it would be. This was small town living, where everyone knew everyone and had faith people would live, learn, and move on. But they didn’t know John like she did. He didn’t, nor would he ever give up on fighting for what he deemed as his. But what John didn’t know was he met his match with Ian. Ian wouldn’t go down without a fight either, and more than likely, wouldn’t go down at all.

  The look on his face told her he was dead serious. She really had no choice but to go with him, Todd, and G2.

  Cat had stood beside Ian’s plan, making note Jenna would be safer with Ian than any other person in this town. “He’ll come looking for you again,” she said, making sure Jenna understood the threat looming around her. “He already knows where I live, and now has no fear of coming in here. You have to do what’s best for you, Jenna. Go with Ian and take care of yourself.”

  The argument had lasted a good thirty minutes. Jenna refused to leave Cat empty-handed at the diner. Walking away, even if for her own safety, was the last thing she wanted to do. It was another sign of losing against John, letting him win by shaking up the cards, only to deal her even shittier ones than the start of this never-ending game.

  What Ian had failed to tell her until recently was John knew where to find Ian. Until today, Ian hadn’t mentioned John approaching him. Giving the benefit of the doubt to Ian for possibly not knowing what John actually looked like.

  “Jenna,” Ian said, his voice pulling her away from Cat. “You have to trust me.”

  “I do,” she admitted. “It’s just I escaped from him. Not to keep running and hiding, but to be done with him for good. This is not what I want to do.”

  Her words caught in her throat, enclosed by emotion and realization of this never-ending battle. As long as John was in town…as long as Ian was in town…as long as she was still here, alive, and breathing, this wouldn’t stop—John wouldn’t stop.

  “This isn’t going to end,” Jenna said, fighting back tears. There was no time for crying. She needed to stand strong and make this point to Ian. “John won’t stop. No matter where I am. Whether I’m with you, or Cat, or here at the diner. Hell, even if I go to my parents’ house, he won’t stop.”

  Ian pulled her close, wrapping his strong arms around her. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll figure something out. I promise.”

  Shaking her head, she whispered, “Don’t promise. You can’t promise me that.”

  Frustration crossed his face. Pulling away from him, she straightened herself and turned back to Cat. “I can still work here. I’m not going to let him stop me from moving on without him.”

  “Jen, listen to me,” Ian pleaded, reaching out to grab her hand, but she pulled away. He furrowed his brows. “Jen. Stop and think about what you’re doing. Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”

  Offended, she stepped back as if his words had smacked her across the face. There was no way he meant wrong with his choice of words, but she was no longer wanting to pay mind to a man who refused to listen to what she really wanted—to be done with this kind of life and move onto something better, even if that meant on her own. She made it this far, she could make it the rest of the way. She definitely didn’t need Ian to protect her. His need to protect her was a little late to the game. The cards had been dealt long ago. He had been the one to fold and leave.

  “No, Ian, I don’t,” she said, pissed at his insinuation she couldn’t handle herself. What the hell had she been doing the last two years? “But I do know that I don’t need you to waltz back into my life and pretend to be the hero.”

  Her words hit a nerve. His face twisted and he threw his hands in the air. “Is that what you think I’m doing? You think I’m here to be your knight in shining armor?” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he looked down and away from her. “You think my sole purpose for coming back to this shithole of a town was to rescue you and carry you off into the sunset?”

  The sting of tears threatened to break her composure. She had hit a nerve with her words, and there was no going back.

  “That shit only happens in fairy tales, Jenna,” he said. “I know better th
an to think of us with that mentality. What I did in the past made me an asshole, I know, but I didn’t come back for you. I came back to fix up that damn rental house so I didn’t lose any more money. The thought of seeing you again crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to. I gave myself two weeks. Get in and get out. That’s it.”

  With that, he turned, grabbed his keys off the counter, and headed for the door. “You know where I am if you change your mind.”

  Not once did he look back on the way out as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Chapter 25

  It killed him to leave the diner without her, but if that’s what she wanted, he had no choice. The alpha in him wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and haul her away with him, but the respectful side of him left her to figure things out on her own. She knew where to find him. Whether or not she’d come was another thing he wasn’t looking forward to.

  Todd had hustled out to the truck behind him, trying at first to change his mind on leaving, but soon realized Ian wasn’t listening, and he wasn’t going to change his mind. She had said what she had, and he had said plenty too. It had hurt to say those words to her, but it hurt worse to hear hers. He understood the past he had left behind and he wasn’t proud of the way he had left it—left her.

  He also understood she was a strong woman, more than capable to make her own decisions, and even though she was in an abusive relationship, she had managed to escape and didn’t really need him.

  His pride and ego were left bruised, but he would respect her wishes. If she didn’t want him around, or protecting her, then her wish was granted.

  He’d be out of town in a few days. As soon as he fixed up a few more minor things on the house, he’d be out of town and she would never see him again.

  “What are you thinkin’ of doing, boy?” Todd asked as Ian pulled up in front of Todd’s place. “I hope you’re not serious about leaving her to fend for herself. You know she didn’t mean what she said back there. She just—”

  “I know, wants me to leave her alone,” he said, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I still have a few things to do before I pack up and leave town.”

  With a nod of his head, Todd opened the door and climbed out of the truck. Ian knew the old man was right, but for now, he had no choice but to leave it well enough alone and let things sort themselves out.

  G2 whined as he pulled the truck into the driveway of the empty house, almost as though he could sense the frustration and anguish between Ian and the situation. If only Ian had just come to town and minded his own business. If only he had stuck to his original plan…

  Tossing his hat onto a nearby shelf, he sat on the couch in the living room. This place had come a long way, but still had a ways to go. The plumbing would have been fixed by now if he hadn’t spent so much time watching over Jenna. Not that he regretted it. He still wanted to make sure she was all right. “Kind of hard to do when the person doesn’t want you around, G2.” He scratched behind the dog’s ears, thankful the dog was still by his side.

  There had been plenty of nights this last week that would’ve been hard to get through if it hadn’t been for G2.

  He’d been discharged from the military, let go soon after the IED explosion. Released from base and therapy sessions once cleared by the base’s psychologist. He still had a ways to go, but for right now, G2 was helping him get there, one slow day at a time.

  The idea hit him like a brick upside the head. Turning his attention back to G2, he said, “She won’t come here, but maybe she’ll let you go there.”

  Wherever there was, he was sure G2 would protect Jenna from John just in case he didn’t take Ian’s threat seriously. He made a mental note to swing by the diner again tomorrow, of course for breakfast, but this time, he would offer for Jenna to take G2 with her wherever she decided to venture off to.

  He knew she’d take good care of G2, and G2 wouldn’t fail at protecting her. Ian would finish up this property in the next few days and be out of town earlier than originally planned.

  Chapter 26

  Seeing Ian’s truck pull into an empty parking spot in front of the diner made Jenna’s heart skip a few beats. She had expected him to come back for breakfast, but she honestly wasn’t sure if he would have.

  The door swung open and Todd followed Ian in. Ian looked like he hadn’t slept last night. He looked how Jenna felt. She hadn’t slept well herself last night. The constant fear of John returning for her kept her wide awake throughout the night.

  She watched him make his way to the booth he normally sat in, his face showing no sign of emotion. She walked over to where he sat down, offered him a menu, and waited for him to look at her. She knew her words had hurt him yesterday, but she refused to allow him full control.

  “I’m having the same as usual,” he said, grabbing the cup she filled with coffee seconds after she arrived. “And Todd, too.”

  Short and to the point. He was upset, and he wasn’t hiding it. “Okay, I’ll bring that right out. Anything else?”

  Only then did he look up at her. His eyes locked on hers and she saw the angered turmoil in them. “I want to talk to you about—”

  “Ian, no,” she said, cutting him off before he could say what she knew he’d say. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

  “I want you to take G2,” he said, while she managed to keep her eyes focused on his as he talked. “It’d make me feel better to know you were protected by something rather than nothing at all.”

  She tried to refuse his offer but gave up trying to take full control. She needed protection and G2 was just the right guy for the job. There’d be no way G2 would allow John near her. And with the stealth and defense of a dog, she would feel secure regardless if John came around or not.

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll drop him off later. He’ll stay here when I leave town.”

  And that was the end of the conversation as he turned back to Todd and started one with him. She wandered off, keeping her thoughts to herself and biting her tongue.

  Pushing through the entrance into the back room, she found Cat leaning against the counter, scrolling through something on her phone—most likely Facebook.

  “Hey, you, how’d it go out there?”

  Jenna let out an exhausted breath. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Cat pushed away from the counter, set her phone down, and turned to face Jenna. “That bad? What’s going on between the two of you? I thought everything was going well,” she said, offering Jenna a sympathetic look.

  “He’s leaving town,” Jenna said, fighting back negative thoughts, along with tears as they threatened to fall over the course of the last few hours. “He said he’s going to drop G2 off later and he’s leaving him behind when he goes.”

  Overwhelming thoughts of wanting him to stay, but not wanting to take a chance of having him break her heart weighed heavy on her mind as well. There was no telling lately if what they had at one time had stayed with them all this time later. She knew she loved him, still and always would, but whatever he felt, she wasn’t sure it was worth the risk.

  “Do you love him?” Cat asked, motioning for Jenna to follow her as she made her way to the back door of the diner. “Because I think you do, and regardless of what he did in the past, he’s not the same person, Jenna. He’s changed, but so have you.”

  Speechless, not sure what to say, or even how to say it, Jenna followed Cat outside and pulled up a chair next to the outdoor table.

  “You can’t let him leave town,” Cat said, making it clear she saw something Jenna obviously didn’t. “I’m afraid if he leaves this time, he won’t be back. And we both know that’s not what you truly want.”

  “I’m trying to figure this all out, and I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard spot. I love Ian, I do. I’ve wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. Since the day we first met, but he left me and I don’t think I can stand losing him again. And then there
’s John…”

  “What about John? He’ll get the hint eventually and leave you alone,” Cat said, slipping her glasses on the top of her head. “Until then, you’ll have Ian.”

  When Jenna didn’t say anything, Cat said, “I think you need to go out there and have a conversation with him. Tell him exactly how you feel.”

  Nodding, Jenna stood, straightening with a slight stretch, then she turned to make her way back inside. Maybe Cat was right. She needed to be the one to forgive and move on.

  “Go, before it’s too late,” Cat said, giving Jenna a gentle push from behind.

  Walking into the diner, weaving her way around tables in order to make it over to him, Jenna kept her eyes on him as he stood to leave. “Ian,” she called out, holding out a hand to flag him over to her. The last thing she wanted was for him to leave.

  “Yeah?” he said, motioning for Todd to go ahead to the truck.

  Todd followed through, offering a wave in Jenna’s direction followed by a wink.

  “Ian, I,” Jenna stumbled over the words, heart racing against her chest, a beat of its own accord. “I don’t want you to leave.”