“Don’t worry about that, honey. I’d prefer you were here where we could watch out for you. I’ll keep an eye out for anyone hanging around. Thanks for the heads up. Take care of our Jenna.”
Warmth filled her at those words even as she saw Curt scowl.
“I better go get ready for work,” she said. “Thanks for coming over so quickly, Jake.”
“You sure you’re ready for work after everything that happened yesterday?” he asked.
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
“When I asked that, you bit my head off,” Curt grumbled.
“You didn’t ask, you tried to tell me. There’s a difference.”
Travis snorted. “Good luck teaching that to him, sweetheart. Old dog, new tricks. You know how the saying goes.”
***
Jenna drove towards the florist shop. Because of Jake’s visit she now had only about forty minutes until she had to be at the clinic, and it was going to be a push to get all her errands done.
“Slow down,” Curt warned.
“Doesn’t Travis need to get back to work?” she asked. They’d left him at her place, cursing the slow Wi-Fi connection.
“I told him to go. He wants to stay.”
“I don’t understand why. He must have better things to do. Seems like overkill to have two of you here.”
“He has his reasons for being here. He’s looking for leads on The Brit.”
“But I don’t know anything about that guy, and you said it’s unlikely he’ll come for me, right?”
He sighed. “I’m not taking chances with you, Jenna, and for the moment he’s providing another pair of eyes and ears, which increases your safety.”
She pulled into a parking space.
“Come on then, you overprotective bull dog. We haven’t got much time.”
She ordered a bunch of flowers to be sent to Mrs. Childs, spoke for a few minutes to Gracen, the florist, reassuring her she was okay after yesterday’s excitement. Then as Curt moved out of earshot, she’d had to field questions about who he was and what he was to Jenna, and if they were dating. Gracen wanted to know if it okay if she asked him out. By the time Jenna left the florist’s shop, she was feeling irritated. As they left, Curt opened the door for her.
“You okay?”
“Fine. I wish everyone would stop asking me that.”
He let out a low whistle. “Hey, that’s what you get for moving to a small town. Everyone thinks they can poke their nose into your business. It would drive me nuts.”
“You really couldn’t live in a small town?”
“No way. I’ve had enough of people trying to interfere in my business. I like my privacy. I don’t want to get involved in other people’s lives. Their problems don’t interest me, just like mine are none of their business. I’m surprised it doesn’t annoy you.”
“It did in the beginning. But I kind of like it now. It means I’m never alone.”
He gave her a sharp look as they stepped into the bakery. She ordered some of Mel’s favorite cupcakes to be delivered to the gym where Mel worked later.
“They deliver cupcakes?” he asked in surprise after she ordered.
“For locals they do,” she replied as she pulled out some cash from her wallet. The elderly lady ahead of her was fumbling with her debit card.
“Oh, darn,” she said, nearly in tears. “I had to change the number last week and now I’ve forgotten it.”
“Here, let me get it, Mrs. Rogers,” she said, reaching past her to hand over some cash.
“Oh, I can’t let you do that, Jenna dear.”
“Of course, you can. You go to the bank and figure out a new pin, though, okay?
“Yes. Yes, thank you, dear.” The older woman squeezed her arm with her hand. “Are you okay after yesterday’s scare?”
“I’m fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises, nothing serious.”
“Good. Good. Terrible business when you’re just walking down the streets and some thug attacks you. I hope the sheriff comes down hard on him. Too many things have been happening around here lately.”
“I’m fine. Really. And I’m sure the sheriff has things under control.”
“Thank you again, dear.” The elderly woman gave Curt a look, eyeing him thoroughly. “You look like a strapping young man. I hope you’re taking care of our Jenna.”
“I can take care of myself, Mrs. Roberts,” she said firmly.
Curt gave the woman a nod, and she nodded back.
Jenna gave him a look as they left.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. They continued to the post office before they headed to the clinic. It was the same wherever she went. There were questions about how she was. Comments on how terrible yesterday’s incident must have been for her. But most of the attention was centered on Curt. She’d expected it, although she was kind of annoyed everyone seemed to assume he was taking care of her. She was also irritated by how many women looked him up and down or smiled at him. It made her want to do something crazy like get him a T-shirt that said, “back off, bitches, he’s mine.”
It was official. She was losing her mind.
***
By the end of the day she had a pounding headache. If one more person asked who her friend was, she was going to scream. All she just wanted to do was go home, crawl into bed, and sleep.
“Going home now, dear?” Doc Harper asked as he poked his head into her office after the last patient.
“Yep.” She stood and gathered her stuff.
“Good. I hope you didn’t work too hard after what happened yesterday.”
“Not you too, Doc. I’ve been fielding questions all day.”
He smiled. “And questions about the young man who’s been sitting in the waiting room, carefully studying everyone who went into your office, I suspect. I have no doubt that if one of your patients even looked at you wrong he would have pounced like a panther.”
“I think your imagination is going into overdrive,” she said dryly as she moved towards the door. “I’m sorry if he intimidated anyone or made them feel uncomfortable. I told him it wasn’t necessary for him to sit out there all day, but he insisted.”
Doc waved his hand. “No, no, not at all. No doubt he’s feeling rather protective after yesterday’s occurrence. I would feel the same if it were my Bessy.”
She nodded, feeling uncomfortable she hadn’t told him the full truth. She was glad she’d never told anyone who her father was.
“Now, I got in contact with a locum who’s on stand-by in case you need to go home suddenly. He should be able to stay all week if you need to remain in Dallas that long.”
“Thanks, Doc. I hate to do this to you on such short notice.” She’d told him this morning she might need to return home for a few days. She couldn’t hide in Haven forever.
“Not at all. I just hope everything’s okay.”
“So do I.” She gave him a tight smile.”
“Well, go. Have fun with your young man. He’s an intense one, isn’t he?” Doc wandered away without waiting for a reply.
Chapter Eleven
Jenna sat down on the sofa and looked awkwardly at Curt.
“Are you sure I can’t help?” she called out to Travis, who was doing the dishes. She stood, ready to help him. She had to do something. Despite barely sleeping, working all day, then coming home to cook dinner, she felt full of energy.
“Sit down,” Curt told her without looking up from his phone. Whatever he was reading seemed to upset him as he frowned, then tapped out a message. “He’s fine. You’ve been working all day. Just rest.”
Yeah, resting wasn’t something she’d ever been good at. Keeping busy kept her from thinking too much.
“I’m going to do some laundry.”
Curt looked up, piercing her with his hazel gaze.
“You look terrible. Did you sleep at all last night?”
She smiled at him tightly, trying to ignore the pang of
hurt. When she’d gotten home, she’d put on some track pants and an old T-shirt and tied her hair up into a messy bun. Now she had the urge to race upstairs and fix her hair, maybe put on the makeup she’d just washed off. But why should she? This was her usual after work attire, if he didn’t like it then he didn’t have to look at her.
She tapped her foot. “I can’t just sit around.”
He shook his head, a small smile on his face.
“What?” she asked defensively. “What is it?”
“Just remembering you as a child. You never could sit still.”
Right, because all he saw when he looked at her was a kid.
As if she hadn’t gotten that message loud and clear.
“I’ll be in the laundry room, if you need anything.” She stormed into the small space, blinking back tears of frustration and disappointment.
She’d thought he’d been about to kiss her the other night, but obviously she’d been mistaken. She’d misread things. Again.
She shook her head as she threw a load of dirty clothes into the machine and added powder. This was all Travis’s fault. He was the one going around insinuating Curt felt something for her.
She sighed and closed her eyes for a minute. She was exhausted. A headache was forming in her temples, a mix of tiredness and tension, and she still hadn’t managed to talk to her mother. She should really do that now.
Walking back into the living room, she grabbed her phone then headed up the stairs to her bedroom.
“Jenna? You okay?” Curt asked.
“Fine.”
She snorted. It was the question she hated most, she’d heard it so often since she’d been kidnapped. It was almost as bad as all the pitying looks. She’d gotten used to automatically telling people she was fine. It was what they expected her to say.
She’d often wondered what they’d do if she’d turned around and told them she was a mess. That she suffered from nightmares where she heard screams of terror that were quickly silenced by gunshots, that she often woke up in the middle of a panic attack that could leave her shaken and vulnerable for hours.
But she could never do it. Making someone else feel bad wouldn’t help her. In fact, it would probably only make her feel worse.
“You sure know how to say the wrong thing, don’t you?”
Curt glanced away from the stairs to stare up at Travis as he leaned against the entrance to the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” Although he knew exactly what the other man meant. He kept managing to upset Jenna. He always spoke without thinking first. He wasn’t normally like this. He’d learned with Amelia to weigh each word first, so he didn’t set her off into one of her rages or crying spells. But with Jenna, things just kept coming out wrong.
What he’d really wanted was to get her some pain relievers and a glass of water then sit on the couch with her head on his lap so he could massage away the headache he could see was annoying her. He’d wanted to tell her to talk to him, to let him take some of the load.
He’d wanted to strip off her clothes, put her in a bath, pamper her, love her, then sleep with her all night. But he couldn’t say any of that. Not yet.
Irritation at himself for pushing her away, combined with sexual frustration meant he’d ended up growling at her instead.
“You’re lucky I’m here to smooth things over.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Because from where I’m sitting it looks like you’re coming on to my woman.” And he was making Curt look even more like an asshole.
Travis raised an eyebrow. “Not your woman though, is she? You better get your act together fast. Because that is not a woman who will remain single long.”
“So, you do want her?”
Travis shook her head. “Jenna’s a forever girl, and I’m not looking to settle down.” He turned away. “But she’s special, maybe she could change my mind.”
Curt ground his teeth together. Not happening. Not while he had breath in his body. He rose. It was about time he apologized for the asshole he’d been months ago. And for the way he was acting now.
Jenna stared down at her phone as it shook in her hand. Her breath came in fast pants. A sick feeling developed in her stomach. She’d thought Curt was exaggerating. She hadn’t really believed anyone would blame her for her father’s actions. But the text messages were there on her phone.
How does it feel to get rich from murdering innocent people?
Murdering bitch.
Hey, bitch, die.
There were some recorded messages, but she didn’t have the guts to listen to them. She sniffled. Oh, God. Her stomach lurched. The idea that strangers could hate her so much they’d send messages like this made her feel ill.
She stood, knowing she was going to vomit.
There was a knock on her door, and she half-screamed. “Jenna? You okay?” Curt pushed open the bedroom door just as a loud bang sounded.
With a screech, she dropped to the floor, the phone skittering across the floor. Sobbing hysterically, she placed her hands over her head.
The screams surrounded her. Terror-filled. Frightened. Babies cried. People yelled.
She looked over at Alana in alarm. They stood frozen in the make-shift clinic. Some of the patients lying on beds in the clinic started to yell out in alarm.
The patient Jenna had been examining, a young man with a bad infection in his leg due to lack of access to antibiotics, grabbed her arm, his eyes wide.
He climbed from the bed and took off. She didn’t bother to call him back. She looked over at Alana as their patients hastily left.
“What is it?” she asked the other woman, her heart racing. This was her first overseas assignment with Doctors Without Borders. Alana had been on a few, but the older, more experienced, woman looked shocked and scared.
“I don’t know. I think we better get out of here.”
The door to the clinic flew open, and armed men entered. They were dressed in khaki shirts and pants but they weren’t military or the local police. Neither one of those groups wore bandanas on the lower half of their faces.
Fear washed over her as she saw the machine guns in their hands. Oh, God, what was going on? What were they after?
“Whatever you want, just take it,” Alana told them as they advanced towards the women.
They turned their guns on them, and Alana cried out. Jenna was too scared to make a sound, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the two men. Was this it? Was she going to die here?
Oh, God, had her parents been right?
Something wet ran down her cheek, and she realized she was crying. She wanted to wipe the tears away but she didn’t dare move.
“What are you doing?” someone yelled from the doorway. “Get away from them!”
She turned, her gaze falling on Richard, one of the other doctors, walk through the doorway. One of the armed men turned, then there was a tat-tat-tat noise, and she watched in shock as Richard fell to the ground. He remained still.
They’d shot him. Shot Richard.
Alana cried out, and she turned back as the other man aimed his gun at her.
“Please, please,” Alana begged, dropping to her knees. “My name is Alana. I’m forty-two. I have children. A boy and a girl. A hus—”
She was cut off mid-sentence, as the gun was fired, slumping to the ground. Her eyes staring lifelessly towards Jenna. That’s when Jenna started to scream.
Curt ran forward, his heart stopping as he saw Jenna on the floor, curling in, her arms over her head as though trying to protect herself.
“Jenna! Jenna!” He knelt, reaching for her.
Her whole body shook. Her cries of fear made his gut clench.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
He turned to find Travis behind him, staring down at Jenna in concern.
“I don’t know. A car backfired, and suddenly she screamed. Jenna!” He reached out and picked her up. She cried out again, the noise filled with such fear he almost drop
ped her.
“A flashback?” Travis asked, coming forward as Curt settled on the bed and held Jenna on his lap. “Try talking to her. She’s more likely to react to your voice than mine.”
He rocked her instinctively, barely aware he was doing it as she stared off into the distance, her eyes wide, tears coursing down her cheeks. She looked so pale and fragile he wanted to tuck her somewhere safe and keep her there, where he knew nothing would ever touch her again.
“Jenna, come on, baby. Come back to me now. Listen to my voice. You’re safe. I’m here. Jenna, come back to me.”
Jenna.
Jenna, come back to me.
She was in the darkness again. Curt was there this time, though. Oh, no, they’d caught him too. But, no, Curt was strong. He wouldn’t let anyone take him.
Jenna. I’m here. You’re safe. Come back.
She blinked then gasped as she saw a man leaning over her. With a whimper, she shrank back. That wasn’t Curt.
“Back off, Travis, you’re scaring her.”
She knew that gruff voice. Curt. She turned her head, looking up into his face. So familiar, yet different. He had more lines now. Some gray hairs. But they only made him more attractive.
“Curt.”
He smiled down at her gently.
“I’ll get her a glass of water,” the other man said.
Her heart was racing. She felt weak and she was trembling uncontrollably. Where was she? Confusion filled her.
“Curt?” she asked, clinging to him.
Sweat coated her body, and she probably smelled less than pleasant, but there was no way she was letting him go. He’d just have to put up with the stink.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. I have you. No one will hurt you again.”
Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. The other man returned, holding out a glass of water. She knew him. He smiled at her gently.
“Travis.”
“That’s me.”
Slowly, reality came back. She lived in Haven now. This was her bedroom. Travis and Curt were staying with her.
“Here, baby, have a drink.”
Curt held the glass of water to her lips. She tried to take it from him, but he just gave her a firm look. She dropped her hand and started to drink.
To Save Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 7) Page 14