Page 118 of Tequila Tuesdays

The kicking continued through the phone. I knew I was going to hear that sound in my nightmares.

“Okay. I need to hang up so I can get her out.” She sounded frantic.

“Shanda, try to take his feet out from under him and incapacitate him long enough to get away, or buy you a little time. I’m coming.”

“I’ll try.” Then the line went dead.

I called Damien from my car phone system, but he didn’t pick up, so I turned on my hazard lights and sped up. Then I remembered Martin had also left a message. I’d asked him to shadow Shanda until Jason was taken into custody.

I called him and he answered, breathing heavily. “Nowyou call me back?”

“Martin, where are you?”

“In the Desert Highland Park looking for Shanda,” he answered.

I quickly relayed where she was and told him about Jason kicking the bathroom door.

“He has a gun. Be careful.” My voice broke.

“This information would have been more useful five minutes ago. Okay, I’ll find her.” And he also hung up.

The remaining five-minute drive was the longest of my life.

When I pulled up to the south side of the park, I saw two police cars with their lights on parked behind Damien’s truck. I got out and was immediately accosted by an officer.

He raised his arm to block me. “Ma’am, this is a crime scene. Stay back.”

“I need to know if they’re okay,” I cried.

“Ma’am, I’ll try to find out, but you have to stay back.”

Martin stood near the bathroom. He turned at the commotion and walked toward me.

“Shanda’s okay,” he said. I stopped as Martin approached me, and the officer backed off.

“Martin, where’s Damien and Shanda?” I took hold of his arm. “I heard Shanda tell Jason she called Damien, and he was on his way over. Have you seen him? Is he okay?”

“Harley, he—”

“Jason has a gun! Please tell me he’s okay.” I started to break down. “Please tell me Damien’s alive. I couldn’t live with myself if I got him killed too,” I rambled as I grabbed Martin’s jacket lapels.

He gently took my shoulders and turned me so I could see Damien and Shanda walking toward me. Bertie was perched on Shanda’s hip. I scanned her and Bertie up and down frantically, then turned to Damien.

He looked angry and frustrated. He grabbed my hand, dragging me a few feet away.

I noticed Jason lying on the sidewalk by the bathroom, surrounded by three officers. Bertie’s stroller was tipped sideways next to him.

Damien turned me to face him. “Harley, you knew Jason was following her. Why did I get a call from Shanda and even Dickie, but no fucking call fromyou?” He was practically yelling by the time he finished talking.

My hands shook, and I tried to swallow down my residual fear. Shanda and Bertie were unharmed, and he was safe and whole. And glaring at me.

I blurted out the truth. “Because I didn’t want you here.”

He growled and shook me a little. “For fuck’s sake, why?”

“Because it’s too dangerous!”

He let go of me and rubbed his face as if trying to find patience.

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