Things are quiet for a few minutes before Julia speaks again, “Jax?”
“Ya.”
“The men… the men who hurt you, are they dead?”
“Most of them.”
“Good,” she says firmly, hugging me tighter.
I smile and before long we’re both drifting off.
“Julia?”
I moan from Jaxson’s urgent whisper, “Again? Lord, man don’t you ever sleep?” I mumble teasing.
“Julia, get up now.”
I shoot up at his tone, realizing something’s wrong. Looking over I see Jaxson out of bed throwing on his jeans. I glance at the clock and see it’s only 3 am.
“What is it, what’s wrong?”
“Someone’s in the house.”
“What!?” I screech in fear.
He reaches over and covers my mouth, “Listen baby, everything’s going to be alright, but you need to be quiet okay?”
I nod my head. Removing his hand from my mouth he reaches under the bed and pulls out a gun. I gasp in shock, “Oh my god, you have a gun? In my house?” I whisper harshly.
He looks at me like I’m stupid, “Of course I have a fucking gun.”
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he does, but I deserve to know if I’m sleeping over top of one for god-sakes. I climb out of bed quietly and follow behind Jaxson to my bedroom window that looks out over my front yard. Suddenly a clanging noise comes from downstairs. I jump, startled, and grab Jaxson’s arm.
He hands me his cell phone, “Call Cooper, tell him what’s going on and to bring back up.”
“What? Where are you going?”
“I’m going down to find out who the fuck is in here.”
I grab on to the belt loops on his jeans, “No! Jaxson please just stay here and wait with me. We have no idea who’s down there or how many,” my voice starts to shake with fear.
He cups the back of my head, “I can handle myself Julia, I promise. But I need you to be strong right now and do what I ask okay?” He tries handing me the gun and I throw my hands up.
“No! No way! I have no idea how to use a gun Jaxson. I hate guns.”
“Listen to me!” he whispers harshly, “the safety is off, all you do is point and pull the trigger. You probably won’t need it, but just in case.” He places the gun in my hand, forcing me to take it. “I want you to stay right here,” he pushes me back into a corner between the wall and my nightstand. “Call Cooper and don’t fucking move from this spot. If anyone comes in that door you shoot first and ask questions later, got it?” He pulls another gun out from behind him, for himself.
When the hell he did put that there?
“What if it’s you?”
“I’ll make sure you know if it’s me.”
The sound of a door slamming comes from downstairs. Jaxson’s head snaps to the window, “Fuck! Call Cooper now!” he yells and takes off, running out of the room.
Sitting up I look out the window and see someone in all black running into the woods. A second later Jaxson is running out of the house, barefoot with no shirt on, into the woods after them. “Oh my god, oh my god.”
With shaking hands I struggle to dial Cooper. He picks up after the second ring, “Do you have any idea what time it is asshole?”
“Cooper?” my voice is thick with tears, shaking from fear.
“Julia? What’s wrong?”
“Cooper you need to come quick. Someone broke into my house. Jaxson took off running after them, he has a gun and…”
“Okay calm down. I’m on my way, stay on the phone with me alright?”
Tears stream down my face as I nod my head.
“Julia you still there?”
“Yes sorry, I’m here. Just please hurry. I’m scared for Jaxson, he went running out into the woods after the person.”
“Of course he fucking did. I’m heading to my car now I’ll be arriving in a few minutes can you…”
Cooper’s voice fades out when I hear a squeaking noise come from downstairs, or is that a whimper?
“Shhh!” I tell Cooper to be quiet, which he does. Listening more closely I get up and walk to my bedroom door, hearing the noise more profoundly.
“There’s a noise coming from downstairs, it sounds like whimpering. I think someone’s hurt Cooper. I should check.”
“No! Julia just stay where you are. I’m almost there.”
“It could be a matter of life and death,” leaving my room I slowly start down the stairs.
“Goddamn it Julia, are you fucking listening to me?”
“Shhh! I’ll keep you on the phone.”
“Oh for fuck-sakes!”
Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, I realize the noise is coming from the kitchen.
“It’s coming from the kitchen,” I whisper shakily to Cooper.
“Jesus Julia, will you please just fucking go back upstairs!?”
I continue to the kitchen, the noise getting louder and louder. I realize now that it isn’t a whimper but a squeaking sound. My heart is pounding so loud I’m surprised I can hear anything else but it’s thundering beat. Walking on shaking legs I enter the kitchen. And what I see has my heart stopping and bile rising in my throat. The phone slips from my hand as I scream louder than I ever have in my entire life.
Gun in hand, I race down the stairs. I see the guy running into the woods just as I make it out the front door. Instincts kicking in, I speed up, keeping him in my sites. Gravel bites into the bottom of my feet but I’m too jacked up with adrenaline to feel it.
“Jennings is that you, you mother fucker?” I yell heading into the woods after him. At first I thought maybe it was that asshole Vince from tonight. But this guy isn’t big enough to be him.
My heart pumps faster, lungs working harder, as I gain on him.
You’re fucking mine you son of a bitch.
Suddenly a piercing scream tears through the night, stopping me in my tracks. I look back towards the house, realizing it’s Julia. “Fuck!” Without a second thought I take back off towards the house, running faster than I thought myself possible. “Julia!?” I scream as I reach the front door.