Chapter 9
Iwalked around the bed, intending to offer Emily a hand up, but I could see her shaking, so I holstered my gun and kneeled in front of her. I gently pried her hands away from her legs, then helped her to stand. At no point had I intended to hug her, but it felt like the right thing to do. So I did. She didn’t resist when I pulled her towards me and turned her face away from Jack, who was yanking Craig to his feet, then wrapped my arms around her, one hand holding her head to my chest.
“Shhhh…” I ignored the strong sense of possession I felt take over as she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face against my chest and cried. Words wouldn’t help her feel any better or calmer, so I simply held her. Using my body to tell her she was safe, since words wouldn’t help.
“Jack, get him out of here and call Houston PD.”
“No!” Emily cried out as she jerked back.
What the Fuck! Why would she want to let him get away with this, after everything he’d put her through?
Jack held Craig, and waited for instructions.
I cupped her face and forced her to make eye contact. My anger evaporated at the stark terror I saw in her eyes. “Emily, he violated his restraining order -”
“Jamie, please,” she begged as tears flowed down her cheeks. I had to resist the urge to wipe them away. “It’ll be worse if I have him arrested again. I have everything I need. Can’t we just leave? Please?”
My heart broke hearing the desperation in her voice. And worse, she was probably right. If we had Craig arrested again, they wouldn’t hold him long and he’d be even more determined to get revenge. I was torn, for the first time in my life I was considering ignoring the rules to help Emily.
I looked at Jack, wanting to know what he thought. He raised one eyebrow and nodded. I should have guessed he’d side with Emily.
Damn it. It went against my by-the-book instincts, but I conceded. I didn’t want to make things worse for Emily, and I’d feel better the sooner we got her back to Weatherford.
I called Chris in and asked him to stay with Emily while Jack and I escorted Craig out of the room. “It’s your lucky day.” I said through gritted teeth as we forced him out into the hallway.
Jack turned Craig so he was facing the wall, his hand on his pistol sending a clear message to Craig—don’t move.
Then, I got in Craig’s face. “If you try to fight or argue, we’ll call 9-1-1 and have your ass thrown back in jail. Understood?”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Jack pushed him into the wall, not hard enough to hurt him but hard enough to make it clear he could and would. I”d told him who we were when I called earlier, so we didn’t waste our time answering him.
“Consider that your only warning.” Jack said as he held Craig’s face against the wall, then said to me, “I’ve got him.”
He’d hold him there while we removed all the boxes, then wait with Craig in the apartment until I came back.
Craig tried to turn his head like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind when Jack applied more pressure.
I went back inside and checked on Emily. She was shaken up and begging to leave so we grabbed the last few boxes and carried them to my SUV. When we were done, Emily said she was worried about upsetting her parents and wanted some time to settle down before going home, then asked if we could stop for food on our way home.
Her heart is so big. Despite what she’d just gone through, her biggest concern was for her parents.
Chris said it was typical of her to be more worried about them than about herself. “She’s too kind for her own good.”
I couldn’t disagree, knowing Craig had taken advantage of her kind heart.
Emily suggested a restaurant just outside Houston, saying it was her favorite place to stop when she drove back home. I asked Emily to text me the address after we made plans to meet there.
“Thanks Jamie, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you and Jack there to help.”
“Let’s not think about it.”
I waited until Chris pulled away before going back inside.
Jack was standing in the doorway, his right hand resting on the grip of his gun, watching Craig who was now standing in front of the couch, his hands still zip-tied behind his back.
Craig took what he probably thought was a menacing step forward when I came in. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Jack sounded calm, but our of the corner of my eye I saw his hand tighten on his gun. Craig saw it too and stepped back.
“Whatever.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“We’re the guys you’ll have to deal with if you so much as think about violating your restraining order ever again.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it when I glared at him. Then he turned his shoulders and lifted his wrists. “You gonna untie me?”
I looked at Jack, silently telling him to cover me. He nodded.
“Turn around and face the kitchen.” I made sure Jack had a clear shot if Craig got violent, then cut the ties with my pocket knife and stepped back out of reach.
“Hands where I can see them.” Jack commanded.
Craig put his hands out in front of him in the classic surrender position and sat down.
“Whatever.” He put his hands on his thighs and leaned back in an attempt to look relaxed. The vein popping in his forehead, told a different story. Jack and I waited for ten, long tense minutes.
“We’re leaving. Sit your ass right there and count to one thousand. Slowly. If you follow-”
“Yeah yeah, you’ll call the cops. You sound like a broken record.” He pointed at the door. “Get out of my fucking house.”
“Gladly. Just so you know, we’re returning Ms. Taylor’s keys to the landlord, and giving him a court order to remove her from the lease.”
“Whatever.”
Jack covered me as I walked out, then shut the door behind us. A few seconds later we heard a thump against the door.
“That guy is a piece of fucking work.” Jack said after we got in my SUV.
“Christ.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I’m glad that’s over and she never has to see him again.” Except maybe for the court date, but I’d be there with her, keeping her safe.
“Yeah, me too. Let’s get out of here. I’m starving, and I’m sure Emily could use some extra support.”