Chapter Four- The Protector
Wincing as she pulled the covers up to her chest. Katy turned on her side, and tried to control the thoughts racing through her head. Carly... her sister's name was Carly... well, if Sonny's wife really was her sister. She was too afraid to hope.
Hope had brought her nothing but heartache. Along time ago after her mom had run off and left her with her father she had dreamt that she would return and save her. Her mom had always been her hero... coming in and rescuing her from her dad when he was drunk and violent, when she was hungry and cold, or when she was embarrassed to go to school because her clothes were dirty and didn't fit. That had been before she turned twelve. At twelve she realized her mom was never going to come back and all she had was herself to depend on. She started to do small jobs around the neighborhood for money, and learned to cook with what she had. School wasn't really an option, but she tried to go when she could and somehow made it through the eighth grade. A kind teacher had helped her learn about the changes she was going through... and what she didn't learn from her she learned from the numerous women coming and going in her father's life. It was when she was fifteen and a sophomore in high school that things went from bad to worse.
She closed her eyes and pushed it out of her mind. She had escaped that year dropping out of school, and hadn't looked back. It was two months later that she met Alex... he had "saved" her... what a joke.
Wiping a tear that was rolling down her cheek, she tried to think of something positive... of anything other than what had been or what was likely. Sonny hadn't thrown her out on her ass so maybe he believed her. Maybe he would help her...
Fatigue finally swept over her and her last coherent thought was of a pair of blue eyes and a strong and reassuring hand holding hers... Where had her angel gone? The object of her thoughts was sitting only a stairwell away from her.
Jason sat next to Sonny, trying to take in the amazing story that Sonny had just completed. "SO, you are saying that Katy, the girl upstairs in your guestroom, could be related to Carly?" "That's the long and short of it... yeah." Sonny sat back and took a sip of his bourbon. It was late and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed. Tomorrow was the last day of the hearing and so much was going to be decided.
"Well, I already told you that Faith swore she wasn't behind the hit... but I find it hard to believe. This... this Alex guy, what do you think the odds are that he is going to try again?"
"I think they are pretty good. If it were only a matter of money... I would say it would depend on how much he was getting paid. But, since he knows I have something, or should I say someone, he wants I think he'll make another move... and that is what I am counting on." Sonny leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment.
By now Jason knew the way Sonny's mind worked. He knew exactly why Sonny was counting on this guy to come after him...
"You are going to use her as bait, aren't you?" Jason pushed back his instant need to argue, and tried to look at the pros of the idea, "We can protect her. He won't get to her... and he sure has hell won't get to Carly or the kids. I can see that this might be our only option."
"Look, I am headed up to bed. Nothing can be done right now, and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Let's get through the hearing and we'll go from there..." Getting up Sonny didn't even bother to wait for Jason to leave; he just stood up and walked up the stairs, heading to his bed.
Jason sat for a minute and tried to push the idea of peeking in on Katy out of his head. His life was crazy as it was and he surely didn't need any extra complications. But, as he got up and walked to the door he found himself going up the stairs and standing in front of her door instead. Pushing it quietly open he noticed that the light by the bed was still on, and she had curled up on her side. One hand was under her cheek and one lying across her stomach. One petite leg had kicked out from under the cover and it was all Jason could do to take his eyes off of it. Her light brown hair was a mass of curls tangling around her face. She looked so little, and so fragile sleeping there. Before he could turn to leave her eyes open, met his, and held there.
"You came back," she whispered. Jason didn't even say a word; he couldn't, so he just nodded. "Will you stay with me Angel? Will you protect me while I sleep?" She had closed her eyes again briefly, but opened them with a worried plea in her eyes. "Yes, sweetheart, I'll be here." Jason walked over to the bed and didn't even hesitate as she slid over and made room for him to crawl in. Pulling his boots off and shrugging out of his jacket, he lay down and gathered her in his arms.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and snuggled next to his chest. For the first time in her life she felt truly and completely safe.
"Angel, what is your name?" She asked as sleep claimed her. "My name is Jason." As he felt her breathing slow down and become nice and even he allowed himself to enjoy holding her in his arms. It had been so long since the last time he had held Courtney like this. Closing his eyes for a minute he began to plan how they would find out who was behind Monterro guy, protect Katy, and then kill the bastard.
Wincing as she pulled the covers up to her chest. Katy turned on her side, and tried to control the thoughts racing through her head. Carly... her sister's name was Carly... well, if Sonny's wife really was her sister. She was too afraid to hope.
Hope had brought her nothing but heartache. Along time ago after her mom had run off and left her with her father she had dreamt that she would return and save her. Her mom had always been her hero... coming in and rescuing her from her dad when he was drunk and violent, when she was hungry and cold, or when she was embarrassed to go to school because her clothes were dirty and didn't fit. That had been before she turned twelve. At twelve she realized her mom was never going to come back and all she had was herself to depend on. She started to do small jobs around the neighborhood for money, and learned to cook with what she had. School wasn't really an option, but she tried to go when she could and somehow made it through the eighth grade. A kind teacher had helped her learn about the changes she was going through... and what she didn't learn from her she learned from the numerous women coming and going in her father's life. It was when she was fifteen and a sophomore in high school that things went from bad to worse.
She closed her eyes and pushed it out of her mind. She had escaped that year dropping out of school, and hadn't looked back. It was two months later that she met Alex... he had "saved" her... what a joke.
Wiping a tear that was rolling down her cheek, she tried to think of something positive... of anything other than what had been or what was likely. Sonny hadn't thrown her out on her ass so maybe he believed her. Maybe he would help her...
Fatigue finally swept over her and her last coherent thought was of a pair of blue eyes and a strong and reassuring hand holding hers... Where had her angel gone? The object of her thoughts was sitting only a stairwell away from her.
Jason sat next to Sonny, trying to take in the amazing story that Sonny had just completed. "SO, you are saying that Katy, the girl upstairs in your guestroom, could be related to Carly?" "That's the long and short of it... yeah." Sonny sat back and took a sip of his bourbon. It was late and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed. Tomorrow was the last day of the hearing and so much was going to be decided.
"Well, I already told you that Faith swore she wasn't behind the hit... but I find it hard to believe. This... this Alex guy, what do you think the odds are that he is going to try again?"
"I think they are pretty good. If it were only a matter of money... I would say it would depend on how much he was getting paid. But, since he knows I have something, or should I say someone, he wants I think he'll make another move... and that is what I am counting on." Sonny leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment.
By now Jason knew the way Sonny's mind worked. He knew exactly why Sonny was counting on this guy to come after him...
"You are going to use her as bait, aren't you?" Jason pushed back his instant need to argue, and tried to look at the pros of the idea, "We can protect her. He won't get to her... and he sure has hell won't get to Carly or the kids. I can see that this might be our only option."
"Look, I am headed up to bed. Nothing can be done right now, and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Let's get through the hearing and we'll go from there..." Getting up Sonny didn't even bother to wait for Jason to leave; he just stood up and walked up the stairs, heading to his bed.
Jason sat for a minute and tried to push the idea of peeking in on Katy out of his head. His life was crazy as it was and he surely didn't need any extra complications. But, as he got up and walked to the door he found himself going up the stairs and standing in front of her door instead. Pushing it quietly open he noticed that the light by the bed was still on, and she had curled up on her side. One hand was under her cheek and one lying across her stomach. One petite leg had kicked out from under the cover and it was all Jason could do to take his eyes off of it. Her light brown hair was a mass of curls tangling around her face. She looked so little, and so fragile sleeping there. Before he could turn to leave her eyes open, met his, and held there.
"You came back," she whispered. Jason didn't even say a word; he couldn't, so he just nodded. "Will you stay with me Angel? Will you protect me while I sleep?" She had closed her eyes again briefly, but opened them with a worried plea in her eyes. "Yes, sweetheart, I'll be here." Jason walked over to the bed and didn't even hesitate as she slid over and made room for him to crawl in. Pulling his boots off and shrugging out of his jacket, he lay down and gathered her in his arms.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and snuggled next to his chest. For the first time in her life she felt truly and completely safe.
"Angel, what is your name?" She asked as sleep claimed her. "My name is Jason." As he felt her breathing slow down and become nice and even he allowed himself to enjoy holding her in his arms. It had been so long since the last time he had held Courtney like this. Closing his eyes for a minute he began to plan how they would find out who was behind Monterro guy, protect Katy, and then kill the bastard.
