Wishing on the Water (Water Series Book 1) (20 page)

“
Am I interrupting something? Who is that?” Christina asked quietly.

“
I don’t know.” I replied with a nervous twinge.

“
Are we in danger?” Christina whispered.

“
I really don’t think so, but its better safe than sorry.” I replied and put a finger over my lips to tell her to be quiet.

The knock sounded again and this time I swore I heard wood fracture. I pulled my phone and sent a group text message to Mark and Jax with one word “Chase.” My stomach sank. I don’t know why my writer’s brain immediately thought we were about to be slaughtered, but it did.

Christina stood at the edge of the door of the closet as my hotel door frame shattered and Andrew walked in with Brent and two other men I had seen around our office.

“
Andrew, what the hell?” I asked and he looked me up and down and then gave me a murderous look.

“
Where is he?” Andrew asked, as his green eyes glimmered.

“
Who?” I asked, as the other men began looking around the hotel room. I glanced at my broken door and knew something was very wrong. “You’re scaring me, Andrew,” I shouted in my hoarse voice.

“
Did you scream your voice out on his cock, or does the room always smell like sex?” Andrew asked, ignoring my question. I looked behind me and Christina was getting ready to climb out of the back of the closet when I held my hand up behind my back to tell her not to.

“
Andrew, please tell me what you want,” I exclaimed, ignoring his earlier comment.

“
I want your
boyfriend
.” Andrews’s words dripped with disdain at the word “boyfriend”.

“
I don’t have a boyfriend,” I replied, and then Andrew picked up my hand and looked at the ring that sparkled on my finger. He gave me a look that said he knew I was lying and tried to look past me. Then I took a step closer to him so he wouldn’t see Christina. “Is this because we haven’t taken our friendship out of the friend zone? Because, I have to tell you, breaking my door down is not how you get in my pants.” I stated, as I ran my finger down Andrews chest.

Andrew picked me up by my throat and slammed me into the wall. I held my hand out to tell Christina not to move; I was fine. I closed my eyes and made a wish on the stars, the water, God or whoever was listening to keep Jax away until this was over. I would rather die than have him walk into an ambush and lose him like I lost Chase.

“
Listen bitch! Tell your boyfriend he fucked up! He should have stayed out of my business and my family!”

When you think you are going to die, the only things you think about are the ones that are most important to you. I thought about how Jax would probably be slaughtered the second he got back to the hotel, and how I had been the one who requested him to come in a text message. I would have led him to his own death.

I thought about my dad and wondered who would take care of him. I thought about Michelle and how she and Christina had learned to cope with a piece of Chase, but I was leaving nothing behind for anyone. I spent my whole life waiting for stuff to happen instead of making it happen.

My thoughts halted as dizziness invaded me; my air flow was being cut off. I would die with my hand out telling Christina to stay hidden. I may hate her, but no one deserved this. If Mark and Jax came in together, we might have a chance; but, one on one there was no way.

When Andrew allowed air into my lungs, I stared into his eyes. They were cold and heartless. There was nothing about this man that I knew. Everything had been a lie. He pressed in on my throat; I would surely wear bruises if I lived through this.

“
You can tell him he is not the only one that is a great actor. He played my sister’s boyfriend till she fell in love. I played your best friend until the time came to end him. I will end his life just like l did to the other one.”

Andrew slowly allowed me down to my feet and let go of my throat. I immediately grabbed my throat as I gasped for air.

“
You can tell him I will find him; and, when I do, you can bury him under the tree next to your other man.”

I felt sick to my stomach and I looked to see Christina had tears rolling down her face. Her hand was over her mouth and she was about to lose it when Andrew walked near the closet. I gathered up every ounce of energy I had to speak.

“
Why?” I screamed a whisper out of my lungs as I tried to control my coughing.

“
They interfered where they shouldn’t have. Make sure he goes to confession before I see him. You might want to mention that to your
boyfriend
.” Andrew stated, as he glared down at me.

“
I will tell him when I see him; now get out!” I screamed, but it came out as a whisper.

“
We will be watching you, sweetheart. Don’t worry though, I have seen enough of you to know that when you need a shoulder to cry on we can pass you around like a bong. Isn’t that how you met me, anyway? You needed a shoulder to cry on after you buried your fiancé and slept with his best friend. Seems like you enjoy being passed around.”

Andrew snapped his fingers and the other men joined him and walked out of my broken door. I gasped for air, as Christina pried her way out of the closet and bailed out the door. So much for being a friend. I crawled forward and laid down on the floor.

“
Candice?” Mark yelled, as I heard what was left of my door give way.

“
What the hell happened here?” Mark asked, as he busted through my broken door. He cleared the rooms and came for me. He put his gun back in its holster, as he checked me for a pulse.

I tried as hard as I could to convey what had happened, but it didn’t work. Jax barreled through the door with his gun drawn. As soon as he saw me, he enveloped me into his arms and rocked me. I swore I felt tears falling from him.

I tried to talk, but the words wouldn’t come. My throat burned with each attempt to verbalize anything. Mark brought me my laptop and my fingers that typed sixty words a minute set out to tell them a story. They needed to know what happened and I could tell them everything with my laptop while Jax’s comfort surrounded me.

“
Sweetheart, let’s get you an ambulance.” Mark stated, as he saw my neck. I shook my head “no” and held onto Jax with one arm, while my other hand typed slowly. It wouldn’t take long to finish the story as there wasn’t much to say.

“
Andrew killed Chase, and is coming for Jax.”

That was all I typed and then passed the laptop to Mark who pulled his phone out and began placing calls. I was not worried about me, I was worried about Jax. This man wanted blood, and we already knew he was capable of it, because he had murdered Chase.

Jax lifted me off the floor carefully and placed me on the bed, as he and read what I wrote. I watched as everything moved around me in slow motion. I concentrated when I saw a glow of light shine through the window. I imagined it was Chase that had been keeping us safe. I imagined it was him watching over me. Then the light moved and I saw it was just another officer’s badge shining off the reflection.

It was still snowing outside I noticed, staring out the window as the police moved around my room. The hotel had called someone and they were repairing the frame and replacing the door. For the rest of my stay I would have a guard at my door.

I was supposed to be flying home, but no one thought that was a viable plan. I was glad everyone said no, because I felt like if I left I would be leaving myself and Jax vulnerable. Together we could fight; separate we would sink.

“
Candice?” Brooklyn called from behind me and I turned to look at her with tears in my eyes. She gasped when I pulled my away and she could see the outline of finger prints on my throat. They were still a shade of scarlet; but, as the blood settled beneath my skin, it turned those bruises into a darkening purple.

“
Candice, are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” Brooklyn asked and I shook my head. Jax was safe here and doing his job. I was breathing, so there was really no reason to go. “At least let a medic check you,” Brooklyn begged and I nodded my head. If it would help everyone, I would get checked.

They called for an ambulance and within ten minutes a medic was entering my room for me. The first medic came and felt my throat and shined a light in my mouth while the second checked my BP. My respirations were fine and my voice was slowly coming back. I felt sore on my neck and my throat hurt, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I could feel Jax watching me as the medic took my temperature. I looked up and met his eyes to see the guilt on his face.

I didn’t want him to feel guilty. This was not his fault. I got up and handed the thermometer back to the first medic. I marched over to Jax and went chest to chest with him. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head on his chest.

“
I should have been here. I should have stayed with you and Christina.” Jax whispered.

“
Where is Christina?” I whispered in a raspy voice.

“
We are looking for her. She is one of us; we will find her. I am worried about you right now. Are you alright?” Jax asked, as he pulled me back from him to look at the darkening bruises.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his lips to mine. He barely kissed me back. I pulled back and glared at him.

“
Kiss me like you mean it, or never kiss me at all!” I whispered as loudly as I could and Jax did just that. He grabbed me and lifted me off the floor as his velvety lips came down on mine. I felt my body melt and my fears fade as he held me in his arms. I felt his broken pride healing and the guilt dissipate. My throat burned, but I needed this kiss. I needed his warmth, and comfort. Most of all I needed to feel the love we shared.

“
Candice, we shouldn’t be doing this,” Jax whispered, as he pulled away breathless.

“
Why not?” I glared at him, as my voice came out breathy and hoarse.

“
I don’t think my boss wants to watch a porn.” Jax pointed over at a man in a suit. I remembered him from Chase’s funeral, and from the break in at my house. He had stood at the grave site and spoken about a policeman’s character. I remembered he had stayed beside Christina at the hospital when they told us of Chase’s fate, and was beside her on the side of my house at the break in. If I wasn’t mistake he was the same man from the bar my first night in town.

The more I thought about all the events that took place, the more things slid together. All the lunches between Chase and Christina. The man in the suit who held her hand when I had lost him. The way Michelle clung to her at the funeral. Was I the only one, besides Jax, that didn’t see it? Was I blind?

How clueless could I have been if I didn’t see what is so obvious now? I clung to Jax wondering if I was looking at him through rose-colored glasses as well. Maybe it was just the trauma from what Andrew had done, but things were coming into focus differently.

“
I’m tired,” I whispered, as I pulled myself off of Jax. He walked over and shook hands with the man in the suit and they spoke a few words as hand gestures seemed to fly. Then Jax walked over to Mark and Brooklyn who seemed to be staring at me with that
Oh-poor-girl
look. As Jax came back toward me, Mark and Brooklyn followed.

“
Come on Candy, let’s get you settled,” Jax stated, as we all filed out the door.

“
My things?” I asked and Jax turned around and grabbed my laptop and brought it out with us.

“
This is all you need till they are done,” Jax whispered, as we headed down the hallway. I was making a mental note to always carry an extra bag with stuff because when the police come they invade your stuff and keep it with them until they are done.