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“BRANDON!” LISA BANGED on his door. “It’s Detective Swanson! Open the door. It’s an emergency!”
Brandon opened the door, half asleep. “What’s going on?”
“Rayne has Jake.” Lisa rushed into the dark living room.
“What?” Brandon turned the overhead light on, squinting.
“Rayne has Jake! I don’t know where they are.”
He glanced at the carpet. “You mean she kidnapped him?”
Lisa paced, gripping her head. “I need to find them before she hurts him.”
His forehead puckered. “Damn it.” He sat on the coffee table. “If I knew where she was I’d tell you.”
“I need you to think.” Lisa knelt beside him, touching his knee. “There has to be somewhere Rayne would go.”
“I’m the only friend she has.” He clasped his head. “I can’t believe she’d do this. She hasn’t had a breakdown like this since her sister died.”
“Her sister died?”
“Yeah, her older sister. She lived here in Baltimore. She died years ago when she and her fiancé got into a car accident.”
Lisa’s breathing slowed. “Car accident?”
“Yeah, they were coming from a party and he got drunk and crashed.”
“Wait, a minute.” Lisa rose. “Holy shit.”
“What?”
“What’s her sister’s name?” She clenched his arm. “What is it?”
“Katherine.” He batted his eyes. “Katherine Greene.”
“Oh my god.”
“What?” He stood from the table.
“I think I know where to look.” She ran to the door.
“Detective?” He caught up, grabbing her. “What’s going on?”
“Jake was engaged to Katherine.” She huffed and puffed. “He was the one driving the car. That’s how he got in a wheelchair...from that crash.”
Brandon swept his hand over his face. “Fuck.”
She broke free of him. “I gotta go.”
“I’m going with you.” He slipped on his sneakers and followed her out the front door.
“I can’t have you coming, Brandon.” She unlocked her car. “This is police business.”
“Rayne’s out of control, and I’m the only one who can calm her down.” He ran to the passenger’s side. “You need me, Detective Swanson.”
Sighing, she got in the car and called for backup.
****
“JUST LIE BACK AND CLOSE your eyes, Jake.” Rayne held the needle in the air. “Man up and take the punishment you deserve.”
Jake wasn’t a cop. He didn’t have the instinct to get out of situations like this but he had to do something.
“Katherine,” he whispered, lips shaking. “She wouldn’t want you to do this.”
She peered at him with an inquisitive expression.
“Your sister was such a kind person,” he said. “Katherine wouldn’t want any harm to come to anyone. That’s what was so great about her.”
“I assume she told you how my parents did me? How they felt I was too hard to control, so they threw me in the institution when I was fifteen?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry, Rayne.”
“How could a parent do that?” Rayne stared in midair. “How can you give up on your child?”
“There’s no excuse for that.”
“No.” Tears filled her eyes. “There isn’t. My mom was the worst. She convinced my dad to put me away. Jake, I was so scared.” Her hands shook. “Can you imagine being a young girl dropped off into some place full of doctors and crazy people? Being all alone in that madness?”
“No,” he whispered. “I can’t.”
“I hate institutions.” Terror swept across her face. “They say they help you but they don’t. They make you crazier.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t sleep for a week when I first got in there. You hear noise constantly. Some people try to make a home there, but I refused to.” Her lips curled up. “I was never gonna belong in that place,” she shouted. “Never.”
Jake lifted his head, swallowing. “I don’t blame you.”
“Katherine was the only thing in my life I had left.” She wiped tears. “My parents wouldn’t take my calls. They wouldn’t come see me.”
“Katherine told me it was too hard for them to see you there.”
“Yet they put me there. What hypocrites. They left me there to be miserable but couldn’t stand to look at what they created!” She stood and shoved the items off Katherine’s dresser. “Once I’m done with you, I’m paying my parents a visit.”
“You’re gonna kill your parents?”
“I’m gonna torture the hell out of them and maybe they’ll understand what I went through.”
“You’ve been through a lot, but hurting people isn’t the way. Erin?”
She looked at him.
“You don’t wanna go to prison. Think about this, please.” He sat up. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to hurt Katherine. What can I do for you to forgive me?”
“There’s only one thing you can do.” She inched toward him, and he kept his gaze on the needle.
“What?”
“Die!” Rayne threw up her arm and lunged at him.
“No!” Jake kicked, knocking her to the carpet. “Don’t do this, Erin!”
“You think I’m an idiot?” She got the needle from the floor and stood. “You thought talking nice would work? I might be blonde, but I’m not stupid.” She straightened her blouse. “I don’t like it when people insult my intelligence.”
His voice shook. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re gonna be.” She got on top of him.
“No!” Jake kicked her in the throat, and she dropped the syringe.
“It’s over, Rayne!” He lifted his leg again, ready to strike. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”
She stooped over, clenching her throat. “This isn’t over,” she said with a weak voice. “Until I say it is.” She got the syringe and came toward him again.
“I said stop!” He kicked her in the face, landing a solid hit to her nose.
“Oh!” She tumbled over, blood running down her mouth.
“Stop it.” Jake panted. “I don’t wanna hurt you anymore.”
“What do you care?” She spat, holding her nose. “No one cares. Why should you?”
“I do care, Rayne.” He exhaled as she squirmed against the closet. “I think the main person who doesn’t care about you is yourself.”
A thunderous bang rang out as if someone blew off the front door.
“Jake?” Lisa shouted.
“Lisa!” he shouted. “We’re in the master bedroom! Hurry!”
“Rayne?” Brandon bellowed.
“Brandon?” She fell over as if she were on the verge of passing out.
Lisa ran into the room with her gun drawn and Brandon behind her. “Jake!”
“Lisa.” He exhaled.
“Jake.” She hugged and kissed him. “Are you all right? I was so scared she hurt you.”
“I’m fine.” He lay his head back. “How did you get in?”
“Brandon kicked the door open.”
Jake lay his head in her bosom. “Thank god.”
Brandon scooped Rayne into his arms. “Rayne, baby?” He examined her nose. “How could you do this? What were you thinking?”
She lay her bloody hand on his arm, crying into his chest. “It’s been so long. I’ve lived with this pain for so long.”
“I know, sweetie.” He kissed her forehead. “It’s gonna be okay as long as we have each other. We’ll get you back on track.” He rocked her. “I’m gonna help you.”
“I don’t wanna go back to the institution.” Tears reached her cheek, mixing with the blood. “Please, don’t let them put me back in there.”
“No matter what happens,” Brandon spoke with his lips against her face. “We’re gonna be together.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Lisa freed Jake’s hands, and he pulled her into his arms.
Brandon stood and picked Rayne up. “She needs to go to the hospital.”
“She’s under arrest,” Lisa said. “I’ll read her, her rights then I’ll take her, but you can come along. Jake, you need to come too.”
He massaged his wrist. “I’m fine.”
Lisa kissed him. “Humor me.”
****
LATER THAT NIGHT, JAKE, Lisa, Dee and Winston left through the hospital entrance and into the moonlight courtyard.
“What a night, huh?” Winston chuckled, walking beside Dee. “For what it’s worth I’m glad you’re okay, Jake.”
He nodded, navigating his wheelchair.
“You’re a better person than I am, Jake,” Dee said. “Can’t believe you didn’t wanna press charges against Rayne. She almost killed you.”
“She needs to be in a place where she can get the help she needs not in a jail cell.” He straightened his wheelchair as they traveled the sidewalk.
“Trust me, I tried to talk sense into him.” Lisa shrugged, smiling. “But his sweet nature is what I love about him.” She kissed the top of his head. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Jake grinned. “So am I.”
“As for you.” Lisa put her arm around Dee’s shoulders. “How’s it feel to get Rivera?”
“Like a dream.” Dee looked up at the stairs. “I’m glad it’s over. I couldn’t take much more.”
“You held up better than I would’ve,” Winston said.
Jake stopped when they got to the parking lot. “Guess we’ll see you guys,” he told Winston and Dee.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Dee hugged him. “Love you, Leece.” She kissed Lisa’s cheek.
“You too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Dee nodded, waving.
“See you, Winston,” Lisa said.
“Have a good night.” He continued with Dee toward her car.
Jake slipped his fingers between Lisa’s. “You okay?”
She tore her gaze from Winston and Dee as they disappeared behind a row of cars. “I’m an awful person.”
“No, you’re not.” He tugged on her hand. “You’re the woman of my dreams.”
“I should be ashamed for taking you for granted. I love you so much.” She kissed his lips, savoring the taste. “I was scared I’d lose you. It showed me how blind I’d been.”
“About?”
“About Winston and even toying with the idea of being with him. Tonight confirmed how important you are and losing you would kill me. There’s not another man on this earth I want or ever will want again. I’m sorry, Jake. Do you accept my apology?”
“No.” He pulled her into his lap. “Because there’s nothing to apologize for. How about we make a deal?”
“What?” She put her arms around his shoulders. “That I’ll stop being so insecure about Winston, and I won’t bring up whatever it was between you two ever again.”
“I’d like that.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “You won’t ever have to bring it back up because it’s staying in the past.” She kissed him. “Now and forever.”
****
“SO WHAT DO YOU SAY?” Winston leaned against Dee’s car with the moonlight illuminating his sexy skin. “How about we take in a classic movie?”
Dee shook her hair from her face as a breeze swept through. “What would it mean?”
“Women. Always gotta label everything.”
“That’s right.”
“If you’re asking me if I’m asking you out on a date, Deidra...” He leaned forward, winking. “Yes, I am.”
She glared. “Why?”
He laughed. “You’re not gonna give me an inch are you?”
“Nope.” She pushed her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want to get my hopes up by thinking that...”
He slipped his arms around her, thrusting his soft lips onto hers.
Her knees shook as every bone in her body caught on fire.
He let her go with unmistakable desire in his eyes. “Does that lessen any doubts?”
She licked his flavor from her lips. “Maybe.”
“So?” He pushed his nose against hers. “Are we on or not?”
She tugged on his shirt, lost in the aftermath of the kiss. “What’s playing at the theater tonight?”
He smiled.
THE END
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