Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)(90)

“Did she give her name?”

“Kara Reed.” My heart stops beating and the room begins to spin.

“Put her through!”

“Brett?” I hear Kara on the other end of the line. Her voice is frantic and scared, unlike anything I have ever heard from her before.

“Kara, what the hell is going on?” I jump to my feet, grabbing my jacket off the back of the chair, and head toward my car.

“Where’s Jesse?” she asks.

“Cleaning, last I heard. What’s going on? Did you say someone is in the apartment?” She begins to sob into the phone.

“She’s in the house. She has a gun and I think she has Jesse.” I have no idea what she’s talking about, but the fact that she used Jesse and gun in the same sentence has me sprinting the rest of the way to my car.

“Who, Kara? Calm down, tell me what’s going on!” I scream into the phone, anything but calm myself.

“Sarah. I got home a few minutes ago and she snatched open the door and waved a gun in my face. She threatened me, but I took off running. You don’t think she would hurt Jesse, do you?”

Oh God. This isn’t happening. I’m not losing the woman I love…again. Different woman, different situation, yet another tragedy I can’t control. No, f*ck that. I’m not losing Jesse. I flip on the lights and speed toward her apartment faster than anyone, cop or not, should drive. I’m not thinking about anything but getting to Jesse.

“Kara, you still there?” I realize I’m still holding my phone to my ear.

“Please, answer me. Sarah wouldn’t hurt her, right?” The fear in her voice matches the pain in my chest. I have no idea what Sarah is capable of anymore. She might as well be a stranger to me. I know she isn’t afraid to kill herself, but now I’m terrified she isn’t afraid to take Jesse with her either.

“I’m on my way. Do not go back to the door. Are the officers there yet?”

“Yes, they just pulled up. Shit Brett, Jesse’s car is here. I think she’s in there.”

“Go to the officers, tell them everything and make sure to tell them Jesse’s mine. They’ll take care of her if you tell them that. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” I flip my phone onto the passenger seat and slam my hand down on the steering wheel cussing Chicago traffic. Even with my lights on, I’m still a lifetime away.



Officer Eli Tanner

“HELP.” I hear the small woman yelling and running my way. I immediately reach down to my service weapon. She doesn’t look dangerous or armed, but she does look scared as hell.

“Freeze. Put your hands in the air,” I yell as she comes to a complete halt.

“Please help me. There is a woman with a gun in my apartment. She has my best friend in there with her.”

“Keep your hands in the air and slowly walk towards me.”

She complies, and when she gets close I see the tears dripping off her chin.

“Please. Help her.”

“What’s your name?”

“Kara Reed.”

“Do you know who broke in, Kara?” I question while patting her down.

“Sarah Sharp.” Fuck. I’d recognize that name anywhere. It was the name that changed my life all those years ago.

“Excuse me?”

“Sarah Sharp, and she has Jesse Addison, Detective Brett Sharp’s girlfriend in there with her.” Son of a bitch! How can one woman f*ck up so many lives?

“Stay here.” I leave her standing next to my patrol car. I head to the door praying this is some sort of a mistake. My day has been boring as hell, but I’d give anything to be able to dismiss this as one big cat fight over a man. I draw my weapon and slide up beside the door. Careful to move out of shooting range in case she really does have a gun of her own, I test the door knob and find it locked.

“Sarah Sharp!” I shout using my boot to knock on the door. “Officer Tanner, CPD. Open up. If you have any weapons, I suggest you put them down first.”

“Fuck you Eli! Where’s Brett?” she screams from the other side of the door. Obviously, she remembers me too.

“I have no idea where Brett is. Are you alone in there? Where’s Jesse?”

“She’s not a part of this problem anymore.” Damn it! That’s the wrong f*cking answer.

“Sarah, I’m coming in. Back away from the door.” I radio for backup as my partner rounds the corner to watch my six o’clock.

Before I reach the door, I hear the unmistakable bang of a shot fired. I should back away and follow protocol, but I know this woman. I rush to the door, banging and praying for a miracle.

“Sarah, open the f*cking door!”

“Find Brett or I swear it won’t just shatter a few picture frames next time.”

“I need to talk to Jesse. I need to know she’s okay.”

“Um, she isn’t exactly speaking to me right now,” she laughs.

“Is she okay? Does she need any medical care? You have to give me something here. I can’t just call Sharp out here without any details.”

“Tell him I need him. He’ll come running. He loves to play the hero.”



Brett

I DRIVE like a maniac the whole way to Jesse’s apartment. I keep flipping between pissed off and terrified that Sarah is going to hurt Jesse. I’ve never in my life wanted to hurt Sarah, even when she physically abused me after the accident. It never crossed my mind. But today, if she so much as lays one finger on Jesse, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.