Dirty Dealings
Part 2
"Leo!" Jenny set the bags on the table and called through the house. After getting no answer, Jenny turned back to the groceries, putting the milk and cream cheese in the refrigerator and the bagels in the bread drawer. She laid a package of frozen chicken breasts on the counter as she planned to make them for dinner. Opening the cupboard, she pulled out a box of macaroni and cheese. She had to make that to get Leo to eat. For days he had existed on coffee and only what she had insisted he eat. When she hugged him, she could feel that he had lost weight. Jenny was thankful for macaroni and cheese. If there was anything that could tempt Leo to eat, that was it.
As Jenny was hunting in the freezer for a package of broccoli, Leo came barrelling into the kitchen. "Jenny, what are you doing here?"
Jenny looked up in alarm at the tone of Leo's voice. "I went to the grocery, Leo, and now I've come home to put the groceries away. Why didn't you answer me when I called to you?"
"I didn't hear you; I'm sorry," Leo apologized. "What are you going to do now?" Leo spoke a bit more sharply than he had intended.
Jenny pulled an envelope out of her purse. "Well, I was planning on putting these pictures in an album. They're the ones from Laurie's school play." She looked into the shopping bag nearest her. "I got you some pastrami and yes, it's paper thin. Are you hungry?"
"I thought you'd be gone longer," Leo said, glancing down the hallway.
Jenny followed his eyes. "I didn't have much to get." She came to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a kiss on his lips. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Of course not," Leo stammered.
"Good, because I could stay like this forever." Jenny left a quick line of kisses down his jaw line and nuzzled against his neck.
Leo's eyes darted down the hall again as he hugged Jenny tighter. His breath caught in his throat and his heart began to race. Lane was strolling down the hall, coming to stand against the kitchen doorframe and grin maliciously at Leo.
With her back to the hall, Jenny was aware of nothing, but the sudden rigid ness of Leo's body and the choking sound when his breath caught. "Honey?" Jenny pulled back to look at him. "What's wrong? Leo, you're shaking."
Leo tore his eyes off Lane's face and focused on Jenny. "I'm okay!" Leo forced an awkward smile.
"Leo!" Jenny moved further back and grabbed his arms. "Baby, you're not okay. Anyone could see that. You tell me what's wrong right now or I'm calling Jed."
"No!" Leo practically yelled at her. "You can't talk to Jed about...." Leo struggled for the words.
When Leo stopped, Jenny jumped in. "About what, Leo?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "Abbey thinks you're having some kind of nervous breakdown. Don't think she hasn't told me that you've been trying to break up her and Jed."
Leo's eyes flew back to Lane who was enjoying the show. At what Jenny said, Lane nodded and winked at Leo.
Seeing the panic on Leo's face as his eyes stayed frozen over her shoulder, Jenny started to spin around.
"No." Leo screeched, forcibly stopping her from turning. Leo looked back to the doorway. He was horrified to find that Lane had advanced to a few steps behind Jenny. Panic and fear overtook Leo. What was Lane doing? Risking being caught! If Jenny found out, she would go straight to Jed and Abbey. Leo's goal was to protect Jed and Abbey; Jenny's goal would be to protect him. Perhaps Lane didn't care; maybe he was ready to make his presence known. Or maybe he was just crazy and would hurt them. Leo didn't care about himself, but he would die before he would let Lane touch Jenny.
The next thing Leo saw was Lane's hand reaching to touch Jenny's hair. "NO! PLEASE!" The words burst from Leo as he pulled Jenny so tightly against him that she could hardly breathe. Then Leo's voice quieted. "Please."
Lane grinned evilly and spun around to stroll back down the hall at a leisurely pace, quietly opening the front door and walking out.
Jenny forced Leo's arms from around her and looked into Leo's face, noting the confusion and pure fear. "Who are you saying that to? Who is going to hurt you? Leo, please talk to me." Smoothing down Leo's hair, she manoeuvred them both into chairs. "You have to tell me, honey. This has gone passed just unusual behaviour. You need help." Jenny reached for the phone. "I'm going to call Abbey and have her meet us at the hospital. I want her to check you over. Will you go there with me?" Jenny rubbed Leo's arm.
"Jenny." Leo looked at her sincerely and took her hands in his. "Please trust me. I'm okay. I'll straighten this out. I just want you and Jed and Abbey to be safe."
"What do you mean, Leo? We are safe," Jenny assured, trying to read his expression.
Leo's eyes asked for pity from Jenny. "Don't call Abbey. Please."
Jenny hesitated before nodding slightly. "Go lie down and let me bring you something to eat."
Leo nodded and started down the hall.
Jenny stared at the front door that was slightly ajar before opening the package of pastrami.
Looking at her watch Abbey made a mental note to remember to pick up Laurie and Leah in an hour. Then she relaxed back on the couch. Finally a day off, but her hopes of spending some of it with Jed was not to be. She'd see him tomorrow though. Today she had just been lazy and not done too much. She was actually feeling a little too lazy. She got up to do some cleaning, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a creak. Listening very carefully, she couldn't hear anything, so she continued to the kitchen. As she reached the kitchen, she heard it again and turned, but it was too late. Suddenly everything went black.
Jenny came into the bedroom, carrying a pastrami sandwich and a glass of milk. Setting the food on the nightstand, she sat down gently. Leo was lying on the bed. His eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly, but he still looked pale and his face was anything but relaxed. Jenny brushed some stray hair back off his forehead and checked for a fever that might go a long way toward explaining his behaviour.
At her touch, Leo shifted and whimpered quietly. "No. Lane."
Jenny felt her stomach churn. Had she heard correctly? She knew she had. Since Lane's death, Leo had dreamed of him repeatedly. Dreamed of the way he had died. Not the way the country thought, not attacked and stabbed by some unknown assailant, but the way that only she, Leo, Abbey and Jed knew, stabbed during a struggle while Abbey tried to protect herself. The truth usually set one free, but knowing the truth had only made it worse for Leo. It would have been so much easier on him to think that his brother could have been the victim of a random robbery or of a person who didn't like his politics. Instead, Leo had to live with the knowledge that his brother was a womanizing, violent thug who threatened his wife and had died for his actions. Leo had seen the worst of Lane all his life, but seeing how he treated someone he loved was the worst possible memory.
Jenny continued to stroke Leo's hair. She didn't know what he was dreaming about, Abbey's situation or one of the many horrible things that Lane had done to him personally, but she knew waking him up was what she had to do. "Honey, wake up. It's Jenny. You're dreaming. It's okay."
Leo's eyes popped open and he jumped up in bed, his eyes scanning the room. "Is he here?"
Jenny frowned in confusion. "Who, Leo? Lane? He's dead; you don't have to worry about him. Just try to relax and eat your sandwich."
Leo leaned back against the headboard and focused on Jenny. She was his life. He loved her more than words could say, more than his heart could comprehend. How could he keep this terrible secret from her? They shared everything and he was breaking that trust.
"Leo." Jenny brought Leo out of his trance. "Honey, are you sure you don't want me to call Abbey? If you don't want to go to the hospital, I'm sure she would come here."
And that did it; the concern was the final motivator. He didn't know how this would go, but he wouldn't betray her by keeping her in the dark. "Lane's alive!" Leo blurted out his confession and then shrank back, awaiting the revulsion and anger he was sure would follow.
"Honey." Jenny reached out and caressed the side of his face. "You were dreaming. I know dreams can be so real and so scary, but Lane's dead. You don't have to think about him anymore."
"Jenny." Leo leaned forward, tears standing in his eyes. "Lane is alive. He didn't die in the struggle with Abbey. He's just been waiting for the time to return and derail all our lives."
Jenny knew Leo well and as she searched his face, all the blanks were filled in. The strange behaviour, the jumpiness, the panic and pain, it all made sense. Lane was alive and Leo had been dealing with it for a while. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" A new thought dawned on Jenny. "Why didn't you tell Abbey? She doesn't know, right?"
"I'm sorry." One tear rolled down Leo's cheek. "I thought I could stop him. I thought I could spare Abbey seeing him again. And he threatened her, Jenny. He said that if I revealed that he was alive before he was ready that he would hurt Abbey."
Lane kneeled next to Abbey and checked her pulse. Finding it rapid, but weak, he checked the gash on her temple. Blood was pouring down her face. Cursing, Lane wiped at the blood; this was not going the way he had planned. No doubt Leo would blame him for this. He couldn't let the girls find their mother like this and he couldn't reveal himself yet. Suddenly he saw her move.
Abbey's head was pounding like crazy. She tried opening her eyes, but only partly succeeded. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. ".....L.....L...Lane..."
Lane didn't say anything. Didn't move. Within seconds Abbey passed out again. He couldn't let her bleed to death here. That would be too easy. She needed to feel some pain and this was not the way.
"Don't you get this, Leo?" Jenny grabbed his arms and got up in his face. "You can't protect Abbey and Jed anymore. Your brother is dangerous. He's capable of anything. He WOULD hurt Abbey and he WOULD hurt you! I'm not going to stand around and let that happen."
"I'm sorry, Jenny." Leo never lost eye contact, hoping that he would receive absolution.
"I know you are," Jenny replied, grabbing him by the hand.
They didn't get very far before the phone rang. Leo reacted first, like he always did, thinking it could be Lane. "McGarry."
"Leo, you need to call an ambulance. Abbey's been hurt."
Leo went cold. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything." Lane screamed through the phone.
Leo fought to keep calm. He had waited too long and now Abbey was paying for it. "What are her injuries?"
Jenny moved closer to Leo.
"Hang up." Leo slammed down the receiver. "That was Lane. Abbey's hurt. I need to call an ambulance."
Jenny didn't hesitate as she lunged for her cell phone. "I'm calling Jed."
"Don't tell him about Lane." Leo dialled frantically. "I'll do that at the hospital."
Jenny nodded as she went to another room. She dialled and was thankful in times like this she had a direct number and didn't have to go through a secretary.
Jed was reading over the proposal Josh had brought him when the phone rang. He put the paper down and answered. "Yes?"
"Jed, thank God."
Jenny's voice told him something vas very wrong. Was it Leo? Had Abbey been right, was he having a breakdown? "Jenny, what is it?"
Josh looked up from his papers. The tone of The President combined with the fact that it was Jenny who called. Was something wrong with Leo?
"I don't know how it happened, but all I know is Abbey is hurt and we are getting an ambulance for her."
Jed froze. He blinked and his mind was screaming something, but he couldn't make out what it was. He fell back into the chair. Jenny was saying something, but he couldn't hear her.
Josh could tell The President was in some sort of shock so he took the receiver. "Jenny?" He listened as Jenny told him what had happened. "OK, I'll tell him. Jenny, you need someone to get Laurie and Leah? I'll pick them up, just tell me when." He heard Jenny cursing herself for forgetting them and thanked him for his offer to pick them up.
Jed finally came out of it and looked over at Josh who ended the conversation on the phone. "Apparently someone attacked Abbey in her home. She's been hit on the head and is bleeding profusely."
Jed nodded. "I'm heading over there." He got up and grabbed his coat. As he reached the door, he stopped and turned. "What hospital?"
TBC..
Part 2
"Leo!" Jenny set the bags on the table and called through the house. After getting no answer, Jenny turned back to the groceries, putting the milk and cream cheese in the refrigerator and the bagels in the bread drawer. She laid a package of frozen chicken breasts on the counter as she planned to make them for dinner. Opening the cupboard, she pulled out a box of macaroni and cheese. She had to make that to get Leo to eat. For days he had existed on coffee and only what she had insisted he eat. When she hugged him, she could feel that he had lost weight. Jenny was thankful for macaroni and cheese. If there was anything that could tempt Leo to eat, that was it.
As Jenny was hunting in the freezer for a package of broccoli, Leo came barrelling into the kitchen. "Jenny, what are you doing here?"
Jenny looked up in alarm at the tone of Leo's voice. "I went to the grocery, Leo, and now I've come home to put the groceries away. Why didn't you answer me when I called to you?"
"I didn't hear you; I'm sorry," Leo apologized. "What are you going to do now?" Leo spoke a bit more sharply than he had intended.
Jenny pulled an envelope out of her purse. "Well, I was planning on putting these pictures in an album. They're the ones from Laurie's school play." She looked into the shopping bag nearest her. "I got you some pastrami and yes, it's paper thin. Are you hungry?"
"I thought you'd be gone longer," Leo said, glancing down the hallway.
Jenny followed his eyes. "I didn't have much to get." She came to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a kiss on his lips. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Of course not," Leo stammered.
"Good, because I could stay like this forever." Jenny left a quick line of kisses down his jaw line and nuzzled against his neck.
Leo's eyes darted down the hall again as he hugged Jenny tighter. His breath caught in his throat and his heart began to race. Lane was strolling down the hall, coming to stand against the kitchen doorframe and grin maliciously at Leo.
With her back to the hall, Jenny was aware of nothing, but the sudden rigid ness of Leo's body and the choking sound when his breath caught. "Honey?" Jenny pulled back to look at him. "What's wrong? Leo, you're shaking."
Leo tore his eyes off Lane's face and focused on Jenny. "I'm okay!" Leo forced an awkward smile.
"Leo!" Jenny moved further back and grabbed his arms. "Baby, you're not okay. Anyone could see that. You tell me what's wrong right now or I'm calling Jed."
"No!" Leo practically yelled at her. "You can't talk to Jed about...." Leo struggled for the words.
When Leo stopped, Jenny jumped in. "About what, Leo?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "Abbey thinks you're having some kind of nervous breakdown. Don't think she hasn't told me that you've been trying to break up her and Jed."
Leo's eyes flew back to Lane who was enjoying the show. At what Jenny said, Lane nodded and winked at Leo.
Seeing the panic on Leo's face as his eyes stayed frozen over her shoulder, Jenny started to spin around.
"No." Leo screeched, forcibly stopping her from turning. Leo looked back to the doorway. He was horrified to find that Lane had advanced to a few steps behind Jenny. Panic and fear overtook Leo. What was Lane doing? Risking being caught! If Jenny found out, she would go straight to Jed and Abbey. Leo's goal was to protect Jed and Abbey; Jenny's goal would be to protect him. Perhaps Lane didn't care; maybe he was ready to make his presence known. Or maybe he was just crazy and would hurt them. Leo didn't care about himself, but he would die before he would let Lane touch Jenny.
The next thing Leo saw was Lane's hand reaching to touch Jenny's hair. "NO! PLEASE!" The words burst from Leo as he pulled Jenny so tightly against him that she could hardly breathe. Then Leo's voice quieted. "Please."
Lane grinned evilly and spun around to stroll back down the hall at a leisurely pace, quietly opening the front door and walking out.
Jenny forced Leo's arms from around her and looked into Leo's face, noting the confusion and pure fear. "Who are you saying that to? Who is going to hurt you? Leo, please talk to me." Smoothing down Leo's hair, she manoeuvred them both into chairs. "You have to tell me, honey. This has gone passed just unusual behaviour. You need help." Jenny reached for the phone. "I'm going to call Abbey and have her meet us at the hospital. I want her to check you over. Will you go there with me?" Jenny rubbed Leo's arm.
"Jenny." Leo looked at her sincerely and took her hands in his. "Please trust me. I'm okay. I'll straighten this out. I just want you and Jed and Abbey to be safe."
"What do you mean, Leo? We are safe," Jenny assured, trying to read his expression.
Leo's eyes asked for pity from Jenny. "Don't call Abbey. Please."
Jenny hesitated before nodding slightly. "Go lie down and let me bring you something to eat."
Leo nodded and started down the hall.
Jenny stared at the front door that was slightly ajar before opening the package of pastrami.
Looking at her watch Abbey made a mental note to remember to pick up Laurie and Leah in an hour. Then she relaxed back on the couch. Finally a day off, but her hopes of spending some of it with Jed was not to be. She'd see him tomorrow though. Today she had just been lazy and not done too much. She was actually feeling a little too lazy. She got up to do some cleaning, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a creak. Listening very carefully, she couldn't hear anything, so she continued to the kitchen. As she reached the kitchen, she heard it again and turned, but it was too late. Suddenly everything went black.
Jenny came into the bedroom, carrying a pastrami sandwich and a glass of milk. Setting the food on the nightstand, she sat down gently. Leo was lying on the bed. His eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly, but he still looked pale and his face was anything but relaxed. Jenny brushed some stray hair back off his forehead and checked for a fever that might go a long way toward explaining his behaviour.
At her touch, Leo shifted and whimpered quietly. "No. Lane."
Jenny felt her stomach churn. Had she heard correctly? She knew she had. Since Lane's death, Leo had dreamed of him repeatedly. Dreamed of the way he had died. Not the way the country thought, not attacked and stabbed by some unknown assailant, but the way that only she, Leo, Abbey and Jed knew, stabbed during a struggle while Abbey tried to protect herself. The truth usually set one free, but knowing the truth had only made it worse for Leo. It would have been so much easier on him to think that his brother could have been the victim of a random robbery or of a person who didn't like his politics. Instead, Leo had to live with the knowledge that his brother was a womanizing, violent thug who threatened his wife and had died for his actions. Leo had seen the worst of Lane all his life, but seeing how he treated someone he loved was the worst possible memory.
Jenny continued to stroke Leo's hair. She didn't know what he was dreaming about, Abbey's situation or one of the many horrible things that Lane had done to him personally, but she knew waking him up was what she had to do. "Honey, wake up. It's Jenny. You're dreaming. It's okay."
Leo's eyes popped open and he jumped up in bed, his eyes scanning the room. "Is he here?"
Jenny frowned in confusion. "Who, Leo? Lane? He's dead; you don't have to worry about him. Just try to relax and eat your sandwich."
Leo leaned back against the headboard and focused on Jenny. She was his life. He loved her more than words could say, more than his heart could comprehend. How could he keep this terrible secret from her? They shared everything and he was breaking that trust.
"Leo." Jenny brought Leo out of his trance. "Honey, are you sure you don't want me to call Abbey? If you don't want to go to the hospital, I'm sure she would come here."
And that did it; the concern was the final motivator. He didn't know how this would go, but he wouldn't betray her by keeping her in the dark. "Lane's alive!" Leo blurted out his confession and then shrank back, awaiting the revulsion and anger he was sure would follow.
"Honey." Jenny reached out and caressed the side of his face. "You were dreaming. I know dreams can be so real and so scary, but Lane's dead. You don't have to think about him anymore."
"Jenny." Leo leaned forward, tears standing in his eyes. "Lane is alive. He didn't die in the struggle with Abbey. He's just been waiting for the time to return and derail all our lives."
Jenny knew Leo well and as she searched his face, all the blanks were filled in. The strange behaviour, the jumpiness, the panic and pain, it all made sense. Lane was alive and Leo had been dealing with it for a while. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" A new thought dawned on Jenny. "Why didn't you tell Abbey? She doesn't know, right?"
"I'm sorry." One tear rolled down Leo's cheek. "I thought I could stop him. I thought I could spare Abbey seeing him again. And he threatened her, Jenny. He said that if I revealed that he was alive before he was ready that he would hurt Abbey."
Lane kneeled next to Abbey and checked her pulse. Finding it rapid, but weak, he checked the gash on her temple. Blood was pouring down her face. Cursing, Lane wiped at the blood; this was not going the way he had planned. No doubt Leo would blame him for this. He couldn't let the girls find their mother like this and he couldn't reveal himself yet. Suddenly he saw her move.
Abbey's head was pounding like crazy. She tried opening her eyes, but only partly succeeded. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. ".....L.....L...Lane..."
Lane didn't say anything. Didn't move. Within seconds Abbey passed out again. He couldn't let her bleed to death here. That would be too easy. She needed to feel some pain and this was not the way.
"Don't you get this, Leo?" Jenny grabbed his arms and got up in his face. "You can't protect Abbey and Jed anymore. Your brother is dangerous. He's capable of anything. He WOULD hurt Abbey and he WOULD hurt you! I'm not going to stand around and let that happen."
"I'm sorry, Jenny." Leo never lost eye contact, hoping that he would receive absolution.
"I know you are," Jenny replied, grabbing him by the hand.
They didn't get very far before the phone rang. Leo reacted first, like he always did, thinking it could be Lane. "McGarry."
"Leo, you need to call an ambulance. Abbey's been hurt."
Leo went cold. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything." Lane screamed through the phone.
Leo fought to keep calm. He had waited too long and now Abbey was paying for it. "What are her injuries?"
Jenny moved closer to Leo.
"Hang up." Leo slammed down the receiver. "That was Lane. Abbey's hurt. I need to call an ambulance."
Jenny didn't hesitate as she lunged for her cell phone. "I'm calling Jed."
"Don't tell him about Lane." Leo dialled frantically. "I'll do that at the hospital."
Jenny nodded as she went to another room. She dialled and was thankful in times like this she had a direct number and didn't have to go through a secretary.
Jed was reading over the proposal Josh had brought him when the phone rang. He put the paper down and answered. "Yes?"
"Jed, thank God."
Jenny's voice told him something vas very wrong. Was it Leo? Had Abbey been right, was he having a breakdown? "Jenny, what is it?"
Josh looked up from his papers. The tone of The President combined with the fact that it was Jenny who called. Was something wrong with Leo?
"I don't know how it happened, but all I know is Abbey is hurt and we are getting an ambulance for her."
Jed froze. He blinked and his mind was screaming something, but he couldn't make out what it was. He fell back into the chair. Jenny was saying something, but he couldn't hear her.
Josh could tell The President was in some sort of shock so he took the receiver. "Jenny?" He listened as Jenny told him what had happened. "OK, I'll tell him. Jenny, you need someone to get Laurie and Leah? I'll pick them up, just tell me when." He heard Jenny cursing herself for forgetting them and thanked him for his offer to pick them up.
Jed finally came out of it and looked over at Josh who ended the conversation on the phone. "Apparently someone attacked Abbey in her home. She's been hit on the head and is bleeding profusely."
Jed nodded. "I'm heading over there." He got up and grabbed his coat. As he reached the door, he stopped and turned. "What hospital?"
TBC..