Chapter 39 Donovan
Donovan
I run as fast as I can. I can’t hear or see a thing, but my feet carry me down a path that's so small an animal must have made it.
“A lady down the street said she saw two people move down here not long ago.” Jai talks with his team on an earpiece, and I just keep moving.
“Jessica!” I yell, men all around me. A mixture of Feds and my people.
When we got to the shop, it was insane with photographers and journalists but cleared out once Jai showed his badge and started barking orders.
The media scurried quickly after that. Once we looked at the note and noticed her phone was still there, a chill went down my spine.
“Where the fuck are they…” I grit out as flashlights come on.
“There!” someone shouts, shining a torch toward a bush, and I finally spot them.
“Jessica!” I yell and am on the move before the Feds have time to breathe.
“You sick son of a bitch!” I scream as I charge. Jimmy looks up, his face lit up by the flashlight. He has little time to get off Jessica before my fist flies right into his face, and he falls backward.
“Get off her. You think you can touch her? You think you take what doesn’t belong to you…” I’m like a man possessed; I’ve never done this before, never unleashed this much fury.
I jump on him, my fist flying, over and over into his head before some men pull me off. I’m breathing hard, looking at him now unconscious on the ground, blood pouring from his nose, split lip, and a cut above his eye.
“He’s still breathing,” an agent reports, and I lunge at him again, but they hold me tight. Agent Jai steps in front of me, blocking my vision.
“Your girl needs you, York.” He nods behind me, and I spin around, seeing Jessica balled up, hugging her knees, crying.
“Jess…” I fall to her feet, trying to be careful as I look her over. Her clothes are ripped, her glasses smashed on the ground nearby.
“Are you… Did he…”
“No, you got here in time…” She throws herself into my arms, and I pull her close as she breaks down, her body shaking, her tears falling, and the night lights up with red and blue. And I swear to God, under the dark sky here in Sleepy Hollow, I’m never going to let this girl go.
“You’re fussing.” She looks at me where she’s propped up in bed as I walk in and place a warm cup of tea on her bedside table.
“Just making sure you have everything.”
“Donovan, I’m fine,” she says, and I know she is.
At least physically. Once she was asked some questions, I brought her straight back to the penthouse.
I had my private doctor look her over. Apart from some scratches and bruises, she is physically okay.
But the memory will take a while to let go of.
I ran her a bath, her aunt, uncle, and Shelley all resting down the hall. My penthouse has never had this many people in it. I sit on the bed next to her and hold her hand.
“I can’t believe Jimmy isn’t Jimmy…” She shakes her head. She’s still in shock. We all are.
“Agent Jai mentioned he had a bad upbringing. Fell into crime at a young age and made a career out of it.” Jimmy Stallone is really Justin Owens. Wanted in three counties for fraud, sexual assault, and armed robbery. A lawyer in the city he is not.
“I rode the subway with him almost every day when I started at York Enterprises.” Again, she shakes her head in disbelief.
“Yeah, that was his plan. He knew. Must have heard you were a new employee, wanted to get some insights. He’s known Marcus for a while. No doubt Marcus put him up to a lot of things.” My teeth grind. I always thought Marcus was dirty. I just never knew exactly how dirty until all this unraveled.
“If I hadn't left… if I just got back sooner…” I’ve been replaying it in my head all night. Over and over.
“Stop it. None of this is your fault. It’s no one's fault.”
“But I—”
Her glassy eyes bore into mine. “Donovan! I love you. I just need you to love me too.”
“I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of loving anyone…” I cup her jaw, and she leans her head into my hand.
“Then that’s all we need… love…” she says, making life sound so simple. I lean forward, put my lips to hers, and we seal our love with a kiss.