Chapter 17: Jenni

I left the diner early, telling Hank that I had to go check up on Samuel.

Word spread fast in Kent, and I found my father asking me all sorts of questions the minute I walked into the diner. I tried to answer them as best as I could, and although he seemed a little skeptical about the fact that I had spent the night at the Logan house, he didn’t seem to mind too much. At least not enough to lecture me, which I thought was just fine.

My father and Samuel went way back. They had grown up together, went to the same college, and had both decided to stay in Kent and raise their families here. Poker nights, town council meetings and school events, the two of them were always side by side. Which was why I was not surprised when he wouldn’t let me get to work until he was completely satisfied that he had learned everything I had to offer.

“I’ll come with you,” he said as I told him that I was leaving.

“No, don’t,” I said, a little too quickly, forcing a confused frown on his face. “Samuel’s still in the ICU and I don’t want you seeing him like this. It’s heartbreaking.”

“He’s one of my oldest friends, Jenni, don’t be absurd,” Hank shot angrily.

“I know, dad,” I replied. “But honestly, I wouldn’t go either if not for Kelly. She needs me by her side, and Alex is as emotionless as they come.” The lie felt a little too pushed.

“Really?” Hank scratched his chin. “Wouldn’t have guessed.”

“No, not generally, I mean right now,” I hurried to correct. “Listen, it’s a difficult time for them. Give them some space, and as soon as I’m sure Samuel’s awake, I’ll let you know.”

Hank thought about this for a few seconds, then nodded. “Okay, but keep me posted,” he said, pointing a finger at me.

“Promise,” I replied, hastily making my way out of the diner and jumping into my car.

Close one, Jenni.

In all honesty, I believe my father’s visit would have been generally welcomed, and when I had called Kelly, she told me that Samuel was already awake and making jokes about looking like the bicentennial man. Even Alex sounded a bit more relieved, although his meeting with Sheriff Baker had gone completely wrong.

Which was why I needed to leave work early.

I pulled out of the parking lot and turned right on North Main Street, driving in the opposite direction of the hospital. Alex’s recount of what had happened at the Sheriff’s office had pissed me off, and I was fuming at the thought of Heath getting away with this just because Garth knew which gears to oil. Although the smart thing was to stay the hell out of all this, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I cared a lot about the Logan’s, and Garth’s audacity was getting to me. Someone had to let him know that not everyone was going to take his shit.

I, for one, was done with it all.

The road twisted and turned as I followed it to the outskirts of town, turning right just before it led me into the woodlands beyond and east towards Warren. The compound Garth was staying in stood out like a sore in the midst of the laid-back beauty of the landscape. Someone had apparently thought it would be a good idea to paint everything in white, and the complex looked like a collection of large chalk blocks surrounded by a wall.

The guard at the gate waved me in without giving me a second look, knowing exactly where I was going and who I was meeting. You didn’t get to fuck Garth Liston without everyone in his direct circle knowing, and I almost felt like a cheap hooker just thinking of that. I couldn’t believe I had let him do the things he had done to me, let alone be somewhat okay with him bragging about it. After my night with Alex, the whole history with Garth felt like a bad dream that left a nasty aftertaste in the back of my throat.

A lot of the houses in the compound were still unoccupied, construction workers walking back and forth as they put finishing touches to them. In a couple of years, driving through here would be like taking a cruise down a posh suburban campus, with front yard wine tastings and teenagers driving with their tops down and their girlfriends on their laps. Hope Enterprises was already starting on another compound further down the main road that eventually led to the universities, and there was talk going around that they had sealed a deal to build the university dorms as well.

All in all, this side of Kent was going to turn into a hub of drunk drivers and frat parties that would make the locals wish they could just detach themselves from the whole thing completely.

I pulled up in front of Garth’s house, the Mustang parked in the driveway where one of his cronies was busy cleaning it. He barely looked up as I got out of my car and made my way to the front door, ringing the bell incessantly.

“For fuck’s sake, shut up!” I heard someone call out, and that made me only ring the bell more.

The door flew open and I stared at the angry face of Heath Collins. He immediately smiled at me. “Jenni, how are you?”

“I’m here to see Garth,” I said, pushing past him.

“Woah, what’s the hurry?” Heath asked, closing the door behind me and following me into the house. “Don’t have time to talk to an old friend?”

“Where is he?” I asked, spinning on my heels and facing him.

Heath gestured with his thumb to the second floor. “Upstairs, taking a nap,” he said. “I could keep you company while you wait.”

“Why?” I asked, pursing my lips. “Can’t find any old men to beat up?”

Heath winced, but his smug smile never left his face. “You heard about that, huh?”

“I need to talk to Garth,” I said, pushing past him and climbing the stairs.

“Always good to see you!” Heath called.

“Fuck you!” I shot back.

I stormed across the second-floor landing and opened the door to Garth’s room, not even bothering to knock. He was lying on his back, clad only in his boxers, snoring up a storm. His cock hung out through the front of his boxers, and I grabbed the closest piece of clothing to me and threw it on top of him.

“Get up!” I yelled.

Garth grunted, his eyes fluttering open as he turned to look at me in confusion. “Jenni?” he croaked, coughing to clear his voice. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” I said, waiting as he stretched and yawned, turning to give me his back.

“Come back later,” he said.

“Now, Garth,” I pressed.

“Whatever.”

I grabbed him by the arm and forced him towards me. He pushed me away angrily, and jumped out of bed, the grace of his movement taking me by surprise. He grabbed my arm forcefully, squeezing so hard it hurt.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he hissed.

I tried to wrestle free, but his grip was like a vice on my arm. “Let me go.”

“Who gave you the fucking right to just walk in here and wake me up?” he spat. “What’s wrong, your pussy on fire or something?”

“Let go!” I yelled, and finally pulled away.

He glared at me, his nostrils flaring and his eyes boring into mine. “You want to talk, then talk,” he said. “Say what you have to say, then get the fuck out. I don’t have time for you.”

“Make it,” I shot back.

He curled his fists. “You’re really getting on my last nerve, Jenni,” he said through clenched teeth. “What do you want?”

“That little piece of shit downstairs,” I said.

“Heath?”

“Yeah, him. I want you to stop standing up for him. You haven’t seen Samuel. You haven’t seen what that asshole did to him.”

Garth shook his head in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You went to Sheriff Blake today,” I shouted at him. “You made it seem like Samuel was some raving dog and Heath needed to protect himself. You lied to the police to cover for that bastard you call a friend. I want you to stop!”

Garth began to laugh. “Is that what this is about?” he asked. “What? Are you trying to help your new boyfriend, or does Alex need a girl to fight his battles for him?”

“I’m not joking, Garth,” I said, pointing a finger in his face. “Turn Heath over and stop acting like a prick.”

“Get that fucking finger out of my face.” Garth slapped my hand away, hard, then grabbed me by the neck, choking me. I gasped in surprise, scratching at his hands as I fought for breath. He pushed me back against the wall.

“Who do you think you are?” he hissed, pushing up against me, his cock pressed against my thigh. I felt a wave of disgust wash over me. “I don’t know what Alex’s convinced you of, what he’s made you think you can do, but I know you. I know everything there is to know about you. Does he know about us? Does he know how you screamed my name when I shoved my cock in that pussy?”

He grabbed me between my legs, and I squirmed, trying to break free. I felt his hand tighten around my neck. My head began to swim.

“Does he know he’s getting sloppy seconds?” Garth said, his lips against my neck, making my skin crawl. “And you’re here for him? Really? Maybe I should take you right here, right now. Fuck you hard the way you like it, fill your pussy my sperm so you can go back to him with it dripping down your thighs. Who knows? Maybe that turns him on?”

I kicked at him, but he was pressed up tight against me, and my efforts were useless.

“Let me say this as slowly, and as clearly as I possibly can, so you get it through that thick head of yours,” he said. He pressed up against me harder, his lips against my ear. “Come here again, and I’ll fucking kill you. Then I’ll kill him. Then I’ll take that little girl of his and show her a good time before I toss her to the others just for fun. Then I’ll kill her, too.”

He let go of me, and I fell onto my knees, gasping for breath. He took a few steps back and looked down at me with a smug smile on his face.

“Now get the fuck out.”

* * *

I got into the parked car just outside the compound gates and broke into tears. I could still feel Garth’s hand around my neck, and I shuddered at the thought of how close he had come to choking me to death.

That went horribly wrong.

I tried to calm down, but my mind spun, and I began to worry that I had just made things worse. I had come here with the belief that I could solve all this just by standing up to Garth, but he had proven that he had no problems killing me if I got in his way. I had always known he could be aggressive, but this was a new side to him that scared the shit out of me.

And he threatened Kelly, too. You really fucked this up.

I slammed my hands against the steering wheel and screamed as loud as I could.

It took me another ten minutes before I was calm enough to drive back home.