Page 41 of Steel & Jenna
“No!” Jenna shouted. She reached for Jack’s face. The expense of her sweater and their audience, be damned. He could barely see and it must be so painful to breathe out of his nose. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered to him. “This is all my fault.”
“It’s the bastard who hit me’s fault,” Jack corrected. He tipped his chin towards her face. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, realizing then that she had tears coming down her cheeks. She was also shivering from being outside without a jacket on. “I’m fine, I’m fine. God, look at you. Who did this?”
“Your mom’s bodyguards. One held me while the other beat the shit out of me.”
Jenna’s nose flared in rage. Her mom had a lot of bodyguards, too many to keep track of their names. She recognized both of the ones who were currently with her mom, though, which meant they were regulars. “I am so sorry.”
“You say that again and I’m takingyouover my knee.”
Jenna gasped and her eyes looked around frantically, but he’d said it so low that no one else had heard it. She resumed wiping his face. “What can I do? How can I help?”
“Just tell them I’m innocent. I didn’t hurt you.”
“Of course, you didn’t!” He flinched when she reached his nose, even though she’d barely touched it. “Sorry,” she winced on his behalf. His good eye tried to glare at her, but it didn’t have the same effect as it did when he wasn’t battered and bruised. “I called the Zarins.”
Jack nodded. “Good, they can look after Lilly.”
Jenna dropped her hand, her anger flaring again. Only this time, itwas atJack. “They can look afteryou, you stupid, selfless dummy! You need help, Jack! Look at you, you’re in handcuffs! Lilly is safe.Youare the one I’m worried about. For once in your life, you need to think about yourself and not anyone else.”
Jack shook his head. “Not possible. You and Lilly will always be my priorities.”
Her heart pinched at his declaration.
The officers hadn’t just been letting them talk while they waited around. The one standing next to Jack had remained but the other two had gone back up the stairs to talk with her mom and her bodyguards again.
Jenna turned to the officer. “Please. He needs a doctor. Just look at him.”
The officer looked up the stairs and then back at her. He leaned in close. “Look, I’m tempted to believe you, but it’s out of my hands. I just do as I’m told.”
Jenna’s heart sank. She stepped up closer to Jack, squeezing herself onto the stair just below his. With the rail at her back, she threaded her hand through the gap his cuffed arm and body made. Then held him tightly.
Jack seemed to sag against her. He couldn’t bury his face in her shoulder like he normally did. Instead, he rested his forehead against the crook of her neck. She could feel the wet sticky blood from his face coat her skin and sweater, but she didn’t care. Her other hand cupped the back of his head, trying to bring him whatever comfort she could.
The officer’s and Jenna’s eyes met over Jack’s bent frame. His look that had once been pitying now looked sympathetic. She prayed Mr. Zarin arrived soon. She wasn’t confident this was a battle she could win otherwise.
She could hear her mother’s loud voice echoing throughout the library, but she tuned it out. Jack needed her focus now, not her mom.
That was, until she heard her mom’s heels on the staircase. “Get him away from her!”
The officer turned to face Claudette Scanlon. To his credit, he didnot flinch or back down. “Your daughter claims there was no kidnapping or assault.”
Jenna had forgotten about the kidnapping accusation. “My sister dropped me off this morning. She was here when I met Jack of my own free will.”
The officer looked over his shoulder at her. “Your sister brought you here?”
Jenna nodded, though careful of where Jack’s nose was under her chin. “Her name is Carolyn Scanlon. She can confirm that I asked to come here.” Looking up the stairs at her mom—who had blood on her?—Jenna said loudly so the entire audience could hear, “I love Jack Duncan. You cannot and will not keep me from him, Mother. I was not kidnapped, assaulted, or raped by him.Youare the one who tried to steal his money.Youare the one who had your thugs beat him up. I willneverforgive you for this!”
Her mom’s face turned bright red as she stood taller. “Jenna, you are unwell. You don’t know what you’re saying?—”
“I am of sound mind and body!” Jenna shouted back. “Don’t youdareclaim that I don’t know what I am saying or doing. Of the two of you, who is the adult here and, of the two of you, which had a fifteen year old boy beaten bloody by the thugs she employs?”
The silence that fell was interrupted by the front door slamming open and pounding footsteps as Mr. Zarin came inside. He was wearing a leather jacket with a fur lined collar. His cheeks were red from the wind, but there was a commanding air about him that immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“Jack!” He made a beeline for them on the stairs. Jenna noticed that his eyes looked her over, too, but were mostly focused on Jack. She didn’t know why that comforted her. Maybe because her own mother hadn’t asked her how she was or if she was safe or if she wanted to be with Jack… All her mom cared about were appearances.
Carefully, Mr. Zarin lifted Jack’s battered face from Jenna’s shoulder. She still had a good amount of his weight, making her think that he was hurt worse than just his face. Anger burned in Mr. Zarin’s eyes as he took in Jack’s bloody face, nose, and eye.
