“Where are you?” Welch asks.
“I don’t think I should tell you that, but I really am happy. I wish you could be happy for me.” Sam says seemingly searching for the right words to soothe Welch’s supposed pain.
“I am …” Welch pauses before a sudden clicking comes across the line. I scramble to try to reach her but she won’t switch over to my call. Hang up Sam! Hang up! “I do understand Samantha, and I am happy for you, but I would like to make sure you are okay and you are not being taken advantage of. You know how I worry about you Samantha. There are some unsavory characters in this world and you are not the best judge of people.”
“No Spencer, I have made my decision and I am quite happy with it and have no regrets. That’s all I wanted to say, good luck with your campaign Spence.” Sam hangs up and Welch immediately starts dialing on his cell.
“Did you get that? Good - go get her. I don’t care what you do, I just want her dead and make sure you put the blame on the Jayzon’s somehow. I am tired of them and want to be able to bring a vengeance against them that makes sense to all.” Welch confirms. I close up and rush out the door, calling Sam and telling her to do what she can to barricade herself in until I can get to her. She has no idea what she just did.
“He is sending people out to kill you Sam. I told you not to call him!” She is hysterical but I don’t have time to chat or soothe her emotions. I have to get help and hope that my help does just that. Nick thankfully, answers his cell on the first ring. “Nick, Welch found out where Sam is. I am going to get her, but I don’t know how far behind me they are.”
“Don’t you go after her by yourself, Ryan!” Nick yells in his usual over demanding voice.
“I don’t have a choice Nick. They are set to kill her and pin it on you and Kayla. Just meet me. I turned on my tracker for you. Find me – please.” I don’t give Nick a chance to argue with me, hanging up and speeding down the roads. I hope to have enough time to grab her and get away, or at least hidden from any of Estrella’s and Welch’s men.” The distance seems to take longer than ever while every possibility of what I might be running into goes through my head. As soon as I pull up, the cabin door opens. Before I yell at her for not doing what I told her to do - again, I have to remind myself that she knows the sound of my car. I barely touch the ground as I leap to help her to the car. Pushing her head down and out of view I slam down on the gas and barely miss the oncoming car. Dodging around him I dodge another car trying to make it to the main road, but it’s futile. They sent more than enough men to take us, in fact they sent about ten more than I can take on by myself. “I’m sorry Sam.” I say, holding her hand as we wait to be dragged out of the car. I can’t fight and protect her too. My only hope is that I can keep her alive long enough for Nick to get here. Pushing us all the way back to the cabin, they are shocked that the two of us are all that they find. With my hands held to the back of my head, I am kicked to my knees as they search the cabin thoroughly.
“Who do you work for?” A man yells in my face.
“No one, just out here for a nice getaway with my girl.” I say, gasping when they kick me in the stomach with force.
“Please let him go, I will go back with you - just let him go!” Sam pleads, still not believing Welch would ever harm her.
Beaten to the ground, they jerk my arm out of the socket causing me to scream out as I try to fight them off me. “I am going to ask you one more time - who do you work for?”
He leans into my face, twisting my arm and believing he has me, “My boss is … a real dickhead.” I laugh, but a sudden rush of pain shoots up spine when they hammer my leg.
“Stop! Please stop!” Sam screams, in tears.
“You want to play the big man, fine. Let’s see what a man you are when I fuck your girl in front of you. I bet you won’t like it when you have to watch her enjoy my dick more than she has ever enjoyed yours.” Through the sweat and blood I stare wide as he throws Sam onto the bed and rips at her clothes. Forcing her down and tying her hands up with his belt, she screams and cries for me.
“No!” I somehow find a way to him, knocking him off her but earning an even bigger beating. I can barely see out of my swollen eyes but I know he is going after her again. “Fine! Fine I will tell you, but you have to get away from her.” My face is lifted out of the puddle of blood. Believing I am dead already, I have nothing to lose but one last opportunity for satisfaction. “Jayzon, I work for Nicholas Jayzon. My name is Ryan – Ryan Jayzon.” His eyes widen. “Yeah, my brother is Nick Jayzon - and you’re dead motherfucker!” I manage a broken and painful smile as I watch the realization come over him.
“Kill them both. Burn it down and let’s get the hell out of here!” The scrambling that is happening around us now feels good, even as the tormenting pain begins to paralyze me. With Sam crying and screaming I cannot hear much else, and with my eyes now swollen shut I can’t see a damn thing. Before I can worry about her, a gun is put to my head. Sam goes silent and I assume it is because she knows what’s happening. I make my peace with the world and God when the cabin window shatters. The gun falls away from my head and a limp body lands across me. A loud pounding and the door comes crashing in. I hear nothing but blasts until dead silence.
The body is pushed off me and soft hands take hold of my face, “Ryan, can you hear me?” Kayla says, sending relief easing through my body.
“Yes, but I am not feeling real well right now, Kayla.”
“We need to get him out of here now, Nick. He is hurt really bad, I think they broke every bone in his body.”
“Bring in something to carry him out with. Strap him down and get him out of here now!” Nick barks orders, but takes my hand on the sly to let me know he is going to take care of everything now and I can relax. When they carry me out of the cabin, I hear the jackass that was kicking the shit out of me.
“Where is that son of a bitch?” I try to lean up but someone holds me down.
“Where are you going?” Nick asks me.
“That was that jackass …”
“Got it.” Nick says simply.
“I didn’t know that he was your brother, I swear I didn’t know!” He screams as I wait for it.
“Yeah? Well too bad - you’re dead.” Nick bellows with an assured position. Gunfire begins as if it is being aimed at an entire army … but I know better.
Chapter 34
~Nick~
There is evidence to clear Kayla and there are only two people that can help me get it. Unfortunately, my sister is forcing me to ask in person. Simone will know how to get what we need and be able to get the access, so reluctantly. I go into my sister’s house with Kayla at my side to help encourage Simone. I greet my son immediately, but take my time acknowledging Simone. “Nick? Nick, ask him.” Lena says with her arms crossed and her foot tapping.
Simone’s eyebrows rise as he suddenly becomes more interested in my presence. “I don’t like you, I will never like you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” Simone says, dismissing me to sit back down and read something on his phone.
“However, Kayla needs you to help her with something.” Kayla barely looks up at me as I motion towards her. Playing with our son, she is not at all interested in helping me out.
“Kayla needs my help? You mean there is something that you can’t help her with? Oh, this is going to be good.” He stands back up with a goofy smile.
Tensing, I try to be calm with my son nearby. “Someone killed that man and we know it wasn’t Kayla or Dwayne. So, we need to find that person and prove that - that person did it.” I say, taking a breath as he repositions with less of a smile.
“And how do you suppose we do that, or rather that I do that?” Simone asks with folded arms.
“The first cop on the scene said that Rankin’s body wasn’t even burned. Lena was never allowed to see it, someone over her took on the case. If that isn’t suspicious enough, the man received a call from Welch hours before he left to meet
Kayla. Welch had him killed and then framed Kayla. Someone working for Welch is responsible and we need to find out who it is.”
“Welch? Are you crazy? How the hell am I supposed to get anything on Welch?” Simone shakes his head.
“You don’t have to get anything on Welch, I have a few ideas on who it is, all of whom are people you know.” I say, watching his reaction carefully.
Simone shakes his head, tensing up and bracing himself, “Cops? You’re telling me that it was a cop?”
“Probably more than one, but I need you to get enough DNA from the people I suspect and get it to Lena.”
“Then what? We don’t have anything to compare it too.” Simone opens his hands up until he reads my expression. “You’re going to steal the body? How? How do you even know where it is for sure?” I smile and he rolls his eyes. “Never mind – I don’t want to know.”
“We might have already gotten a lead on the body and borrowed it.” I say as Simone continues shaking his head.
“Jayzon - there isn’t much I can do. They put me on probation. I don’t see anyone except for my close friends, and I know they didn’t have anything to do with this. Besides I enjoy spending my day with Nicky here. We play and watch cartoons all-day.” He makes goofy faces at Nicky, causing him to laugh and reach for him. I pick my son up and glare at Simone.
“He’s my son, and your job is supposed to be, being a cop - not a baby-sitter. Do your job Simone. You were so very proud of it before, or are you losing faith in the ways of the law?” I say, jabbing him with his own principles.
“You really know how to get to me don’t you? Fine, but I do it my way. No input is needed from you.”
“Cheer up Simone. Hell, if everything works out right you may end up with a promotion.”
“More like a demotion, if I listen to you.” He grumbles.
“Well, whatever works out,” I smile wide.
“Don’t worry honey, I am sure my brother will make sure you keep your job. Otherwise, he will most certainly be willing to give you a job himself. A very high position in his business, I am sure.” Lena says as we both eye each other with disgust.
“Sure - love to.” I growled under my breath. Before I have a chance to kiss my son good-bye I notice a reflection of light outside. I thought it was my imagination at first until Simone notices it too.
Simone turns to me with his mouth tightened, “Did you not pay attention to who was following you?”
“Yes, we paid attention. No one knows we are here. What about you, what did you do today?” I ask him.
“Me? Who cares about me?” He says and then suddenly goes silent as he backs off accusing me. “I took Nicky to the park today. I didn’t think anything of it but …”
“Oh - son of a bitch, you had my son out in public?” I tense.
“I thought it would be fun for him. I didn’t think they would be looking for him at the park.”
“They weren’t looking for him, they are watching you.” Kayla confesses. “And before you ask, yes we might have some spies on the inside.”
“Are you telling me, that my own department is watching me?” Simone asks. Kayla nods. “Because I am friends with you. Forget the years I spent on the force, my spotless record, the years I spent going after dipshit here.” He says pointing to me.
“Stop crying, it’s not the whole department. It is only the crew working for Welch, which was our first clue to who is involved. Right now we need to get out of here, and most of all get Nicky out of here. Is the back exit still open Lena?” I ask, handing Nicky to Kayla and feeling her hard stare in my direction.
“Nick, I think we better go quickly and by we I mean all of us. They are coming fully loaded and masked. They aren’t expecting to leave anyone alive.” Kayla says, easing at the edges of the windows.
Simone follows by putting his iPod on Nicky’s ears. “Lena, you go with Kayla and go to the house. Simone and I will hold them off until you can get away.” Lena starts to protest but Simone kisses her and whispers in her ear, and for some reason she listens to him. If not for Nicky, I am sure Kayla would be fighting me right now, but thankfully she kisses me and leaves down the stairs and out the tunnel I used multiple times while I was dead. Once they leave, Simone throws me a gun and we both prepare for a fight. Kicking furniture over and opening all areas of the house for a clear view. “How many do we have out there?”
“Six, maybe seven.” He says.
“Oh, no problem then.”
“I am not feeling real great about having to take out what may be fellow officers.”
“I am sure those feelings will go away as soon as one of them shoots you.” He huffs at me as we both stretch and lean from one side to the next, trying to verify where they are coming in. We don’t have to wait long. They come in from both sides of the house. Simone and I meet back to back and immediately start firing. “Six or Seven? Were you just trying to get my hopes up?” I yell at him as I drop one gun and grab another.
Within the fiery smoke surrounding us, we both maneuver from one side to the other as we shout out directions to each other. “Coming in on the left!” I yell.
“Down on your right!” Simone yells. The action comes fast and furious, slows, and then comes even faster. Slowing down again, we have a few seconds to take a breath and wipe the sweat from our brows. “You’re a better shot than I expected. I thought you stood back in your big house and let others do all your dirty work. I guess you’re not the lazy bastard I thought you were … you’re just a bastard.” He says with a harsh laugh before noticing them organizing again. “We aren’t going to be able to keep this up much longer, they are going to just keep coming until we are dead.”
“Twenty seconds longer.” I say, taking aim again.
“Twenty seconds? Twenty seconds until what?” He scarcely gets the last word out of his mouth before my boys’ blast in and clear the way.
Thank you Princess, you’re getting good at this. “Huh, I was off by ten seconds. They are getting better.” I laugh as Simone looks at me with amazement. “Well Simone, I’d say you are about to get promoted.”
“Promoted? They just tried to kill me!” He yells in frustration.
“They just tried to take out the guy that was getting to close to the truth. The one honest cop on the force. If I were you, I would call some of your most trusted allies and have them back up your story on how you and your friends fought off their attack.”
“You want me to lie?” He fires back.
“You don’t have to. You could tell them that you have joined forces with me instead.” I say, waiting for his change of heart.
“Lying it is.” He decides with a worked up optimism.
“When you get done being the hero, call me and we will get you in the house.” Simone looks horrified. “Where else are you going to go that’s safe and isn’t going to get someone else killed? Besides, my sister will drive me nuts if you get killed, and I don’t have the time to deal with her bitching. Don’t worry, there is an easy way to sneak you in and out so no one knows.” Simone agrees and I leave him to deal with the mess.
I feel for Simone. It’s going to be a late night for him but he does well, especially when someone leaks the news to the press. The media with their mass amounts of video cameras, lights and microphones rush up on him like I anticipated. They keep him on live television for as long as he needs to look like the city’s golden boy.
As I watch him smoothly handle himself, Kayla leans over my shoulder with a smile, “What are you up to?” She knows me too well.
“Oh Princess, how about you lay your beautiful body down in these soft sheets and let me help you relax. You know I know how.” I smile wickedly in her direction and she kicks off her shoes and tears off her clothes before lying down provocatively.
“So get to work.” Kayla says with a wink.
In the early morning I meet Simone and drive him to the house. It’s a quiet journey, he doesn’t even want to look at me. I am not that
excited about the idea either but I know it’s the only way to keep my sister from running off into harm’s way. Besides, now that he has become the city’s favorite golden-boy, I have a special interest in keeping him alive.
Chapter 35
~Kayla~
I can see it in his face as he looks over my body and the child that is clearly making his presence know now. I try to hide my bulging stomach quickly under my clothes but it’s too late. He has already made up his mind and no amount determination or strong defiance will sway him. He will tie me to our bed if he has to, but he isn’t going to let me be a part of this final battle. “Nick, I can do more than …”
“I know.” He says, wrapping his arms around me from behind, his hands moving softly towards my stomach. “But this is my child too, Kayla. And as worried as you are about me, I am going to be terribly distracted worrying about you and our child. I am not going to argue with you about it.” He says, pressing his lips to the side of my face. “I love you and I am not going to let anything happen to you and if that means I have to stay alive forever – then so be it.” I smile easily and relax into his arms surrendering – this time.
To help ease my fears, Nick takes me out to shop for our expected child. A wonderful distraction and I enjoy every second of our sweet time together. With a few cute items in hand we walk towards our car but I realize I forgot something. “Oh Nick, the mobile.”
“I’ll go get it. You go ahead and get in the car.” He says, scrambling backwards after handing Lionel our bags. Holding Nicky’s hand, I point to the toy train moving through the window.
“Kayla.” A low deep voice calls out. I turn around and see Maynard staring at me, instantly causing me to become uncomfortable. He approaches me, but Lionel steps between us. “Whoa big man, I am not going to do anything. We are old friends, right Kayla?”