Page 20 of Jobe

Instinct kicked in; assuming this was a gang drive-by she wanted to warn the center. Little John did not answer the phone, so she scrolled through her contacts to see who she could call.Jennifer. She can tell Gabe, who can have someone check the cameras.

She dialed Jennifer and told her what had happened, but before she could get out what she needed, Gabe came on the line.

She told him that the police were on their way to her house, but she was scared for the center. He assured her that Alvarez Security would take care of the center but wanted her to stay put until the police arrived. “Are you away from the windows?” he barked.

“Yes, we’re in the hall. I hear the sirens now.”

7

Jobe pulled himself out of the pool as he finished his late night swim, working his body to exhaustion in an attempt to ease his mind. Just as he reached for his towel, his cell phone buzzed. It seemed an odd time for Gabe to be calling.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“Get over to Mackenna’s. There’s been a drive-by shooting. She and her mom are okay. Tony’s sending Terrance and Vinny to check on the center and the rest of us are meeting at her house. He’s coordinating with Matt and Shane.”

“Goddamnit,” he growled. Grabbing his gym bag, he jerked off his trunks and pulled on his boxers and jeans after quickly toweling off. Throwing on his t-shirt, he then slid his feet into his boots. Snagging his keys and wallet off of the bench, he headed out to his vehicle.

* * *

Within a few minutes of getting off of the phone with Gabe, the police had entered the house immediately finding Mackenna and her mom. Penny was unharmed but shaken, while Mackenna’s knees and hands were bleeding from the broken glass she had crawled through.

An ambulance arrived about the same time that the house began to fill with others. Mackenna was taken to the kitchen so that the EMTs could work on her cuts. One of the policemen walked in to inform her that the detectives from the Drug Task Force would be in to see her as soon as she was patched up. Nodding, she had just looked down at her legs when two men came into the kitchen accompanying her mother. Assisting her mother into a chair, they introduced themselves.

“Ms. Dunn, I’m Detective Matt Dixon and this is my partner Detective Shane Douglass. We’re with the Richmond Police Department’s Gang Task Force. Your mother has already answered some ques—”

“Please don’t tire her out. I can answer your questions for you, Detective,” Mackenna quickly interrupted. She noticed his warm eyes and could tell that he understood this was difficult on her mom.

Mackenna explained her work with the New Beginnings Center and admitted that she had called the police several times when she felt that there was a possible threat. Before they could continue their interview, she heard a commotion at the front door.

“It’s okay, Officer. Alvarez Security is allowed in,” she heard someone say.

“Where the hell is she?” came a familiar voice, now raised in anger. Before she could respond, Detective Douglass yelled, “Back here.”

Within a moment, her small kitchen was made smaller. Jobe came sprinting into the room, followed by Tony, Gabe, and Jennifer. While she looked on incredulously, the two detectives greeted the Alvarez men as old friends.

Jobe’s eyes landed on hers immediately and he did a quick body scan. The EMTs were still working on her cut hands and legs, but they appeared to be mostly bandaged. His gaze took in her baby-blue sleeping shorts and matching camisole underneath the blanket she clutched. Her face was pale and eyes were wide with shock.

He slid his gaze over to Penny, noting a similar expression on her face. Walking over to her, he squatted down so that he could be at face level.

“Mrs. Dunn? We’re going to take care of everything now,” he said softly, noticing that her face relaxed slightly. He introduced the others and then, giving her shoulder a squeeze, he stood and nodded at Jennifer, who moved to sit next to Penny.

Jobe stalked over to the table where Mackenna was perched. His gaze dropped to her legs and hands as the EMT finished her bandaging.

“I picked out the glass and got them clean. I’d advise seeing your doctor to get an antibiotic just in case of infection. You up on your tetanus inoculation?” the EMT asked.

Mackenna’s eyes never left Jobe’s as she nodded her answer. As the EMT moved away, Jobe stepped into his place, moving closer than he would have allowed anyone else to stand.

“Ms. Dunn?” Detective Dixon interrupted. “I’ve just talked to Tony and Gabe here and have an idea of what’s going on at the center.”

She gasped, looking over at him. “Is there a problem? Did something happen there?” she asked, trying to hop down from the table. Finding her way blocked by Jobe, she glared at him. “Let me up,” she ordered.

“Not fucking likely, doll,” came his response. “No way are you going charging over there after what just happened.”

“No, no. It’s fine,” Matt said. “I just mean that you’ve had some suspicious cars drive-by over there, although without any violence.”

“That is if you discount Ms. Dunn’s penchant for chasing gang members with a baseball bat,” Tony added.

That statement brought another round of questions from Matt and Shane, and much to Mackenna’s embarrassment, a great deal of chastising.

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