Chapter 8
“Get off him!” I can’t frigging believe this.
Jordan shakes his head, “He was gonna grab you!”
I shout, “OFF!”
Jordan stands up, and his victim rolls onto his side to gasp for breath. “What the hell, Stella?”
I crouch down and ask, “Are you okay?”
He coughs, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
Jordan barks, “What the hell, Stella?”
I look up and snap, “You just tried to kill my brother!”
Someone from the firehouse yells across the street, “Everything okay over there?”
His mouth drops and he gasps at my brother, “Oh shit, I’m so sorry, man.” Then, Jordan yells back at his co-worker, “Everything’s fine, Michael.” The firefighter goes back inside. “I can’t believe I did that. Are you alright?”
“Alex. My name’s Alex,” he pants, as I help him up. He turns to me and says, “You hired some muscle of your own? Good idea.”
I chuckle and roll my eyes. “He is not the muscle. He’s a hired hand from Witness Protection.”
“Oh. Even better, right?” Alex asks brightly. He’s being cheery. Way too cheery, especially after what just happened to him. Something is up.
Jordan makes a face, as if to say, “See? I told you.”
I glare harder at him. “It’s not a good idea. You could have killed Alex.”
My brother points out, “Or, he could have been saving your life, Stella. He didn’t know. He was just doing his job.”
Jordan smiles smugly again but says nothing.
I tell him, “Keep doing that and your face will get stuck that way.”
He shrugs and says, “It’s just nice to know that someone appreciates me around here.”
Alex picks up on our vibe and says, “Yeah, well, even though my head is ringing and I’m pretty sure I landed on a nail, I appreciate you looking after Stella. My kid sister is a stubborn one, and she needs all the help she can get right now.”
“I can take care of myself!”
“If that were true,” my brother frowns, “then you wouldn’t be in Witness Protection.”
“Good, thanks, Alex, say it louder, so the whole town can hear you.”
He glances around, then sheepishly says, “Sorry. Don’t think anyone heard me.”
I turn to the smug son of a gun next to me and tell him, “Jordan, thank you for your completely unneeded heroics. That’s enough. You’re dismissed.”
Alex gives me a look of strong disapproval and I hate it. He mastered that look when we were kids, and it’s always made me feel like I’m the one being the asshole. Then comes the tone from my childhood nightmares, “Stella.” It sounds like a warning.
“Alex.” I fold my arms and return the tone. I’m not budging on this.
“Be nice to the man who could have broken me in half. By the looks of him, he held back, and I’m grateful for that.”
Jordan laughs, “Well, I thought you might need to testify, so I didn’t think breaking you in half would be all that useful to her.”
Alex half smiles, “Good thinking.” Then he gives me that warning look again.
Shit, I’m gonna cave. I can’t take two back-to-back. I huff and relent. “Fine. Jordan, I get it. You thought you were saving me. Again. Would you—"
“Wait, again?” Alex interrupts. “When did he save you before?”
“Yeah. Yesterday, one of Riker’s goons tried to kidnap me.”
“Are you okay?”
I nod. “I’m uninjured. I am miles from okay, though.”
He hugs me. “I’m so sorry, Stella.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be fine. And Jordan saved me. So, Jordan, you have saved me one and a half times in the last two days. And you’re going to help me decorate my Christmas tree, so as a thank you for all of that, come over for dinner tonight.”
“One and a half times?”
“This,” I point between the three of us, “does not count as a whole saving. You jumped the gun.”
He laughs and says, “Is seven okay for supper?”
“Perfect.” I nod, then turn to my brother, “Alex, what’s the update? How is Grandpa?”
“The chemo is working, but it’s hard on him. He’s getting by on a steady diet of smoothies, ramen, and lemonheads—"
“That’s not food! That’s candy and bullshit! I told you, you have to get real food into him! You know that’s your job, Alex, you feed him, and—"
He closes his eyes, and his voice is laden with guilt, “And I try, but Stella, he can’t keep it down. Ramen and lemonheads stay down, so at least he’s getting calories. I blend some multivitamins into his smoothies, so he’s getting that, too. We’re doing the best we can, I promise.”
I swallow my feelings down and take a breath. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just on edge right now, and—"
“And you hate not being in control. I know,” he smiles piteously at me.
Alex has been the only person I let come to see me over the last few years.
He’s very careful about everything, far more cautious than I am.
I wonder if that’s an older brother thing.
He makes sure no one is following him and rents a different car from a different rental place every two weeks to visit me.
He quietly says, “This isn’t easy on any of us. ”
I feel terrible. “I know, I’m sorry, Alex. Thank you for coming out here.”
“Water under the bridge, Stella.” He smiles and asks, “We’re on for the next visit?”
“Yes. And you know what to do, if things should go south.”
He nods, “I do. See you next time.” Alex gets into a crappy gray SUV and drives away.
Jordan watches Alex pull away and says, “He seems like a smart guy. Bland rental car, nondescript clothes. He knows how to avoid attention.”
I nod. “Yeah, he’s really wary—"
He turns to me and says, “But Alex is not smart enough to be doing this, coming here like this. Anyone could have followed him—"
I snap, “Another lecture? Really?”
He holds his hands up and says, “No lecture, Stella. I promise. Alex can be as smart as he wants, but the fact is, he’s not trained for this. I am. And I’m worried about you. He could have been anyone, and you just let him sneak up on you like that.”
“I knew he was there! I saw him get out of his rental and I knew he was behind me. This is how we visit, Jordan, we’ve been doing this for months, we know what we’re doing.”
Jordan looks at the ground. “Oh.”
“You don’t get it, do you? I’ve been paranoid and looking over my shoulder every day for over three years.
Trust when I say, no one is getting the drop on me.
I could tell you the number of steps from each parking space to the interior of the store, I could tell you the license plate numbers of each vehicle in the parking lot, I could tell you the locations of every exit of every building I let myself go into for the past three years! This is not my first day, Jordan.”
He nods. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you. It’s just—"
“What! It’s just what?”
“I saw someone sneak up on you, and I was so worried about you.”
The softness in his voice makes my heart stop. He was scared for me, and something about that makes me warm inside. My voice softens, too. “I get that, I think. If I saw someone sneak up on you, I’d also be worried.”
“Really?” he asks hopefully.
“Mostly, I’d be worried for them, because I’m pretty sure you’d murder anyone who snuck up on you, but yeah, I’d be worried about you, too.” I smirk.
He grins. “So, then. Are we still on for supper at seven?”
“And bring Max. I think Sugar misses him.” I nod. “I need to go back in and grab a couple of things. And then I need to hit the liquor store for supplies—"
He raises an eyebrow at me and asks, “Did you drink the rest of that bottle of bourbon already?”
“No. I’m making something special tonight and I am going to need more booze for it.”
He smiles. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you then.”
Some twisted part of me wants to kiss him goodbye.
What in the hell? I give a curt nod and fight my urges, as I put my groceries in the truck, then I go back inside.
It’s warm in the store, but I still have the chills from his sexy smile.
I’m not sleeping with him again. Nope. No siree. Not doing it.
***
All afternoon, I habitually check the roast, taste everything else, tap my foot, and generally drive Sugar crazy. I can’t take it anymore. “Sugar, we’re going for a run.”
Her giant tail whacks into the dresser, while I suit up in my cold weather running gear.
It’s layer after layer of synthetic materials, topped off by a bright orange puffy vest which is rated for sub—zero temperatures.
I want to stay visible and warm. I’d hate for my three year—long struggle to end in getting run over or shot by actual hunters.
But my underlayers are in browns and whites, in case I get chased down by another kidnapper.
I match the snowy dead trees. That way, I can ditch the puffy vest and stay camouflaged.
I braid my dark red hair, then pin it under my hat, in case of the kidnapper.
No easily grabbable parts. “Can’t be too careful, Sugar. ”
She stares up and smiles in agreement. Or because I said her name. Not sure which it is.
On the run, I jump at every unusual sound, and I run next to a forest, so there are a lot of strange sounds.
I long for the days when I could do this with earbuds and a thumping playlist in the middle of a city park.
Without music, the runs are harder. Without the occasional other runner or lady with a baby carriage, feeling safe is almost impossible.
But I keep running to keep my cardio in top condition.
In case of kidnappers.
I miss the days when my every thought wasn’t about Riker and his men.
I’m glad Sugar is with me, but I worry she’ll run off again.
She never mastered running with a leash on, so she runs free next to me.
Sugar trots happily alongside me, like today is the best day ever.
That’s every day for her, and I’m so jealous.
When I die, I hope I am reincarnated as my own dog.
Two miles in, and my eyes dart side to side looking for anyone.
Sometimes when I run in the morning, I see Mrs. Black getting her mail, so I always like to make sure to say hi.
But she’s not around in the afternoons. Jordan’s truck is at her place, though.
Odd. He is neighborly. Would it be neighborly of me to stop by and check on them?
No, it’d probably be weird. Besides, I’m sure he can handle whatever is going on there. And Sugar’s paws have to be freezing by now, even with her leather trail booties. “Come on, Sug. Let’s go home. We have to finish making dinner.”
She woofs in agreement. Or because I said her name again.