CHAPTER TWELVE
The cops came, arrested Knuckles on “home” invasion and assault charges, took JJ and Tish’s statements, and then left. The manager tried to blame Tish for the broken door when he thought JJ was leaving alongside the cops, and was asking how she was going to pay for it.
But she wasn’t the fool he apparently thought she was. “I’m not paying for that damage,” she said firmly. “I didn’t break it, that idiot that tried to attack me broke it. Get the money from him!”
Then JJ appeared back in the doorway. And as he listened to the manager explain wrongly how the law would hold her responsible for the damage since she was the occupant of the room, even though the damage occurred because a stranger broke into that room, he knew that was how they did poor people: treated them as if they didn’t have a brain in their heads and then scare them into doing what they, by law, did not have to do. Probably would have threatened to put her out and keep the money he paid in advance for her room. The slick bastard.
But even if JJ hadn’t come back in, he knew that guy would have had the wrong one anyway. Tish was no shrinking violet. She’d go toe-to-toe with him if she had to. But JJ was pleased he was there. Which meant she didn’t have to go toe-to-toe with anybody. He felt that was his job.
He stood at the doorway and just watched her. His heart that had been beating nearly out of his chest when he first saw her about to be attacked, was still unsettled. And he knew he couldn’t beat around the bush or pretend he had no connection to her or let it go again. When the manager left, he didn’t mince words. “Get your stuff and let’s get out of here,” he said to her.
Tish was so unsettled, too, that she didn’t hesitate for a second. No way was she staying in that dangerous motel that night. The Beverly Belle motel her foot. More like the Beverly Hell motel! She was glad to go.
She grabbed her backpack stuffed with all she owned in this world and left with JJ. But she was going with Judge Brant. With the man that had fed her last night. And had reduced her sentence. And had paid for a place for her to lay her head for two whole weeks. And had fought off her attacker. That eased her anxiety considerably.
And once in his Mercedes as he drove away from that motel, and even though she had no clue where he was taking her, she couldn’t help but express her gratitude. “Thank you,” she said to him.
He glanced over at her and saw that sincerity in her eyes. She was in a different outfit than the one she wore last night: a pair of shorts and a jersey this time. But she somehow managed to always look clean and refreshed. “For what?” he asked her.
“For saving my life. For putting that money in my jeans pocket. Oh and the chicken.”
JJ laughed. After his sister and nephew died, he used to never laugh. “You’re welcome.”
“What I don’t understand,” said Tish, “was why would that guy pick me to try and rob? I didn’t have anything he could have wanted.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. He didn’t want things. He wanted you. And your sunshine. He wanted to snuff out your light so that his darkness could shine again. He knew exactly what he wanted from you.”
Tish stared at JJ. It was a question that had been on her mind ever since she woke up before day that morning. She decided to just ask it. “What do you want from me?”
He, at first, didn’t even look her way. He just continued to drive. But she could tell, by the way his brows knitted together and by the way his face frowned, that he was thinking about it and thinking hard. Then he exhaled. “To be honest with you,” he said as he stopped at a red light and finally looked at her, “I haven’t a clue.”
But as they continued to stare at one another, they both knew that wasn’t entirely true.
JJ continued to look at her. Words were being left unsaid, he knew, but he wasn’t about to go there. “You alright?”
“I’m just glad you showed up when you did,” Tish said with a smile. “Thank you, Jesus, that you showed up when you did.”
JJ smiled. Yep. He wasn’t wrong. Despite all the misery around her and all those miserable people, she was sunshine.