Cain (12 page)

~CHAPTER TWELVE~

Cain woke at eleven. He looked at his
cell phone and remembered his appointment with Damon. Rushing out
of the bed and into the shower, he wondered about Julie. When he’d
gone into the bathroom to shower, the condom was still on and he
flushed with need again. He’d hoped that she’d still be in bed with
him when he woke and was disappointed when she wasn’t. He smiled
when he thought about her moving in with him.

Cain was rushing down the stairs when
he saw Quinn and Jazzie at the kitchen table. He needed them to
help him out and thought of the best way to get their help.
Grabbing a glass from the cabinet and pouring some tea from the
refrigerator, he turned to look at them. “I was wondering if one of
you could run Julie into town today? I have to go in to meet Damon
for something and I don’t know how long I’ll be. She needs
some—”

“
I’m not leaving her
there. She can stay with me in my room if I have to. I’ll not leave
her like that again, Cain, and you can’t make me,” Quinn said as
she stood up.

“
I don’t want you to
lea...Christ, Quinn, I want her to move in with me. I don’t want
her on the streets anymore than you do. She is...I mean, I don’t
want...shit. She needs some clothes and I thought that…you know,
just forget it. I’ll take her later.” He turned away. He didn’t
know why that had hurt him, them thinking he was taking her back to
the streets, but it did.

“
I’m sorry, Cain. I truly
am. I just...I really like her and she seems so...do you think
she’s running from someone or something? I want her safe either
way,” Quinn said as she laid her head on his chest.

Cain gathered her closer in his arms.
Quinn had been married before. Carl Wickett was an abusive prick
that had knocked Quinn around whenever something didn’t set well
with him, which usually meant anything and everything that he could
think of. His sister Sin had taken Quinn and Jazzie to a
self-defense class every day when Carl had been in the hospital for
something else. When he’d come home mean and abusive, he’d never
expected his wife to fight back, or to be so good at it.

After Carl had spent five days in the
hospital and another month in physical therapy, he’d left town and
had not returned since. When Quinn had received her divorce papers
the next week, she’d signed them and returned them the same day.
Carl Wickett hadn’t made a visit since.

“
Are you paying for this
shopping spree? If so, I want to go too. I think our little Julie
could use our advice on shopping and buying, especially with
someone else’s money. She should spend some time with us anyway
before you pop the question. That way we can charm her into saying
yes for you.” Quinn looked up at Cain when he didn’t
answer.

“
Are you going to marry
Julie, Cain? That’s wonderful. I want to plan it for you. I bet the
gardens are beautiful here. I think in the garden by the pool. Oh,
Cain, she’ll make a wonderful bride, don’t you think?” Jazzie asked
as she came to him for her share of the hug.

“
Let me ask her first, all
right? Then I should...I don’t know who she’s hiding from or why.
She could be some long lost heiress hiding from her evil family for
all I know.” They all laughed.

He kissed both his sisters and left the
house. He knew they’d get Julie what she needed whether she wanted
it or not. He grinned to himself about that wishing he could be
there when that conversation took place.

Cain was five minutes late for his
appointment, but it wasn’t bad. Damon had an emergency and he
himself was running behind as well. At twelve-forty they were just
sitting down to a nice lunch at one of Cain’s and Damon’s favorite
restaurants, Muddy Misers. It was a nice mid-priced place with
great food and great service. Devin joined the men at a little
after one in the afternoon.

~~~

“
I’m pretty sure Cain
meant for us to go shopping at a nice store. Like in the mall
across town. Not that there isn’t...you can’t be serious, Jaz, that
color is hideous!” Quinn was ready to strangle them
both.

They had left the house as soon as
they’d found Julie sitting in the kitchen talking with Mrs. Webb.
Julie had balked at first, not wanting to go out. Quinn could tell
she was still sore and she moved a little slowly when she first got
up, but she finally said yes. They were out the door in ten
minutes.

“
This is a store and I do
believe we are shopping. Though you don’t seem to be buying
anything. I thought you said you were going to make your brother
buy you some nice summer clothes? Besides, it’s Tuesday...oh,
Jazzie, Quinn is right, that color puce just isn’t right for you.
Why don’t you try this nice lemony color on? I think it will suit
your hair color much better,” Julie said as she dug through a pile
of shirts.

Quinn watched the woman in the dark
green pants eyeing their purses again. She’d been following them
around since they came in and she didn’t look as if she worked
there. Quinn pulled the cart holding their purses and a pile of
clothes closer to her as she turned back to Julie again.

“
What I think he meant was
for us to...wait! What does Tuesday have to do with why we’re
shopping at Goodwill?” Quinn wasn’t even sure she wanted to
know.

“
Everything is half price
today,” Julie said to her, as if that explained everything. Then
Julie leaned closer to her. “Quinn, she doesn’t want your purse.
She wants you. That’s Lily, she likes women.”

Quinn looked sharply at Julie as she
moved to the next rack of shirts. She wasn’t sure if she was
kidding or not then she looked back at the woman Julie had called
Lily. She winked at Quinn.

“
I’m sorry. I don’t...I’m
with them,” Quinn pointed at her sister and Julie. “Not with them,
with them, but...we’re related. All of...the blond is my sister
and...and I...I’m sorry, I don’t swing that way.” She felt stupid
and embarrassed.

Lily smiled at Quinn as if knowing she
was flustered. “It don’t hurt none to look, do it? You’re a fine
woman. If you change your mind, have Sally there…” She pointed at
Julie. “Have her contact me. I can make you forget
everything.”

Lily blew her a kiss and left the
store. It took Quinn a full minute to realize that she had just
been propositioned. She wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or
flattered. She turned back to the other two.

Quinn tried to rush them along, wanting
to put as much distance between her and Lily as she could, but soon
realized it was not going to happen. They were having too much fun.
Julie wasn’t doing as much shopping, Quinn noticed, as she was
herding Jazzie. Jazzie simply had the worst taste in clothes and
Quinn wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before. Julie was also
careful of the things that they bought, watching zippers and
buttons, making sure that there were no stains on things that
couldn’t be easily removed. And when Jazzie had wanted to try
things on, it was Julie who told her to leave her clothes on and
try them on at home after she washed them. Quinn tried not to think
about the reason for that bit of advice.

At the checkout, Quinn was impressed.
Jazzie had spent eight dollars and twelve cents and had nine small
bags stuffed full of shirts and pants that would look good on her.
And Julie had one and has spent a dollar seven. Cain was going to
be pissed about it too. Not that he was a snob, but that Julie had
purchased her own things. With a pocket full of change no
less.

At four forty-five, having gotten lunch
and some things at Wal-Mart, the women were about to get into the
car when Quinn’s phone rang. She didn’t want to answer it and
nearly didn’t. Groaning at the woman, she answered. “What is it,
Mother? I’m busy and I don’t have time for your shit today. Say
what you want then leave me alone.”

“
What a way to speak to
me, Quinn. I’m your mother. You should have more respect for me
than you do. I did bring you into this world.”

“
Yes, you did. It is the
only thing you’ve done for me that I’m grateful for. Time is
wasting, Mother, what do you want?” Quinn hated her mother and
wished every day that she could just be like Cain and tell her to
fuck off.

“
Can you and Jazzie come
and get me? My car broke down and I can’t get in touch with your
brother at that restaurant. They won’t give him a message. Please?
Leave that woman on the street. She’s belongs there
anyway.”

Quinn stilled. Leave Julie on the
street, she’d said. Quinn looked around the parking area and
realized they were very much alone. That’s when she noticed the
car, a dark sedan coming toward them.

“
Get in the car.
Now!”

Neither woman asked anything but
scrambled to do what she had demanded. Quinn tried to hurry, but
they were making mistakes, big ones, in trying to get in. It didn’t
matter anyway. The men jumped out of the car and rushed them before
she got the car into drive.

The window on the passenger side
exploded inward, spraying Jazzie with glass. Before Quinn could get
the car moving, her side window exploded too. Glass cut into her
skin and she felt it tear into her. The man grabbed at her hand as
she tried to reach for the shifter and put the car into drive. The
sound of the rear door window breaking registered a second before
Jazzie started screaming. One man was choking Jazzie and trying to
put his hand over her mouth. Another man was doing the same to
Quinn. She could hear Julie in the back shouting too, but it was if
sound had become muted and everything had slowed down. She was
dying, she thought. This man was going to kill her and her mother
was involved.

Quinn felt the car lurch and the guy
with his hands around her throat let go for just a second. Moving
Jazzie’s foot off the steering column, Quinn put the car into drive
and slammed her foot onto the gas. She heard a sickening thud-thud,
but didn’t even stop to think what she might have hit and kept
going.

Quinn’s throat hurt. She couldn’t
swallow, nor could she take a very deep breath. Blood smeared
across her arms as she drove and she could feel a cut in her head
bleeding down her neck. She didn’t look at the women in the car
with her. She was afraid if she did, she might give into the
hysteria that was pushing in on her and scream bloody murder. The
only thing she did was concentrate on driving, stopping at lights,
and going with the traffic. Her single thought was, “hospital,
hospital, hospital.”

Quinn would never be sure how she made
it to the hospital. Nor would she be sure how they made it inside
before she fell apart. She could hear Julie saying something,
talking to the nurses as she led her to the back room. Quinn heard,
“shock,” and, “head injury.” At one point, she heard her say
something about Cain, but thought that was a bad idea. He would be
angry with her. She’d wrecked his car.

“
I don’t think he’ll care
much, Quinn. You saved your sister’s and your life. I think he’ll
be much happier about that.” Quinn looked at Julie. She hadn’t
realized she’d said that out loud.

Julie was bleeding and there was a
horrific bruise on her left cheek and around her throat too. When
Quinn reached up to run her finger along it, Julie stepped back.
Something flashed in her eyes, regret and something else, but was
gone before Quinn could recognize it.

“
Julie?”

“
They’re calling your
brother. I’m not sure how long it will be before he gets here. The
police have been called too. You saved us, Quinn. If nothing else,
you remember that, all right?”

“
You’re leaving, aren’t
you? Julie, don’t go. Please, we can fix whatever you’re running
from. Cain has money, we can fix this. He loves you.”

Pain. It was pain that had flashed in
Julie’s eyes because it was there again. Before Quinn could ask
about it, Julie started backing away.

“
I have to leave. I’m
sorry. You...you’re wrong about Cain. He just wanted sex. I’m
sorry.”

Julie turned to leave out the side
curtain just as a nurse came through the other side. Quinn started
to get up and go after her, but the nurse pulled her back into the
bed. Suddenly, Quinn couldn’t hold her head upright and the room
spun out of control.

~CHAPTER
THIRTEEN~

Cain rushed into the emergency room.
One of the desk nurses simply pointed him to the back area and he
went around the corner of the desk without a word. He barely
registered that there were police milling around and that Cait was
there as well. He had a goal in mind and nothing was keeping him
from it. Finding the correct curtained area on the first try, his
knees nearly buckled when he saw Jazzie sitting on the bed with
Quinn.

“
We’re all right, Cain. I
swear. They have to stitch up my arms and Quinn has a concussion,
but we’re fine.”

Cain could hear her speaking, but the
words weren’t registering. He seemed to be missing the part of his
brain that could think for some reason. He did manage to sit down
when a chair was shoved under him. After a few seconds, he could
hear Damon talking to his sisters.

“…
the reason that doctors
can’t see their family. You’d have them puking all over you and
that would cause a serious infection. Let me have a look at that
cut now, Quinny, darling.”