Barred (17 page)

The following morning, Kimberly wakes up in her bed encased in a hunk sandwich.  She can’t help but take in the masculine beauty that surrounds her.  She takes in Jonathon’s face, peaceful in its slumber as the prickly hairs of his growing five o’clock shadow are starting to overtake his boyish face.  She smiles, remembering what happened between the three of them last night.  She knew they all had a connection but after last night, that connection was made stronger, the bond set in stone.  If she thought she was better off with one man, she was proven wrong after last night.  If she compared them to a watch, she was the mechanical part, and the men the arms that told the time.  Without her, the relationship would crumble, or stop ticking.  She wasn’t ready for that. 

She turns to her left to see Emerson smiling down at her. “Good morning,” he whispers as he kisses her nose.

“You’re awake?”

“Mmhmm, but your secret is safe with me.”

“Secret?”

“Yes. I won’t tell Jonathon how you stared at him for five minutes.”

She laughs softly as she kisses his chest. “You caught me, but I was fixing to do the same to you.”

“I won’t tell because I do it to you often,” he has the decency to blush, telling her of his own transgressions. 

“Well, I have a feeling I should feel violated but I don’t,” she replies as she slowly climbs over him.  “I’m going to make you fella’s some breakfast.”  She winces as the soreness sets in from the misbehaving’s of last night. 

“Maybe I should do that,” Emerson says, slowly sliding his naked body out of her bed.  “You should probably relax, you’ll be sore today.”

“I’m okay, I like to cook,” she assures him, throwing on a robe before making her way to the kitchen to start the coffee.  She turns the radio on while she gets out the ingredients to make omelets.  Just as she is preparing to pour the eggs into the skillet, she feels a pair of arms wrap around her.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to do what we did last night,” Jonathon says, kissing her on the temple.  “And, for making my coffee.”  He grins, taking her cup off the counter and takes a long sip. 

“That was mine, but I will let you have it,” she smiles, surprised at how happy she is.  “So, how is the case going with Mr. Harris?  I haven’t heard anything on it for a couple of weeks now.  Are we going to trial?”

“It’s been handled. The case is dropped,” Emerson’s strong voice comes from behind them, his eyes daring Jonathon to question him in front of Kimberly. “Everything was taken care of last night, he realized you made a mistake and his insurance company, as well as your own, covered the damages.  He decided to not proceed with the case.”

Jonathon and Emerson both look at Kimberly, confused when she looks at them defeated. 

“What’s wrong baby? This is amazing news,” Jonathon questions as Emerson walks over.

“Kimberly, talk to us. What’s wrong?”

“Now, you both will leave. You have no reason to stay anymore.”

“Not true. This is reason enough,” Jonathon retorts, grabbing a handful of her ass.  “You’re stuck with us babe.”

She bursts into tears as both of the men try to comfort her. Jonathon looks over her head at Emerson with a look in his eyes that could be clarified as, way to go asshole.  They both spend the day with Kimberly, watching movies, talking about their pasts and just getting to know each other more. Both men trying to reassure her that they are not running away just because they held up their end of the bargain. Kimberly falls asleep with her head in Jonathon’s lap and her feet in Emerson’s. Jonathon runs his fingers through her curly locks as she snores softly under him.

“What do you mean it’s taken care of?” He softly asks Emerson so that he doesn’t wake her.

“I paid the man,” Emerson says, looking Jonathon directly in the eyes, daring him to question him.  “I couldn’t see her in jail.”

“I could have helped.”

“Like you thought you helped with Mallory?”

Jonathon reels back as if he’s just been slapped. Emerson wasn’t supposed to know about that, and the only person he told was Mallory and Kimberly.

“Mallory told me. I just never told you I knew, looking back on it you were right. She was an enigma, a parasite if you will. She would have destroyed us.”

Kimberly stirs, halting the conversation as she stretches and yawns. 

“You’re awake. We are going to take off. We have a lot of cases in the morning and you need to rest,” Emerson says, kissing her softly.

“Yeah, he’s right. You have an early morning too,” Jonathon says, kissing her mouth a bit more aggressively.  She smiles and touches her lip with her finger. 

“Okay, be careful,” she says as she follows her two men over to the door.

“Lock the door.”

“Yes sir,” she replies to Emerson as they walk down the stairs of her porch. She smiles, turning the lock on her door and making her way into her bedroom to snuggle with the sheets that still smell of the men she’s given her heart to.

“What do you mean? She’s been taken?” Emerson roars into the phone as Sarah repeats herself.

“I… I came to Kimberly’s to check on her when she wouldn’t answer her phone,” she hesitates before she speaks again.  “The door was wide open and there is stuff everywhere!”

“Don’t touch anything. I’m on my way.” He growls as he ends the call. He grabs a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Throwing them over his naked body, he slips his shoes on and jumps into his car.  He picks his phone up and dials Jonathon.

“Hello?”

“Get your ass up. Now!  I will be there in five minutes tops.”

“What the hell is going on?”

“Kimberly.”

“What about her? She isn’t here.”

“She’s been taken.”

“Taken?”

“Yes idiot! Taken! Someone broke into her home! Call Tyler, tell him to meet us there!”

“Shit! Got it.  See ya.”

With that, Jonathon hangs up the phone, texting Tyler the address and to get there immediately.  He jumps out of bed, grabbing the first thing he comes into contact with and throwing it over his body.  He runs to the kitchen, grabbing two portable coffee mugs and pouring the already made coffee into them.  He runs out of the door just as Emerson pulls into the driveway. 

“So run down?” He asks, sliding into the passenger side.

“Don’t know much.  Sarah called told me she went to check on her.  She was gone, door was wide open.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the coffee… I was up late going over files.” Emerson says, reaching over and grabbing the coffee downing half in one gulp.

They don’t really say much of anything as Emerson flies down the interstate to Kimberly’s home. When they finally pull up to the bright yellow two bedroom home with the white porch and shutters, they both take off running.  Sarah jumps when she sees them and runs to them. Jonathon grabs her and hugs her as she clings to him. He rubs her back as she sobs.

“We will find her. It will be okay.” He coos to her as he tries to soothe her, even though he is just as frazzled as she is.

“I’m going to look around, see if there are any clues to who did this.” Emerson says, walking into the house.  The sight before him is astonishing.  There is paper from books everywhere as well as dirt from the plants that have been overturned.  He treads carefully through the house, trying to hold back the rage as he sees pots and pans strode over the kitchen.  There looks to be some dried blood on the white counter and he prays that maybe, just maybe, his woman put up a fight.  That the blood he sees is not hers.  Maybe this could be a clue as to who did this—a way in the right direction to getting her back. 

After ten minutes of walking through the house, he walks back outside to see an even more hysterical Sarah crying into Jonathon’s chest.  Jonathon looks up at Emerson with a helpless look, which causes him to hold back a chuckle.  In a time like this, laughing is not the answer to the problem.

Tyler pulls his black Ford F-250 into the driveway behind Emerson’s car.  He steps out and Sarah lets out an audible gasp as she looks at the man coming towards them.  He has very short, dirty-blonde hair that looks like he buzzed it. He is big and bulky, like he could kick someone’s ass. His black T-shirt pulled taut over his big chest and his blue jeans slung low on his narrow hips. When he smiles at her, she instantly turns a shade of red, thinking that he must have heard her thoughts aloud.

“Hey guys. What’s the deal?”

“Blood on the counter, hopefully she stabbed the person. House is trashed.” Emerson replies, standing to meet Tyler at the steps.  “Please, please get her back.”

“Of course. That’s what I do. Someone probably knows she is important to you two. I need you two to go on with your daily routine. Do they know about this one?” He asks, pointing in Sarah’s direction.  He can’t help but be mesmerized by the woman—her mousy brown hair and green eyes shining with tears, pulls at the strings of his heart.

“No, they don’t. This is Sarah… Kimberly’s sister.” Jonathon pipes in, helping her to her feet.

“Well, I’m going to have someone follow her.”

“What? Why?” She asks in a tiny fearful voice.

“Just a precaution, Sugar.”

“Don’t call me that! I don’t even know who you are.” She retorts, hands on her hips.

“You know what, fellas?  I like this one.  I will make sure she’s taken care of.”

“I’m pretty sure I can handle myself.  I don’t need some macho man thinking he can come in here and help me.  I am no damsel in distress, asshole.”

Emerson and Jonathon both chortle as Sarah gives Tyler an earful.  They both halt their laughter when they see the rage has been turned on them.

“I don’t see why you’re laughing! It’s your fault my sister is gone! If you both weren’t so worried about fucking her senseless, no one would have known about her!”

“Hey, that’s cold.”

“No, what’s cold is fucking a woman and making her fall for you knowing there is no happily ever after because she’s in love with TWO men!” She slaps her hand over her mouth after she speaks the words.  Knowing when they find Kim, she will kill her for spilling the beans.

“I’m in love with her.”  Emerson speaks up.  “I will get her back.”

“As am I.  I just was afraid to tell her, or you.”  Jonathon says as he looks at Emerson. 

“Just get my sister back… and you,” she says, stabbing her finger into Tyler’s rock hard chest.  “You will not follow me around like some lost puppy.  I am a grown woman and believe it or not I could take you down right now.”

“Prove…” but before Tyler can get the rest out, Sarah slams her hand up.  Palm up, ramming him in the nose sending him howling in pain as she then slams her knee into his stomach.  “Damn.” He lets out, following up she knees him in his balls, sending him to the ground, trying to breathe through the pain. 

“Damn.”  Emerson and Jonathon both say.  “Who knew you had it in you, Sarah.”

“Kim’s idea…  She didn’t want either of us to be defenseless.  I also have a concealed carry permit.”  She retorts, then adds.  “So you better find my sister.” 

She smiles at Tyler, patting him on his head before she walks to her car and drives away. 

“Tough bitch.” Tyler wheezes from the ground, slowly rising to his feet.  “I like her.” He smiles as he finally stands straight.

“Good, but play time happens after you find Kimberly.” Jonathon says, walking to her door, locking it behind him. 

“Got it. Go back to acting like everything is normal. Don’t let people see it’s bothering you. It will make it more dangerous for her.”

“Okay.” Emerson replies, walking to his car, sliding behind the wheel and saying a silent prayer that Kimberly will be okay. 

Tyler and Jonathon continue talking for a few more moments before Jonathon joins Emerson in the car.  “So, what do we do now?”

“Find her.”

“Not what I meant.”

“I know, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“We have to one day.”

“I’d rather not.” Emerson says as he puts the car into reverse and backs out of the drive after Tyler. The rest of the ride back to Jonathon’s is spent without another word said. Emerson pulls up to his house and Jonathon exits the car with a sad wave as he walks to his driveway.