Page 79 of Forever Found
“Addy? Is that Addy?” Jenny asked between sniffles.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m Addy. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I asked her as Kane got to a turning point and spun the car around with a squeal.
“I’m okay. I can’t believe this is the way I finally get to meet you. I’ve been begging Kane to introduce us for weeks.” Jenny was still whispering, which was worrying, Was she hiding in case whoever the threat was came back?
“This can wait, Jen. Tell me what happened?” Kane said as he sped back toward the city.
“I…I don’t know. Dean came home just as I was headed out to the salon. He was acting weird and I…I was pissed because he’d been out all night. He stank of beer and weed. I started yelling at him and he…he just lost it, Kane. I…I think he was on something. He hit me…I thought he was going to k-kill me,” she explained, her voice breaking throughout.
“Jesus Jenny!” Kane growled. “Has he put hands on you before?”
“No! Never. We argue a lot, but he’s never…it was like he was a different person. He had his hand on my throat and pinned me against the wall, I thought that was it, but….the neighbors must have heard me scream when he was hitting me. Luke from next door came to my door and started banging, and yelling for me. Dean let me go and he ran. Luke wanted to call the cops but I….I just want to get out of here,” Jenny explained further.
“Where’s Luke now? He couldn’t wait with you for me to come?” Kane was pissed. I could tell that by the hard set of his jaw and how tight he was white-knuckling the steering wheel.
“He wanted to, but I…I was so embarrassed, Kane. This…it isn’t me. I don’t do the damsel in distress shit. I don’t know wh-what happened,” she squeaked, obviously pushing through her tears.
“Have you locked the doors and windows?” Kane said, a little more calmly, not that he looked calmer.
“Obviously!” Jenny scoffed. “I’m not completely stupid, big brother.”
“Pack your shit. I’m about ten minutes away. I’ll call someone to come and change the locks on your place when I get there. We’ll change the alarm codes too, then you’re staying with me while I find this motherfucker. I’m gonna break his fucking neck with my bare hands!” Kane raged.
“Breathe. She doesn’t need you losing it,” I warned him in a gentle whisper I hoped Jenny wouldn’t hear. Kane glanced to me again, then put his hand over mine on his thigh as he took a deep breath in.
“He’s not worth it, Kane. I just…I can’t be here right now.”
Kane stayed on the line with Jenny, the both of them worried this ‘Dean’ would return once again. While Kane listened to her pack her stuff up and spoke with her more gently, I called Asher as Kane had asked me to. I explained what was happening so he and the others wouldn’t worry when we didn’t arrive back home as planned. By the time I ended the call Asher and Adam were on their way to meet us at Jenny’s place. They said they were coming to help get her stuff moved, but I knew they were really coming because they were worried I was going to lose it and Kane would have to deal with me on top of the situation with his sister. Who could blame them for that?
But as Kane screeched to a halt outside a pretty small and cute looking apartment complex not long later, I was calm. Inside everything was as much of a disaster as before, but knowing Kane needed me to keep it together, and desperate not to add to his stress, I was doing everything I could to pull myself into what resembled a stable person, and my worry for Jenny was helping me keep focus.
“Fuck! I hate this, but I need you to come with me, angel. It’s not safe for me to leave you out here alone, and Ash and Adam are too far away for us to wait. Jenny…”
“We’re not waiting,” I interrupted. “This asshat could come back and there’s no way you’re letting him touch your sister again. I’ll be fine. Let’s just go.” Before he could even argue I had opened the door of his car and leapt down the great distance from thepassenger seat. By the time I slammed the door closed Kane was at my back, looking up and down the quiet street for any danger.
“Stay right behind me and don’t move, okay?” he told me as he put me where he wanted me, leading my hand to grip the back of the jeans he wore. “Don’t let go unless something happens. I tell you to run, you run and call Ash right away, yeah?”
“Okay,” I agreed easily.
My heart was racing as Kane led us into the building. He’d entered a code to allow us access, and inside the building was clean, bright, and deadly silent. When Kane pulled the gun from the holster he wore under his coat, I gasped, not expecting it, but I didn’t freak out. I couldn’t.
“Breathe, Addy. It’s gonna be fine. I’ve got this,” Kane whispered to me as we started up the stairwell, Kane constantly checking all around us as we moved. I took in a deep breath, not even realizing I was holding my breath.
“We’re safe in here, right? I mean, the door…you needed a code. No one is in here,” I whispered as I hurried to keep up with his race up the three flights of stairs.
“It’s a secure building, but it sounds like Jenny’s asshole boyfriend was on something, and there’s no guarantee he actually left. I’m not taking any chances when you’re with me,” he explained hurriedly.
I didn’t question him further. I was too out of breath to, even if I had more questions. By the time we reached the top floor I could hardly breathe and I was sure it was that time in my life where I desperately needed to start working out. I had avoided it for as long as I could, but clearly I was extremely out of shape.Kane wasn’t even breathing hard as I stumbled behind him into a short hallway.
“Okay, Addy?”
“All good,” I gasped. “But I foresee exercise in my new routine.” I added, making Kane smile a little as he glanced round to me for just a second.
“Me too,” he told me with a wink, making me blush.
We moved down the hallway and stopped at the door at the very end. Kane tried the handle, but it was locked, so he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and let himself in, the whole time keeping a watch of our surroundings.
“Jen!” he yelled as he walked in, pulling me behind him, then turning to close the door and lock it.