Hearts on Fire 2: Michaela(26)
She covered her face and cried as sirens filled the air.
“Don’t worry, your men are on their way,” Ike told her.
The masked man didn’t move as Michaela sniffled and wiped away the tears as the pounding of footsteps could be heard from the bedroom.
“We’re up here. The burglar is out cold!” Ike yelled as Jake and a few other deputies entered the room, guns drawn.
“Michaela?” he yelled out, returning his gun to his holster as the deputies looked at Ike and absorbed the scene.
“Baby, oh God, you’re hurt. You’re bleeding.”
She was shaking profusely.
“I need an ambulance. Get the paramedic up here now,” Jake ordered. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you, and that man can’t hurt you anymore,” Jake stated with such an explosive look in his yes.
She locked gazes with him. Her voice was shaking as she spoke.
“That’s not him. That’s not the hit man, Dipero. This isn’t over.”
Chapter 8
Jake stood at the end of the bed in the emergency room with Billy, Hal, and Detective Buddy Landers. Jake had called him earlier in the day to discuss Michaela’s situation. When the call came in over the radio that Ike reported a break-in, Buddy responded, as well as over a dozen other law enforcement officers Jake and his brothers were friends with. Treasure Town was that type of community.
Michaela gasped as the doctor worked on the stitches to the deep cut above her shoulder. Billy was holding her hand, and Hal was caressing her thigh as the doctor worked.
“You’re doing great, Michaela. Just a few more. I want to be sure to do this right,” the doctor stated and winked at her. Jake just stared straight-faced, filled with a combination of anger, fear, and the need to hold Michaela in his arms. It was overwhelming.
When they first arrived, he and his brothers were concerned as Michaela couldn’t stop shaking. The bruising on her cheekbone and jaw were fierce, and as Michaela gave her description of the events and how the masked man attacked her, he grew more and more angry. The fear that hit him when the call came into the sheriff’s department took ten years off his life. He had just finished up at work and was heading out of the office. He’d called Hal and Billy immediately.
He was grateful that Ike had taken his request to keep an eye on things at Michaela’s place seriously. He explained the situation to Ike, and Ike was retired law enforcement from New York. Even in his sixties, the man could kick ass.
Ike didn’t like that Michaela’s lights remained off hours after Hal had left. But then he walked around the house and noticed the back door lock was broken as if an intruder entered. Then Ike described how he heard Michaela scream. He dialed 911 and grabbed the thick piece of solid wood left from the construction. He also had his revolver on him in an ankle holster.
Jake was grateful.
“Did you identify that guy yet? Is he another hit man?” Michaela asked as the doctor finished up.
“Okay. Keep this ice on that cheek of yours. Try icing it as often as you can at home to keep the swelling down,” he told her.
She nodded but looked right at Jake.
“Thanks, Doc,” Billy said. “We’ll go over the instructions with you in a few minutes.”
The doctor nodded and smiled. “I’ll be out by the front desk getting together the painkiller prescriptions and her release papers. Then I’ll come back.”
They said thank you and he left the room.
“Jake? Did you identify that man who broke into my home?”
Jake kept his hands on his waist and one leaning on his holster. “There’s no need for you to worry about that right now. I’m taking care of it.” Jake stared at her. The bruises were terrible. She didn’t deserve this shit.
She went to move and cringed.
The men all reacted with concern, including Jake as he stepped toward the bed. The nurse came in right at that moment carrying a tray.
“You’re going to have to lie still for a little while until these kick in. They’ll help with the pain,” the nurse told Michaela as she handed her two pills and a cup of water.
“Will these knock me out? I can’t take heavy pain medication. They make me sick.”
“You can take these as the doctor recommended while you heal. Besides, if you pass out, you have four men in here who can carry you.” The nurse smiled and winked before heading out of the room.
“Take them, Michaela,” Jake ordered. He was in a bad state right now. It wouldn’t take much more to throw him over the edge. He didn’t want her to feel any more pain, so if the medication helped, then he would make sure that she took it.
“Michaela, they’ll help numb the pain so we can get you home,” Billy told her more calmly, as he caressed her thigh.
She looked at him after giving Jake a dirty look. “I don’t want to go to sleep.” She lowered her eyes to stare at her hands. Hal covered them.
“The doctor said that rest is good. You need to take it easy so that the stitches don’t come out, and so you’ll heal quickly.”
She shook her head and Jake wondered what she wasn’t telling them. But then the doctor came back in.
“Okay. Take those and I can release you from the hospital tonight.”
“I don’t want to go to sleep.”
“Why not? Sleep is a good thing right now, young lady. You look exhausted. Anyone would be after such an ordeal. The painkillers will only make you feel drowsy. They’ll help ease your mind, Michaela,” he told her, and she stared at him.
“Ease my mind? Are you sure?”
He nodded his head.
“I don’t want to sleep. When I close my eyes—”
The doctor patted her hand. “I understand. It will take some time to get those images out of your head. There are counselors you could speak to. They may be able to help.”
She shook her head. “I’ll think about it.” She took the pills and drank the water after swallowing them.
“Sheriff, can I see you for a minute to go over some things?” the doctor asked, and they headed out to the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Jake asked him.
“I think your girlfriend is afraid to fall asleep and remember the attack. From the details she gave, she was half-dressed in her bed when this man broke in. That’s quite traumatic in itself. She may have nightmares, trouble sleeping, or experience any number of side effects.”
“Like what?”
“Shaking, panic attacks, anxiety, and a bunch more. She’s going to need a lot of reassurance and she shouldn’t be left alone. Especially in her house.”
“We’re taking her to our place. My father is at her house now, cleaning things up and grabbing some things of hers.”
“Good. You call me if you have any questions or concerns. She’s a brave young woman who survived a lot in her life. More than her share from what I gather. Take good care of her.”
“You bet, Doc. Thank you.”
Before he walked back in to help his brothers and Michaela, he thought about what the doctor said. She was trying to be so strong, but really she was terrified. Even to go to sleep. She needed them, and he would be sure to provide all the comfort and safety she needed. If he could just put aside the fear he had in caring so much so soon. It was crazy, but he knew he was being cautious because of Lisa. Michaela wasn’t Lisa though. So when would he let down that wall and let Michaela in?
* * * *
Solomon couldn’t believe what happened. Clyde, that backstabbing son of a bitch, double-crossed him. He found Michaela, and he didn’t contact him to let him know. Solomon walked around Michaela’s bedroom, way after the police left and it cleared out. Thank God it was nighttime and he could hide in the shadows.
As he walked around searching for where she could have placed the key to the safety deposit box, he started losing his patience. The blood on the bed indicated that Clyde had gotten rough. He kind of felt bad for Michaela. But then again, how was he to be sure that Annette and she hadn’t planned this whole thing from the start. Maybe Annette fucked up and hadn’t planned on dying. But the sister now had a safety deposit box key with a quarter of a million dollars in it, multiple thumb drives containing incriminating evidence on three major politicians, and illegal passports for him and Annette.
As he thought about Annette, he realized that she would have never double-crossed him. Perhaps she really hadn’t expected her long-lost sister to show up at the wrong time. Hell, he didn’t even know that Carlucci hired Dipero to kill him and get the money he owed. He wondered how Carlucci learned of the thumb drives. Then he remembered letting Clyde know. Clyde was going to use them himself. Son of a bitch.
Just then he heard footsteps and men talking. Solomon panicked and looked around the room for someplace to hide. He didn’t even have a damn weapon. He hurried toward the small window, shoved it open, and began to try and climb out when strong hands grabbed onto him, pulling him backward onto the floor.
“Who are you?” the older man asked.
“Don’t move, asshole. The cops are on their way,” the other one said.
“I’m a friend of Michaela’s.”
“Really? Then why are you trying to escape through the window?”