“I was surprising her. I came in and saw the blood and the mess. I got scared.”
“You should be scared. Very scared.”
Solomon stared at the two older men and thought he could take them. But as he looked toward the doorway just as the one man closed up his cell phone, he jumped forward and the other man struck him in the face, knocking him backward onto his ass.
“Go ahead and try to move again, punk, and watch what happens to you.”
“Good job, Burt. The cavalry is on their way.”
“You got a hold of Jake, Jerome?”
The Jerome guy gave an evil smile. “Sure did.”
Solomon knew he was screwed. But maybe being in police custody could keep him alive a little longer.
* * * *
“I need to go. You two take her to our place,” Jake told Billy as they were helping Michaela into Hal’s truck.
“What’s going on?” Michaela asked, sounding groggy as Billy buckled her into the front seat between Hal and him.
“Nothing, baby. I’ll see you soon.” He kissed her and then eyed his two brothers who looked pissed off and concerned. “I’ll call you,” he whispered to Billy, squeezing his shoulder, before he and Buddy Landers then ran toward their police vehicles.
* * * *
Jake couldn’t believe that this was happening. His father and Jerome went to Michaela’s house to clean up the mess in the bedroom and by the back door, as well as to grab some of her clothing. He got the call that they caught an intruder. A man claiming to be her friend. He knew it had something to do with this hit man and the Clyde guy they’d caught tonight.
Clyde was still in the hospital unconscious from the hit by Ike, so questioning him was going to have to wait. Perhaps this new guy, the intruder Burt and Jerome caught, could be of assistance.
Alonso was on his way from New York and should arrive any time now. The sheriff called the department and asked them to contact his cell and send him to Michaela’s.
But as he pulled up in front of the house, where multiple police cars were, he saw the unmarked police car that he didn’t recognize.
Jake hurried into the house.
There were Jerome and Burt talking to a man dressed in suit pants, a dress shirt, and tie, wearing a badge and a gun, and taking notes. Two deputies had the suspect handcuffed.
“Sheriff McCurran?”
“That’s me. Is this the asshole who broke in?” Jake asked as he reached out to shake Alonso’s hand.
“Detective Alonso Aponte, NYPD, special crimes unit. Pleasure to meet you in person. Looks like you’re having a hell of a night.”
“Looks that way,” Jake replied.
“How is Michaela? Your father and his friend were just giving me an update.”
Jake was surprised by the jealous feeling he had with this guy asking about Michaela. He knew that she was close to Alonso and that he’d helped her get through the shooting and taught her self-defense. But he was jealous anyway.
“She’s with my brothers. She had to get stitches. The guy who attacked her, Clyde Duvall, stabbed her shoulder after he smacked her around. She’s all bruised up.”
He watched Alonso’s face turn red, and he ground his cheek.
“I want to see her. I’m going to need a hotel tonight, but tomorrow I’d like to see her. We’ll talk more later,” Alonso stated as he eyed the man the deputies were holding.
“What should we do with him now, Sheriff?” one deputy asked.
“Let’s bring him back to the department. The detective and I will need to question him. Detective Landers here will assist, too.”
Jake introduced Alonso to Buddy. They shook hands as the deputies walked the prisoner out.
“That guy is Solomon,” Alonso stated, and Jake’s eyes widened.
“That son of a bitch is the one who caused all this shit? That Clyde guy said that there was a key and a safety deposit box. That’s what he was after when he attacked Michaela.”
“We need to go over some updated information the Feds have. By the way, they should be here shortly. They’re going to want to speak with Michaela. I’d like to get you, Detective Landers, and your team up to par with what’s going on. We can head to your department now. Then we can make plans for me to talk with Michaela first thing in the morning. Does she have protection now where she’s at?”
Again, Alonso mentioned seeing Michaela. That bothered Jake, too. He never felt so possessive over someone. To even think that Michaela could leave him and his brothers for this guy had his stomach churning. If these thoughts kept up, he would grind his teeth to the gumline.
“I have two deputies guarding the location. Plus my brothers, and she’ll have me as soon as I can get back to her.”
Alonso looked Jake over. There was something in his eyes, the protective vibe for Michaela that made Jake like the man. A little.
“Good. She’s lucky to have the three of you. I guess we can head out.”
As they started to leave, Alonso was looking around the place. “She did a great job fixing this place up. It just doesn’t do it justice in the pictures she sent over the Internet.”
Again, Jake felt that bit of jealousy and possessiveness over Michaela. She was sending pictures to this guy over the Internet? He swallowed his annoyance as he remembered what Lisa had done. First she suggested having other people join them in their bed, and then she went out and cheated on them with two other guys. Although he knew that Lisa really wasn’t the woman he and his brothers thought she was, it still hurt to think about it. To know that what they felt and thought they had with her was meaningless to Lisa. To think she killed their baby for selfish reasons, and to hold on to the beauty of her body, and to continue to engage in sexual activity, irked him. It also played havoc on his professional skills. He thought he could spot a liar from a mile away. Someone unethical, immoral, and devious as well, but he hadn’t, and he and his brothers suffered dearly for it.
The fear of something like that happening again, or not being able to identify the warning signs, bothered him. He knew deep down that Michaela wasn’t Lisa. But as he overanalyzed her relationship with Alonso, Alonso’s concern for her, the Internet communication and pictures, and the danger she was in, he worried a lot. Could they be making another big mistake? Could he be letting his own desire and emotions blindside him again?
The thought made him feel like shit, and also like he was betraying the trust he asked Michaela for. She was giving them that trust even though her own experiences should have held her back from risking it all. He was being a hypocrite. So why was he feeling that wall grow a little thicker? What would it take?
He wondered as he made his way back to the sheriff’s department, knowing that he could be away from her a hell of a lot longer than just a few more hours. That burned him inside, when all he could think about was holding her in his arms, making her feel safe, and saving her from any further harm. Billy and Hal would have to do that tonight. His job was to ensure her safety from afar, and help Alonso and the Feds end this nightmare. Then maybe he and his brothers could figure out if Michaela was really who they hoped she was and the woman they longed for to complete them.
Chapter 9
Billy and Hal watched Michaela with concern, listening to her moan in her sleep. It was killing them inside. But at least the painkillers were kicking in and she was sort of resting. She had fought falling asleep and kept saying that she was scared. It tore their hearts. They wouldn’t leave her side. They knew that two deputies patrolled outside. They also knew that Solomon broke into her home tonight and was looking for the key to the safety deposit box that the first guy who hurt her was looking for. It seemed to Billy that this case, this terror, was coming to a head, and keeping Michaela safe now was going to take a combined effort. They already received numerous calls offering assistance from their friends. They would probably need them.
“What are we going to do about Jake?” Hal asked.
Billy looked at him over Michaela’s shoulder as they lay on either side of her on the bed.
“I think he’ll come around. He’s in his investigative mode. He’s just as angry and pissed off as we are for not being there to protect Michaela. We knew she was in danger. We were too absorbed in ourselves, and maybe subconsciously we were trying to hold back a little. You know, out of fear of this relationship failing.”
“I know what you mean, Billy. But this is different. I recognized it as different the moment Michaela began to open up and trust us. Hell, making love to her made me feel as if I could see the world with an entirely new perspective. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. She’s special.”
Billy smiled. He ran a finger along her hair. “I know. She’s so very beautiful, and sweet.”
“I told her about Lisa today.”
Billy turned to look at him, surprised at his brother’s words. He worried about her reaction. Hell, he worried that sharing their ultimate fear could make Michaela even more nervous or resistant. She could think that they were on the rebound, or they were desperate for a replacement. He didn’t think any of those things. In fact, he knew the three of them had given up on finding the perfect woman to complete them. That was when Michaela came along.
“How did she react?”