A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(31)

Also, most women didn’t end up in the f**ked up situations I had since I’d moved to Texas. I doubted a full time bodyguard could handle my problems, let alone a boyfriend with a career and hobbies.

“Who’s on the phone?” It was Lump, looking down on the scene with sympathy, but also determined control. Lump would cry over all this, too. The hollowness in her eyes made me sure of that. But she would do it on her own. She wouldn’t let me know how afraid she was for me, or how helpless she felt that she couldn’t help. She had the protector job way before Adam, and she had way more to lose now. As long as there were things to do, people that needed her, she would keep functioning full-steam ahead.

Which, right now, I was thankful for. And she knew it.

“William,” I answered. “Or at least, he was a while ago.”

“Adam, baby,” Lump knelt beside us, putting a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Give me the phone.”

Adam straightened up and looked at Lump, pleading.

“Just give me the phone, baby, no one blames you. But we’ll talk about that later, okay?”

“I shudda listened to you, Betsy. I’m never here. I always show up to see her trampled to all hell. I promised Willie I’d keep her safe! I promised, Betsy!”

“I know, baby. Neither of us were here. It isn’t our fault. Those guys had our schedules down. They knew when people came and went. Jess wasn’t supposed to be here, either. Even when Willie’s been gone she’s stayed at his house on Saturday’s. They thought there were a bunch of senior citizens hiding behind an alarm. This crew hit people like this for a profession, Adam.”

“But Betz—“

“Adam,” Lump said the name like a command. “That’s enough. Give me the phone. I am going to take Jessica to Willie’s parents. They’ll keep her tonight.”

Adam nodded, the fight gone out of him. It broke my heart.

Lump put the phone to her ear and grabbed my hand to gently pull me up. By the desperation in her eyes, and the intense guilt, she might’ve told Adam it wasn’t their fault, but she was hating herself just as much as he was. I was the one always in peril, and everyone around me thought they were at fault for it.

Was I the only one that saw how messed up that was?

“Willie? Hello, Willie?” Lump looked at the phone, sighed, then dialed. “Hello, Willie?... How are you? I have her right here and she is 100% fine. Fred is going to be okay, too— Willie, now, you know how Adam is. It sounds way worse than it is.” Lump gave me a look that told me to play light of this whole thing. As if I needed that reminder.

“She wasn’t in a puddle of blood...No, she wasn’t. She was on clean floor--… Well, yes, but she feinted was all. Fred attacked; made a mess of two guys’ necks and faces--…Yes, Willie, I know he was trained to protect…Yes, I—William,” her firm voice was back. “You will not be talking to Jessica in the state you are in, do you understand me? Take a few breaths and a few minutes, and call back when you are under control, okay?...Okay, bye.”

Lump squeezed my shoulders. “He’ll call back in a minute. He’s just—well, you know, Willie and Adam feed off each other and Adam is a little—“

“I know. Did Fred kill that second guy?”

“No. Fred knocked him down. The guy hit his head, face first, off the counter. The police think that stunned him—it broke his nose—which gave Fred plenty of time to wreak havoc on the guys neck and face. When the guy stopped moving, though, it seems Fred stopped, too. This is all best guess. He was alive, but losing a lot of blood.”

“The first guy was dead.”

“Yes. Fred wasn’t hurt for the first guy. But Jess, he was protecting you. Fred would never do that to family or friends. He was trained to protect, and he thought you were in imminent danger. Both guys had guns, both had knives, and both had crowbars. They were both breaking and entering. Fred did good. And in Texas, you are allowed to protect house and home with drastic measures—thank God.”

“I know all that. I yelled for Fred with the second guy, knowing what he did to the first. I just—this is all a lot to handle, you know?”

I got another squeeze and stopped in front of Denise, who noticed me and moved in like a mother bird.

“I know, Jessica," Lump continued, "I absolutely know. There was no vendetta this time, though. This wasn’t personal. These guys won’t come after you later. This was just bad luck. Wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I’m tired.”

“Of course you are, honey,” Denise nodded to Lump and moved me toward Tom, who was nodding into the phone. Scotty the lawyer was still standing by, ready for legalities should they arise. His eyes were pointed at the camera crew, currently filming the large white van with a picture of a man hugging a dog and a cat on the side. They were probably trying to get a peek at Fred.

“Is Fred a hero or a villain?” I asked Scotty.

He turned to me at the sound of my voice; Tom and his phone turned away. Must be a distraught William. Not that I could blame the guy. Look at Adam, and he is actually here.

Scotty gave me a once over and looked back toward Fred. “Right now, a hero. Fred was stabbed, so that greatly helps his case--” My gasp made Scotty look back at me quickly—he obviously forgot who he was talking to. He hurried on, taking a step toward me. “It wasn’t deep, though, Miss Brodie. I’m so sorry if I gave you the wrong impression just there. It was more a glance. He handled some pretty experienced men. But he had darkness on his side, and he was trained for this sort of thing, so they were brought down before they really knew what hit them. But men have arms, so once Fred had them down it was harder going. But he triumphed and saved the day. I have no doubt he’ll come out the hero of all this. Him and Mr. Shoemaker.”