Hanging on (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2) Page 9

  William sat down stone faced and had a sip of his Champagne. I did likewise. Tom leaned back in his chair and an awkward silence hung over the table. I noticed then that William had his hand on the back of my chair in an open display of territory. This was new.

  Dennis, being no idiot, asked me if I wanted to dance. I accepted gratefully, wanting to leave father and son to clear the air.

  Dennis was light footed and capable, but the dancing was a little boring after William’s. I wanted to see what Tom had in him. Chances were he was dragged to more dance classes then he would care to admit.

  Back at the table everyone was there and things seemed a little calmer. I gave a speculative look at Trudy, and she barely nodded. Relieved I sat down and smiled at everyone. “Dennis knows a thing or two," I said with a smile.

  Dennis’s face turned red. Trudy laughed at him and shook her head. “Jessica, you certainly know yer stuff!”

  Was that an accent coming out in Trudy? Hmmm.

  “It’s the partner,” I said demurely.

  “Horse pucky.” She waved away my words. “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. Only backwards and in high heels!”

  Everyone laughed. She continued, looking between William and I, “And you two were better! Pure grace on that dance floor! You looked like an angle, honey.” She winked at me, then looked at William. "And you a prince!"

  “Dennis,” William said with a smirk, "take that drink away from Trudy, will ya? She’s starting to talk fairy tales.”

  “William,” his mother said formally. Though her eyes were still glassy, she seemed composed. “Will you do your mother the honor of a dance?”

  William gave her a hard look before squeezing my thigh and standing. It was about to go down, and everyone knew it. The whole evening would bottom line at the conversation currently headed out to the dance floor.

  Oh God! I got an intense pang of fear over losing him. Having him so close, realizing how important he was, and now the thought of losing him; I had to quickly blink back tears.

  “When we Davies men see what we want,” Tom said, leaning across the table toward me, “we grab on and won’t let go regardless of the obstacles.”

  I gave a sheepish smile, held back the tears, and hoped he was right. When the chair moved again, it was William sitting down, dance over, face a straight mask. I swallowed back fear, waiting for the verdict.

  He looked at his dad, revealing nothing of his emotions. Something passed between the two of them that I couldn’t decipher. Next, he looked at me. He must have seen the worry because it was here that his countenance melted. He slightly grinned in victory and brought his hand to my check to move away the wisps of hair.

  I nearly cried. I doubted that Denise was with me, but it seemed she wouldn't openly be against me. Until I did something stupid.

  I’d take it. For now, if it kept William in my life, I was happy with the outcome. Ecstatic, actually. It was one more hurdle out of the way. Not permanently, maybe, but we were progressing forward. I was so supremely happy I felt like I was floating.

  Then, when Tom finally spun me around the dance floor I was floating. Pair the lessons with years of experience and apparently a first place trophy in couples swing, and you had someone I fought to keep up with.

  Later he chalked this up to: When we Davies men learn something, we take it to its end!

  Chapter Seven

  On the way back to the car, William put his arm around my shoulders. He leaned down and kissed me. “The secret’s out. I guess we don’t need to hide anything now.”

  “We still need to hide it from work.”

  “Ah yes. I forgot about that little snag.”

  He handed me into the car, giving me a soft kiss as he did so. As he was making his way around, I thought about how he looked when he was dancing earlier. His skin was glowing from the exertion. His muscles rippled through his snug shirt. He had an exuberant smile and a livelihood in his gait. He was absolutely irresistible. I felt like I was the luckiest woman in the world to be going home with him. Luckier than a princess because I didn’t have a country to run.

  As he started the car, he looked over at me quickly to make sure I was ready. When he saw my dreamy expression he did a double take and looked closer. I had every belief that the hunger and desire were showing plainly on my face. I was also aware that I wasn’t doing anything to hide the deeper feeling and was now infusing my whole body. I wanted to open up to him, explore the feeling in body and soul, and see if he felt the same. What’s more, I wanted to do it right now.

  He took me to the ledge that he first professed his feelings for me. I knew deep in my bones that this was the place he had chosen to profess his love as well, he was just waiting for me to be ready to hear it. Ready to say it back.

  He got two blankets from the trunk. A thick one to spread out on the harsh dirt and a lighter one that I assumed was to cover us when we were no longer completely clothed. He got out a bottle of wine and two glasses. All of this he set up while I looked out over the horizon, giving him a minute to get everything arranged just so.

  “Jessica,” he said as he moved up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. We heard a car in the background somewhere. It stopped up the hill a ways.

  William chuckled. “Someone else must have the same idea.”

  He hugged me closely and bowed his head to mine as we looked out over the valley. The stars were large and bright, no city lights to distract their brilliance. Below them, a sea of blackness.

  “Do you want to sit down?” he asked.

  I nodded and let him lead me to the blanket. He looked at me intently, opening his mouth to speak, but courage failed him and he leaned in to kiss me instead. I kissed him back eagerly, ready for whatever was next. Ready to admit how I felt.

  I let my hands roam. I got to the edge of his shirt and slid palms onto bare skin. He let his hands roam and feel me, as well, one staying on my right breast, then moving to my back to hug me closer.

  “That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!” It was a gruff voice behind us.

  I jumped and gasped. William hugged me fiercely and turned his body to see who it was.

  “Oh no,” I whimpered.

  Leaned against the car was a ghost from my not-so-distant past. He was scruffy and unkempt. His hair was unwashed and oily. His once good looks were tattered. What’s worse, he held a gun in his left hand that he was currently pointing at us.

  “Oh yes, darlin’.” Dusty seethed. “You thought I were locked up fer good, didn’ya? My old man posted bail.” He started to slowly walk toward us. “See, he thought I was innocent. He thought that slut everyone thought was so danged purty played me for a fool. Done got me thrown in jail. Just so happens, I agree wit’him. But you did look ‘amess. Ain’t no one believed you wanted it. That you like it rough. So I reckon they’re gonna throw me in jail jus’ a’soon as there’s a trial.”

  He was about ten feet away from us at this point. It was too close for William, who quickly stood up. He dragged me up as well, placing me behind him to shield me.

  His body was completely rigid, every muscle taught. He looked like a crouching lion waiting for the right moment to spring.

  Dusty stopped where he was, jerking the gun at William. “Whoa there big fella’. You don’t want no trouble, now.”

  “What do you want Dusty?” William said in a low, deep growl.

  “Well now. I was jus’ gettin’ to it. I was thinkin’, since I’m headin’ to the pen ‘n all, I might just get what’s owed to me. Sum’in sweet as honey.” His eyes sparkled with a creepy light, as if I was a raunchy whore playing hard to get.

  “Ain’t gonna happen Dusty,” William seethed.

  “Well, now this gun here says it is.” Dusty started to circle, trying to get a peek at me behind William’s large frame.

  William circled with him, keeping between the two of us.

  “How’d you find us?”

  “Weren’t hard. I foll
owed you a-ways. You done took forever in that rich man’s dance club. I knew you’d try to get her alone, though. I saw you puttin’ all them blankets ‘n crap in the trunk. Patience is a virtue, friend. Now, cut the crap and give her here. All I’m gonna do is have a lil’ fun with her, take what’s mine, and I’ll give her back. No harm, like. I’ll even be gentle.”

  My hands were shaking as I gripped William’s shirt. This wasn’t happening to me. It wasn’t happening. Not again.

  I focused on what Dr. George taught me about relaxation and focusing my thoughts away from the shadow places. Trouble was, I was also supposed to focus on the here and now, and that wouldn’t work.

  I switched to Lump’s advice. I cleared my mind and prepared for the worst. What attacks might I use? What might I do? Focus on breathing. Focus on the goal. Accept what comes but look for an out. Strike when you can.

  “No fuckin’ way, man. No fuckin’ way. You gotta go through me. That’s the only way this thing’s gonna play.” William used a voice I’d never heard before. It was primal and animalistic. If I was Dusty, I would be thinking twice about this.

  Dusty pretended like he was thinking it over. “Well, that’d be a longer sentence for sure. Especially with your daddy’s lawyers. Might just be worth it, though. Only, I won’t be so easy with her that way.”

  Dusty shot one bullet in the air. I screamed and stumbled backward. William clutched me tighter, allowing Dusty no vantage point hit me.

  “Oooooo weee. She is all dressed up n’ everythin’!” he hollered. “Now, I did see her earlier, but it was from a distance. She is lookin’ good!”

  Rough hands grabbed me from behind, ripping me away from William and throwing me into the dirt. I screamed as William whipped around, a fist already on route to his face. William staggered slightly but not off balance. He kicked a foot out, connecting with the guy’s knee.

  I was grabbed again as a sickening crack wrenched the air, the guy’s knee bent sideways. A cold gun pressed against my head as the other guy screamed, a kick to his head silencing him. William whirled, a silverback gorilla ready for the oncoming attack for his woman, as I was dragged across the clearing by Dusty,

  I flailed, trying to find purchase in heels, but he was too strong. He had a gun to my head and I had no foothold, now unfortunately protecting Dusty from William with my body. The cold steel pushed harder against my head. William and I both froze at the same time.

  “You didn’t figure me smart enough to bring a friend, huh? I figured there were enough pussy to go around. This slut loves to spread her legs.” Dusty tightened his grip on my throat and reached his hand down to massage the gun against my breast. The panic welled up inside me. I started to cry silently.

  William’s face was pure rage. Primal fury that went beyond thought or reason. Behind that, though, was a crippling vulnerability. The utter helplessness of me in danger, and him not knowing how to save me. He was resolute—he would die to protect me, he just didn’t know how.

  Dusty laughed in a foul wheeze. “Does our hero wanna watch? Does he want to watch as I stick my prick into her over and over and over again?” He gyrated as he said it, his hard, disgusting cock rubbing against me.

  Dusty stopped, thinking. He put the gun back to my temple. “Now, how’m I gonna get my honey potter wit’ you always in my way?” Dusty asked William, starting to think logically. “I need more time then you’ll give me, partner.” He rubbed the gun against his head in a thinking motion. “I guess I just gotta shoot ya after all.” He laughed again and struck out the gun.

  All regard for himself gone, William tensed to make a final grab at me before a bullet hit him. The scene slowed down. Or, more realistically, my thoughts sped up as more adrenaline pumped into my brain.

  I would be the reason my Golden God died. That perfect beauty would be snuffed because of me. Then I would just get raped anyway. Probably killed because why not? He had already killed one, why not two? Why leave an alibi? There was no way out for me.

  But there was a way I could save William.

  “STOP!” I screamed. “I’ll do it! I’ll give you what you want. Just don’t hurt him.”

  Why did they never paint the women in the stories as the heroes, when we had to make decisions like this? Charging a bullet never seemed easier.

  It was this moment that I realized the great cosmos really did have it in for me. Nice joke fuckers! But guess what? I’m not playing this game. Not this time. I will not get shit on this time.

  With that thought my calm bubble emerged. Dr. George had said this bubble was my crisis center. It directed me when the normal functioning center of my brain was locked in panic. He explained it more technically, but it was here, in this moment, for survival.

  “William, just get in the car and drive away. Come back for me in an hour. I assume an hour will be long enough?” I said snidely to Dusty.

  “More’n enough time to get both holes.”

  A shiver crawled up my spine. As soon as William left I would do everything in my power to kill this bastard, probably getting shot in the process. If I failed, then he could rape me after my light shut off, but I would go down fighting. Fuck him. I would not be a victim if I could help it. I also didn’t know if I had the courage to pick up my life if I lived. I didn’t know if I was that strong.

  William looked at me with desperation. I could see every fiber of his being aching to help me. His look said he was bleeding on the inside from the thought of that animal touching me.

  “Just go, William. It’ll be better that way. You don’t need to see it. Just go, my Apollo.” A tear leaked out of my eye as I looked on him for the last time. His perfect body. His poise and manly elegance. His radiant blue eyes, clouded now in misery.

  He shook his head as a matching tear leaked from his eye. “No Jessica. I won’t leave you.”

  “William there is no other way. Just go.” Resignation in my voice. Drinking in the sight of him.

  William’s eyes dawned understanding at my suicide mission. Something broke in him. Something deep and hidden from the world. Something he didn’t know was there. I could see it happening. It was what broke in me the first time Dusty did this to me. It was what made this decision so practical this time around. Insanity was a strange weapon. A strange, uncontrollable weapon.

  “Will,” Dusty said in boredom. “It’s gonna happen. Whether you want it ‘er not. Whether yer dead or not. I’m gonna get my dick inside this honey potter.”

  I straightened up at that. William coiled again. He was looking at Dusty with a rage more ferocious than I have ever seen in any eye in the whole of my life. He took a step towards us. He looked down at me, emotion gone. I could see cold calculating in his eyes. It looked like he found his own personal bubble.

  “Dusty, it ain’t gonna go down like this.” His voice was Texan ice. He took another step toward us.

  Dusty took a step back and dragged me by the throat. The gun was firmly on my head, digging into my skin. I didn’t utter a sound. I didn’t want to distract William, who had now turned into Zeus.

  “You wanna die, man?” Dusty yelled, fear in his voice.

  “Yes. I will die. And if I am not mistaken, Jessica there will try to kill you, and probably kill herself in the process. So it looks like we are all ready to die tonight.”

  “No one’s gotta die, man.”

  “Someone will die, all right. Either you. Or me. You better aim true, Dusty, because if it ain’t a kill shot I will break your neck with my bare hands before you can squeeze off another round.” He prowled forward.

  “Then I’ll aim for your girlfriend here.”

  “You kill her and I will rip your face off your head. After I torture you. No one will come up here to find me until I want them to. And no one will be looking for you. I have the most powerful lawyers in the state. You kill her; I will get off scott-free.”

  Dusty pressed the gun harder into my head, but I would not cry out. We were nearing the cliff, William still pr
owling forward, ready to spring. Dusty stepping back. I could tell Dusty was starting to tense for something. At first I thought it was to off me, because of the gun digging into my head. But then it loosened up, Dusty’s muscles starting to coil.

  I uttered a small cry to get William’s attention. I stared at him hard, willing him to understand that this was about to go down, and he was the target. William gave me the briefest of glances, a whip flick of his eyes, then took another step forward. I had to do something to distract Dusty for a brief second to give William a fighting chance. Anything to put him out of harm’s way.

  Just as Dusty was starting to make the move, the gun whipping around, I jerked my whole body backward and cried out. William sprang into motion as Dusty hesitated an instant before he flung the gun toward William, releasing ammo as he did so.

  Too late. William was already in flight. One hand ripped me from my captor and tossed me away, the other grabbed Dusty’s gun hand, then his large body crashed on top of the smaller man. They fell dangerously close to the cliff, wrestling and bucking to get the gun.

  William pinned Dusty’s gun hand to the ground and raised his body enough to smash his large fist into Dusty’s face. Dusty struggled to get out from under William and the two slid closer to the cliff. Before I could do anything to help I heard scuffling behind me.

  The man William downed was moving toward the brush. His leg was at an awkward angle from his knee, his body probably in shock. Being that he had no discernible weapon, he wasn’t a problem. I turned my focus back to the scuffle.

  I searched the ground for a weapon, settled on a big rock, and ran to help William. That short look away meant I missed some powerful blows to Dusty’s head, and the two men pivoted on the ledge. All it would take would be one shift for them both to go over.

  “William, careful!” I cried.

  Dusty was barely struggling with all William’s power landing punch after punch. He kept his hold on the gun, though, so William would not relent. As I ran to them I stepped on something that crunched beneath my foot. I looked down to see if it was something I could use. It was William’s now broken cell phone.