Book 22 Rescue After Dark #10
“Oh, please. You two taught me all the bad words when you were teens. And don’t change the subject. This nice young man you’re so fond of is going to wait for you to come back. Is that right?”
“Or he said he’d come to me.”
“That’s awesome,” Nikki says. “He’s the real deal, J.”
Jordan’s emotions get the better of her all over again, and new tears slide down her cheeks. “I don’t want to lose him.”
“Then don’t,” Evelyn says. “Go do what you’ve got to do and get back to him. Quickly. If he’s your real deal, don’t make him suffer.”
Jordan departs from Gansett three hours later on a private jet. Nothing has ever hurt worse than leaving Mason does. She sends him a text. I just took off, and I already miss you.
I was riding my bike at the bluffs and saw the plane. I wondered if that was you. Come back soon. I already miss you, too.
Don’t fall off your bike.
I only fell off once. Best thing ever to happen. Text me when you land.
I will.
She cries the whole way to LA. When Gigi meets her at the airport, she tells Jordan not to make eye contact with anyone, or she’ll be all over social media with puffy, red eyes. People will think she’s grieving her ex. She texts Mason on the way to her house to tell him she arrived safely.
Jordan smiles at the way he makes her feel wanted, even with the entire country standing between them.
“Look at you smiling like a girl who’s been getting some of the good stuff.”
“Mmm, it’s very good stuff.”
“Check you out, hitting the rebound. That’s my girl.”
The comment makes Jordan feel immediately defensive of him and what they’ve shared. “Mason isn’t a rebound.”
Gigi’s raised eyebrow clears the top of her oversized sunglasses. “You aren’t getting all serious before you’re even separated from the douche canoe, are you?”
“Maybe a little.”
“You need to slow your roll, sister. Everyone knows the first relationship after a marriage ends is all about the sex and getting back in the saddle. It’s not about falling in love.”
“Ever?”
“Hardly ever. Why? You aren’t thinking you’re gone over this guy, are you?”
“I like him. A lot. I didn’t want to leave him to come here. Not sure if that equates to being gone over him, but there you have it.”
“Dude, you can’t even do a rebound right.”
“I haven’t had much experience, don’t forget.”
“Trust me, I know.” Gigi pulls up to the gate at Jordan’s home and punches in the code. The gates open, and Gigi drives in, making sure the gate closes behind them, and parks by the kitchen door.
“Home sweet home.” After spending a few weeks on Gansett Island, the massive house no longer feels like home. Another thought hits her, rendering her paralyzed with fear. “You don’t think he’s here, do you?”
Gigi shocks the shit out of Jordan when she opens the glove box, removes a small handgun and slams the box closed. “I’ll check. Stay here.”
Gigi lets herself into the house with her key. Ten minutes later, Gigi appears at the door and waves for Jordan to come in.
Jordan asks Gigi to consider doing the next season of their show on Gansett, which she laughs off.
Jordan’s heart sinks at Gigi’s dismissal of her plan.
It’s been the hope she’s held onto the whole flight.
Gigi leaves Jordan, telling her she’ll see her at the meeting in the morning.
Jordan orders food and FaceTimes with Mason.
If she has to stay in LA, he’ll quit his job and come stay with her.
She tells him to wait and see what happens at the meeting.
He promises he’ll be okay as long as he can see her face every day that she’s away.
Mason has a hard time acting like everything is normal.
He shares at his AA meeting that he’s met someone he loves and that she’s left town.
For the first time in a long time, he’s tempted to drink.
He plans to work and exercise and be with friends, so he doesn’t have time to drink, but nighttime is the hardest. Mallory says he’s coming to dinner at their house that night.
One by one, the members take a night to have him over.
Mason gratefully accepts, telling them all he appreciates the support.
At breakfast, Mason tells Blaine that Jordan returned to LA and he’s struggling.
Mallory and Quinn ask Blaine to keep an eye on him at work.
They urge him to be patient and let things play out. If it’s meant to be, it will be.
Jordan and Gigi meet with the network and show producers, who are relieved when Jordan tells them she wants to do another season. She adds that she’s relocating to Gansett Island and wants to do the show there. At first, they’re skeptical.
“Think about how fun it could be,” Jordan says to Gigi.
“With you as a fish out of water on the island.” Turning her focus to the executives, she adds, “Gansett is the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen.
Rugged coastline, gorgeous beaches, an adorable downtown, bars, restaurants, live music everywhere you go and year-round residents who are such incredible, interesting people.
How many reality shows are being shot in LA?
Think about how amazing it would be to do something totally different from what everyone else is doing. ”
“I like the idea,” Tom Sturgeon says. He’s from the network and has been a big supporter of the show from the beginning. “Jordan is right. LA is done to death. No one is doing what she’s suggesting.”
Jordan’s heart takes flight. Will she actually pull this off?
They discuss logistics, and then their show runner, Matilda, says she has to check it out before she can decide.
“All I’m asking is that you consider the possibility that different won’t be bad. It may give the show a whole new shot of adrenaline that’ll propel it forward for years to come, rather than one more season of the same tired old formula.”
Before anyone can respond, Jordan’s phone rings with a call from Riley. An immediate and visceral feeling of dread comes over her. She grabs the phone and leaves the room to take the call. “Riley? What’s wrong?”
“Jordan… It’s Zane. He’s here, and he… He’s in the house with Nik and your grandmother, demanding to see you. He… He has a gun, Jordan. The cops are here… It’s bad.”
The sheer terror she hears in Riley’s tone nearly brings Jordan to her knees.
“Can you get here?” Riley asks.
Gigi comes out of the conference room to check on her.
“Get me a plane back to the island, Gigi. Right now. Yes, Riley, I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Please, hurry. I don’t know. I can’t imagine. Hurry, Jordan.”
“I’m coming. Tell him I’m coming.” She runs for the elevator, banging repeatedly on the Down button as she fights off hysteria.
Gigi orders the plane, and they head right to the airport.
It’ll take hours to get to Gansett. Will Brendan wait that long for her, or will he do something that can never be undone before she can get there?
The thought of life without either her sister or her grandmother or, God forbid, both of them, is unimaginable.
Gigi puts her arm around Jordan. “Try to breathe. We’ll get you there.”
Jordan’s chest tightens as she gasps for air.
Gigi, who’d grabbed Jordan’s purse from the conference room, rifles through it and finds her rescue inhaler. She holds it up to Jordan’s mouth. “Breathe. Jordan!”
Jordan forces herself to take a hit that eases her airways, even though her chest continues to ache.
Nikki focuses on staying calm as she holds her grandmother’s hand.
The house is surrounded by police and public safety personnel.
She hadn’t locked the door, which is how Brendan was able to stroll into their home and take them by surprise.
He’s demanding to see Jordan. He accused Nikki of lying when she said Jordan wasn’t there, that she’d flown to LA the day before.
He ordered Nikki to get her there immediately.
While Brendan talks to the negotiators, Nikki and her grandmother plan to make a move.
Evelyn suggests she grab the cast-iron pan.
Nikki slowly makes her way to the kitchen, and when she’s able to, she knocks Brendan out with the frying pan.
She grabs his gun and opens the door to the police, asking them to come get him out of their home.
Riley comes rushing in and holds Nikki. Her grandmother calls her Wonder Woman. In Riley’s arms, Nikki begins to shake as the adrenaline wears off. “He was going to kill her,” she whispers to Riley, who continues to hold her as if he might never let her go. That’d be fine with her.
“Thanks to you, he’ll never get the chance.”
Mason meets Jordan at the airport and scoops her up. The moment she’s back in his arms, everything inside him settles. “It’s over. Nik knocked him out with your grandmother’s cast-iron frying pan. He’s in custody.”
“Oh, my God. That’s the best news I’ve ever heard.”
“By all accounts, Nik was a badass warrior.”
“That’s my sister.” Jordan sniffles as tears stream down her face. “You don’t want to mess with her.”
“Good to know.”
A throat clears behind Jordan.
Mason puts her down, and they turn to face Gigi, who’s the picture of LA sophistication right down to the designer handbag looped over her forearm.
To Jordan, she says, “Are you going to introduce me?”
“Sorry.” Jordan wipes tears as she smiles at Mason. “Gigi, this is Mason. Mason, meet Gigi.”
They shake hands as Gigi tips her head back so she can look up at Mason. “You are one tall motherfucker.”
“So I’ve been told,” he says, instantly amused by her.
“Jordan says you’re big all over.”
“Gigi, oh, my God! Shut up!”
“What’s going on with the dickhead?”