Game, Set, Match (A Humorous Contemporary Romance) (Love Match) (27 page)

Seeing Jason in her doorway, she couldn’t help the overflow of emotions. First one tear escaped her lids, then another, then several more.

He came over to squat by her chair. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

Annoyed at herself for the tears, she swiped at them with a tissue and stuck her chin up. “I’m fine.”

He nodded. “Yes, you look fine. What, with the tears and all.”

She couldn’t help the cross between a cry and a laugh that escaped her lips. “I’m okay, just pissed off.”

“Liar. This have anything to do with the guy storming out of here a minute ago?”

“The asshole?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but he’s Nick’s asshole of a coach.”

“I don’t remember you being a crier, so he must have said something to rattle you. Is Nick okay?”

“Nick’s fine.” She sniffed. “I’m the one lacking. Supposedly, I talked Nick out of going to Juniors. Seems I’m unfit.”

Jason gripped her knee. “What did he say, Izzy?”

She knew that look. She’d seen that kind of singular rage from him in college when one of the players on a team with no minority members made a few comments. Jason disqualified himself from the meet and knocked the guy out. They were too old for high school antics. “Nothing, Jason. I handled him.”

She could see him work his jaw, but he didn’t press her. However, if she understood the core of him, he wouldn’t let it go. “I hate to do this to you, but I’m here to talk to you about Nick too.”

This couldn’t be good. Not her day at all. “You think I’m a bad parent too?”

He didn’t crack a smile.
“Not funny, Izzy.” He took a breath. “You’re not the one who needs parenting lessons.”

She was scared now. “Spill, Jason. I can’t handle the games today. You came all the way over here.”

He looked uncomfortable, as if sitting across from her was the last thing he wanted to do. “Nick asked me not to say anything, so I didn’t the other day, but you need to know.”

Nick didn’t normally keep things from her. “My kid doesn’t keep secrets.” Although, he hadn’t told her about his
Juniors decision or the truth about the bruise on his face.

He looked even more uncomfortable. “The bruise on his face—I suspect he was trying to protect you.”

She nodded. “Yeah, he said he used his face to catch a loose ball. I suspect he got in a fight, but he didn’t say.”

“Sabrina hit him, Izzy.”

For several long moments, she sat shock still. At first, she couldn’t process Jason’s string of words. Then, she tried to process Nick’s secret-keeping. When she finally got around to processing what Sabrina had done, she was on autopilot, the calm center before she exploded. She marched to the back door. Before she could open the stainless steel framing, Jason spun her around and held onto her. “No you don’t. You don’t get to go and murder her. Death’s too good for her. Take five and breathe.”

She tried to wiggle and free herself, but he held her too tight. He kept murmuring that they were in it together, that he’d help her. She wasn’t interested in any of it. She wanted to go give the bitch what she deserved. Why wouldn’t he let her? “Let me go, Jason. What you assume I’m going to go angry black woman on her? Geez, you’re as bad as Tisdale.” She struggled some more to no avail. “I can control myself, you know.”

Refusing to let go, he brushed soft kisses against her temple. “I’m not letting you go until you stop shaking.” He squeezed her tighter.

She hadn’t realized she’d been shaking. She lifted her hand to have a look, and sure enough, she noticed a telltale tremor.
 
Shit
. Full of anger and pain, she collapsed against him and let him hold her.

“That’s it. Relax.” He rubbed slow circles into her back. “When you feel strong enough and ready, we’ll go over there together.”

Several minutes ticked by with them standing there like that. Finally, he loosened his grip. Strangely, she didn’t want to leave the safety of his shield. She looked up at him. His jaw was set as he stared toward the house.

“Thanks. I can go up on my own. I don’t even know if she’s home. She dragged herself in at four in the morning, or so. She may have left again for all I know.”

Jason’s jaw clenched. “Two things, Izzy,”

She paused, hand on the door.

“One, I’m going in with you, not because I’m worried about what you might do to her, but because I want her to know she won’t get away with anything like that again.” He trained his gaze on her. “Two, don’t ever compare me to Tisdale. It pisses me off.” He stepped into the yard ahead of her without a backwards glance.

****

Jason led the way through the backyard, spurred by a combination of guilt and anger. With every step, he couldn’t help but think he should have pressed Nick to tell Izzy what had happened. Alternatively, that he should have called Izzy the night before.

He opened the kitchen door and for several seconds, didn’t trust his eyes. The kitchen looked like someone had ripped it apart. Broken dishes and glass lay strewn around the floor.

He shoved Izzy back several steps. “Stay here.”

She looked like she might argue, so he turned her around to give her a little push and locked the kitchen door behind him. When he stepped through the disarray of the kitchen into the dining room, he knew the mess wasn’t Sabrina’s attempt at a temper tantrum. Someone had broken in.

He heard the footsteps behind him and whirled around. Izzy stepped through the back door, shock and disbelief on her face. “What the hell happened?”

Walking toward her with quick strides, he took her hand and tugged her with him. “We need to go.” He glanced at her when they were back outside. “How the hell did you get in?”

“I live here remember? I have a key.”

He didn’t stop once they were outside, instead led her back to the studio’s office.

“What the hell is going on around here?”

He wondered the same thing. But he had an idea about the answer “Not sure. But I’d bet Sabrina’s involved.”

Once in the studio, he called Jessica into the office. He sat Izzy down and grabbed the phone.

As soon as he spotted Jessica, he asked her to get Izzy some tea or something that would help calm her down. Jessica took one look at Izzy’s drawn
, pinched face and hustled to the kitchen.

Jason rattled off the address to the police. When Jessica came back in, she bore a mug of steaming liquid and the mail. She handed the mug to Izzy and dropped the mail on the table.

She gave Jason a questioning look before heading back out.

“Jessica, have you noticed anyone strange hanging around?”

She wrinkled her forehead. “Anyone strange like how?”

“Like someone you’ve never seen before.
Anyone who didn’t belong in the neighborhood. Strange like that.”

She shook her head.
“Besides me, no. Everything’s been normal.” She glanced at Izzy. “Except for Miss Bitchy and Coach McNasty, I haven’t noticed anyone.”

Izzy stared off into space not joining the conversation. Jessica’s lips formed the exaggerated question, “Is she okay?”

Jason nodded and hoped it was true.

He glanced at Izzy before continuing. “There was a break-in at the house. The police will be here in a minute. Could you show them back here, please?”

Eyes wide, Jessica stared at Izzy. If Izzy saw her, she gave no indication. “Uh, yeah. I can do that.” She turned her attention back to Jason and asked, “Do you want me to pick Nick up from school after practice?”

Surveying Izzy’s condition, he checked the time and nodded. “Let him go to practice, but I want you to stick around until he’s done and bring him to the studio. We’ll figure out where they’ll spend the night later.”

“Okay I got it. Izzy, no rush at all, but I think the bill for the frames is in the mail on your desk. You’ll want to try and pay attention to it tomorrow because they won’t deliver the rest until you do.”

After Jessica left, Jason knelt in front of Izzy. “
You doing okay?”

She didn’t answer.

He tipped her chin up. Her skin was soft and cool to the touch. She appeared not to see him at first, but eventually her eyes focused, and she looked at him. “Jason, what the hell is going on?”

He wished he could be more helpful, but he didn’t know what else to say or do. All he could think of was to rub her knee and tell her it would be okay, but he didn’t know that for sure. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

He moved the mail to perch on the corner of her desk, sending letters scattering to the floor. As he bent to pick them up, one in particular caught his attention. There was no address on the outside.

He turned it over to check the other side.
Spidey sense drilling at his brain, he tore it open.

Expressionless, Izzy stared at him. “What is it? Why are you opening my mail?”

He clamped down his jaw. 
Shit
. Out of the envelope spilled several black and white photos with one common theme, Nick. Some of the photos included Izzy, but Nick was in all of them. A type written letter fell out. Before he could stop her, Izzy picked it up.

“Pay up, Sabrina. I don’t want to turn Martinez loose on such a pretty family.” She choked on the last word, barely able to get it out. Shaking, she handed the letter to Jason. “I know who Martinez is.
An enforcer for Tony Rodolfo’s merry gang of dealers. Martinez is a sadistic bitch who’s roughed Sabrina up more than once before.”

He took the photo from her and shoved it back into the envelope along with the photos. He’d give it to the police when they arrived.

He didn’t bother calling Jessica back in. The police would question her. Likely, someone added the photos to the mailbox after the mailman had already filled it. Jason didn’t hold much stock in tracing it, but that was up to the cops.

He kept his voice low. “Izzy, look at me.”

She looked at him with weary, vacant eyes, and his heart lurched. She looked about ready to crack. At the very least, she needed sleep.

“Izzy.
You and Nick can stay with me tonight.”

When she didn’t respond, he added, “I’ll call a crew to come and clean after the police get done.”

She still didn’t respond. He had no idea what to do. He’d only ever had to worry about himself. He couldn’t imagine the torture she was going through worrying about Nick. He sighed. “I’d say Jessica should pick Nick up early from school, but he can’t really come home so…” His voice trailed off. He needed her to say something. Anything.

She finally spoke, and relief washed over him. At least she wasn’t catatonic.

“We’ll stay at Jessica’s. It’s near Nick’s school.”

“You’ll stay with me. I have the room, and I can take Nick to practice in the morning.”

Panic danced in her eyes. “I don’t want, I wish, I…” Her voice broke, and he pulled her up to gather her in his arms. 
Shit
. This was a real crisis, and all he had to offer her were a couple of hugs and platitudes.

“I have good security, the room, and I’m stubborn. Once we’re done here, we’ll pick up a few of Nick’s things and go to
my place, okay?”

A sob racked her body, but she nodded. “Okay.”

Jason heard Jessica talking to the police and pulled back to look at Izzy. “Go ahead and wash your face. I’ll take them up to the house. You can come up when you’re ready.”

She nodded and headed into the bathroom adjacent to the office. Before she closed the door, she looked at him. “Jason, thank you.”

He didn’t know why, but the simple words made him feel like a fraud, as if he didn’t deserve the thanks. Because as much as having her in Malibu was for Nick’s protection, he wanted her close. He wouldn’t give up the opportunity.

Is this what Sabrina had meant? She might be completely
self-absorbed, but she wouldn’t turn on her own son. No one could be that cruel or evil.

Sabrina could.

Entangling himself with Sabrina was worth it to keep Izzy and Nick safe, but he also knew Sabrina, she’d hold that over their heads for as long as she lived. She’d never let them be. She would punish Nick for Jason’s feelings.

Izzy’s frail haunted look flashed in his mind. He knew her well. She was already in shut down mode. What good would
telling her do? If he paid Sabrina, he’d do so to keep Nick safe. No strings attached. He’d suffer the consequences gladly.

Knowing what he needed to do, he pulled out his cell and made the call. A crisp and efficient female voice answered the phone. “Cartwright Trust Bank. This is Melanie speaking, how many I direct your call?”

“Hello, Melanie, this is Jason. I’d like to make a wire transfer.”

“Certainly, Mr. Cartwright.
Lovely to hear from you again. If you will just hold, I’ll put you through to Francis.”

He waited patiently as Francis picked up the line. With a deep breath, he authorized the transfer of one hundred thousand dollars to Sabrina’s account.

It took him less than three minutes to secure the final nail in his coffin. He told himself he’d done the right thing to keep Nick and Izzy safe. Too bad it was the one thing Izzy wouldn’t forgive.