Souls' Rescue Part 25

"THIS IS THE fourth night in a row you've been here," Talia said, watching Kelly put a DVD into the player. "Are you trying to move in?"

"We're already past the second date where I'd have the U-Haul with all my stuff in it. So for now, I guess we're just dating."

"Funny. So what is it? You only like me for my big TV?"

"You mean your flat, giant, wide screen that has surround sound and makes me feel like I'm at the movies, TV?"

"Yeah. That one."

Kelly pretended to think seriously about the subject. "Yes. I like you for your TV."

"I knew it."

"But, I do have ulterior motives." Kelly settled beside Talia on the couch and reached for the remote control. "I figured I might get lucky after we watch a romantic movie or two."

"You brought musicals. What's so romantic about a musical?"

Kelly let out an exaggerated sigh. "You haven't lived. You really haven't lived."

"You didn't answer my question."

"You're going to love this." Kelly pressed her lips to Talia's and let her tongue make its way into her mouth. "I promise. You'll love it."

"I believe you." She leaned into her. "I've haven't seen many musicals."

"Sad. Very, very sad." Kelly made a "tsk tsk" sound. "I can't imagine that. My mom took me to my first musical when I was four."

"What was it?"

"Annie. And I loved every minute of it." She broke into a very bad rendition of "Tomorrow" and had Talia laughing so hard she cried. "Hey! I'm not that bad."

"Yeah, you are." Talia held up her arms to ward off a tickle attack and leaned back to catch her breath.

"Haven't you at least watched a few on TV? Willie Wonka? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Sound of Music?"

"Never. Who comes up with those t.i.tles anyway? Willie Wonka? Isn't that a Johnny Depp movie?"

"Yuck!" Kelly scrunched up her face in disgust. "That's the new, misguided version. The real Willie Wonka was Gene Wilder. No way could Johnny Depp ever be as good as he was. But I've got something you'll love. It's called Rent."

"How do you know I'll love it?"

"If you don't fall in love with Joanne, I'll have serious doubts about our relations.h.i.+p." She clicked on the TV and snuggled into Talia. "I can't see how any lesbian wouldn't fall for Tracy Thoms at first sight. Wow. If all lawyers were as hot as her I'd have to change professions."

"That so?" Talia absently ran her fingers through Kelly's hair. "What if I don't think she's hot?"

"You will," Kelly said with confidence. She adjusted her position to be able to give Talia a kiss. "But she could never compare to you, babe."

"Oh, my. She's probably a dog."

Kelly kissed her again, this time pressing against her body. The kiss went deeper and heated up. Kelly pulled back. "Compared to you, yeah. She's a dog. Why can't you believe I'm attracted to you, huh?"

"It's not something I'm used to."

"But you've been with other women. Didn't any of them tell you that? I mean, wasn't it obvious they were attracted to you?"

"My ex never said that to me. And Megan's the only woman I've ever been with.

"Then she obviously had no idea what she had." Kelly caressed Talia's face, tracing the outline of her full lips. "You're beautiful to me, baby. You're the only one I want to be with. Never forget that. Okay?"

Talia blinked back her tears. "Okay."

"Good." Kelly settled against her again. "Ready to watch the movie?"

KELLY EJECTED THE third movie of the night and untangled herself from Talia's grip to put it away. She wasn't surprised that Talia had fallen asleep. She placed The Sound of Music on the shelf.

"Hey sweetie wake up."

"Five more minutes."

"No more minutes," Kelly said and kissed her on the forehead. "I need to be at training tomorrow so I need to get home."

"What kind of training are you going to do with a broken arm and ribs that haven't healed yet?"

"The kind you do at a desk while watching a lecture." Kelly leaned over Talia and kissed her. "You need help getting to your room?"

"Nope. I'm good." Talia grabbed the front of Kelly's t-s.h.i.+rt and pulled her close for another smooch. "Call me when you get home so I know you're safe."

"Yes, dear." Kelly winked at her and moved toward the door. "I'll call while I'm on my way so you can keep me company. How's that?"

"Perfect."

Kelly blew her a kiss and headed for the parking garage. She had her key in the ignition when she remembered her cell phone was still in Talia's apartment. "s.h.i.+t." She opened the car door and went to get out, but was jerked roughly back in. A strong arm wrapped around her neck. She tried to scream, but only a squeak came out.

"Stop fighting me, d.y.k.e. You're gonna lose."

She knew the voice, but it was hard to wrap her mind around what was happening. Was he really there? How the h.e.l.l could Jason Burke be in her car in the parking garage of Talia's building?

"You're going to die for what you did to me." He was so close Kelly could feel his breath on her ear.

"What-"

"You f.u.c.king got me suspended without pay and the union rep says I'll probably get fired. I'm gonna lose my house, my car, everything. All because you couldn't f.u.c.king keep up. Couldn't do your f.u.c.king job so I gotta pay for it."

Her ribs hurt because he had her at an awkward angle with her head and neck pressed back against the headrest. The grip on her throat cut of her air, and Kelly felt like she was going to pa.s.s out. She tried to hit him with the cast on her arm, but couldn't reach him.

"Stop f.u.c.king fighting me and I'll let you breathe. I don't want to kill you here, but I f.u.c.king will if I have to."

Kelly did what he told her to, and he relaxed enough so she could draw a couple of deep breaths. "What the h.e.l.l are you doing? I never did anything to you, Burke."

"You got me suspended and then f.u.c.king fired." He shoved her away from him so hard that Kelly hit her head on the rear view mirror. A gun was next to her face before she even realized he had one. "You're going to do exactly what I say. Got it?"

"Yeah."

He pressed the metal barrel to her temple, and she was suddenly too scared to move. She understood that many guns had a hair trigger that could go off if she leaned the wrong way.

Dying was not on her list of things to do now. She'd lived through countless fires, through the roof collapse at the warehouse, and she couldn't believe that after all that, it was her time to die.

Burke ordered her to get out of the car. He was quick and came around the pa.s.senger door to grab her by the collar. Her head hurt where he pushed the gun's barrel into it, and she couldn't make her legs move.

"I said get the h.e.l.l out!"

She wanted to be tough, to be brave, but couldn't stop herself from shaking. "I-I-if you move that thing away from my head, I'll get out of the car, okay?"

Burke hesitated and let go of her collar.

"I won't do anything. Besides, my arm and ribs are broken. It's not like I can run." Even though that's exactly what she wanted to do.

"Fine." He moved the gun away from her head. "Out."

Kelly swung her feet to the ground, rose, and nearly fell because her legs felt so weak. She held onto the car door with her right hand to keep steady. Burke pressed the gun into her side, and the pain in her ribs made Kelly want to scream. She stifled her reaction and took a deep breath.

"Elevator. Move."

"Where are we going?" she asked, but kept doing as she was told.

"We're going to visit your girlfriend."

"No f.u.c.king way." Kelly wheeled around to face him. "No. You got a beef with me, let's have it out. Talia has nothing to do with this."

Burke grabbed the front of her s.h.i.+rt again and lifted Kelly off her feet. In a flash, he had her pinned to a concrete wall. Kelly groaned, sure he'd broken a couple more ribs. "She's your life. I'm going to do to her what you did to me. I'm going to take away your life."

"No." Kelly tried to talk, but the pain was getting worse. Her breathing came in gasps now. "You-you can't."

"I can. Now you either f.u.c.king take me to her apartment, or I'll go to every f.u.c.king apartment in this building until I find her."

"Okay. Okay."

He let go, and Kelly slid to the ground. Her right side felt like she'd been stabbed. The bones of her ribs crunched when she moved, and she knew she was in serious trouble. A piece of bone could puncture her lung or diaphragm and that would be it. But did it really matter? If he had his way, she'd be dead before that could happen.

"Up. Let's go."

He reached for her, but Kelly shoved his hand away. She pressed her back against the wall and used it to get to her feet.

"Move it. I haven't got all night, b.i.t.c.h."

She took a step forward and hesitated. If she led him to Talia's apartment, she had no way of knowing what would happen. Was he just s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with her head? Or did he intend to kill them? He was crazy, and she was terrified he meant to do exactly what he said. Kelly always trusted her instincts and right now they screamed at her to stay where she was.

"Are you f.u.c.king deaf?" Burke leaned over her, his gun close to her face again. "Get moving. Now."

"f.u.c.k you," she said between breaths. "f.u.c.k you. You're the stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.d that left his partner in a burning building. You're the a.s.shole that picked a fight with me at a fire scene. You're just-"

Kelly saw the blow coming and ducked. Burke's fist slammed against her shoulder. She fell against the wall and tried to stay on her feet, but her legs left the ground and she landed on her back. Breathing was harder now, and she could only hold her broken arm across her chest and try to ward off the blows with the other.

But nothing happened. Kelly had closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable and opened them, almost afraid of what she would see. The gun in her face again? Burke waiting to strangle her?

She'd been so focused on protecting herself, Kelly hadn't heard a sound. Never heard the whack of the cane when it hit Burke's head the first time or the second or the third.

But she heard the screaming now. Talia stood bellowing, balanced precariously leaning one hand on her car, the other shaking a bent cane at the p.r.o.ne Burke. He lay on the ground beside Kelly. He groaned once, but didn't move.

"You okay?" Talia asked, a little out of breath.

"I-sure. I think."

"You don't look okay. I'm calling 9-1-1." She pulled Kelly's phone from her pants pocket.

"I think he's going to need an ambulance more than me."

"I hope he dies." Talia said it with such fury that Kelly staggered to her feet and put an arm around her.

Talia s.h.i.+fted back and leaned heavily against a truck and Kelly leaned against her.

"That b.a.s.t.a.r.d broke into my car. He tried to choke me. Thank G.o.d I forgot my phone. I can't believe what you just did."

"I was so d.a.m.n scared, baby. I thought he'd killed you."

"He was planning on it," Kelly said. "s.h.i.+t, honey, he had a gun-"

"Not now. I knocked it out if his hand. It went under that car over there."

Kelly closed her eyes and tried hard to relax. "Good thinking."

Talia kissed the top of her head. "Just promise me you're okay."

"I am now." Kelly took Talia's hand in hers. "I am now."

Chapter Thirty.

THE ER DOCTOR confirmed Kelly had cracked two more ribs. If one of them had broken, it would have punctured a lung. Because of the mult.i.tude of past injuries coupled with the new ones, they admitted her to the hospital so they could monitor her overnight. Kelly had never felt so much pain, but was grateful for the reminder that she was alive.