Jag
Unfuckingbelievable. The sight of Sunni or Sasha made me sick, tore me up inside until I felt like I was bleeding in front of everyone at the police station. I never saw this coming. Wouldn’t have guessed it.
Layla hasn’t spoken a word between her sobs. Each one rubs me raw to the point I’m about to lose my fucking shit.
“Like I said, we have a full confession from Sasha. Your cooperation has been priceless bringing her in. This time she won’t see the light of the day.” Jaco holds out his hand to me.
Boss nudges me in the back, snapping me into action. I jet out my hand and shake his. “Thank you for everything.”
I have to get out of this stifling office before I lose my mind. Everything is all too consuming, causing me to suffocate. I’m pissed I didn’t drive my truck and had to be surrounded by people in Boss’ Escalade. Once the doors shut and Boss fires up the engine, I send my fist into the dashboard. Not once but three times until blood oozes from my knuckles and the entire surface is shattered.
I throw my head back and roar in anger. “This is fucking bullshit.”
I punch the dashboard again, leaving behind crimson red smudges. My cell phone rings on cue.
“You better have some damn answers,” I roar.
“Jag, you did good. I know that wasn’t easy,” Ruddick responds.
“I’m two seconds away from storming back into that station and laying out that smug bastard. I need answers, or it’s happening.”
“I can meet you in twenty minutes at your apartment. Jaco has a date he will be distracted with.”
“One minute late and I’m hunting him down. It won’t be pretty.” I end the call and toss the cellphone into the dash. The screen shatters on contact. Once it lands on the floorboard, I stomp the shit out of it.
“Calm down.” Boss keeps his attention focused on the road ahead. “This shit ain’t helping a thing.”
“Did you see her?” I roar. “Her face. She’s been beaten. Sunni fucking pleaded with me, and I turned my back. Do you know how fucking hard that was?”
“Can’t imagine, son.” He flicks on the blinker. “Beating the shit out of my car isn’t going to solve a damn thing. Keep yelling and get it out. Trust what Ruddick has in place.”
Hands wrap around me. Layla lies her head on my shoulder from the backseat. Her cries are softer, and her tears soak my t-shirt. The bomb that was dropped on us when Sunni was arrested shattered us. Ruddick turned everything upside down hours later. Still can’t wrap my fucking head around it.
“I want you guys to stay.” I drop my head back on the headrest. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to control myself.”
I slam three beers by the time Detective Ruddick shows up. Boss knocked me on my ass when I went for the fourth one. Layla’s tears dried up, and now we sit in silence. When the doorbell rings, I’m up and off the couch and fly to the door. Ruddick doesn’t wait to be welcomed in before walking into my home. He cuts the bullshit, sensing the impending temper I’ve had to keep tamped down. I pace back and forth while he updates us.
“We need four more days.” He holds a hand up to me. “Before you blow, Jag, listen to me. Jaco trusts me. He’s been feeding me all sorts of details about all the shit he’s done. It’s like he’s bragging about it. Sasha…”
“Her name is Sunni,” I correct him. She picked that name for a reason while she was hiding. She’ll always be my Sunni.
He nods his head and continues. “Sunni is just skimming the surface of how crooked Jaco is. I have enough evidence to set her free but just need a bit more time to get access to his laptop to put him away for life.”
“Then fucking get it,” I blurt.
“Jaco isn’t dumb. Someone like him has played his cards well over the years. He’s smart and calculating. Like I said before, he’s enjoying bragging to me. The more intel I collect, the longer the list, ensuring there’s no way he can get his way out of it.
“Why four days?” Boss stands, folding his arms over his chest.
“He’s training local officers here before we go back to Iowa. He’ll have his work laptop with him. It’s his personal one I need to get my hands on. Jaco will be distracted, giving me the perfect opportunity to grab it and download files.”
“So, my woman sits in fucking jail until then? Did she get medical treatment for her face? She doesn’t belong in there.”
“Give me four days, Jag, to get my hands on his laptop. I caught everything on camera. Jaco assumes I’m a slacker and let him run the show. It plays right into his over-the-top ego.”
“What do you mean video?” I quit pacing and grip my hair, ready to pull it out.
“I think it’s best you don’t know.”
I eat up the distance between us in three long strides, grab his tie, and slam him against a wall. It takes everything inside of me not to butt his face with mine.
“Talk.”
“Jag, Jesus, do you have a death wish?” Hands yank me from the detective. “Not going to be any good sitting your ass in jail. Sit your ass down and shut your mouth.”
Boss shoves me into the couch, all the while glaring. “Move or open your mouth, and I’ll knock your ass out.”
He turns to Ruddick. “Do you have enough to clear Sunni’s name right now?”
“Yes, sir.” His voice shakes. “The parent of the child she was charged with molesting in Iowa came forward, telling us Jaco threatened her and paid her off to come up with the story. I have plenty of recordings of Jaco incriminating himself plus him knocking her around.”
“And you made me play nice with that son of a bitch?” I roar.
Before I have the chance to leap from the couch, Boss makes good on this threat. His fist collides with my jaw, sending my head snapping to the side. Cocksucker rung my bell real good.
“Turn it in. All that matters is Sunni is cleared and released. I don’t want her spending an extra minute in that hell hole if she doesn’t have to,” Boss says with finality.
“She will be cleared. However, it’s not a promise that Jaco will be put away for life.”
Boss jerks his chin. “We will keep her safe. She’s family. A member of Diablo’s Throne. She’s ours, and I want her out of jail as soon as possible.”
“Understood. Not what I had hoped for, but I get where you’re coming from. I’ll turn in the evidence to my supervisor. It will all take time. Give me at least twenty-four hours to get her out.” Ruddick turns for the door.
“Detective Ruddick, if you happen to have five minutes with Jaco in a secluded room with no cameras, we’d appreciate it,” Cruz adds.
“I’ll keep that in mind. It wasn’t easy watching him harm her. Took everything in me to keep my cover. I believe in redemption, boys, even though I’m on this side of the law.” With that, he shuts the door.
Layla and Cruz eventually go home to Bella. Boss and I don’t move from the couch. The shock and reality of the situation have soaked in. Sure as shit I Googled Sasha Brown. Sunni’s face stared back at me on the registered sex offender list. Jaco was full of shit. She was registered in this county. Not sure how many laws she was breaking by going by Sunni and getting paid under the table at her two jobs. But what other choice did she have? She’s innocent. What other options did she have at a halfway normal life?
Dread creeps up the back of my throat, slithering and slinking until it nearly chokes me. That bastard had been tracking her this whole time as she moved from town to town trying to find a new life and registering as a sex offender. He toyed with her, haunted her every thought. It’s a fucking miracle she stayed with me as long as she did.
I close my eyes, remembering all the times she was on the verge of opening up and how frustrated I was on the inside. It all makes sense. I would’ve freaked if she told me the truth. The facts are on the official website.
Convicted criminals always claim their innocence. Deep down, I wouldn’t have believed her. I know myself well enough I would’ve flipped my lid going insane over the fact she’s been around Bella. All of my common sense would fade into rage and hatred. I know this all too well from the initial shock before Ruddick filled us in. I’d never been torn in half and shattered within a matter of minutes.
My cell phone rings. It’s not Sunni’s customized ringtone, so I don’t budge. Boss groans, leaning forward to grab it.
“Jag’s phone.”
Silence.
“On our way.” He tosses the phone on the table. “We gotta go, Jag.”
“Is she being released already?” I glance to the microwave to see it’s three in the morning. Neither of us has slept a wink.
“No.” He jogs out the door.
I’m trailing behind him, asking question after question, only to be ignored.
He fires up the engine and squeals the tires as he pulls out on the road.
“What is going on?” I flex my fist. The scab-crusted knuckles flex and seep blood.
“Not telling you, so shut the fuck up.”
“You are scaring the shit out of me.”
He doesn’t respond as he pulls into the emergency room lane. I’m shocked when Boss reaches over and wraps his hand around my throat, applying light pressure.
“You react, and I’ll squeeze tighter until you pass out. You got me?”
I nod.
“That was Ruddick.” He closes his eyes. “Sunni was found in her cell. She hung herself. A guard found her after her she did it and cut the sheet free. She was transported here for medical attention. Ruddick rushed the papers. Jaco is in custody. He’s waiting on a signature from the judge to clear Sunni. We can’t see her or get any updates until it’s signed. He’ll call us back as soon as she’s cleared. I gave him my number since your phone is trashed and I could barely hear him.”
I struggle under his grip, needing to race through that hospital and find my girl.
“Don’t push me, Jag.” He tightens his grip. “We aren’t getting out of this car until we are cleared. I don’t need you losing your mind in there and getting put in jail. It will take some time. She’ll have guards with her until the judge signs those papers.”
I nod.
“Can I let go?”
I shake my head, knowing damn well what I’d do. His cell phone begins ringing. Boss reaches for it with his free hand.
“Boss,” he answers, flipping the phone to speaker mode.
“They have him. Send your boys. You have thirty minutes to get to the loading bay off of Fifth and five minutes alone with him.” Ruddick’s voice is hushed and hurried.
“I’m letting go, but I swear to God, Jag, I’ll take you down. Keep your head on straight. Sunni is going to need you.”
I stiffen in my seat. I can’t focus on Sunni and the fact she may have permanently damaged herself. The flat emptiness from Boss’ cellphone fills the cab. Cruz picks up on the third ring. It sounds as if sleep never came for him either. It’s downright disgusting what has transpired.
“You and Trick need to head down to the loading bay on Fifth. Ruddick has a little gift for you. Shit has happened. Fill you in later, but Sunni tried to kill herself. I’m here at the hospital with Jag. We need five minutes of your and Trick’s time.”
“Done. Let me grab Riot from his apartment to stay with Layla and Bella. I don’t fucking trust Landon Chandler. I’m telling you he’s mixed up in this shit.”
“Good call. Tell Riot to stay awake and alert.”
“Got it.” Cruz hangs up the phone.
My elbows dig into the top of my thighs, and I bury my face in my hands. “What did he do to her? Her face was so swollen and cut up. I turned my back on her. I know without asking that’s what pushed her over the edge. No doubt.”
“More than likely,” Boss agrees.
“Fuck you.” I dig my fingertips into my forehead.
“You can look at it two ways, Jag. What we had to do sucked. It took a toll on all of us keeping this ruse. Shit, I can’t even tell you if it’s been twenty-four hours since it happened. Without Ruddick and his agents, you’d believe the worst of the story. We’d all be torn over the fact if Bella had been harmed and then punish ourselves for allowing a predator in her life.”
“What’s your point?” I sit up and tap my fingers on my workout pants.
“None of that happened.”
“No, she tried killing herself because I broke a promise to her. Turned my fucking back, played nice with Jaco, and pushed her into taking her own life.”
“Yeah, you did. Gonna wallow in that shit the rest of your life? I’d hope not. It looks to me like you’re getting a second chance, and I wouldn’t waste it on regrets and what should have beens.”
We fall silent. Talking in circles only gets you so damn far. Boss is right. Not if but when we come out on the other side of this, I won’t be wasting time on regrets or kicking myself in the ass. Once Sunni is in my arms, our new future begins.
An orange and neon pink glow lights up the horizon, causing me to squint and rub at my eyes. Neither of us has spoken another word.
“Know what that reminds me of?” Boss points to the rising majestic sun.
“No.”
“Remember those fights I’d have to drive eight to ten hours to? I’d load you and Layla up. Madré would pack enough food for an army. We’d drive for hours. Always started the trip at ten at night.
“You and Layla would fight for a bit before falling sound asleep. Madré would follow suit not long after. I’d be the only one watching the sunrise as I drove. Damn, it would hurt my eyes. It’s a bright like you’ve never experienced after staring into the dark for hours on end.
“It’s also my favorite part of the day. Gave me hope and courage to continue on, and with each rise of the sun, I watched you and Layla grow into strong and confident adults. It’s these few seconds every day I take to ground myself. What you’re about to face isn’t going to be easy, Jag. I’m not going to warn you away from it, either, because I know you love her. And I ain’t in no position to tell you she’s not right for you. My heart has belonged to a woman who never loved me back.”
I glance over to Boss. Over the years, the man has given me plenty of speeches. He’s never talked about his ex-wife. It’s a known secret she shredded his heart years ago. Titan’s Tribe brought her back on the scene last year. The bitch didn’t have the decency to try and make things right before she skipped town again. I guess in her way she did everything she could and was smart enough to know there’d be no forgiveness for her.
“You still love her?” I ask, staring forward at the bright sky.
“Yeah, always will. She gave me Layla. There’s no way I could’ve fallen out of love with her. She may be evil but gifted me the world, the way I see it.”
“You’re a better man than me, Boss.” My eyelids flutter shut. Images of Sunni in one of my crude t-shirts while she dances around my kitchen fill the dark space. Her carefree laugh and endless love she gave me. My body relaxes as the warmth of the now-awake sun streams through the car window.
A loud rapping on the driver’s side window startles me awake. I leap from the reclined position, nailing my head on the roof. Ruddick steps back from the door. Sleep lines cover his face as heavy dark-lined bags rest under his eyes.
“She’s been released and is being transported to a different wing in the hospital. Jaco is in custody. Seems he suffered a severe beating and mugging right before he was picked up. Broken bones and some serious lacerations are his major injuries. He’ll be treated at the jail since Sunni is here. She’ll be in room two-twenty-five.”
Once he speaks the room number, I leap from the Escalade. A few security guards holler at me as I bolt by. I slam the up button on the elevator over and over until I spot a sign for the stairs. I take them two and three at a time. My body screams in protest from my sore muscles from the fight. It doesn’t slow me down.
I am gasping for breath by the time I’m standing outside her room. What am I going to say? This is so fucked up. I tug at the hair on top of my head, lost for words. It’s rare for me. Instead of second-guessing every thought, my will to see Sunni wins out. I push the door open and step in the still and sterile room. Sunni’s hair is matted to the side of her head. Monitors chirp and sing with each rise and fall of her chest.
My steps are tentative as I make my way to her side. She rolls her head when I near her. The side of her face resembles complete raw hamburger. It’s swollen more, and the bruising has taken on deep shades of blue and purple. I notice a few lines of stitches that weren’t there yesterday.
Her neck is bandaged. She opens her mouth, and nothing comes out. She doesn’t stop until words do.
“I’m sorry. I never harmed Bella. I love her.” She brings her hand to her throat, clutching it over thick wrap. “I never did any of it. Jaco is evil.”
“Sunni, stop.” I lean over the bed, cupping her good cheek and leaning as close to her face as I can without hurting her. “I know, baby girl, I know.”
“You do?”
“It’s a long story, but the lesson of it is don’t fuck with my girl.”
Sunni’s lips tilt up, then she grimaces. “It hurts. Everything hurts.”
“Let me talk, and you listen.” I hold her the best I can as I tell her everything, not leaving out one single detail.
“I hoped like hell when I said ‘I gotcha’ that you’d pick up on it. You were too distraught, and I was forced to keep up the act of being pissed to keep Jaco fooled. Ruddick wanted to keep it going for four more days to get more information. Boss said no, and we started the process to get you out.” I kiss every inch of her face that’s not marred with bruises and cuts. I repeat the pattern since most of her skin is covered.
“Why did you do it, baby girl?” I close my eyes, not able to look in hers when she answers me.
“He threatened to come by my cell tonight and rape me. I was at the lowest point of my life.” Her hand comes up to my cheek. Her thumb runs light circles. I keep my eyes shut. “I had lost you and was hell-bent on not letting Jaco have any more power over me. He ruined me.”
I open my eyes and kiss Sunni again. My lips are going to be sore as hell, because I’m not going to be able to keep them off her. “He’s in jail. He’ll never hurt you again. Jaco will be going away for a very long time. You have a family now who loves and adores you.”
The door opens. A middle-aged man in blue scrubs walks in. His glasses are perched on the bridge of his nose, his attention sucked in by the tablet in his hands.
“Sunni.” He nods. “Doing night rounds and wanted to see how your pain level is.”
“I ache more than I hurt if that makes sense. Definitely stiff and beyond exhausted. It’s hard to keep my eyes open. They’re heavy.”
“All to be expected. How’s your neck feeling?”
“Sore,” she answers.
“I need to talk with you about your condition.” He looks directly at me, asking me silently to leave.
“He can stay,” Sunni says, grabbing my arm. “Jag is my boyfriend, and anything you have to say, you can say in front of him.”
He nods and powers up the iPad in his hands. “Anytime with a suicide attempt, there’s mental evaluations and counseling involved. I’ve been brought up to speed on your background. Counseling will be beneficial in your overall wellness.”
Sunni nods.
“Once you’re cleared with a psych evaluation, you’ll be ready to go home. The hospital will provide you with care once you’re home in the form of support groups.”
“I’ll make sure she gets all of it and more. Thank you, doctor.” I stand from the bed and hold out my hand for him to shake. “She’ll be taken good care of.”
“There’s more news. Are you sure it’s okay he’s in here?” The doctor pulls down his glasses, staring over the rims.
His question sets me off. Fucking prick. Who does he think he is?
“It’s more personal. That’s the only reason I’m asking,” he adds.
“He stays,” Sunni croaks out.
“Can she have water?” I ask.
“I’ll have the nurse bring in some ice chips.” The doctor sits in a chair, leaning forward on his elbows. “You’re pregnant.”