I’m about to run upstairs until I see her legs in the kitchen entryway. I run towards her, finding her on her knees with the gun beside her, retching and crying as she throws up. I’m on my knees beside her in a flash, “Julia baby, what’s wrong?”
Something catches the corner of my eye, “Jesus fucking Christ!” A dead, gutted coyote hangs from her ceiling on a chain above the kitchen table. Half the kitchen is a fucking blood bath from its insides, including the kitchen window where blood spells out, ‘You’re next whore’.
Mother Fucker!
Turning back I pick up Julia’s shaking body, “Okay baby, it’s okay I got you.” Just as I’m heading out of the kitchen Cooper comes bolting through the door, almost throwing it off its hinges as he slams into it.
“Jesus Christ! Is she alright? Goddamn it Julia, you scared the fuck out of me. What happened?”
I throw my head towards the kitchen, indicating for him to go look, as I carry Julia to the family room couch. Positioning her on my lap, she cradles her body into me. My arms vibrate from her shaking as I hold her.
“Ho-ly fuck!” I hear Cooper from the kitchen. He walks back out, with his jaw clenched. He looks around, “I guess you didn’t catch the son of a bitch.”
I shake my head, “I almost fucking had him but then I heard her scream and left him in the woods to run back here.”
A couple of deputies come running in, “Sheriff?”
Coop points outside, “Get out in the woods across the way and search for him. He’s probably long gone now, but look for anything that can link us to him.” Cooper looks at me, “What was he wearing?”
“All black with a hood over his head. Medium build about 6 feet tall. He’s armed with at least a knife,” I say, thinking about the fucking gutted animal in the kitchen.
The deputies run out following Cooper’s orders.
Just the thought of how close I was to catching the fucker pisses me off. I grab Julia’s face to yell at her and ask why she didn’t stay where the fuck I told her to. But when I look into her pale tear-streaked face, her body still shaking, my anger evaporates, “Why did you come down here?”
“I, I’m sorry. I thought someone was, was hurt,” she covers her ears, “oh god make that sound stop, please!”
I realize she’s talking about the squeaking that’s coming from the chain as the heavy animal sways from the ceiling.
“I’m sorry Julia, but we can’t touch anything in here until the forensics team comes in.”
I hold her head to my chest, covering her hand which is over her ear. Leaning down I kiss the top of her head, “It’s alright. We’re going to pack a bag and stay somewhere in town for tonight.”
“Why don’t you guys come stay at my place. You can sleep in the spare room. Speaking of which, I should probably call Kayla, she knew I was coming here. She was out of her mind when I flew out of the house without a word.”
Right when Cooper takes out his phone Cade and Sawyer come running through the open front door.
“What the fuck happened?” Sawyer asks.
“How the hell did you know?” Cooper asks him.
“Because your girl just called me freaking out, asking if I was with you guys and if I knew whether Julia was okay or not.”
“Jesus, that woman is fucking impatient.”
Cooper pulls out his phone and walks out to call Kayla. Sawyer looks at me, “What the hell happened?”
I nod towards the kitchen. Both he and Cade walk in, “What-the-ever-living fuck?” I hear Cade say.
Walking out they both look at me with fury raging in their eyes, “So who’s ass are we killing?” Sawyer asks.
I look down at Julia and shake my head. Not wanting to talk about it right now in front of her, he nods in understanding. I pull Julia’s hand away from her ears, “Let’s go pack a bag. We’re going to go sleep at Cooper’s and Kayla’s.” She nods against my chest.
Picking her up I start to carry her upstairs, knowing she’s shaking too much to walk. Stopping halfway up I look back to Sawyer and Cade, “Meet us at Cooper’s.”
They nod and head out the door. Rage rushes through my veins as I finish carrying Julia up the stairs. That mother fucker is going to pay for this.
Climbing out of the truck I walk up the front steps to Kayla’s and Cooper’s house, feeling cold and detached from my body. Kayla’s there waiting for me, holding open the door.
“Come here,” taking my bag she hugs me then ushers me into the house. Jaxson stays close behind, rage rolling off of him in waves.
As we bypass the kitchen towards the spare room I see Sawyer and Cade sitting at the table they too, look angry as hell. They both nod at me, I give them a small smile, or at least I tried, not sure if I succeeded.
Kayla puts my bag on the bed once we enter the room then turns to me, “Can I get you something? Some tea maybe?”
I smile, “Ya, tea would be great, thank you.”
We walk back into the kitchen and the guys’ conversation stops abruptly. “Come here,” Jaxson says holding out his arms. I walk into them and he pulls me down on his lap pressing a soft kiss to my neck. It’s the first thing I’ve felt since seeing… I squeeze my eyes shut.
Oh that poor animal.
The front door slams, pulling me from my tortured thoughts. Cooper comes walking in looking tired and stressed, “Forensics are going through things now,” he looks directly at me, “Julia who has a key to your house?”
I shake my head confused as to why he’s asking, “Just Kayla.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes not even Grams has one.”
He looks over to Kayla, “Go look at your keys to see if the key is still there.”
“What’s this about?” Jaxson asks.
“No one broke into that house. They got into it with a key, there’s no way they even picked the lock.”