Here Without You (Red Hook 4)

She had been off work almost a week and the swollenness had gone away. The bruises were lighter, too, and she didn’t need the pain pills anymore.

“It has been nice to have some time off but now I am bored.” Holly sighed, setting the empty bowl she had in her hand down. Jasmine had brought Holly her favorite strawberry ice cream.

“I sympathize. I couldn’t do it,” Jasmine said. She was lying on Holly’s couch, looking relaxed. “We are so busy sometimes it drives me nuts, but at the same time, I hate being idle.”

“You mean spending all these nights with that sexy deputy is not satisfying?” Alicia teased. She was eating a bowl of ice cream. “I want to live vicariously through you, so spill the beans, chica.”

Holly laughed and threw a pillow at Alicia. Holly was sitting on the floor with her back against the couch. The TV was off and Holly had the radio on with the volume set on low. “I didn’t say it wasn’t good. It’s great, but you can’t spend every minute in bed.”

Jasmine wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. “You can try.”

Holly stood up with a smile. She was glad they came over to keep her company. “I need more ice cream.”

“Why? All the ice cream in the world ain’t gonna cool you down if you’re thinking of that boyfriend of yours.” Alicia laughed, putting her bowl down on the table next to her chair.

Holly laughed as she went into the kitchen. She got the ice cream out of the freezer and refilled her bowl. She was about to turn to go back to the living room when she saw a shadow at her back door. She dropped the bowl and screamed. Glass shattered and mixed in with her screams. Jasmine and Alicia came running in, looking scared.

“What is it?” Jasmine whispered, holding on to Holly’s arm.

“Someone is out there.” Holly took a few steps back. Matt had boarded the door so the lock could not be picked.

Alicia ran to the phone on the wall and picked it up. “The line is dead.”

Holly ran to the hall closet and got out the bat she’d had the last time. Jasmine ran for her purse and took out her cell phone. She dialed a number and spoke into it. She put it in her jeans pocket when she was done. “ The fellows are on their way.”

Alicia and Holly huddled together in the hallway. They heard glass breaking and screamed. Holly held the bat up and Jasmine took out her pepper spray. “Drake makes me carry this around ever since I got mugged. I thought it was silly until now.”

“Should we go out the front door?” Alicia’s voice was shaky. Holly pulled her close. She hated that her friends were frightened. It made her angry. She was fed up with these cat-and-mouse games of Gerald’s. “He can go around to the front and confront us. If it is Gerald out there, the three of us can take him, but I’d rather wait for the guys to catch him. They can throw him in a cell with his brother,” Holly snapped.

Jasmine agreed. She tiptoed toward the kitchen and peeked around the corner. “There is a brick on the floor.”

They heard her name being called from the back door. “I want Holly. Come on out and your friends won’t be harmed.”

“Yeah right.” Alicia snorted. “We won’t let you go out there.”

Jasmine stood in front of her and pushed them back toward the front door. They heard the door being shaken as if he was trying to open it. Holly was about to suggest they make a dash out the front door and to her neighbor’s house. Before she could voice her suggestion, the sound of the cavalry getting closer could be heard. Each second the sound of the sirens blaring got louder and louder. All three girls let out their breaths.

“Thank goodness,” Jasmine whispered, putting a hand over her heart. “I hope they catch the asshole. I told Drake he was in the backyard.”

* * * *

Matt and Tony had just arrived at the station. They had gone searching the woods with Jack Phillips, a long-time resident of Red Hook and a friend of Noah’s. He knew the woods well and had some good rifles. Tony hit it off with the man right away. Tony loved talking guns.

“Your instinct was right,” Jack told Matt. “I think the evidence of a campfire is a good sign of Gerald being out there. I knew his dad before he passed away. He taught them boys to camp and hunt. If he was still around, those boys would not be drug dealers.”

“Not to mention the drug paraphernalia scattered all over the woods,” Tony muttered with a sad shake of his head. “Gerald and his drug business need to be taken down. We can’t have him killing any more young kids.”

“Amen.” Jack shook his head sadly.

Helen and Noah had gone home for the day. Drake was sitting at her desk, looking down at his phone when it started vibrating. He answered with a smile, but it disappeared in seconds. “What the hell? I am on my way. Lock yourself in a room, Jazz.”

“What is it?” Matt asked, his heart in his throat. He knew Holly and the girls were hanging out at her place. By the look on Drake’s face, it was bad news.

“Someone is trying to break into Holly’s house.” Drake was up and running as he spoke. “He is in t

he backyard again.”

“Come on, Jack. We might need you,” Tony said as they ran out the door and jumped into trucks. They made their way to Holly’s house. It took minutes to get there, but it felt like more to Matt. His heart was racing with fear. Holly wasn’t alone, but three women were no match to a crazy drug dealer with no conscience, especially if he had a gun.