That seemed to ease her conscience slightly. After kissing her goodbye, I headed out to my truck and dialed Carter’s number.
“What?” he groaned. “I was just about to take Abby for a little alone time.”
“Alone time from what?” I asked.
“From her prying cats.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled into the gas station to fill up. “I need you to do me a favor.” I got out and popped the gas tank, then started pumping. “Christy’s going to call you tonight to check in about a case.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because I told her I was going on a stakeout.”
“What are you really doing?” he asked, knowing there was no such stakeout.
“You don’t need to know that. In fact, it’s best if you have no idea.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“You don’t need to. Just make sure when she calls that you tell her you just talked to me and everything is fine.”
He sighed heavily. “You know, you really have a way of fucking up my night. Just promise me you’re not doing something stupid.”
“Why would I do something stupid? You know me. Have I ever done anything that could cause trouble in my life?”
“That’s the problem, you’ve never had a reason to until now.”
I didn’t think that was true. I very well could have killed someone after Natalie died, and I hadn’t. The way I saw it, I was preventing something like that ever happening again.
“I’ll call you when it’s all done. Does that help?”
“Not at all. Great, now I’m not going to get my alone time because I’ll be worrying about your ass all night.”
“Don’t. I’ll be fine. I’ll check in with you in a few hours.”
I hung up and took the nozzle out of the gas tank. I was just about to grab my receipt when Josh walked around the corner of my truck.
“What are you doing, Jack?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard you. What are you planning?”
“It’s nothing.” I turned to get in my truck, but Josh grabbed my henley, shoving me up against the truck.
“You know that feeling you got when I went missing? I’m having the same fucking feeling right now. So, either you tell me what the hell you’re planning or I’ll call Carter and tell him to lock your ass in jail.”
Tearing his hands from my shirt, I moved out of his grasp. “Christy’s ex is causing trouble. I’m going to send a message.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“He broke into her house and left lingerie on her bed. And it’s not the first time he’s broken into her place. When she lived in Chicago, he did the same thing. Apparently, they broke up a while ago, but he’s not getting the picture.”
“So, file a restraining order.”
“We did.”
He stared at me, knowing that I wouldn’t be backing down. “Alright, let’s do this.”
“What?” He walked around to the passenger side of my truck and got in. I followed suit, getting in my own side. “What are you doing?”
“You’re going to Chicago to send a message all alone. So, tomorrow morning, I’ll hear on the news about how your body washed up in the river.”
“You have no faith in me. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yeah, but you need backup. You can’t just wander the streets of Chicago and hope no one jumps you.”
“I won’t be wandering the streets. Besides, I’m a good shot.”
“You’re also the sheriff. Someone has to make sure you don’t do anything that could land you in jail.”
I watched him carefully. “Why are you doing this?”
“You would do the same for me.”
I nodded, knowing I would. After everything we’d been through, I knew without a doubt that I would lay my life on the line for his any day. The past was in the past, and he proved that the moment he got in my truck.
I waited around the corner of the alley, checking my watch. Thomas went for drinks every night and returned around ten o’clock to his building. I waited with Josh at my side, neither of us making a sound. The alley wasn’t covered by cameras, which made this the only location I could do this without being caught. My truck was parked a few blocks away where there were also no cameras. I was covered in every way I could be.
“Is that him?” Josh asked.
I nodded, waiting for him to get closer. The sidewalks were clear, aside from him. When he walked past the building I was leaning against, I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the alley, shoving my gloved hand against his mouth. Pressing him up against the building, his face was turned so he couldn’t see me.
“You’re being watched,” I said in a low voice. “Forget Christy exists or you’re going to have bigger problems than a restraining order on your hands. Understand?”
“What the fuck?” he muttered, struggling against me. Josh stepped in and punched him hard in the side. He tried to bend over and gasp for air, but I wouldn’t let him go.
“She’s dead to you. Understand?”
“Fuck you. She’s still mine.”
“She was never yours,” I growled. “If you keep coming after her, I’ll make sure you regret every second you knew her. Am I clear?”
He winced when I yanked his arm up behind his back and twisted his wrist. He cried out when I snapped the bone, leaving him whimpering against the brick wall. Snot slipped from his nose as he started crying. It was the first time I’d ever truly assaulted someone, but right now, I was seeing red. I needed Christy safe, and this was the only way to ensure that he never came near her again.
“Do you fucking understand me? If you come near her again, you won’t just have a few broken bones. I will make you beg for death before I kill you. Do you understand?”
“Fuck!” he cried out. “I swear, I won’t come near her again. She’s not fucking worth it!”
“You’d better not,” I ground out, wanting to tell him exactly how worth it Christy was, but that wasn’t the point of tonight.
“Hurry up,” Josh said urgently. “We have company.”
I pulled his head back and slammed it against the wall. He fell to the ground in a crumpled mess, his body unmoving. I grabbed his wallet and took out the money, making it look as if he was mugged, dropping the wallet beside him. As if nothing had happened, I walked down the alley and headed onto the next street with Josh beside me. We rounded the block and headed back to my truck. I slipped off my gloves and tossed them in a nearby dumpster, along with the cash from his wallet.
When we got back to the truck, Josh looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Feel better?”
“A little. We’ll see if my message got through to him.”
“Let me know if it didn’t. I’ll gladly help you finish the job.”
And just like that, Josh and I had gone from friends to something completely different.
After dropping Josh off where he left his truck, I headed back to Christy’s and slipped inside. The house was dark and quiet. I locked up for the night, making sure the security system was armed. After checking on Brody, I quickly showered and slipped into bed beside Christy. She rolled over and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I was worried about you,” she whispered, kissing me softly.
“I told you it was no big deal. I’m home and in one piece.”
I slid between her legs, kissing her hard. This was where I was meant to be, here in her arms. I would never let a single day go by without her knowing how much she meant to me. I wanted to tell her that I loved her, that she was the only one for me. But I held back, knowing it was still too soon. I needed to prove to her that she was the only one for me. The more time that passed with her, I wondered how I had never seen how amazing she was before. Maybe Carter really was right. Maybe I had put her in the friend-zone so I would never lose her. I now saw the error of my ways. Christy was the woman for me, and she always had been.
28
Christy
Every time I went on the placebo week for my birth control, I got terrible headaches that lasted for days. Right now, it felt like a stake was being driven through my temple into my eyeball. And the kids running and screaming around the daycare center weren’t helping matters. I’d taken everything I could think of. I’d rubbed peppermint oil on my temples and under my nose. I’d even had a can of Coke, a banana, and some dark chocolate, like my mom recommended, but none of it helped. Even the light shining in the windows was making me see double. I was about to pull out my sunglasses just to dim the light.
“Christy, are you okay?” Diana asked as she walked over to my desk.
My stomach churned as nausea bubbled up. “Headache,” I muttered, massaging my temples.
“Why don’t you go home? I can cover for you.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you short staffed.”
“It’s fine. One day won’t kill us.”
“Then I’m not going to argue with you.” I stood, swaying slightly as the room tilted around me.
“Are you okay to drive home?”
I closed my eyes, taking a moment to compose myself. When I opened them again, I felt better. I just needed my damn sunglasses, an ice pack, and some headache medicine. I had been stupid enough to not pick up my prescription migraine medication before this week. I knew I was out, but I was spending all my time with Jack and had pushed it to the back of my head. Now I was regretting it.
“Do you want me to call Jack?”
“No,” I said quickly, not needing Jack to run to my aid. He was already doing enough. “I’m okay now.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“If you need tomorrow off, just let me know.”
“I might,” I sighed, rubbing my head.
As I grabbed my stuff, Brody came running up to me. “Are you leaving Ms. Christy?”
“Yeah, bud. I’m not feeling well.”
His face turned sad as he looked at me. He dropped his eyes, staring at the ground as he quirked his lips to the side. Kneeling down, I took his hands in mine.
“What’s wrong, bud?”
“Are you going to die like my mommy?”
If the pounding in my head wasn’t bad enough, this kid just ripped my heart out. “No, Brody. It’s just a headache. I just need a good night’s sleep and I’ll be fine.”
“You promise?” he asked, looking up at me hopefully.
“I promise,” I smiled, forcing the pain to the side. Seeing Brody like this made all my jealousy for Natalie disappear. It didn’t matter if Natalie had Jack first. She was gone now, and her son was left behind, not ever really knowing her. I vowed I would put aside my anger toward Natalie and just live my life the best I could with Jack and Brody. This kid needed someone, and I would be there for him however he needed me.
“Pinky swear?” he asked, smiling at me as he held out his pinky finger.
I pinky swore to him and watched as he ran off. Bracing myself on the desk, I slowly stood. Diana shook her head slightly.
“You’ve already got that kid wrapped around your finger.”
“He’s the best,” I nodded.
When I closed my eyes again, Diana placed her hand on my arm. “Go home and get some rest. That boy needs you tonight.”
I nodded and gathered my things, heading out to my car. I drove to the pharmacy, grabbing my prescription, along with a gallon of milk for Brody and a few snacks I could stomach while taking my medicine.
By the time I got home, my headache had intensified even more from trying to concentrate on driving. The thought of trudging upstairs was enough to make me want to start crying. Punching the garage opener, I waited for the damn thing to open, but it didn’t. I pushed the button again, but still nothing. Over and over, I pressed it until I finally gave up, screaming as I held my head.
Shoving the car into park, I left it in the driveway and got out, pulling out my groceries. Walking up to the front door, I slid the key in the lock and pushed open the door, trying my best not to drop the grocery bags in my arms.
I kicked at the door and ended up spilling the bags on the ground. The milk fell to the floor and split open, spilling all over the place. Cursing, I headed to the kitchen to get a towel to clean it up, but then the alarm started going crazy because I hadn’t deactivated the alarm. I ran over to the keypad and started pressing buttons, but nothing was working, and the faster the alarm beeped, the more I freaked out. I stared up at the camera in the entryway, cursing at it, only to realize that it wasn’t even pointed at me.
I needed to shut the damn thing off before my head exploded, but the more buttons I pressed, the louder is sounded. On the verge of tears, I grabbed the broom from the hall closet and slammed it into the system, but even that didn’t help.
I squeezed my eyes closed and focused on grounding myself. Taking a deep breath, I tried again to get the damn thing to stop. Nothing was working. I hit the screen over and over again until I finally smashed it to little pieces. I knew the alarm would immediately go to Jack and he would come rushing home, freaked out that something had happened.
Even though the alarm stopped, the ringing was still loud in my head. Covering my ears, I leaned against the wall and slid to the floor as I stared at the mess all over the entryway. I closed my eyes and cried in frustration. This day sucked and I just wanted it to be over.
“Christy!” Jack shouted as he ran up to the house.
Crap. I was about to stand when he ran through the door, sliding to his knees as he looked me over. The panic on his face was evident and the way his hands were brushing over my body, I knew he was looking for injuries.
“I’m fine!” I cried over the beeping still ringing in my ears, though the alarm had stopped.
“What happened? Did someone try to break in?”
“No,” I cried. “I have a migraine, and I went to the pharmacy, but the garage door wouldn’t open, and then everything spilled.” I wiped at the tears spilling down my face. I knew I wasn’t making any sense. “The stupid alarm wouldn’t shut off and the camera wasn’t even facing the right way, and now my ears are ringing. And my eyeball feels like a poker is sticking through it!”
He ran his hands up and down my arms, obviously trying to figure out what to do. Without saying a thing, he picked me up and started carrying me upstairs. I buried my face in his neck and cried, angry at myself for making a mess and overreacting instead of just dealing with the situation.
He set me down on the bed, pulling off my shoes as I sat there pathetically. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Take care of you?”
I swiped at my face. “God, I’m a mess. I’m sorry.”
“Just lay down and get some sleep.”
“But I have that mess downstairs to clean up.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“And the alarm’s broken now.”
“You just sleep. I’ll get someone out here to fix it.”
I laid down as he drew the covers up over me. Closing my eyes, I relaxed into the bed as I felt him lean in and press a kiss to my lips. Remembering Brody’s reaction, I grabbed Jack’s hand just as he was about to leave.
“What’s wrong?”
“Brody was worried about me. He asked if I was going to die like his mommy. I tried to reassure him I was fine.”
He squeezed my hand and pressed another kiss to my lips. “I’ll talk to him. Thank you for letting me know.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. I drifted in and out of sleep, never really able to fall asleep with the pain in my eye.
“Baby,” I heard Jack’s voice. “Sit up for a minute.”
Opening my eyes, I saw Jack sitting on the edge of the bed with a glass of water, my medicine, and some crackers.
“You need to eat something before you take this.”
I sat up, my eyes squinting at the harsh light. Jack handed me the crackers, then walked ov
er to the windows, pulling the curtains shut.
“Do you need anything else?”
“An ice pack.”
“Alright, I’ll be right back.”
While he was gone, I chewed on the crackers, just wanting to go back to sleep. I grabbed the medicine, but I couldn’t get the damn packaging open.
“Let me get that,” Jack said as he walked into the room.
He set the ice pack down and then opened the medicine with such ease that if I was feeling better, I might have slapped him for it. Taking a sip of water, I swallowed the medicine and went to put the glass down on the side table, but Jack pushed it back toward me.
“Drink it all.”
It felt like way too much work, but I drank the whole damn glass and then laid back down, grabbing the ice pack for my head. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. The cool pack on my eyes helped to ease the piercing through my eye.
I woke up when it was dark. My head felt better, but there was a cloying scent somewhere in the house that was making me nauseous. Swinging my legs out of bed, I stood on shaky legs and headed for the bathroom. After running a cool cloth over my face, I opened the door and headed for the hallway. The minute I opened the door, the scent hit me like a ton of bricks. I covered my mouth and nose, wondering what the hell that was.
I slowly made my way down the hall, but stopped when a boy walked out of the second bedroom. When he looked up at me, the haunted look in his eyes had me shuffling back against the wall. But the gaping slash across his neck had me turning and retching all over the floor.
“Why didn’t you help me, Christy? You promised.”
I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t tell who the boy was. He looked like Brody, but the haunted eyes and the slash across his neck was all Caleb. I took a hesitant step toward him.
“I’m so sorry,” I cried, reaching out for him. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t help me. You didn’t come when I called.”
I covered my mouth as a sob burst free from my chest. I crumpled to the ground, sobbing as blood started pouring out of his throat. I pushed myself back against the wall, screaming as he fell to the floor and his head rolled so he was looking at me. I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, sobbing uncontrollably.
Four Horsemen: A Small Town Romance (A Good Run Of Bad Luck Book 5) Page 24