Jason's Princess: A King Brothers Story (17 page)

Josh immediately stood in front of Charlie. She was thankful that Jason was still with her. James had gotten to his feet too, standing just in front of Camille and Lauren.

“We don’t know for sure what this woman knows, Charlie. But yes, we think that he was involved in the hit and run and somehow she witnessed it,” Josh said, careful not to get too close to her brother. Everyone knew better than to touch Charlie when he was angry. Standing toe to toe with each other Julie didn’t miss the similarity in height between them, Charlie maybe an inch shy of Josh’s 6’ 2”.

When did he get so tall?

“How long have you suspected? How long have you been keeping this from us?” Charlie gestured to Julie by thrusting his arm out in her direction. The motion caught Josh in the chest who didn’t budge. Charlie had made the first contact but she didn’t think it was deliberate. She’d never seen her brother challenge any of the Kings, especially not Josh. She knew that they had rough-housed and remembered him coming home years ago a little battered but trusted that it was all in fun, not in anger. She prayed that he would keep his head and not let his emotions cause him to do something that he couldn’t take back.

James answered the question. “I’ve suspected since the day they died. I could never prove it and had nothing to go on back then. I’ve had Dane investigating this case for five long years, Charlie. I want Billy behind bars as much as anybody. I want my friends to finally be at peace. I especially want my family, which I hope you will consider yourself a part of, to be safe. Do you understand what I’m saying, son?” His calm and honest words were a balm for Julie. But Charlie’s face crumpled and he sat back down with his head in his hands.

She heard a soft intake of breath before she saw his shoulders shaking. Josh immediately sat down next to him rubbing his back. She was there in less than a second, Jason taking the seat in front of Charlie. She knelt on the hard floor in front of him, her hand on his knee rubbing sympathetically.

“They’re going to get him, Charlie.” She said softly. “You know that, right? Because I know it. Please don’t cry; you’re making me cry, too, dang it.”

She looked over at Jason, who was staring at Charlie intently. She wished he would offer him some comfort. She hated seeing her brother like this. Josh continued to rub his back. She was thankful for that. Camille and Lauren had returned to the kitchen. James stood over them waiting for Charlie to calm down.

She heard a soft sniffle. Camille rushed over with a box of tissue. When he looked up, his face was ragged and wet but, thankfully, he had stopped crying.

Jason asked in his calm, quiet way, “What did he do to you? I know there’s more than just him cheating on your sister and smashing your turtle after you told your friend about it.”

“Billy killed Trevor?” Josh’s question was quiet but laced with so much malice that Julie stepped away from Charlie and sat next to Jason across from him.

Charlie swallowed and told Josh the story. Josh shook his head in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me what that bastard did? I gave you that turtle for your birthday.”

“I know but I was scared. After I buried Trevor in mom’s flowerbed in the backyard I came back into the house to wash up. Billy was waiting for me in my room. I can’t remember where Julie had gone, the store I think. Anyway, he was sitting on my bed flipping through my homework like he was grading my papers. He had a red marker and was putting marks here and there on my work. I asked him what he thought he was doing and he said he was just making sure that I knew how to keep a secret.”

“He was harassing you,” Jason clarified.

Julie reached over to grab Charlie’s hand. She tried to stop the tears and was barely making them stay put. How could she have not known what her boyfriend was doing to her brother? She was an awful sister.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. From the time Julie brought him home to meet mom and dad he would do weird shit to me.” He shook his head at the memories. “I would finish my homework and put it in my backpack. When I would get to school it wouldn’t be there. Things that I used all the time would go missing out of my room and I would find them in weird places; like one time I couldn’t find my headphones for a week. I found them in the freezer. Or my controllers for my GameCube would end up in the bathroom cabinet under the sink. Just weird, stupid stuff. If he was around when I found them he would make an odd comment like ‘should be more careful with your possessions, Chuckles’. I hated when he called me that. He was a jackass.”

Julie took a deep breath as Charlie told them more of the pranks that he liked to play on her little brother and it made her stomach roil. She had thought she was in love with that jerk and wouldn’t believe her brother when he would ask her to make Billy back off. She would never forgive herself.

Jason put his arms around her as she met Josh’s eyes. He had tried to tell her too, but she hadn’t listened to her friend either. She hadn’t understood boys at all. What an idiot she had been.

“Go on, Charlie. What else did he do?” James was right behind her brother now, a fatherly hand on his shoulder offering encouragement. She was so grateful to this wonderful family.

Charlie swallowed and tried to clear his throat again. When he spoke his voice was wavering a bit and a little too quiet.

“Two days before mom and dad were killed I was out with Marko and the guys. We weren’t where we were supposed to be. Marko’s older brother had a car and he had driven us out the county road to Fantasy Five’s. We were being stupid. We thought we would try to see what the girls there looked like; maybe try to sneak in. I know it was a dumb thing to do,” he said quickly, glancing around at all the adults. Julie only smiled at him and waved her hand for him to continue.

“When we got there, the place was packed so there really wasn’t anywhere for Marko’s brother to park. He found a spot at the back of the building. We thought we could sneak in that way, you know the staff entrance. Maybe even catch a peak at some of the girls arriving for work. So, Marko’s brother thought up a plan for him and his buddies to go through the front and then they would come to the back and open the door for me and Marko. While we waited, Marko had to take a leak, so he wondered into the trees to piss. I stayed out by the car watching the back door to make sure we didn’t miss his brother.”

He put his head in his hands again and rubbed his face hard, like he wanted to scrub whatever he was trying to tell them out of his head. He looked back up at Julie. “I saw Billy hurt someone,” he barely whispered.

CHAPTER 16

COMING CLEAN

Every muscle in Jason’s body tensed. He knew Billy was a sick bastard. Having Charlie confirm it for him made him nauseous.

Julie had fallen apart. She put on a brave front for her brother but she was losing the battle. Tears were falling down her beautiful face even though he knew she was trying to stop them. He hugged her to him, hoping he could lend his strength through touch.

His mom and Lauren had come back to the table to hear Charlie’s story. Josh pounded the table startling the women. Jason glared at him.

His dad pulled up a chair on the other side of Charlie. He hadn’t released the fatherly hold he had on the kid’s shoulder. “Go on, son. Who did Billy hurt?”

“A woman; I think she was a dancer. She had on a lot of make-up, or at least there was a lot smeared on her face. She wore a tiny costume but it was torn at the neckline. She was pushing her clothes back in place and crying when she ran back inside the back door. She had come from around the other side of the building. I could hear laughing. Marko was still in the trees and I was standing at the trunk of his brother’s car in full view under a light in the parking lot. There were three of them. Billy was laughing the loudest. I didn’t recognize the other creeps. When Billy saw me he stopped laughing and stared in that weird way he always did by tilting his head as if he was thinking of something interesting. He said something to his friends, who went back to the bar. Billy made his way toward me.”

Charlie kept his cool. Jason knew telling this story, a horrible story that the kid had suppressed for so long, had to be killing him. If he could take away the pain he would in a heartbeat, but this kid was as brave as they come. Jason hoped Charlie realized he was safe now, surrounded by his family.

James kept the fatherly hand on his shoulder and encouraged him to continue.

“First he wanted to know what I thought I was doing in a shit hole like Fantasy Five’s. When I told him what we were doing, he grinned and then laughed. He asked if I was looking for some…” he stopped and looked at all the women. Jason was proud of him for that because Billy was a crude son of a bitch.

Charlie shook his head and edited what was said, “He asked me if I wanted to hook up with the woman I had just seen running into the bar. He said she had been a fighter but a ‘prime piece’. He made some other disgusting comments about her before he laughed again. Then he got right in my face and screamed at me that I better get my ass back in the car and leave. He said he would kill my family if I said anything about what I saw there.”

A tear rolled down Charlie’s cheek. “Two days later Mom and Dad were dead.” He said brokenly. “But I swear I didn’t tell a soul!” he pleaded. But the bastard still killed them, anyway!” He was openly sobbing now, as he pushed back from the table to walk down the hall.

Jason let go of Julie when she got up to follow her brother. His mother and Lauren tried to follow, as well, but his dad stopped them. “No, Cami. Let them grieve. I have a feeling that Julie needs this moment alone with her brother.”

“You’re not the boss of me, James. I’m going to my friend.” Lauren said as she turned to leave but ran into Jarod on his way into the room.

“No, but I am and you need to stay here, ok?” Jarod spoke softly. Lauren, for once, didn’t argue. Jarod rubbed both of her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Just give them a minute, Lauren. Then you can go to them. I’d like you to stay with us while I tell everyone what I found out at the hospital.”

Lauren straightened and said, “Of course I will, but don’t you want to wait for Julie and Charlie? They should hear what’s going on, right?”

“We’re right here.” Julie said from the hallway.

Jason got up and went to both of them. He hugged Charlie first, then slipped his arm around Julie so he could kiss her temple. His mother grabbed Charlie’s arm in a motherly embrace and led him back into the room. Charlie accepted her comfort and was making an effort to get it under control.

Jarod cleared his throat. “The woman’s name is Christina Mason; goes by Candy. She’s in ICU. Her doctor says she has extensive injuries to her face, arms and lower abdomen; some internal bruising, as well. They did a rape kit on her and are still waiting for results.”

“Is it standard procedure that you would be personally called to the hospital for this type of thing?” his mother asked.

Jarod sighed. “Yes. Fortunately, this type of thing doesn’t happen very often around here or I’d go crazy.”

“Is she awake? Were you able to question her?” His dad asked.

“No. I waited for her to come around but they’re keeping her sedated. I left a couple of deputies at the hospital just in case she wakes or if someone comes for her again.”

Jason’s stomach rumbled which startled Julie. “Are you hungry?” He thought he heard her sniffle/giggle.

“I guess I am,” he chuckled.

His mom laughed at him. “Well, that’s good because the chili is ready. I think we all need some sustenance. It’s been quite an emotional day for all of us.” She gave Charlie a squeeze, as she went to get the food. Lauren excused herself from Jarod’s side to help.

He knew Julie wanted to help but he didn’t want to let her go, as usual. She smiled at him when he held on tight. “I need to feel useful,” she whispered in his ear.

He immediately let her go and whispered, “Hurry back.”

He felt her gentle kiss on his cheek and nearly shouted for joy. She was everything to him now and he would prove it to her. When this was all over she wasn’t going to get rid of him.

Dinner was quiet as everyone contemplated the events of the day. Jason couldn’t believe how much had happened. He woke up hopeful to find his office trashed, his house burned down and heard Charlie’s heartbreaking story. Then the mysterious Candy ends up in ICU after Billy’s unexpected appearance. He couldn’t keep his mind on any one thing at a time.

After dinner, his mom had moved everyone into their large family room. There was a football game on with the volume low. The big fireplace was alive with a crackling fire offering a homey feel to the room. Unfortunately the mood was still solemn. Josh had brought down the Risk board game and was currently engaged in an epic battle with Charlie, Jarod and Lauren. His dad give pointers to Charlie every once in a while to keep the kid’s mind off of the terrible memories of the past. Julie was glued to his side on the couch.

“Have you heard from Dane, Dad?” Jason asked.

“Not yet, but Dane likes to take his time. He’ll want to stay at the hospital and wait for Ms. Mason to wake up.”

“How will he get in to see her?” Julie asked.

His dad smiled. “He has his ways, Julie. I think that’s why Jarod doesn’t like to work with him. He is not limited to the letter of the law like my eldest is, so sometimes he comes by important information in ways that are not admissible in court.”

“Then how is that helpful?” Said Lauren, with an amused smile.

“Because whatever information he obtains, we can use it to our advantage by having the law investigate and find the proof.”

“What he’s saying is that Dane likes to make more work for me.” Jarod spoke from the game.

Jason chuckled, “You’re a lazy bastard, you know that Jarod?”

Jarod gave him a one-finger salute and went back to the game. Julie laughed and then yawned.

“Sleepy?” he asked her.

“Yes. I didn’t think I would be able to relax with everything going on today but I’m beat.” She rubbed her injured forehead with her hand.

“I can show you to your room,” he said as he helped her up. Camille saw that they were leaving the room and followed them down the hallway.