Salvation At Sunset (A McGinty's Of San Antonio Series Novel Book 5) Page 2

  “As he should,” he agrees on a growl.

  “When news of all this hit the media, it became a huge deal especially with being reported after Jaycee’s attack. No names were ever released; both the victims and the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ protected by anonymity under the law.” Noah sighs sounding frustrated. I reach over, giving his hand a brief squeeze assuring him I’m okay even though I’m not sure I am. “If anything our community will become more aware and vigilant,” I explain, hopeful. “Other communities and colleges, they followed our university president, Dean Norris’ lead by offering self defense courses, anger management classes, and setting up a help hotline.”

  “What did the police do?” He stands and pulls me up. We throw away our trash and begin a slow pace through the park heading back to the shop.

  “We waited too long to report what happened. All evidence had faded from our bodies. We had no proof. But that didn’t mean the authorities didn’t take it seriously, they did. They’re doing all they can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Most of the guys just took their punishment along with the school’s advice and did what was asked of them, but not Tad. No. He got angry.” I admit and lower my head.

  Noah stops walking and gently places his hand on my arm stopping me. “Look at me.” His voice is soft but angry. “Do not lower your head. Okay?” I look up at him and nod. “Okay, so you’re upset no one is being charged?” he asks.

  I shake my head no. “He’s messing with me and my family now.” Guilt and worry cause my voice to tremble.

  “He’s messing with you? How? Are you safe at the store alone?” He puts his hands on his hips then looks around the park with his eyes narrowed.

  “Yes I’m safe. You know Dad wouldn’t leave me here without being protected. I have the panic button under the counter. He also got a new lockbox for the gun. Its fingerprint activated. It only takes a second for me to get to it if I need to.” I assure him. “Plus, I’ve just been receiving hang up calls and texts. Dumb high school stuff.” I try to laugh it off but Noah isn’t convinced and he takes a deep breath.

  “Pendejos,” he mutters and I giggle on a gasp. “Sorry,” he mumbles again. “Just be careful, okay? Pigs like this guy; it’s not about what you think.” He gives me an awkward look. “You know?” I nod understanding his meaning—it’s not about the sex. “It’s about control and power. You took this guy’s power when you fought him. Then you made him feel like the punk he is by turning him in. He’s probably not used to people standing up to him and he’s going to blame anyone but himself. My dad?” He shakes his head. “He was an abuser. My poor momma, may she rest in peace, she took years and years of his abuse,” he confesses, and my heart pinches in pain for him. “Every time something bad happened, of his own doing, like losing a job because he was constantly showing up late or even the car breaking down because it was a piece of junk, he took it out on her. She was nothing more than a way for him to avoid his own shortcomings. Men like this live in a world of denial. I want you to know that this guy, this act, it’s born from deep inside him. It runs through him. Do not, whatever you do, ever go against your instincts. Seems you felt it right at the beginning, turning him down all the time and you were right.” He takes another deep breath and pulls me into a quick one armed hug as we start back for the store. “Bella, on behalf of the good men, I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks, Noah.” I smile. The talk with him has made me feel better. A little lighter.

  “Anytime, bebita.” His phone goes off and he pulls it from his pocket. “Your parents are back,” he shares as we cross the street. I glance over at the shop and my dad is standing out front watching us.

  “Hey, Bella,” my dad greets as we step up to him. “You okay?” he asks as he searches my face.

  “I’m good.” I smile at them both.

  “Let’s talk, Case.” Noah growls.

  “Sure.” Dad looks down at me. “Go on inside, sweetie,”

  Right before I close the door I catch Noah's eye. “Thank you again, Noah,” I smile and so does he.

  “My pleasure. Well do it again soon,” he promises.

  I nod and go back inside and busy myself with our afternoon orders.

  Any relief I felt after my lunch with Noah is long gone over the days to follow as Tad takes his harassment to a dangerous level.

  My few days of peace are all I have before Tad strikes again.

  “So you were at the mall and came out to find the car missing?” The officer from the Sheriff’s department asks.

  “Yes. I was only in there about an hour. I came out and walked to where I had parked it but it was gone. I thought maybe I’d made a mistake and walked around the parking lot for a while before calling my dad for help,” I admit.

  “I met her down there and we drove around the entire lot before calling the police,” Dad adds.

  At the police impound lot I absently explain to the two deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff’s department, and two officers from the SAPD, what I know and who I think it is after my car was stolen and found vandalized on the outside of town. Tad Kearny.

  “We’ve had issues with cars being stolen from the mall lots. Normally we never recover those cars. They take to strip shops or Mexico and sale them for parts. This isn’t that. Do you know of anyone that would want to upset you by doing this?” the officer asks.

  “Yes. I do. Tad Kearny did this,” I confess.

  Embarrassingly I tell them why I think it’s him. I tell them about that night on campus and the text messages as well. They take notes, share glances often and promise to do a full investigation. Before we leave, my dad and the officers stand in a huddle and have a short discussion. One walks to his car parked near the office, reaches in the open window and grabs a newspaper. He hands it to my dad and points to an article. My dad reads for a moment, before taking a deep breath. He walks over to me and hands me the morning newspaper, pointing to the headline.

  “Sweetie, don’t panic, okay?” Dad soothing voice doing nothing to calm me as I read the article. Now I know things are about to go from bad to worse. Splashed across the front is a headline Anonymous Source Exposes Names Of The Accused In College’s Attacks and right on the top is “Tad Kearny. As a matter of fact, his is the only name listed.

  “Oh no,” I murmur. Yes, it’s about to get a lot worse.

  My dad and I get back in his car and head home. The entire drive is silent but my mind is loud with racing thoughts. I’m assuming Tad thinks I released his name. I don’t know who did this or why. Not a clue. We head inside my house and I sit on the couch and bury my face in my hands, frustrated but not shedding any tears. My stomach is cold as ice as nausea rolls around, threatening to expel from my body. I take deep breaths until I feel the couch dip next to me, and my dad pulls me into his side.

  “Shhhh, Bella. It’s going to be okay,” he vows.

  I relax as best I can into him.

  “I’m sorry, Dad,” I mutter.

  “Sorry? For what? Sweetie, we are so proud of you for doing what you did. I think you’re amazing. Don’t let him intimidate you. The car can be repaired or replaced. Plus, I have insurance to take care of that and a gun to take care of him.” He smiles. When my eyes widen he laughs softly.

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if it was all worth it,” I mumble.

  “It’s worth it,” he growls fiercely. “I know it’s hard. I’m not going to lie, it’s most likely going to get a lot worse now, but I know you have enough fight in you to finish this. Plus, you have me and your mom to lean on. Lean on us all you need. I’ll carry you if you need me to, but there’s no turning back now. You’re going to have to get tougher and punch through all the bullshit that’s going to be heading your way. You should probably come and stay with us for a little while,” he suggests, but I need to keep my independence. I refuse to let Tad force me into hiding, and if I went home to my parents that’s what I feel like I’d be doing.


  My dad, retired Colonel Case Rollins, served in the Marines and is a soldier’s soldier. He’s tall, built and covered in cool tattoos. He’s like a walking canvass of art. He says each tattoo has special meaning. Except for my mom, Skye, Victoria, my sister, and my name over his heart, the rest are somehow connected with the marines and his service. He has Lolita tattooed on his inner forearm. Lolita is his rifle.

  “We’ll see.” I stand and look down at him. “You want me to make you something to eat before I get ready to go?” I ask, and start around the coffee table in front of the couch for the kitchen. Mom has been covering the shop alone while Dad and I were at the impound.

  “Have you eaten?” he asks, concerned.

  “No. Not yet,” I admit.

  “Then I’ll make us something while you get ready,” he offers.

  “Sounds good.” I take a deep breath and head upstairs to my room.

  Even with all of this, I need to head to the shop. Today I’m going with Jaycee to her sister-in-law, Allie’s new dancehall, Holloway’s, so we can to drop off the shirts she ordered.

  I take the hottest shower possible trying to ease some of the tension from my bones before dressing and putting on a little makeup. I head downstairs and dad has our meal ready. He announces he’s going to be looking into getting me a new vehicle, but it’ll take a bit since the shop is busy.

  “Dad, I don’t want you to…” I start to protest feeling guilt over the very nice car that was just destroyed. My dad bought me that car just a year ago for my birthday. I couldn’t believe when he pulled up in the black Challenger. He puts a halt to my protests before they start.

  “Sweetie, insurance is going to cover it. Plus you need a vehicle. Thinking about an SUV, though. What do you think?” he asks, as he stands and walks over to the sink.

  “I think that’ll be nice but no rush. I don’t really go anywhere these days. Just wait until we know what’s going on with this, okay?” I plead still feeling guilty.

  “That’s fair,” he agrees.

  I finish up and put on my sandals while he puts our dishes in the dishwasher.

  My dad and I arrive at the shop and I gather together Holloway’s order. About the time I stack the last shirt in the box, Jaycee comes in.

  “Hi, Bella,” she chimes her voice full of sweetness, as always. Jaycee is a one of a kind. Even with all that’s happened to her she almost never wears a frown, but Blue’s been a huge factor in that. I pray one day to find the same love those two have.

  “Hi, Jaycee. I have almost everything ready,” I tell her. She turns serious and moves closer, reaching out and touching my cheek in a sweet gesture.

  “Hey, your mom called me and told me what happened. You still up for going with me?” she gently probes.

  “I’m okay.” I smile as best I can under the circumstances and take a deep breath. She lowers her hand, and smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes this time. “I’m fine. I promise.” She nods, while reaching over and grabbing a box. I hitch my purse over my shoulder and grab the other box.

  “It’ll be a good distraction,” I confess.

  She nods in understanding and we head outside to the car. Jaycee constantly glances over at me, worry playing over her features. She’s one of the few people I feel absolutely comfortable sharing things with. During the drive, I tell her about Tad’s name being the only one exposed in the newspaper; it doesn't take her long to realize this is a very bad thing.

  We pull into Holloway’s parking lot, Jaycee parks and turns off the car before taking my hand.

  “You did the right thing by telling, Bella. Please don’t ever think that was a mistake.”

  “I know, but still. When will it end? And what scares me the most is what it might take for it to end. I don’t see him just stopping and walking away. It’s bad now, but I have a feeling it’s going to get a lot worse. I pray to God I’m wrong.”

  “Bella, I wish I could take this from you, but I can’t. Just know that I’m here if you need me. So are Max and all the McGinty’s. If you need time away, anything, please let me know.”

  “Thank you, Jaycee. That means a lot,” I admit.

  We get out of the car, grab the boxes and head inside Holloway’s.

  I love this building. It’s all white stone with a bell tower. It reminds me of an old Spanish mission. From the parking lot, you can hear the Guadalupe River rushing below. And even with all this I can’t get Tad out of my head. When I enter Holloway's, all of my negative thoughts fly out the window, when I bump into the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen and my eyes lock on his. They’re the most brilliant shade of blue. So much deeper than my dad’s, and his hair, it’s dark and thick, with curls at the ends.

  “Um, hi,” he mumbles.

  I stand stunned for a few moments before I finally respond. “Hi.”

  I want to have this man’s babies. I want to marry him. I will marry him.

  What the heck? Where did that come from?

  “Garrett this is Isabella Rollins, Bella for short. Bella, this is Garrett Cooper,” Allie introduces us, but I barely hear it. I’m still locked on this beautiful man and he’s locked on me.

  “Hi, Garrett,” I murmur breathlessly.

  “Bella.” My name falls from him in a soft breath.

  I come out of my haze when Jaycee calls my name. “Um, Bella?” I keep Garrett’s eyes for a few more precious moments before I turn and answer Jaycee.

  “Sorry,” I whisper, feeling a little bit embarrassed.

  “No. No. No, no, no.” Jaycee is shaking her head and holding up her hands. “Don’t be sorry. It’s just I told your mom I’d have the other order back before lunch so we kind of need to hurry up.”

  “Nope, I’m out,” Allie’s dad blurts out, surprising me. I didn’t even know he was here. He hefts his toolbox and strolls for the door but stops and turns back. “Oh, Garrett, you got a place to stay?”

  “Um, no, sir. Was going to look around for a motel for a couple of nights and then I’m not sure.” Garrett’s deep smooth voice startles me. I feel myself becoming unreasonably drawn to him.

  “Well, save your money, we have plenty of room at our house so just head over there when you’re done here. You’ll stay with us until you figure things out. Give him the address, Allie, will ya?”

  “Yes, sir,” Allie replies with a huge smile.

  “And, Garrett, my wife, don’t ask her to cook for you,” Allie’s dad warns.

  Garrett nods. “Oh, no, sir. I wouldn’t expect her to cook for me.”

  “No. What I mean is, my wife, she can’t cook. At all. She burns water. I’m giving you a heads up. She offers…” His words trail off as he shakes his head, no.

  “Yes, sir,” I peek at Garrett and his lips are twitching.

  God, that’s cute.

  Allie’s dad winks at her and then raises his hand and signals for her to turn around. She covers her eyes and her dad laughs as he heads out the door. Jaycee gives Allie a grin, and then reaches into her purse and pulls out a measuring tape.

  “Bella, here.” She hands me the measuring tape. “You get Garrett’s measurements and then I’ll get Allie’s.” She already has Allie’s measurements so I'm confused for a moment, and then it clicks. I know what they’re up to. I glance at Allie and see her donning the same sneaky grin. I glare and bug my eyes out at them, which they both ignore. Jaycee reaches over and yanks Allie by the hand and pulls her away. “And you said you needed to talk to me about something too, right?” And they both take off behind the bar.

  I let out a soft cough trying to dislodge the frog in my throat as my eyes travel up and down Garrett's body. He’s wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, with a hint of a large silver buckle peeking out from the hem of his shirt, steel toe boots and a very nice white, fitted t-shirt. He has silver rings on his fingers, and a leather cuffs around his wrists. He looks like a rock star. With five o’clock shadow, he’s tall and built, like built and tall. I can’t help but bite my lip and whimper as I
look up into his eyes.

  “Do you mind?” I raise the tape in question.

  Garrett slowly raises his arms and I reach around him, we’re front to front and when we touch, it feels like electricity is being passed between us, startling me. I only pause for a moment, though, before I reach back around and pull the measuring tape tight while leaning in close. When I do, I breathe him in and he smells so good. Staring at the tape, it seems I’ve forgotten my numbers and alphabet. It’s like I'm reading Sanskrit. I have absolutely no idea what I’m looking at. The only thing I’m focused on is Garrett and the heat that’s coming off him. His scent is making me strangely calm but it’s also frazzling me. I reach around his waist and repeat the process, and as my hands run along his back and around his waist, my brain completely fizzles out. The only thing going on upstairs is I’d like to run my hands along his chest, wrap my arms around his neck, and pull him down for a kiss.

  Bella, stop! Get a grip!

  I’m about to pull away when Garrett leans into me. His chest rises as he breathes me in. His breath is hot against my hair and I shiver, goosebumps spreading across my skin. My weight rests against him a little before I pull back. Jaycee and Allie's laughter breaks the trance and that causes Garrett and me to glance their way. Jaycee is walking back to us and shaking her foot. I guess I should ask why, but I just want to concentrate on Garrett’s arm that is slightly brushed up against mine. It’s barely a touch yet it almost feels like he’s wrapped me in his warmth. If just a simple breath of a touch can make me feel this way, I wonder what it will be like to really be wrapped up in his arms.

  “All right. We better go. We’ll get this measurement to your mom and get the rest as they come in.”