Cougar

by M. A. Foster

  I gave Levi and Troy the day off since we were only going to the mall for lunch and a little shopping.

  Unfortunately, we had to take two cars because Jay wanted to bring Willow and Zoe along. Lexi rode with Mom and me, and we stopped on the way to pick up another one of their friends, Kali. I’d only met her a handful of times, but she always seemed like a nice girl.

  We had lunch at Bazille at Nordstrom and then parted ways. The girls headed over to Build-A-Bear with Willow and Zoe, while my mother and I shopped around Nordstrom.

  The salesman comes back with two boxes. “Would you like to try them on?” he asks, but his voice sounds far away.

  “No. I’ll take them.” The room spins and my vision blurs. Reaching out, I grab the counter and steady myself.

  “You okay?” my mother asks.

  “Yeah.” I wave her off. “Probably something I ate.”

  “Would you like a bottled water?” the salesman offers.

  “No thanks. I’ll be fine.” I pass him my credit card, and he swipes it before handing it back to me.

  “Hey, Em.” I look over my shoulder to see Lexi walking up with her boyfriend, Evan, and his brother, Grayson. “Jay wanted me to let you know she was heading to the car. We tried calling you, but the signal in this place sucks.”

  “Here you go, ma’am.” The salesman hands over the shopping bag with my purchase.

  Then something happens. I get this sinking feeling in my stomach, and my heart starts to race.

  “Are you okay?” Lexi asks. “You look pale.”

  “Honey, maybe you should sit down,” my mother says.

  A wave of dread washes over me, and my whole body breaks into a cold sweat.

  Go.

  “Jayla,” I breathe, and the next thing I know, I’m running toward the escalator.

  “Emerson,” my mother calls after me, but I don’t stop. I gotta hand it to her—the woman is in her sixties, but she manages to keep up.

  “What’s wrong?” Evan asks as he comes up behind me.

  “Something feels off,” I call over my shoulder as I continue up the steps.

  “Where’s your security?” Grayson barks out as he jogs past me and leads the way to the exit.

  He’s right to ask, because he knows I pay their father’s company a lot of money for Troy and Levi. I don’t get the chance to answer him because just as we push through the doors and step into the vestibule, Harper comes running toward us, dragging a screaming Willow and Zoe by the arms.

  “Help her!” she yells hysterically and falls to her knees.

  “Call Levi,” I hear someone shout. Evan.

  I drop everything in my hands and start running. The moment I became a mother, my heart was filled with love, protectiveness, and fear. Some say a mother’s biggest fear is losing her child. There are books out there that teach us how to be the best parents we can be. But nowhere in any of those books was there a chapter that prepared me for the gut-wrenching fear of witnessing a stranger pinning my daughter to the ground, beating and choking the life out of her.

  “No! No! Jayla! Nooo!”

  “Motherfucker!” Grayson rushes the man on top of Jay and tackles him to the ground.

  Dropping to my knees beside her broken body, I scream out for help as everything around me begins spinning.

  “We have a daughter, Emerson,” Marcus cried as he pressed a kiss to our newborn daughter’s head, then raised his teary gaze to mine. “She’s perfect,” he whispered. “Thank you for giving me the most precious gift. I’ll never take you or our family for granted.”

  My heart felt like it would explode from the love I felt for my husband and daughter in that moment. “I never thought it was possible to be so happy and frightened at the same time,” I admitted.

  “Me, too,” he agreed, then dropped his gaze to the tiny baby in his arms. “I already want to lock her up until she’s thirty.”

  I snorted a laugh.

  “I’m serious.” He smirked. “I promise I’m going to be the best father to her. I’ll protect her with my life.”

  “You’re an amazing husband, Marcus King, and you’ll be an even more amazing father. I couldn’t have wished for a better man. She’s a lucky little girl, and she’s our miracle baby. I can’t believe she’s really here.”

  “Because she’s a fighter like her mother.”

  “Ma’am, we need you to let her go so we can get her to hospital.”

  “She’s my baby,” I cry. “I’m not leaving her.”

  “Emerson.” Two strong arms curl around me from behind, bringing me to my feet. “Let them get her to the hospital. Alex is going to ride with her. You’re riding with me.”

  “Max.” I spin in his arms and cry hysterically into his chest. His hold on me tightens as he shushes me. Suddenly a surge of rage zips through my veins. I lift my head. “Where is he?” I growl, scanning the parking lot until I spot him sitting in the back of an unmarked car.

  “Who?”

  I don’t bother with an answer. Breaking from Max’s hold, I charge toward the car and slap my hands on the window. “You sonofabitch! Look at me!” He turns his face away from me. “You fucking coward!” Someone grabs me from behind but I keep going. “You messed with the wrong girl, motherfucker! You’re dead!” I’m lifted from the ground and carried off. “I’m gonna fucking kill you!”

  Max shoves me into the back seat of his truck without a word before he slips behind the wheel and my mother silently climbs in beside me. The only sounds in his truck are my hysterical cries bouncing off the windows and the sirens from the ambulance in front of us.

  “Emerson, you have to try to calm down,” my mother insists as we pull into the parking lot of Heritage Bay Medical Center.

  “I’m gonna be sick,” I choke out. Max’s truck rolls to a stop behind the ambulance. I climb out of the back seat, drop to my hands and knees, and throw up. “He was killing my baby, and I couldn’t save her,” I cry.

  The back doors of the ambulance open and two paramedics hop out, followed by Alex.

  I get to my feet and stumble toward them. “Jayla?” I reach out to touch her, but I don’t know where because I’m afraid I’ll hurt her. “Is she okay?”

  “Let them get her inside,” Max barks.

  My chest is raw, my throat is clogged, and my head is spinning. I move over to the bushes and throw up again.

  “Emerson,” my father’s voice calls out to me.

  A nurse comes over with a wheelchair.

  “I don’t need that,” I snap.

  “You will,” my mother says.

  I feel a pinch in my arm and my head snaps up. “Hey—ow! Fuck off.” I jerk my arm away and rub it with my other hand.

  “Get her in the chair” is the last thing I hear my mother say before my eyes grow heavy and I’m floating.

  Cam

  News vans from every station in town are lined up along the curb outside Heritage Bay Medical Center. “That was fast,” I say.

  Bass bristles and honks his horn, warning the reporters to get out of the way before he whips his Denali into the parking lot and jerks to a stop in the closest parking spot.

  Levi is waiting just inside the doors. He points toward the elevators. “Top floor.”

  Bass, Logan, and I step into the elevator. Just before they close, Cole slips inside.

  “Does anyone know what happened?” he asks.

  “Some dumb motherfucker with a death wish put his hands on my princess,” Bass growls through clenched teeth, his hands balled into fists at his sides as his entire body shakes with rage.

  The doors slide open and we all wait for Bass to step out first before the rest of us follow. Cole and Logan take off in different directions while I follow Bass, knowing he’ll lead me straight to Emerson.

  Troy, Emerson’s security guard, calls out to Bass and waves him over to where he’s standing with Alex and another man dressed in jeans, a badge clipped to his waist. Troy’s gaze shifts to me, and he points down
the hall. “She’s in the last room at the end.”

  “Thanks.” I turn and jog that direction.

  Stepping inside the room, I find my mom beside Mimi on the sofa, doing her best to comfort her best friend. Lisa is lying beside Emerson in the bed closest to the door, and my sister is perched on the edge, stroking Emerson’s hair.

  In three long strides, I reach my mother and place a kiss on her head before dropping to a knee in front of my godmother and wrapping my arms around her. “How you holding up, Mimi?”

  “Today goes down as the worst day of my life. I need someone to tell me that my baby girl is going to make it.”

  I look over my shoulder at Emerson curled up in the hospital bed. She looks so tiny. “How long has she been asleep?”

  “About twenty or thirty minutes.” She shakes her head. “She’s gonna be pissed at me when she wakes up, but I had no choice, Cam. She was so hysterical, and she kept getting in the way. Then she started throwing up everywhere.”

  “You did the right thing, Mimi.” Standing, I move to the bed.

  “Here, Cam.” Lisa stands up. “You can have my spot.”

  “Thanks,” I say as I slip into the bed and pull Emerson into my arms. My sister pauses stroking her hair and stares at me.

  “You really love her, don’t you?” she whispers.

  “She’s the love of my life,” I reply.

  She reaches over and places her hand on my arm. “Then keep fighting for her.”

  Over the next forty-five minutes, more people come in and out of the room. Some cast curious glances my way, but I don’t bother to give a fuck.

  “Has anyone called Liam?” I ask.

  “Max did,” Jessica tells me. “He’s on the way.”

  Finally two nurses push through the door, wheeling a hospital bed carrying an unconscious Jay. Mac comes in right behind them.

  Mimi gasps and tries to stand, but Mac stops her. “Ella, let them get her settled. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Emerson

  “Wake up, babe.”

  Cam’s voice pulls me from a deep sleep. Stirring, I peek my eyes open and take in my surroundings, then lift my gaze to meet Cam’s blue eyes filled with worry.

  Suddenly, the events of the day come rushing to the forefront of my mind and my head spins as I sit upright. Turning to the side, I see Jayla lying peacefully still in the hospital bed beside mine and immediately burst into tears. Her face is swollen and bruised, white gauze is wrapped around her head, one arm is in a sling and the other is at her side with her fingers in splints.

  My father is immediately at my side, wrapping his arms around me. I cry into his chest as he strokes my head and shushes me. “She’s going to be okay, Emi bear. I know she looks bad, but she’s a Mackenzie. She’s tough. She’s a fighter.” He pulls back and pushes my hair away from my face. “Do you want them to stay in here for this?” He jerks his head, gesturing to all the people standing around the room. “It’s your call.”

  “They can stay,” I say through a shuddered breath. I’d rather everyone hear it now than for me to have to repeat it a dozen times.

  “She has a fractured skull and cheekbone, two bruised ribs on her left side, and one on her right.” He’s speaking to me but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear him. “Her forearm has a small hairline fracture, and she has three broken fingers.”

  Another sob escapes me, and I feel Cam’s hand on my back. My attention moves to Bass, who is sitting on the other side of Jay with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Guilt claws at my conscience.

  “She has some minor swelling in the brain,” my father continues, “but I feel confident there won’t be any permanent damage. Of course, we won’t know for sure until the swelling goes down and she wakes up. However, there’s deep bruising on her neck, and I’m concerned that there could be some long-term damage to her throat, mainly her vocal cords. Again, we won’t know for sure until the swelling goes down.”

  Zach clasps his hands behind his neck and exhales a deep sigh before he turns and strides out of the room. Mike and Liz excuse themselves to go after him.

  I can’t even entertain the thought that Jay will never sing again.

  Right now, I’m going to focus on the fact that she survived.

  After about an hour, it’s down to just Bass, Lisa, Zach, and me.

  The door opens, and Patrick Avery walks in with Troy and Levi.

  “I’m gonna step out,” Lisa says, heading for the door.

  “Patrick, I’m so glad you’re here,” I say. “How’s Harper doing?”

  “She’s in shock, mostly.” He runs a hand through his short blond hair.

  “You have any idea why this happened?” Bass asks.

  Patrick crosses his arms and leans against the wall with his foot propped up. “Because this is an ongoing investigation, I can only give you a brief summation. Two years ago, Kalista Rosewood—you know her as Kali Brooks—met Austin Boyd at a campaign fundraiser for Austin’s father, Congressman Callum Boyd. They dated for nearly a year. Austin was a bit older, but he treated her like a princess. Behind closed doors, Austin was a bad guy. In fact, he was involved in some pretty shady shit, which I’m not at liberty to discuss.

  “Long story short, he terrorized Kalista with physical and verbal abuse. He made threats against her family, using his father’s political ties as a scare tactic and a way to manipulate her. After Kalista disappeared in the middle of the night, my team was hired by the Rosewood family to find their daughter. During our investigation, it was discovered that Kalista had disappeared to protect her family and most likely save her life. She sought help from someone no one would suspect—Yolanda, the family’s house manager. She knew Kalista was in trouble, so she and Mrs. Rosewood—unbeknownst to Mr. Rosewood—helped her get out.

  “It all sounds a little crazy and farfetched, but Mrs. Rosewood wasn’t sure how far Austin’s or Congressman Boyd’s political ties reached up the legal chain. Kali’s been living with Yolanda’s niece, Stephanie Brooks, for the last year or so. I’ve had my guys keeping an eye on Austin and his buddies for a while now.

  “A couple of weeks ago, photos of Kalista and a young man by the name of Lucas Wild showed up on social media. Austin followed the breadcrumbs and hopped on the first flight to Florida. They were already parked outside Kalista’s place when Emerson picked her up this morning. Austin and Tripp followed the girls to the mall, and Austin, the clever little fucker, parked in the adjacent garage and entered the mall. My guys parked a few spaces down and followed them. Somehow Austin and Tripp managed to lose my guys and snuck into the Nordstrom garage. They were waiting for them when they came out of the mall.”

  “Persistent fucker,” Zach mumbles.

  “So what now?” I ask.

  “The Rosewoods are on their way. Austin Boyd and Tripp Daniels are in custody, facing assault and battery and attempted murder charges. I’m sure Congressman and Mrs. Boyd as well as the Danielses will be raising hell, but not even Congressman Boyd can make this go away. We have a solid case against both men. Along with the security cameras, we have statements from the Martinez boys, Lexi, Harper, Mrs. Mackenzie, and yours.” He gestures to me. “I have to ask.” He scratches his jaw. “Who taught her how to fight?”

  Bass straightens. “Why?”

  Patrick smirks. “Because she kicked Tripp Daniels’s ass. Broke his nose.”

  The corners of Bass’s mouth tip up and he almost smiles.

  “I’m sorry this happened to your family, Emerson. I’ve been assured that she’ll make a full recovery.” He drops his foot to the floor and pushes off the wall. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on my daughter.” He shakes his head. “That sounds crazy coming out of my mouth.” He gives us a small wave on his way out the door and calls over his shoulder, “I’ll be around if you need anything.”

  “Who’s his daughter?” Zach asks.

  “Harper,” Cole answers from the doorway, shaking his head in disb
elief.

  Standing, I open my arms. “Come here, Cole.”

  He doesn’t hesitate to step into my embrace.

  Cole discovered Harper’s black book of secrets. Needless to say, he was furious with Harper, broke up with her and forbade her from seeing Willow.

  “Honey, I know things between you and Harper aren’t good right now, but you have to let it go. I think we’ve all learned something today, and it’s that life is full of surprises, and the people we love can be taken from us at any moment. Don’t waste time being angry.” Pulling away, I look up at him. “I wasted twenty-two years being angry because I was too stubborn and hurt to speak up. Talk to her. Tell her how you feel. If you love her, then forgive her.”

  As those words leave my mouth, the bitter taste of hypocrisy settles on the edge of my tongue.

  Cam

  Once things settled around the hospital, I hitched a ride with my sister and Mike to pick up my truck from their house, then headed home for a quick shower and some food.

  After a brief conversation with my coach, who’d called when he heard the news, I drive back to the medical center, stopping at Starbucks on the way to grab a coffee for Emerson.

  I make my way to the top floor and find her in the break room, talking with Bass and a group of security men. Her eyes flick in my direction and she smiles. Bass looks over his shoulder and jerks his chin at me before turning back to the conversation.

  A few minutes later, the conversation ends and I push off the wall, stepping aside to allow the men to exit the break room. Bass squeezes my shoulder as he passes, and it’s down to just Emerson and me.