Celia's Puppies (21 page)

At that moment, a red blossom appeared on
Trevor’s forehead. His face went blank. Blood oozed over his right
eyes. He slumped forward. The soldiers and police officers dropped
to the ground.

Shrieking, Jill collapsed into the
garden.

Chapter Thirty-Nine
All that matters

“
Details remain spotty in
an incident that has both Denver Police and Homeland Security
working through the night.” Adele Arakawa’s brown eyes and solemn
voice reflected the severity of the situation. “This is a 9 News
special report.”

“
What started as a star
filled celebrity party turned deadly in what appears to be a
botched kidnapping attempt.”

A video of the stars entering the Castle
played on the screen. The worlds famous waved and signed autographs
on the Castle lawn.

“
Valerie Lipson and her
husband, Michael Roper, made big Denver news this week with their
appearance on local and national talk shows. Tonight was to be a
celebration complete with friends, fine wine and great
food.”

The video feed shifted to the Chef’s staff
preparing trays of hors d’oeuvres and servers with open bottles of
wine. The video panned the Castle ballroom where the stars were
dancing, laughing and drinking.

“
It appears that around
midnight kidnappers snatched Senator Hargreaves’s grandson and his
best friend. In their attempt to flee, a young woman was brutally
attacked and one of the kidnappers was killed,” Adele said. “We go
now to TaRhonda Thomas live on Race Street in Denver.”

The camera went to a young woman standing
under a stop light near the Castle’s metal gate.

“
Denver Police are not
releasing details on this one, Adele. We’ve been able to ascertain
that Senator Hargreaves’s grandson has been rescued. The child is
now at home with his parents. The other child also appears to be
uninjured and is in the care of her parents. Denver Police Chief
will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to answer any
questions. But tonight, the mystery remains.”

“
Thank you, TaRhonda. Do
you know identity of the woman who was assaulted?”

“
No,” the reporter said.
“No details have been released. I only know that her condition is
touch and go.”

“
And the person killed?”
Adele asked. “We understand that was a man?”

“
Yes, a white male was
shot after midnight tonight,” TaRhonda said. “He is believed at
this time to have been one of the kidnappers. Denver Police have
not released his name or the nature of the shooting. As you know,
our news helicopters have not been allowed within ten miles of this
location.”

“
Do you have any idea why
the details of this case are so few and hard to come by, TaRhonda?”
Adele asked.

“
National security. That’s
what the Denver Police spokesperson says.”

“
Thank you TaRhonda.”
Adele swung in her chair to speak with her co-anchor. “Kidnapping a
Senator’s grandson? Here. In Denver. It’s hard to
fathom.”

“
We live in dangerous
times,” Mark Koebrich said. “This has been a 9 News special
report.”

~~~~~~~~

Jacob helped Katy into the warm bubble bath
then began undressing Jill. Jill hadn’t said a word since Trevor
had been shot. It was almost as if she couldn’t speak. When Mike
tried to take Katy, she shook her head and clung to her child. She
sobbed when John Drayson suggested she spend the night at the
hospital. She leaned into Jacob and held on to Katy. With gentle
care, Jacob helped her up into their new loft apartment, where
security locks had been installed that afternoon.

This was not the way he hoped to unwrap
Jill.

But, he was grateful she was here with him –
alive and mostly well. He set the Marlowe diamonds on the counter.
Pulling off her dress, he helped her out of a gorgeous lace bra and
some kind of a girdle thing. He smiled at her tiny slip of panties
and thigh high stockings. They would have had fun tonight.

Through all of this, Jill’s eyes stared at
Katy while her child played among the bubbles in the bath.

Under the girdle there was a small, deep
cut, probably from tip of the knife. Jacob cleaned the wound and
covered it with a Scooby Doo bandage over it. He rolled the
stockings from her legs then helped her to stand. She shifted into
him when he slipped off the panties. Pulling back to look at her
face, her eyes took him in for the first time.

Somewhere behind those big eyes, his Jill
was telling him she wished things were different too. He smiled
then helped her step into the lavender bubbles. Jill leaned against
the back of the tub and sighed.

“
She’s having a
flashback,” Mike had said. “Just hold her.”

“
She needs a bath,” Alex
had said. “That will relax her. Then maybe some chocolate. I like
chocolate after I have a flashback.”

“
She’s going to want…
physical relief,” Dr. John Drayson had said in his prim British
accent. His eyes and eyebrows told a more lurid story. “As your
doctor, I cannot recommend it in your condition. But as your
friend? I’d encourage you to get some assistance.”

“
Assistance?” Jacob had
asked.

“
S
ildenafil
citrate
,” John had
said.

“
Viagra?” Jacob couldn’t
fathom what John was saying. Jill was traumatized not
horny.

“
I’ll see if one of the
medics has some. You’d be amazed at what these boys have in their
kits.”

Kneeling next to their new large tub, he
wondered what Jill needed. When Katy splashed Jill with bubbles,
Jill smiled. It was the first real facial expression she had made
since she stopped crying.

Leaning forward to cup Katy’s face with her
hands, Jill sighed.

“
I love you, Katy-baby,”
she said.

“
MOMMY! You came back!”
Katy was so excited she splashed water everywhere. Laughing, Jacob
grabbed a few towels from the cabinet to contain the joyful mess.
“Oh Mommy, I missed you! Do you know what happened
tonight?”

Jill’s eyes welled. She gulped back her
sorrow.

“
What happened,
Katy-baby?”

“
A girl kissed Paddie! On
the lips! He screamed. The lady Marine that was pretending to be an
older kid thought he was hurt. When she found out that Paddie had
been kissed, she laughed and laughed. Paddie was upset because she
didn’t take him serious but that just made the lady laugh even
harder. Then I laughed and finally Paddie laughed too.”

Jill smiled through Katy’s story. Katy’s
giggles brought out Jill’s laugh. When Jacob set a few yellow ducks
in the water, Katy began an elaborate story of Mommy ducks and
Daddy ducks and baby ducks. Under Katy’s instruction, Jill, and
Jacob from beside the tub, played roles in her game.

Maybe Katy was all Jill needed. That would
be all right too.

“
Daddy?” Katy asked when
her story reached some random stopping point.

“
Yes honey,” Jacob
said.

“
I wanna go to bed now.
It’s waaaay past my bedtime,” Katy yawned. “And I’m
tired.”

Jacob helped Katy out of the tub. He let
some of the water out of the tub then turned the hot water on to
warm the bath. Resting against the tub, Jill smiled at him. He
dried Katy in a fluffy bath sheet then helped her into her new
pajamas and her new big girl bed. He stayed with Katy until she was
asleep. Taking a receiver to her baby monitor with him, he returned
to the bathroom.

Only Jill’s eyes peeked above the bubbles.
Seeing him, she moved to sit.

“
Would you like to join
me?” she asked.

“
I’d like you to feel all
right,” he said. “What do you need?”

“
Hmmm....” She slipped all
the way under the bubbles. Popping up, she said, “Did Delphie make
brownies? Or did I imagine that?”

“
Delphie’s at the
hospital. Val made the brownies. They’re actually pretty good. I
have them,” Jacob said. “She made them for you.”

“
Where’s Sandy? I remember
Sandy being with me,” Jill said.

“
Sandy stayed with you
while you talked to the police,” Jacob said. “She wanted to stay
tonight but you just seemed to want Katy. She’s with Aden in their
apartment. Would you like me to get her?”

Jill shook her head. She moved to get out of
the tub. He held a large green bath sheet and she wrapped herself
in it. She refused clothing, even a bathrobe. Instead, wrapped in a
bath sheet, she padded across their new home to the kitchen.
Standing over the plate of brownies, she started eating. Jacob
laughed at her fervor.

“
I haven’t eaten since
breakfast,” Jill said. “Only water after that. I’m starving and
these are perfect.”

Getting the milk from the refrigerator, he
poured them each a glass. When he reached for a brownie, she
slapped his hand away. They laughed.

“
How are you?” he
asked.

Jill nodded her head as she swallowed a bite
of brownie.

“
Hungry... For everything
– food, wine, life,” she said. “I… I want to feel
alive.”

“
I want you to know how
sorry I am about Trevor,” Jacob said. “I cannot imagine how you
feel.”

Still chewing, Jill shook her head.

“
I can’t do that.” Jill
covered her mouth to keep from spitting brownie all over
Jacob.

He nodded.

“
Can you help me?” he
asked. “I can’t get out of this monkey suit myself.”

Jill nodded. Taking another bite of brownie,
she untied his bow tie, then helped him out of his sling, the
jacket and his shirt. Leaving his white undershirt, Jill returned
to her brownies.

“
Thanks,” he said. He
stretched his arms. “That’s much better.”

“
You can move your arm,”
Jill said.

“
Just a tiny bit. I’ve
been working on it. It hurts, but...” Jacob puzzled at the odd look
on Jill’s face. “What?”

Jill shook her head then looked away from
him. He stepped around the kitchen bar to her. His finger tips
caressed her face and their eyes held.

“
I love you,” he said.
“I’m here. Right here.”

She stepped into his embrace.

“
Every room,” she
whispered.

“
Every room?”

Stepping back she bit her lip and nodded her
head.

“
Jill, what’s
going...”

She pulled off his t-shirt. And their spark
ignited. Heat and passion erupted in a burst of haste. They fell to
the kitchen floor. She pulled at him, ripping his tux pants from
him. Pulling on his naked flesh, she shifted for them to join.

“
Wait,” he said. “I’ll be
right...”

“
I need to feel you,” she
said.

“
Jill.” He kissed her
face, her nose, and caught her mouth. “You wanted to
wait.”

“
I don’t care. I don’t
care.” Jill’s eyes dropped tears. “I’ve never felt you. Please
Jacob, please. Just tonight. Please. Let me feel you.”

“
Ok, okay, shhh...” He
kissed her eyes.

In a rush of sensation, they joined. As if a
switch ignited in Jill, she was wild. And Jacob tried to keep
up.

They moved from the kitchen floor to on top
the kitchen table. From under the dining room table to the open
space. They shifted location with each climax. Her heat expanded
and their passion grew. Anytime he shifted away, she pulled him
back to her.

Leaning against a couch in the sitting area,
close to another blissful release, Jill’s sadness, panic and rage
caught up to her. Her passion turned to tears and tears became
sobs. She battered Jacob’s chest until he flipped her under him. He
pinned her down while she writhed with unspeakable pain. Unsure of
what to do, he whispered over and over again that he loved her.

In the middle of a sob, she jerked, let out
a breath, and closed her eyes. Certain she was having a seizure or
possibly losing consciousness, Jacob shook her shoulder. Taking
advantage of his movement, Jill moved on top of him.

“
YOU!” She slapped at him.
“YOU! I stayed with him because of YOU!”

“
I would have married you
in a second. Raised any child as my own. I love you only you. I’ve
loved since the moment I laid eyes on you all those years ago,” he
said. “You stayed with him because of you.”

“
How DARE you! I was
absolutely, completely and totally alone. And pregnant. What choice
did I have?”

“
I understand.” With his
hands around her face, his thumbs wiped her tears.

“
How can YOU understand?
You have all of this and I have NOTHING. I am NOTHING. And you are
the GREAT Marlowe. What can YOU understand? Oh God...”

Overwhelmed, she fell against him. Jacob
held her tight through her heaving sobs. When her breath slowed, he
realized she was asleep. Unable to carry her to the bed, he pulled
a down comforter from the wood chest near the fireplace. Turning on
the fire, he wrapped them in the blanket. When he lay next to Jill,
she moved to sleep on his chest. He caressed her fuzzy head and she
looked up at him.

“
I love you and only you,
Jacob Marlowe. I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you
all those years ago.”