Jason's Princess: A King Brothers Story (21 page)

Jason was relieved that he seemed to be his normal self again.

“Well, let’s all go in and have a bite to eat, shall we?” His mother led the way back inside.

He was surprised when she said, “Julie, I talked to some friends about having you cater for their party next month. Are you interested at giving catering a go? They’ve already enlisted me to help with the decor for their event.”

Julie is going into business with my mother? Why didn’t she tell me?

They followed Camille into the family kitchen. She had prepared Jason’s favorite, minestrone soup and some sandwiches. Just as Jason dug into his soup he heard Lauren and Jarod come in the door.

Everyone at the table turned to listen to the argument that was taking place.

“You might be my boss at work, Jarod, but you are not my
anything
after hours! You have no right to dictate to me where I can go on my own time!”

“Calm down, Lauren.”

“I will NOT calm down. I’m getting sick and tired of you ignoring me except when you feel like paying attention and that usually means you want to dictate how I should live my life! I’m sick of it!”

Just then Lauren rushed into the kitchen and came to a dead stop. Obvious embarrassment etched her face at being overheard by everyone. Jarod was close on her heels, stopped as well at the sight of his family gathered around the table.

“Oh good, you’re all here. I have news.” He gestured for Lauren to sit with the rest of the family. She glared at him but didn’t argue further. Jason had a hard time containing his laughter.

“Let me get you some plates,” his mother said.

“I can’t stay, Mom. I need to get back to the station.”

“Well, maybe I’m hungry, you bossy bastard,” Lauren mumbled as she got up to help his mom. Obviously, Jarod had really ticked her off. Jason laughed then groaned when Julie’s pointy elbow jabbed him in the rib.

“Ow.” He gave her a questioning look.

“Stop making fun of Lauren,” she said quietly but not unkindly. She rubbed his sore rib and smiled.

“If everyone is through messing around I would like to hear what the sheriff has to say.” Jason rolled his eyes at his father, who was giving everyone the stink eye.

“Did the girl at the hospital give her statement?” Charlie’s question interrupted everyone. Apparently he was just as impatient as Jason’s dad.

Jarod looked at Charlie and placed a hand on his shoulder. “She’s in and out. She hasn’t been awake enough to give a statement.”

Charlie groaned out loud, as did the rest of the table.

“But something interesting has happened in Julie’s neighborhood.” Jarod, the drama King, paused for effect. Jason rolled his eyes. Finally, Jarod continued, “Dad, have you spoken to Dane yet this morning?” He gave good cop face to their father.

“Early this morning. He said that since the girl wasn’t cognizant enough to make a statement that he would do a little recon on Julie’s house. I haven’t spoken to him for hours. I figured he was on stakeout. What’s happened?”

Jarod raised his eyebrow at that news.

Jason had no clue where this was going. He could feel tension radiating off of Julie and he didn’t like it at all. “Just get on with it, will you Jarod. You’re starting to piss me off. I don’t feel like being arrested for assaulting an officer, even if he is my big brother, and deserves a good pounding.”

Julie pressed in against him. He put his arm around her shoulders, but as soon as he did, she sat up straighter and said, “Yes, Jarod. We are all in suspense here. Spit it out,” her adorable chin jutting out in command.

Surprised by her outburst, he smiled and kissed her forehead, chuckling all the while.

“Dane has been in an accident.” Jarod stated.

Everyone spoke at once.

“What’s happened to him?”

“Is he alright?”

“I thought he was an accomplished driver?” Jason smirked.

His dad gave him a glare. “Of course, he’s an accomplished driver. I wouldn’t have hired him otherwise!”

“Calm down, Dad. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just odd that he would be in an accident.”

“If you all would shut up, I will continue with my story.” Jarod shook his head. “It seems Dane was, indeed, staking out Julie’s house. He was parked around the corner from my deputy’s squad car, evidently watching from a different vantage point. My team had seen nothing all night. The house was sound. However, by the time Dane got into position early this morning he witnessed three men climbing out of a black pick-up truck matching the description of the vehicle that hit Julie on Saturday.”

“You’re kidding. We got the guys?” Josh asked.

“Yes, we got the guys but only because Dane decided to ram his car into their truck.”

“What? Why didn’t he just call it in?” His dad looked puzzled.

“Because by the time his call would’ve been transferred to the officers on scene, Julie’s house would’ve been well on its way to looking like your house, Jason, a pile of ash.”

“What?” Julie asked.

“They had six gas cans filled to the brim with fuel. Their plan was to climb the back fences behind your house in order to gain access to start a fire. Dane decided that a fender bender would disable their vehicle long enough to give my officers around the block time to get there. After seeing the gas cans, they took them into custody.”

“Have you spoken with any of them? Who are they?” Jason wanted this bullshit over with so he and Julie could get on with their lives.

“They’ve all clammed up. I don’t want to give you names yet but I will need you, Julie and Josh to come down to the station to look at a line up. I want to know if they are the same assholes that attacked Julie last week. If they are, we can add assault and attempted assault to their charges. I should have them ready for you this afternoon. They’re still being processed. Dad, you might need to give Dane a ride home as well. He hit their truck pretty hard.” He shook his head.

“Jarod, honey, please sit down and eat something before you go.” His mom had put a place setting right next to Lauren at the table.

What was she playing at, anyway?

Lauren didn’t look pleased at sitting next to his brother. Things must not be going well for her. Jason knew Jarod could be stubborn. It’s too bad his ex-wife did a number on him. It would take years for him to trust a woman again but Jason knew that Lauren was one tough cookie. Just maybe, if she stuck to her guns, she could take on this particular shrew.

Grinning at himself, Jason helped Julie out of the bench seat.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, giving him her cute puzzled face.

He shook his head, “I’ll tell you later. Let’s get down to the station.”

“I’m coming with you guys. I’m not riding in the same vehicle with that jackass.” Lauren huffed as she followed them to the door.

He just laughed and said, “Come on then, Sassy Pants.” At her shocked expression, he completely lost it and opened the door for them both.

CHAPTER 20

DIRT BAGS

“Ok, spill it, Lauren.” Julie faced her BFF in the backseat.

Lauren glanced at the back of Jason’s head before giving Julie the “not in front of the enemy” glare.

“He won’t say anything to Jarod,… will you Jason?”

She could see the dimple in his right cheek as he stared out the windshield, while he drove them to the station. “Jason?” She gave him her best behave-yourself-or-you’ll-be-in-trouble face. It only made him laugh out loud, so she smacked him in the shoulder.

“Alright, alright. No need to get violent, Jujyfruit.” He looked at Lauren in the rearview mirror. “I won’t say anything to him, Lauren. Besides, I’m curious myself. What is going on with you two?”

With a huff she said, “There is no ‘you two’ because he’s a stubborn ass who really doesn’t know what he wants.”

Jason asked, “Then why did he bring you to the house today?”

Lauren sighed. “I don’t know, Jason. One minute I’m opening the door to my car and the next he’s got me by the arm and putting me in his cruiser. IN THE BACK SEAT.”

Affronted for her friend, Julie said, “WHAT?”

Jason chuckled, “You’re kidding?”

“No, I’m not kidding, Jason King!”

Still laughing he questioned, “Why would he put you in the back seat?”

All Julie could think was that Jarod had a death wish. Putting Lauren in the backseat of his cruiser was tantamount to starting a war.

“All he said was that it wasn’t safe for me to be driving by myself while Billy was still out there and then he proceeded to IGNORE me the whole way to your house.”

Julie watched her friend closely. She knew Lauren had been crushing on Jarod since the first time they met but the age difference was a little too big at the time. Besides, Jarod had had a steady girlfriend. He later married that girlfriend but it ended in a bad divorce. Julie didn’t know all the facts about that relationship because no one liked to talk about it.

“I’d say give him time, Lauren, but it’s been years. Maybe it’s time to throw in the towel?” Julie was sick of her friend being in constant turmoil over that particular King.

“Maybe you’re right.” Lauren’s small voice tugged at Julie’s heart. She knew all too well what a broken heart felt like. She looked at Jason and wondered if he would break her heart. She was afraid of what their relationship was turning into but she shoved that thought away for now. She had other problems at the moment.

Jason pulled into the sheriff’s station and found a parking spot in front. Lauren opened her door but Jason grabbed it and helped her out.

Julie opened her door to hear him say to her best friend, “Don’t give up on him, Lauren. If anyone can tame him, it’s you.” Then he turned and pulled Julie from the front seat and put his arm around her shoulders.

Julie smiled up at him and whispered, “Thank you.”

Lauren had stopped walking, looking as if she were going to break down. “Come on, Lauren.” Julie put her hand out to her friend and was glad that Lauren took it and held tight. There were tears in her friend’s eyes.

Men. Sometimes they really sucked
.

Jason opened the station door for them. Surprising Julie, Lauren hugged Jason before she hugged her. “I’m heading to my desk. I’ll see you later tonight, as I have been commanded to stay the rest of the weekend.” She winked and sashayed off to parts unknown. Julie felt better about her friend’s emotional state. Lauren was never down for long, that was for sure.

They were in the vestibule of the station which doubled as a waiting room. There were red plastic chairs in two rows and a magazine rack on the wall. Just as they seated themselves, Josh and Jarod came out of the same door that Lauren had entered a few minutes before.

“You’re up, Jason,” Jarod gestured for him to follow him down the hallway. Josh took his vacated seat next to Julie.

Surprised, she asked, “You’ve already seen the line-up?”

“Yup.” Josh gave her his playboy grin. She grabbed his elbow and hugged her dear friend to her. She felt him squeeze her back. Jason leaving her side left her feeling bereft.

Josh had always been her friend. She was so thankful that he was in her life. Without him she would never had known Camille, James, Jarod or Jason. They were all so important to her. She could never repay them for their help with Charlie. All because Josh wanted to compete with his brother and have two girlfriends. It made her smile just thinking about it.

“Hey, are you ready for this?” Josh asked.

“Sure.” She waited a beat before asking, “Are they in there, those men from the construction site?”

“Jarod asked me not to say anything so he could get an honest identification out of you.” He was very serious. “But yes, it’s the same men. I won’t tell you where they’re standing or what they’re wearing though. Will you be ok seeing them again? We can stay with you if you want.”

“Yeah. That would be good.” She was starting to get a little nauseous. She didn’t know how she was going to react seeing those creeps again. Fear began to spike in her chest.

The door opened and Jarod called her back. Jason wasn’t with him. She kept her arm in the crook of her friend’s elbow while they followed Jarod to the viewing room.

There were two people waiting; Jason and another man in an expensive suit with a file folder and briefcase. Jason quickly retrieved her from Josh’s care.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. They can’t see us, can they?” she asked Jarod. She felt like she might get sick as she looked through the window to see the men standing in the next room.

“No, this is one-way glass and this room is sound proof. We can hear them if you need to identify by voice. Do you need to hear them?”

“No.” She swallowed, shaking her head.

“Ok, then, Julie. Do you recognize any of these men?” Jarod asked, very seriously and in full-cop mode; she had a feeling it was more for Mr. Sharp Suit than it was for her.

She looked at the men in the line up. The room was big and there were twelve men standing under numbers.

“Just say the number above the head of the man or men you recognize.”

“Number two, eight and eleven.”

“And where do you recognize these men from?” This from Mr. Sharp Suit.

She cleared her throat and tried to act confident, when in reality she was shaking in her boots. “They were the ones who harassed me at my business, Cafe Armstrong, last week and who got into a fight with Jason and Josh. Jason banned them from the construction site.”

She hoped that was good enough. Sharp Suit smiled like a shark, all super-white teeth and no true emotion.

“Thank you, Ms. Armstrong. You’ve been very helpful.” With a click of his briefcase, Mr. Sharp Suit exited the room.

“Who was that?”

“He was from the District Attorney’s office. It’s ok. You did great.” Jarod gave her an awkward hug then turned to leave the room. They followed him out.

“So, who are those assholes?” Josh asked, dripping with exasperation.

“Raymond Hicks, Gerald Brown and Sean Davis. Three nobodies who lawyered up with the same firm that’s on retainer with Billy’s father.”

“Shut the front door!”

Julie giggled. Josh had been using that turn of phrase for years. The brothers all had potty mouths but they tried to tone it down when they were around her.