No Safe Haven

“You need stitches.”

“Sarah is my priority. Head downtown,” Jessica instructed him.

“Fine.” He didn’t bother arguing with her. They’d butted heads enough times for him to know that once Jessica Taylor made up her mind there was little chance of changing it, especially when it concerned the safety of someone she’d vowed to protect.

She directed him toward an area off State Street. Tucked between a printing company and a storage facility was a brick office building with the painted title “Dean’s Den” on the front. He parked and Jessica jumped out of the car, obviously intent on proving she wasn’t hurt. She wobbled a bit but waved off any offer of help. He opened the back door and helped Sarah out. He put his arm around her, noting as he did her small frame. She’d always been petite, but today he could feel her bones. When was the last time she’d eaten?

At the front door, Jessica rang the bell. “Because this is an emergency shelter, we have a lot of different safety measures. This is one of them. No one comes in or out without signing the log.”

The door opened and a dark-eyed girl who looked to be no more than twenty let them inside.

“This is my assistant, Mia. If I’m not available she can handle anything you need,” Jessica said. “Mia, this is Sarah and her brother. Sarah is going to be staying with us.” Jessica continued to spout information as they walked down the hall. “We also have a state-of-the-art alarm system, security monitors and safety glass for the windows.”

“Sounds like prison,” Sarah muttered beside him.

Jessica, obviously hearing that comment, led them to a window overlooking the common area where several women were gathered around the coffee table while a small child played with blocks on the floor nearby. Jessica’s face softened as she addressed Sarah’s concerns. “We have a large kitchen, a play area for kids, daily Bible study plus a weekly support group. We’re currently housing five other women and four children. You’re not a prisoner here, but it is safer for you to remain inside as much as possible.”

Sarah nodded her understanding then turned back to staring at the child. Having always wanted children, she had a soft spot for them.

“Would you like to see the rest of the facility?” Jessica asked.

Before Sarah could say yes, Andrew stepped in. “We don’t need the tour. I’m taking her home with me.”

Jessica’s eyes pierced him as she looked his way. “That’s a bad idea. We have the resources to protect her. Isn’t that what you want?”

He wasn’t in the mood to argue. He’d made up his mind. Sarah was not staying. But before he could voice his objection, Sarah spoke.

“She’s right. Robert doesn’t know about this place. He won’t know to look for me here.”

“Sarah, I can protect you.”

“Staying here sounds a lot safer than being locked up in your apartment. Besides, what about your job? What will I do when you have to go to work? I don’t want to be there alone. At least here I have other people to talk to.”

He took her hands and squeezed them reassuringly. “We’ll work all that out. I want you to come home with me.”

She looked to Jessica then slipped her hands from his. “I think this is the best choice for me right now. What if Robert returns and you’re not there...like you weren’t last night.”

All the air left his lungs at her statement. He’d promised to keep her safe and he’d already failed her.

Jessica motioned toward Mia. “Will you show Sarah to a room?”

Sarah turned to go with the girl then ran back to Andrew and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, big brother, for everything. I love you.”

The urge to pray for her safety flooded him, a leftover remnant of his old life. He shoved that urge back far down in the depths of his soul. Who would he be praying to, anyway? An absent God that didn’t hear his prayers? Or a God that heard but allowed bad things to happen anyway? Prayer had done nothing to save the woman he’d loved, and he wasn’t going to depend on it for his sister’s safety, either.

He turned to face Jessica. Was he really ready to depend on her to make sure Sarah was out of harm’s way?

Jessica, at least, unlike God, had never let him down.

* * *

Jessica saw his pained expression as Sarah disappeared around the corner. That look of protectiveness caught her breath as she realized this entire situation was too familiar for comfort.

Overprotective brother.

Vulnerable sister.

And a dangerous, obsessed abuser.

She’d been here before, and it had not turned out well.

“So what do we do now?” Andrew asked turning back to her.

“Now we wait.” Jessica motioned him into her office. Once there, she kicked off her heels and enjoyed the coolness of the concrete floor on her tired feet. She slid into her desk chair and watched as Andrew swept her office with a critical eye. It wasn’t much. Everything from the couch to the bookshelves had been donated, but Jessica had tried to give the room a homey feel with a few throw rugs and photographs. She’d tried to do the same throughout the shelter. Donated didn’t have to mean trashy.

“What do you mean we wait? Wait for what?”

“For Robert to make his move.”

“What kind of move?”

“Generally one of three things happen—he’ll decide it isn’t worth it and move on to someone else—”

“I like that.”

“Or he’ll see the error of his ways and agree to go to counseling and anger management classes.”

She smiled at the way his expression changed from optimistic encouragement to disgust and loathing.

“I don’t care for that one, either.” She finished her list. “Or he’ll continue escalating, in which case we’ll have to make different arrangements for Sarah.”

“You forgot the one where he goes to jail and stays there.”

“I wish it were that simple.” She folded her arms and looked at him. He wasn’t some ordinary person off the street. He was a prosecutor. He knew better than anyone how the system worked. “You of all people know we’re not going to get more than a misdemeanor charge for this assault.”

He pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning his elbows into his knees and letting out a long, weary sigh. “I know. But I also know he won’t stop. He’s—what did you call it—escalating.”

“I agree.” She’d caught the evil intent in his eye. They hadn’t seen the last of him yet. “Tomorrow morning we’ll take Sarah down to the precinct so she can give her statement and swear out a complaint against him. She refused to do it at the hospital. It’s not much but it might keep him confined a little while longer. I will also notify the police that he violated his restraining order.”

“Do I need to be there?”

“No.”

“Good. I’ve got court in the morning.”

“Really?” She marveled at how clueless he was. “Didn’t you tell Sarah you could protect her if she went home with you? How were going to do that from the courthouse?” She could see his mind working, searching for an answer. Finally, he looked at her, his face set and determined. “I would do anything to get her away from that man.” He locked eyes with her. “Anything.”

A shiver raced up her spine at his determination to protect Sarah. Anything was a dangerous mantra to live by.

“Why didn’t you call me? I could have intervened before now.”

He pulled his hand through his hair. “I thought I could handle it. I tried to talk to her. I tried to convince her to leave him, but she wouldn’t.”

She got up and walked around the desk, towered over him as he sat. “What you did, Counselor, was to put me and your sister in jeopardy because you’re dealing with a psychology you don’t understand.”

“I put you in jeopardy?” He rose from his seat. “You placed yourself in a dangerous situation that you didn’t need to be in. But that’s nothing new for you, is it? Everyone in town knows you thrive on putting yourself at risk.”

“You’re the one who put me at risk when you didn’t get Sarah to the car like I said. You should have been out of the house and in the car before that situation had a chance to escalate.”

“What kind of man would I be if I left you to fight that maniac alone?”

Indignation swept through her. How dare he turn this around on her? “Don’t give me that macho bravado spin. You wanted him to see you leave with Sarah. You wanted him to know that you were going to stop him.”

“I did what I had to do to protect my sister.”

Without her heels, she had to look up at him, but that didn’t stop her from locking eyes with him and issuing a stern warning. “Your form of protection is going to get someone killed.”

She didn’t realize she was yelling until a voice from the doorway interrupted their conversation. “Children, children, behave.” They both turned at the reproach. Her friend Margo was standing in the doorway. She’d been the first friend Jessica made when she came to Jackson from Atlanta. She’d been instrumental in helping start and fund the shelter. Slim and athletic, she didn’t need the badge or gun at her hip to exude authority. It flowed from her personality.

Margo stepped between them. “I’m calling a time-out for you two kids. What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” They both spoke in unison then turned away.

She glanced at Jessica and smirked as if knowing how childish Jessica felt at that moment. Margo always treated her like a mother hen and now she’d caught her playing tug-of-war with the school yard bully.

“Margo, this is Andrew Jennings. Andrew, this is my friend Detective Margo Stephens.”

He held out his hand but all Margo returned was a cold stare. “I know who you are. You let Tim Meadows slide with a three-month probation on misdemeanor assault.”

He pulled his hand back. “We almost didn’t get that. As I recall, Mrs. Meadows refused to testify about how she received her injuries. All we had to prosecute was the bystander he punched.”

She turned back to Jessica. “What’s he doing here?”

“I’m helping his sister.” She saw the surprised look Margo gave her. “Sarah needs help, regardless of who her brother is.”

Margo’s eyes widened and she rushed to Jessica’s side. “You’re bleeding.”

Jessica touched the spot on her head. The pain had already faded from a jackhammer into an ice pick jabbing into one spot on her temple. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”

She pulled away from Margo’s grasp, hating being treated like a child for the second time today. “No, I’m going home. I can’t wait for a long soak in a hot bath. After that, I’ll be fine.”

“Well, where is your car? It wasn’t in the parking lot.”

She’d forgotten. They’d left in Andrew’s car. “I had to leave it.”

Margo sighed. “Give me the address. I’ll go get it and bring it to you after my shift ends.”

She scribbled down the address and handed it to Margo along with a spare set of keys.

“I’ll take you home,” Andrew offered.

Margo turned to him. “She is not going anywhere with you, Counselor.”

Usually, Jessica didn’t allow anyone to know where she lived, but Andrew wasn’t just anyone. She knew him and despite their differences on past cases, he wasn’t the type to hand out her private address.

Plus his offer would save her from the loving rebuke Margo was sure to give her on the car ride to her house.

You have to be more careful, Jessica.

You have to think about your safety, Jessica.

Her friend meant well, but Jessica was too tired and too sore to argue tonight. “Thank you for the offer, Andrew. I accept.”

Margo shot her a curious look but didn’t belabor the point. “I’ll see you later, then.”

Jessica let Mia know they were leaving then walked with Andrew to his car.

But as he opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside, she realized how uncharacteristically quick she’d agreed to let him drive her. She’d trusted him so easily and not only because she knew him in a professional sense. She’d seen beneath the shell of the man he projected to the media and the courtroom and she’d caught a glimpse into his soul. Since the moment he’d pulled Sarah into his arms, ever since she’d seen the protectiveness in him, her opinion of him had been altered. He was no longer just the spoiled rich golden boy of the D.A.’s office. He was more than that now. He now possessed a quality that made him even more attractive than good looks or charm or expensive suits could ever do.

Or had he always had that quality and she’d just never noticed?

She recalled that moment in the car when he’d touched her face, his fingers gentle and nimble on her wound. He’d leaned so close she could hear the pounding of his heart and feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. Her heart fluttered at the memory just as it had at the moment.

She blew out a breath and turned her head away as Andrew started the car and drove.

Maybe getting into the car with him again wasn’t such a good idea. She had to remain strong and in control. She wouldn’t allow herself to become one of the many women falling over themselves to get Andrew Jennings to notice her.

TWO

Jessica directed him toward a subdivision outside of town. The neighborhood seemed quaint and quiet with rows of older houses. Jessica pointed to a white single-storied house with a large front porch as hers.

He parked in the driveway, then shut off the engine.

“Thank you for the ride,” she said, then opened the door and hopped out without waiting for him.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” Andrew said, getting out and following her.

She stopped him at the porch steps. “That’s not necessary.”

“I should be going, anyway. Thank you for your help with Sarah today. I’ve been trying for months to get her to leave Robert. You’re right. I should have come to you sooner.”

She stopped him as he turned to walk away. “Why didn’t you?”

For months he’d worried about Sarah, pleaded with her to get help. He’d even picked up the phone to call Jessica several times. He shrugged and admitted the truth. “You and I have been at odds so many times I suppose I was afraid you might turn me away, and I didn’t know what I would do if you did that.”

“Andrew, we’ve had our disagreements over cases, but why would you think I would turn you down? We’re not enemies. We’re both on the same side—helping people.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it and a singe of electricity rushed through him, kick-starting his pulse into high gear. Her touch had had a calming effect on him earlier but was now having the opposite effect.

“Really? Tell that to your friend Margo.”

“Margo is just very passionate. She knew Alicia Meadows. She’d counseled her several times. Then, she was one of the detectives who responded to the scene the day Tim Meadows shot her then himself.”

“I wish I could have done more to protect her. If there had been anything else—”

“You did what you could. Sometimes the law just isn’t enough.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. Was she implying she would go outside the law to protect those in her care?

Or that she had?

Jessica spun at the crunch of leaves on the other side of the porch. He saw her—felt it really—tense. Her eyes widened and she gripped the railing. He would almost say it was fear that crossed her face.

But before he could check to see who was approaching, he heard the distinct yapping of a dog.

Jessica seemed to relax at that sound. “It’s just my next door neighbor.”

A moment later, a robust, elderly, grandmotherly type woman appeared in the light, a tiny Yorkshire on a leash yapping and dancing at her feet. “Hush, Marlon,” she scolded the dog.

Jessica leaned over the railing. “Hello, Mrs. Brady. How are you tonight?”

She smiled a genuine smile that stretched across her face. “I’m doing very well, Jessica. I was in a baking mood today so I made this for the girls at the shelter. I thought they could use a little treat.” She handed Jessica the cake plate she was carrying. “It’s Pineapple Upside Down cake.”

“I’m sure they’ll love it, Mrs. Brady. Thank you.”

The older woman glanced up at him. The look of curiosity on her face told him that finding Jessica with a man at her house wasn’t a common occurrence.

Jessica was quick to introduce him. “This is A.D.A. Andrew Jennings. We are working on a case together.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Brady.”

“Yes, nice to meet you, too.” She turned back to Jessica. “My ladies’ group is also knitting some mittens for the children. I know it’s warm today but we’ve already had two cold snaps and it’s only October.”

“That’s very kind of you. I know they’ll appreciate it.”

Mrs. Brady aimed her next comments toward him. “Since Mr. Brady passed away I haven’t had much to occupy my days except doing for others. I wasn’t blessed with children of my own so I’ve got no grandbabies to spoil. My sister has been hounding me for years to move in with her, but all her family is up north and it’s too cold there. No, Marlon and I are very happy here, aren’t we, Marlon?”

The little dog yapped his response.

“Would you like to come inside for a moment?”

“No, thank you. I’m right in the middle of pounding out pie crusts. I was watching out my window to make sure I saw when you came home. I wanted to catch you to give you that cake.” She picked up her dog. “I really should get back. Take care.”

Jessica watched until she and Marlon made it to her house. She placed the dish on the railing. “Her kitchen overlooks my yard so she can see people coming or going.”

“It’s nice to have people watching out for you.”

“In my line of work it’s a necessity. Who knows when some angry, vengeful husband or boyfriend might decide to follow me home? I have all the necessary precautions—alarm system, dead bolts, timed lights, even an automatic garage-door opener—but it’s still nice to know I’ve got another pair of eyes looking out for me.”

“I guess you make a lot of enemies in your job. You certainly made one in Robert today.”

“I know. It’s a risk of my job.”

A risk she was only too willing to take. Just like Tory. “I should go. I have to be in court tomorrow morning. I’m in the middle of a case.”

“Yes, the Trevino trial. How is that going?”

“Good. Jury selection is over. We start opening remarks tomorrow.”

“I’ll be at the courthouse tomorrow. Maybe I’ll see you.”

He nodded then turned and walked away. He avoided looking back at the house as he headed to his car but heard the sound of the door close.

His brain swam with conflicting thoughts. He’d worked with Jessica many times before and her presence had never elicited this kind of reaction in him. In fact, she usually had the effect of annoying and frustrating him in their dealings. But today something had been different between them, something that had left him both electrified and apprehensive at the same time.

He’d spent the two years since Tory’s death throwing himself into work and avoiding personal contact. Today, he’d crossed that boundary without even seeing the line.

It was time to focus on his case again. But at least he knew Sarah was in good hands.

* * *

Jessica hit the light switch and scanned the room carefully before coming inside and locking the door behind her. Nothing seemed out of place. The butterfly on her prayer quilt was upright on her chair. The books on the window ledge were in order by title. No one would get through the window without her knowing. Her laptop was closed, the pen intentionally placed atop it still in its position.

Yet she had the eerie feeling someone was watching her and she thought she smelled men’s cologne.

Get a grip, Jessica.

It was probably only the aftereffects of her confrontation with Robert Young, but her emotions were on edge.

She checked the rest of the house but found no evidence that anyone had been there. Convinced she was imagining the strange scent, she set the pineapple upside down cake on the coffee table, certain Mrs. Brady had brought over that cake only as a means to check on her. It wasn’t every day— In fact, she’d never before brought a man to her home.

She should have invited him in for coffee. It was innocent and she trusted Andrew. And after the day’s events with Robert Young, the house seemed so dark and empty. She was tired of doing her usual routine of checking behind every door and inside every closet just to assure herself that no one was there. For once, she wanted to return home without being afraid.

Dean’s Den was her baby, her ministry, but even though she routinely stayed there for days on end, she enjoyed having a home of her own, a sanctuary where she could hide out and recharge after confronting so much violence and suffering.

But lately, she’d been praying about whether or not to keep it.

Was it right for her to have such a place when those she counseled had none? She sighed, thinking of the greater benefit her rent money could go to—new bed sheets, more games for the kids, another counseling room.

And even though she’d felt God leading her in that direction, He hadn’t yet provided her the clear sign she needed to make the change.

She was usually keyed up after a difficult confrontation, but something about this encounter felt different to her. She’d taken out her frustration on Andrew back at the shelter but truthfully it was herself she was mad at. She’d lost her professionalism. She’d looked into Robert’s eyes and seen a familiar face—a face that still haunted her even after all this time.

Mitch.

She rubbed her hand over the goose egg on her temple. Why was all this coming up now? It had more to do with Andrew than it did with Robert. He reminded her so much of Dean in the way he’d held on to Sarah. He’d risked his life and his career to help her.

Just as Dean had once done for her.

She picked up the photograph of her brother from the bookcase. She and Andrew didn’t always have to see eye to eye for her to help him. Whatever she had to do she vowed she would do it. She would not allow Andrew to give up his life to protect Sarah.

Her stomach clutched as a wave of loneliness enveloped her. She was twenty-six years old. Her heart insisted that was too young to give up on love, but her mind knew better. She’d already been down that road once before only to have it end in tragedy. She had no illusions about love and relationships.

Yet when she’d stared into Andrew’s fierce green eyes...

She pushed those thoughts away. Of course he was handsome. Every woman in the television viewing area knew he was handsome.

But she would never again be fooled by a handsome face and boyish charm.

* * *

Leslie Wells, the receptionist at the district attorney’s office, met Andrew as he walked through the door. “He wants to see you.”

Andrew glanced at his watch. He’d been gone for several hours after getting Sarah’s messages. He didn’t even bother going to his office first to drop off his coat and briefcase. He knocked on Bill’s door then stepped inside. “You wanted to see me?”

Bill Foster leaned back in his chair, folded his arms and studied Andrew. “You didn’t answer my calls.”

“I know. I apologize. I had an emergency.

“You know who does return my calls? Jason Clark. He said you didn’t come back after the lunch recess then went missing most of the afternoon.”

Andrew grimaced. Jason Clark was a first-year attorney fresh out of law school with a lot of ambition and an oversize ego. “I had an emergency with my sister.” He hated using that excuse again but he had no choice. He’d kept Bill in the loop about what was happening with Sarah and, so far, his boss had been reasonable about giving him the necessary time. But with the election season about to go into full swing and Bill eyeing the state’s attorney general position, Andrew knew he had to watch his step. “I can assure you everything is fine now. Sarah is safe and my focus is now solely on this trial.”