The Protector
by barry effin gibb
"Where are we going, mommy?"
Twenty-nine year old Jolene Moran looked in the rear view mirror at her six year old daughter. It killed her to see the girl's father in her face. Quietly, Jolene looked down. Her foot slid onto the acellerator, having learned the faster you go, the quicker you leave your past behind.
"We're going to go see one of Mommy's friends, honey," she nodded.
"Where's Daddy?" he little girl asked innocently.
Coincidently, Jolene had asked herself that question a lot lately. Addison didn't see her father the way that Jolene had. Jackson Moran had lost his mind in the past six months, he had gone to great lengths telling her that if she wanted to keep her post lifestyle of being with him as the Lieutenant's wife, that she would stay. That she would keep taking the beatings and the verbal abuse.
Jolene felt sick to her stomach, "On vacation," she nodded, looking down at her thigh, seeing a long scar – a Christmas gift from her loving husband's hands. Quietly, she adjusted her blond ponytail. "I just thought that we could go on vacation, too."
"Oh, okay," the girl shrugged in her car seat.
Jolene merged off of the highway and frowned, wondering if she still knew how to get to her best friend's place.
Of course, even being in Missouri, she had to think about Samantha Speno's life, which had been cut so short.
Jolene and Sam had grown up together, she was even Sam's maid of honor in the wedding four years ago. When Jo's mind went to Sammy, she seemed to be on autopilot; navigating the streets to finally pull into a driveway ten minutes later.
She knew it probably wasn't wise to surprise Sam's widow Randy. She had seen how paranoid Randy Orton had been at three tours in Iraq. She had seen his nerves hit him a Sam's funeral and even watched him flinch whenever the little girl would cry. She felt for Randy, of course.
Even though she had lost her best friend, Randy had lost his lover and his entire world.
"Are we here?" Addison asked.
Jolene nodded, "Mmhmm, we are."
She climbed out of the rental car that she used cash to get. She raised an eyebrow, getting Addie out of her booster seat. Letting the girl walk up to the door with her, Jolene sighed and let her knuckles rap at the door.
There was a few dogs barking behind the door and Addison leaned down and placed the little girl on her hip.
"I don't think he's home, Bub," Jolene said to Addison with a shake of her head.
Right when Jolene was about to turn back to her car, she heard heavy footsteps and the door knob turn. Jolene took a deep breath as she saw Randy pull the door open.
He was taller than ever, in a pair of gray basketball shorts with no shirt. Jolene noticed his tattoos, the skulls riding up and down his arms and his tribal from years ago peaking out of it slightly. "Can I help you?" he asked bluntly.
"Randy," Jolene said softly, "I don't know if you remember me," she began. "But I'm Jolene," she said.
He raised an eyebrow, "Jolene," he said with a dark scowl. "What in the hell are you doing here?"
Addison listened quietly, her hands going on her mother's chest.
"I needed help," she murmured sadly.
"You're in the wrong place," Randy snapped, slamming the door shut.
"Mommy? Do we leave now?" Addison asked sadly, "I don't wanna get in the car again."
Quietly, she rolled her eyes and put the little girl down. "No," she said with a smirk. "Give mommy two minutes, okay?"
[[ Here we go; a new story! :) I hope you like it. It's a tough way to start this stuff out, but I promise that this is going to be epic, like most of my other shoulders. Ahaha. So, Randy and Jolene knew each other – the story is somewhat based upon a book I've been reading called the Perfect Husband. ;) Enjoy. THREE REVIEWS?]]