6. Sawyer
“There’s stillno answer on her cell. The house is dark, but I know she’s in there. I saw Jersey out in the yard this morning.”
I listened to my grandfather, the worry in his voice has me getting to my feet. I walked out of my office, my keys in my hand.
“Hold on, Gramps,” I said, stopping in the doorway of my receptionist area. “Malina, Elise, please call everyone on my schedule for this afternoon and tomorrow. I’ve got a family emergency, and I don’t know how long I’ll need to handle it. If they want to see Doctor Lorie, that’s fine, as long as he doesn’t mind the extras.”
“I don’t mind,” the man called, coming into the area from his side of the building. “You need anything, just give us a call.”
“Thanks, I owe you one, man. Ladies, please get them back on the books for me as soon as you can.”
“No worries, Doc, we got you.”
“Gramps, I’ll be there in ten minutes. Call Chris. I may need help getting in.”
He agreed and hung up. In reality, it would take about fifteen depending on the traffic, but I was going to hurry. That churning feeling in my gut was growing by the second here.
Chris’s patrol car pulled into the drive just after I parked. I slid out of my truck, tossed my keys on the seat, and was running for the backyard before he was out of his car. Gramps was on the back porch, watching the back of the house.
“She’s still not answering. It’s just not like her.”
“I’m going over. You just stay here, okay?”
“Don’t tell me?—”
“What’s going on? Is she okay?” Chris skidded to a stop. He had tools in his grip.
“Don’t know, she isn’t answering her phone, and Gramps hasn’t seen her since early this morning.”
“Okay, I’ve radioed it in as a wellness check since it was called in. Let’s go.”
We beat feet through the backyard, through the gate, and up her back porch. I knocked loudly, calling out to her.
“Denver, sweetheart, can you hear me?”
Nothing but silence greeted us.
“Bust the lock. I know something is wrong.”
Chris knocked, peeking in the kitchen window. “Mrs. Rhoades, it’s Deputy Chris.”
Again, that fledged no response.
I wasn’t waiting for him. I took a few steps back, raised my foot, and kicked at the door. The bastard didn’t even move. I turned, bracing myself to mule kick the bottom of the door. A few hard kicks and the frame gave way. I kicked until it was off enough that I could push my way in.
“Denver?” I called out, my eyes searching every room. She wasn’t in the kitchen, dining room, or living room. The small toilet room was empty. The back den, still no sign of her. I hit the staircase, taking them two at a time until I got upstairs. “Denver, Jersey!”
I heard frantic barking coming from the room that faced the side yard and our place. Her office. I ran in, finding it empty, but the barking led me to another door. I knocked. “Denver, sweetheart, are you in there? It’s me, Sawyer.”
Scratching on the other side told me all I needed to know. I had to bust into the door. It was locked. When the light flooded the dark room, my heart stopped.
“Chris, get up here. Call for an ambulance!” I knelt down to her. “Look at me, baby.” She was slumped over; her heart rate was so slow. The color of her skin, it was all wrong. Jersey was barking, poking at Denver with her nose. “I know, girl, we’ll get her better.”
I scooped Denver up and made my way into the office and laid her on the floor. She didn’t look any better in this light. She was pale, sweating, and just looked like death. She was barely breathing. All of the signs said just how bad she was.
“Chris, I need that ambulance here, now.”
“They’re out on a call. There was a wreck off the Farmington junction. Tractor trailer vs. a tractor caused a five-car pile-up.”
He was looking around the closet while I once again checked her heart rate.
“Look at this.” He held out an empty pill bottle.
I looked the label over, and when I tell you, my heart literally stopped, I meant it. If she’d—“Fuck. Get your ass in the car; we gotta get her to the hospital now.”
I lifted her up, and we left the house in a hurry. I pushed through the gate and hollered at Gramps. “She’s in bad shape. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
“The hell you will. I’m coming.”
I didn’t have time to argue. I made my way to the truck. “Gramps, you sit with her back here.” I put her in the backseat, strapped her in, and when he was in, he wrapped a protective arm around her. I helped Jersey up and waved at Chris.
“Go, go, go!”
The drive to the hospital was fast. I stayed on Chris’s bumper the entire way. My heart was pounding so hard, it hurt. I had no idea what had happened to make her this upset. Was it intentional? Did she just take one and that happened to be the last one? No, I saw the fill date. That bottle of Xanax should have been half full.
“Possible OD on Xanax. Not sure what happened before I got there. Her service dog was alerting, but I can’t say to what.”
I was ushered through the door and laid her limp body on a gurney.
“Get me her vitals; I want to run a tox screen. Call Dr. Latham, get him in here, now.”
We were ushered back out of the way. Gramps and Chris waited outside of the ER door, but I refused to leave her. Jersey, who was at my side, whined, her body twitching as she watched her person laying on that gurney.
Today was going sideways, and I prayed it got back on track. She had to be okay. I—we—would accept nothing else.
“Rhoades family.”
My head came up from where it was resting on the wall. I’d finally given in and moved to the private family waiting room on the third floor. The last few hours had been hard. Denver had to have her stomach pumped, meds given to counteract the effects of what that much Xanax was doing to her, and she was with a psychologist. Talking out her feelings. Which, I understand, I knew that was procedure, but I still didn’t like it.
Saying the wrong thing could set her off again.
The woman had PTSD from a traumatic life before she came here. The good thing was Jersey was with her. She had her constant, safe companion there to keep her grounded.
“Can I see her now?”
“Can we see her?”
Gramps and I spoke in unison.
The nurse smiled, nodding her head. “Yes, she is asking for you.”
We followed her to the room at the end of the hall. The lights were down low, the TV on, but no sound was coming from it. Jersey lay on the bed, her head on Denver’s chest. They both looked to be asleep, but Jersey’s tail thumped against the bed, giving her away.
I chuckled, giving her a scratch behind her ears.
“Denver, sweetheart, are you okay?” Gramps was at her side, taking her hand in his. “You scared the life out of an old man. Please don’t do that again.”
“Yes, please don’t do that again.” I took her other hand, careful of the IVs and cords.
“I—” She licked her lips. “It wasn’t on purpose. I didn’t think I got them all. There was so much going on in my head.”
“Tell us what you can; take your time, baby. We aren’t going anywhere.”
“You treat me like I’m someone special.”
That took me by surprise. “You are someone special. I thought I’d been clever about showing that to you.”
“I mean…I don’t deserve?—”
“If you finish that, I will whoop you.” Gramps was standing, leaning over her bed now. “You are special to us both. You’ve befriended a grumpy old man. You make my grandson smile when not much does. You’ve let us into your heart, and you think you’re nothing special? That you don’t deserve kindness and love from others? Let me tell you something, missy, you are special. I look at you as a granddaughter. Family. There is no escaping that.”
The tears leaking from her eyes had his wrinkled, hard face softening.
“I will say it, because I mean it. I love you, sweet girl. You will forever be my family. I know you really didn’t have that before, but you have it now. I’m like a wart on your ass, I ain’t going anywhere.”
I let out a long bark of laughter at that. Could the old man not think of something else to say? Even Denver giggled at that, reaching her hand up to cup his face.
“You are not a wart on my butt.” She laughed again. “But I get what you mean. When you guys moved in—I felt…feel…safe with you. Your brother though,” she looked at me and smiled a little, “He’s a bit scary, but I know he wouldn’t hurt me. None of you would.”
“No, we will not. I will slay your demons if you point me in the right direction. Like Gramps said, we love having you in our lives.” I paused. I needed to say the next part; I wanted to, but I didn’t want to scare her.
“What is it?” hse asked, tangling her fingers with mine.
“I love you. As in, I have fallen for the quiet, kind of shy, sassy girl next door. You make me want to hurry home just so I can see you.”
Her tears start to fall in earnest now.
“Hey, don’t cry. I’m sorry I wasn’t more obvious or open about the way I feel. I know things haven’t always been good for you. I didn’t want you to think all men were the same.”
“No. I’d never think that…” She shuddered. Jersey whined, wiggling closer to lick her cheek. “I—I think I’ve fallen for you too. It’s a new feeling. It feels real this time, not just a crush. Deeper.”
Jersey gave a woof, ringing my ears.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m okay. I’m okay. Easy girl.” She pulled her hand from mine and Gramps’ and scratched her dog’s head. It seemed to help them both. Which was good because the heart monitor started to beep more, then evened itself out.
“What happened today? Can you tell me?”
“Yes, you can’t scare an old man like this and not tell me why.”
I shook my head at him.
“We are not going to be like that, old man. She can tell us, but not because you guilt her into it.”
“Don’t talk back, boy.”
“Hey, don’t fight. I’ll tell you…you need to be warned as it is.”
“Warned?” I asked, going on alert.
She wouldn’t look at either of us. Her gaze was on Jersey’s head as she used her fingers to massage her between her ears. The pup became Jello and just laid there, groaning in pleasure. We stayed quiet, letting her get to the place where she could open up.
With a sigh, she released Jersey’s head and reached for my hand. Still no eye contact, but that was okay. I was here for her any way she needed it.
“I got a call today. I don’t normally answer calls I don’t know, but I was busy, not paying attention.” She was rambling, her fingers twitching against my hand. I lifted it to my lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.
“Take your time, baby.”
Her eyes glassed over with tears as she whispered, “He knows where I am…”
I turned my head slightly, wondering if I’d heard her right.
“What did she say?” I met his gaze, not sure myself. Gramps continued, “Sweetheart, I didn’t catch that.” Gramps leaned in closer to her.
“He…He knows where I am. There was a video… He’s coming for me.”
You know the saying that when you get mad, your blood boils? Well, mine was volcano level in a split second.
“Who? Your ex?”
“What about a video?” Gramps and I shared a look.
She was crying now, a soft sob that had me moving to sit on the bed beside her.
“Hey, talk to me, beautiful. We won’t let anything happen to you. I swear it.”
Wiping her tears away, she sighed. “He saw a video of me on the internet. Tracked me here.” Her face was turning an awful shade of red.
I cupped her face, bringing it up so she was looking at me. “Would he come here?”
“I don’t know. Probably. I left him, embarrassed him… He hates that.”
“If he comes here, I’ll put a bullet in his ass.”
“Gramps,” I chided.
“I changed myself. Everything is different. I don’t know how he knew that was me…I never wanted him to know where I was. I left that part of me in the past. I can’t go back. I won’t.”
Jersey jumped up and pressed between me and Denver, her body vibrating as she whined.
“Sorry, girl. I’m okay.” The dog barked once. “I will be okay,” she corrected.
She would be okay. I’d make sure of it.
I pulled my cell from my pocket and opened a text box.
Sawyer: I need help. Code Red.
It took less than two minutes to get a response.
Archer: Be there in a few hours.
Sawyer: Bring the gang.
Archer: Done.
I slid it back into my pocket and took her hand. We would make sure she was taken care of, and her ex, if he did show up, would regret it.