kid killed herself today.”
“Fuck, Benny. Are you sure you don’t need us over there?”
“Thanks, man, but I got it. Cops were here tonight, but I don’t need that asswipe getting any ideas and deciding to try to get revenge or to try and find Jess.”
“We’ll take care of it for you. Just call if you need anything else.”
“I will. And, Wolf? Thanks.”
“Anytime. It’s what a team is for.”
Benny hung up feeling a bit better, but still way too jacked up. Jess’s words still echoing in his brain. “He kicked me” . . . “He punched me” . . . “He wouldn’t let go of my throat” . . .
Jess was a hell of a woman, and he knew a lot of strong women. Benny knew Jess wouldn’t think that way about herself, but he had to make her see it.
The police officer stuck his head out the door, and seeing Benny standing there, told him he was finished talking with Jessyka. Benny nodded and went back to Jess’s side.
After another ten minutes, they were on their way home. The doctor had come in and given Jessyka some pain killers along with a prescription for more if she needed them and a few more warnings to take it easy.
Jess had insisted on walking out on her own, but Benny was right by her side the entire way. They slowly made their way to the waiting area, where Benny, seeing she was fading, plunked her in a chair and ordered in a gentle voice, “Wait here.”
Benny knew Jess was still in pain when she didn’t argue with him, but only sat where he’d indicated.
He rushed out and got the car he’d had to move earlier, and went back inside to collect Jess. She was sitting on the chair clutching the sides so hard her knuckles were bone white.
“Come on, gorgeous. Let’s get out of here.”
Benny bent down and gathered Jess into his arms, and he sighed, pleased when she didn’t protest.
He strode out of the hospital with Jess in his arms. He settled her into the passenger seat and headed for his apartment.
“What hotel are you taking me to?” Benny heard Jess ask groggily from beside him.
He whipped his head around to look at her incredulously. “You’re not going to a fucking hotel. You’re coming home with me.”
“But, Kason, that’s not fair.”
“Did you not hear me in the hospital when I said I wasn’t leaving your side?”
“Kason, you can’t stay with me all the time. I knew you just meant while we were there. And I appreciate it, I do, but this is crazy. You don’t know me.”
“I wish you’d fucking stop saying that. I know you Jessyka, with a y-k-a, Allen. I know I can’t keep you by my side 24/7. It’s not practical for either of us. But for the next couple of days I can. We’ll talk through what happened with you. We’ll talk about Tabitha. You’ll cry and let me hold you while you do it and my team will make sure Brian knows he’s never to contact you again. Once that’s done, we’ll figure out what to do about your living situation. But for now you’re coming back to my apartment and I don’t want to hear anything else about it.”
Benny took a deep breath and looked quickly at Jess to see what affect his words had on her. Incredibly she was smiling.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Thank you, Kason. I had no idea where I was going to go tonight. So thank you for taking that burden from me for the moment.”
“You’re welcome. Now shut your eyes and relax.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“Yeah, well this time when you open them we’ll be at my house instead of a park.”
Jessyka did as Kason asked, and was asleep within moments.
Chapter Five
Jess came awake slowly. She turned her head and opened her eyes only to see Kason watching her from the driver’s seat of the car.
“Oh, are we here?”
“Yeah.”
When he didn’t say anything else, Jess asked, “Are we going in?”
“Yeah. You just looked so peaceful and relaxed, I didn’t want to wake you up.” Kason lifted a hand and brushed Jess’s hair behind
Silver Flame (Braddock Black)