by Nana Prah
“Fast thinking with the hand brake, Sean,” Jasmine said as her heart still threatened to jump out of her chest with each beat.
Sean clapped Ed on the shoulder “Thanks. Ed’s race car driver instincts saved us.”
“Yeah, baby brother, you did a great job.”
“Thanks. I have no idea what happened. I had it serviced earlier this week.”
None of them knew much about cars, so they walked to town and brought back a mechanic. After a quick tow to the garage, the mechanic shook his head and rubbed something dark yellow between his fingers as he slid from beneath the car. “Your brake line was cut and then covered with wax.”
Ed cursed.
“That’s how you got so far without any problems. Once the wax started melting the brake fluid leaked out.” His bushy beard couldn’t hide his frown. “Too bad you’d started the descent at the time.”
Sean snapped out of their collective state of shock first. “Is there anything else wrong with the car?”
“Everything else seems to be intact. I’ll have to check the brake pads since you were riding on the emergency brake.”
“Can it be fixed?” Ed asked.
“I have to change the brake line. It shouldn’t take long.”
Jasmine laid a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “We have to report this to the police.”
Sean grimaced. “Damn. Until I started hanging out with you guys, I’d never spent so much time with the police.”
The mechanic pointed to the town. “The station isn’t far, just down the street.”
“Thanks.”
They walked the short distance to the police station, made a formal report, and were escorted by an officer back to the car. The officer spoke to the mechanic before allowing him to start the work.
“Let’s get a drink,” Ed suggested when they’d finished with the police. “I could use something to take the edge off.”
Jasmine would’ve loved nothing more than to throw back a shot to dull the knowledge that she’d come inches away from being injured. “I’ll have a Coke. One of us needs to drive back.”
At the bar Ed ordered two double shots of whisky for himself, Jasmine a Coke, and Sean had a beer. Rather than waiting for the drinks to come to them, Ed followed the waitress to the bar and downed one of his shots before returning to the table.
“What the hell just happened?” Ed asked as he slumped into the booth. “I heard him correctly when he said the brake line had been cut, right? And then covered with wax?”
The waitress set the drinks in front of them.
“You heard right.” Jasmine took a sip of her Coke and then added what was on everyone’s mind. “This means someone was trying to kill us.”
“No.” Ed tapped his chest. ”They were trying to kill me. There was no guarantee either of you would be in the car.”
“He’s right.” Sean’s voice sounded somber. “I don’t think hanging out with you guys is good for my health.”
She hoped he wasn’t as serious as he sounded. “Bad things do seem to be happening to the Gibson family lately,” she conceded.
“First Carly was pushed in the woods, then the ambush at Mom and Dad’s, and now me with my brake line cut.” Ed shook his head in disbelief. “We could’ve died today.”
Jasmine rubbed his back, infusing him with her comfort.
“I could use some of that too,” Sean said.
She scooted across the booth and touched him. A zinging sensation shot up her arm. She rubbed his back, desperately trying to fight the urge to slip into his lap and nibble his neck.
She shook herself out of her wayward thoughts, drank almost half her Coke, and attempted to pay attention to the important conversation at hand.
“Who would do this?” Ed asked.
“The thugs at Mom and Dad’s said they were hired to beat them up, not to kill them.”
“When Carly was pushed, there was no guarantee she would’ve died,” Sean pointed out. “The ravine is steep, but a person could still survive the fall, even if they missed the ledge that Carly was lucky to land on. And other than that downhill curve, the road from your grandmother’s house into town is pretty straight. If they really wanted to kill you, they could’ve cut the steering line, too, giving you no control over the car.”
Jasmine stopped rubbing his back and steepled her fingers under her chin while thinking. She jumped when Sean stroked her back. “You get a turn, too.” He smiled and made soothing circles on her back.
It felt heavenly, but not relaxing enough to deter her thoughts from what they’d gone through. “It’s possible someone was trying to only injure us, but the questions are still who and why?”
They discussed the situation, but it didn’t make sense.
When Sean stopped his back rub, she missed his touch. He grabbed her hand to keep her sitting next to him when she attempted to slide back to her original seat. Her stomach flipped and continued to do so while he held her hand on his lap.
“We need to have an emergency family meeting when we get home to work this out,” she said. “The three of us aren’t coming up with anything. The others need to be involved.”
“I agree, Sis. I don’t like knowing someone was close enough to get under my car and cut my brake line while we were all in the house. It’s creepy.”
She and Sean nodded.
The alcohol must’ve kicked in because Ed smiled for the first time since the incident, “If you two are finished having a back rub party and holding hands under the table where you think I don’t know what’s going on, we can go buy the groceries. Then we’ll see if the mechanic is done with the car.”
Jasmine ducked her head before getting out on Ed’s side of the booth, walking ahead of Sean. He took her hand and pulled her back beside him. Her heart picked up its pace.
“Oh, isn’t that sweet?” her all-seeing brother mocked.
The mechanic had finished fixing the car by the time they got there. Ed paid him his asking price and then tipped him before they took off to meet the family.
***
“I still can’t believe it.” Mom virtually had Ed sitting on her lap. “You could’ve been killed.”
Dad squeezed her shoulder. “But they weren’t, dear. They’re all fine.”
“What we need to figure out is who would want to hurt any of us.” Jasmine hadn’t stopped pacing since they’d gotten home. “Let’s start with Mom. Mom, is there anyone who has a grudge against you? Anyone you’ve pissed off lately?”
“Me? Not that I know of. Let me think for a moment and watch your language.”
“Sorry. Do you know of anyone who could be called Venge?”
There was silence as they mulled over the question.
“I’m coming up blank,” Grandma said.
“Me, too,” Mom added.
“Accountants don’t tend to have a lot of enemies and I’ve never had anyone threaten me,” Dad stated.
“I don’t remember making someone so angry they’d want to kill me,” Carly said.
Ed shrugged. “Me neither.”
“I’m out, too. I don’t think I’ve upset any patient or colleague enough to want to come after me,” Kevin informed them.
All eyes turned toward Jasmine. “What?”
Dad cleared his throat. “You’ve been in quite a few altercations.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “But they were people who deserved what they got.”
“Yes, but it’s all about perspective.” Dad frowned. “I don’t think they saw it the same way.”
Jasmine chewed her bottom lip. “But those happened a long time ago.”
“What about that pickpocket you tackled to the ground a couple months ago?” Carly asked.
“What was I supposed to do? Watch him steal the woman’s wallet from her bag?”
“No, Jasmine.” Mom’s voice came out stern, yet soothing. “What you did was noble, even if a little...violent. Didn’t he have to go to the hospital for a shoulder di
slocation?”
“Yeah,” Ed confirmed. “I was with her. She was close enough to just grab him and sweep him to the ground or something, but she went the NFL route and tackled him to the ground, causing the guy to land on his shoulder and dislocate it.” He shook his head, laughing.
Jasmine grimaced. “Okay, so I may have made a few enemies in my life. But that wouldn’t explain why a pickpocket would come after my family.”
“Maybe he served his time and decided to get his revenge,” Kevin volunteered.
“Oh, please.” Jasmine held back a snort. “It was the guy’s first offence. He ended up getting community service.”
“What about Linda’s husband?” Ed asked.
Jasmine saw red as she narrowed her eyes at her brother.
Ed put his hands up as if at gunpoint. “I’m not the one, Sis. Sorry to bring him up, but we have to put him on the list.”
“Has Linda spoken to you recently?” Mom asked.
“Not since I punched out her husband at the beginning of the year.” Her stomach clenched at the thought of losing a childhood friend over a worthless man.
Ed turned to explain to Sean. “Jasmine went to a New Year’s party at her friend Linda’s house. When the party ended, Jas stayed to help clean up. Something set Linda’s husband off and he started beating her. One of Jasmine’s passions is spousal abuse and she won’t stand for it.”
Carly cut in with, “Linda’s husband has been hitting her for years. Jasmine’s been trying to talk her into getting help, but Linda chooses to stay. Needless to say, seeing your friend with a bruised eye is much less traumatic than watching her receive one.”
Jasmine stared unseeing out of the window. “I should’ve just called the police, but the guy was a bully. For every punch I witnessed him give Linda, I gave him two.” The memory of Linda’s old bruises had burned its way into Jasmine’s mind and she’d kept hitting him. She sighed. “I came out of my rage when it registered that Linda was yelling at me to stop. I did, but by that time the damage had been done.”
“He never pressed charges against Jasmine, but Linda hasn’t spoken to her since,” Mom said. “The last I heard from her mother, she was still with the guy.”
Jasmine risked a peek at Sean. His neutral expression unsettled her. Then he looked into her eyes with a determined nod. “Sound like he needed the lesson you dished out.”
She started breathing again.
“It could be Carl, but I doubt it,” Mom continued. “He’s too much of a coward to attack anyone other than Linda. Plus he’s not all that bright.”
“I agree,” Carly said. “He’s an idiot who couldn’t plan his way out of a single-door studio apartment.”
Dad grunted. “Then we’re back to square one.”
“The person has to know us and has been watching us,” Jasmine declared. “Has anyone felt as if they were being watched?”
Everyone gave a negative response.
“You’re the most intuitive out of all of us, Jasmine,” Grandma said. “Have you felt as if you were being watched, Jasmine?”
“It’s weird. I’m only sensitive when it comes to you guys. I haven’t felt anything strange either. But...”
“What?” Carly asked.
“David stopped by the house last week.”
Carly sprung up. “What the hell?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mom asked.
“Bastard,” Grandma growled.
Sean stayed quiet, but seemed to stiffen at the tension in the room.
Jasmine tried to disappear into her seat. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. He was walking past as I left for work.”
“Tell us happened,” Dad said.
“I couldn’t rush back into the apartment without him seeing me. He glowered at me.” Jasmine thought about that defining moment of truth. She’d once thought seeing him again would drive her into another state of despair. But she’d felt nothing for him. Not even anger. The way his glossy reddened eyes stared at her, as if he were the injured party, had the hair at the back of her neck standing on edge, but she’d ignored it. “I smiled, said hi, and when he didn’t speak, I got into my car and drove off.”
“He didn’t say a word?” Mom asked.
Jasmine shook her head.
“That boy was never normal.”
“Grandma,” Jasmine said. She couldn’t defend him because Grandma was right, especially toward the end of their relationship. When she found out about his secretary, Jasmine blamed his odd behavior on his affair.
Carly sucked her teeth. “The guy was a sneaky bastard. What if he’s causing all this havoc?”
Jasmine wouldn’t believe it of the man she’d once been in love with. “Why would he want to hurt you guys?”
Carly crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put anything past the jerk.”
Ed scratched his head. “I think Jas is right. What would he have to gain from hurting us? He dumped her. Asshole.”
Jasmine noticed Sean’s brows pop upward.
Mom glared at them in turn. “If my children don’t start watching their language, I’m going to go get some soap and wash out some mouths.”
They mumbled a chorus of “Sorry, Mom.”
“I don’t think it’s him. He was a motherf--” Jasmine stopped herself when her mother cut her with a look. “I mean he was horrible, but I don’t think it’s him. There’s no motive.”
“I agree with you, Jasmine,” Dad said. “He did leave you, after all. What would he gain by hurting us?”
No one had an answer.
The conversation moved to other topics. They enjoyed the rest of the weekend, but the threat of danger in their lives loomed like a dark cloud.
The goodbye hugs they shared on Sunday before heading back to Boston were long and lingering. Funny how the threat of death could hype up familial love.
Chapter 12
Sean’s schedule became hectic as the end of the semester drew near. Studying for final exams took up all his time, so he didn’t have much left over to spend with Jasmine. He smiled as he thought about her. She was too busy with completing her course load to demand much from him.
Three weeks had passed since they’d seen each other at Thanksgiving. He made sure she knew he wasn’t avoiding her by speaking to her on the phone every day. Sometimes just a quick hello and sometimes the conversation would go on for hours. But he missed seeing her beautiful face.
During that time there’d been no more attacks on the Gibson family. Sean couldn’t understand the whole situation. They were a nice family and as far as he could tell they weren’t into any covert operations.
He wasn’t completely sure about Jasmine, but he figured she was too busy working as a nurse and a lecturer to be involved in the CIA. Although, she sure had the fighting skills for it.
They’d finally get to see each other on Sunday when they’d made plans to attend church together and then have brunch.
“I had to see you again,” were the first words out of his mouth when she opened the door to him. He gathered her into an all-encompassing hug. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
This was the woman he was in love with. He felt the deep burning desire to kiss her. Instead he stepped back and told her they were going to be late.
Why do I always step away from getting intimate? The answer had never gone away. He didn’t trust her, and until he did, he’d keep his distance.
“I’ll get my coat.
The conversation at brunch after the church service revolved around the concept of spirituality versus religion. They agreed on many aspects and disagreed on a few others. Things didn’t turn into arguments, rather they were intellectually debated and, in the end, they agreed to disagree.
The date ended too quickly and, before he knew it, they were back in her hallway.
“Would you like to stay for some cocoa?” Jasmine asked.
“I’d love to, but I should be gett
ing back. Those exams won’t study for themselves. Thanks for a wonderful time,” he said.
“You, too.”
He opened his arms and she walked into them, snuggling into his body. She sighed and stepped back.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Are we dating?”
The question came out of nowhere. He did the only thing he could to stall for time and asked her the same question. “Are we dating?”
“I thought we might be, but I’m not sure.”
“I think this might be more than a hallway chat. Let’s have a seat.” He followed her to the living room and sat beside her on the couch. “What brings this up?”
“Listen, you still haven’t answered my initial question and have since asked me two others. I’m not talking until you answer mine.”
He’d never seen this side of her. All he wanted to do was capture her pouting bottom lip between his and nibble it. He refrained, but barely. “I think we’re dating, too.”
She tilted her head. “Really?”
He couldn’t help but notice the contrast between this tentative side of Jasmine and her vicious side. He shook his head in amazement. “Really. Let’s look at this logically. I spend every free moment I can, either with you or talking to you on the phone. We talk about everything. I’ve shared some things with you I should be embarrassed about you knowing, but I’m not. Sometimes when I’m supposed to be studying, I find myself thinking about you instead. I’d say we’re dating. Why? Are you seeing someone?”
“No. It’s just that there’s something missing.” She stood and paced the room.
Does she realize how tempting she is? Although her hips weren’t full, they were just wide enough to let him know she was a woman. Watching her sometimes brought unbridled thoughts about the things he’d love to do to her body.
“Pardon me?” he asked, bringing himself back from his musings.
“We have chemistry, right? I mean you’re attracted to me, right?”
Was he breaking out in a sweat? He touched his forehead and felt the moisture. “More than you can ever know. Sometimes I have to stop myself from reaching for you.”
“Well then, why don’t you ever kiss me?”