To Love & To Protect Page 8

  Michelle just nodded her head.

  “We are all in this with you,” Ethan said.

  “Thank you,” Michelle responded.

  Michael worked for over two hours with Donna on Michelle’s leg. They really made a great team and worked as one. The procedure took two hours as expected. Afterwards, Michelle got into her wheelchair with little assistance, and went and took a wash up with, Donna’s assistance. She got into the bed, took her pain medication and settled down to sleep. Donna tucked her in and then left the room.

  Donna walked over and told Michael that Michelle was resting comfortably.

  Michael told her that he had caught Trent and the rest of the team up to speed on Michelle. Donna nodded her head and began to clean up the area that they had used and the equipment that they had used to treat Michelle. When that was done, Michael escorted her back to the villa where they had been staying.

  “Kimberly is going to stay on with you and Trevor so that I can stay at the safe house and keep an eye on Michelle,” Michael said.

  “Thank you,” Donna said. Seriously for everything,” she said.

  “No, it should be me thanking you,” Michael replied sheepishly. “You have changed your life and your son’s life around a lot to help me. Everyday something new pops up,” Michael said.

  “It’s the life of a medical professional. I like working alongside you. I have learned a lot,” Donna said. “Dennis is having a blast. Honestly it has been like a mini vacation for us. You all are so blessed to be able to wake up each morning and watch the tide roll in, the darkness give way to light, as the clouds roll away into a new day and the smell of honeysuckle in the air. Without that you still have an incredible family unit. Everyone doesn’t have that. Some people can’t even enjoy what they have because they are working so hard to keep it. Working so hard just to make ends meet,” Donna said.

  Michael took everything in that she had said then he said, “We are blessed, that is for sure. Sometimes you get used to it, and you just don’t notice the honeysuckle fragrance in the air anymore. I am glad to have my brother home. It’s hurtful that it took a tragic situation to get him to come home. I don’t know what they went through over there and what they saw, because he won’t talk about it. He is here physically, but he is still gone in every other way. I don’t know how to be there for him. I am worried that when this has passed, everything will go back the way it was. And he will be gone again,” Michael said honestly.

  “Well he seems serious about getting to know his son. And the way he looks at Alena, it doesn’t seem like he would mind re-kindling that flame. I will pray about it,” Donna said.

  “Thank you,” Michael said.

  “Well, I am going to go on inside. You get back to the safe house,” Donna said since they had arrived at the front door.

  “Alright, sleep tight,” Michael said as she opened the door. Michael waited for her to walk inside and shut the door before he jogged back around to the other side of the estate. He hoped to either have a good night sleep or a really good talk with his brother, but he doubted that either one of them were going to happen.

  Chapter 19

  Sunday morning came quickly for everyone, as most of them were operating on little to no sleep. Jasmine eyed herself in the mirror. Her curls had remained in tack. She tried to flex her arm some but she was just stiff. It moved but not happily. She lifted her shirt the wounds on her right side were healing well. There was soreness there but not a lot of pain. She walked into the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth for the first time in what seemed like forever, on her own. Then she walked down the hall, and woke her babies up.

  “It’s time to rise and shine,” she said to the girls as they began to wake up.

  Alyson always woke straight up, unlike her sister Amber, who claimed to be awake, right before dozing off each morning.

  “Alyson your clothes have been laid out for you today, go take your shower and get dressed then wake your sister up,” Jasmine said.

  Yes ma’am,” she said gathering her things and heading towards the bathroom. Jasmine leaned in again and told Amber to get up, and she said, “I am up, I am up,” in a very sleepy voice.

  Jasmine dressed in, a champagne and black dress, with black low heel sandals. She applied a small amount of foundation, eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. Then she reached into her purse grabbed her favorite lipstick, true plum and applied it. Jasmine checked her appearance once again, before walking down the hall, this time speaking to the Agent Luke Townsend who was keeping watch over them now. She heard a sound in the kitchen and noticed that Santino Trujillo was making a fresh pot of coffee.

  Townsend noticed that, she was a bit startled.

  “I didn’t know that you guys had switched over,” she said with a smile. “I am going to go check on the girls.”

  Alyson was ready with her Sunday school activity book and Amber was still getting dressed. She knocked on the door and told Amber to hurry they needed to leave in fifteen minutes.

  Jasmine grabbed down, five pre-packaged banana nut muffins, and five individual orange juices. She gave Townsend and Trujillo theirs first as they were guest. She gave Alyson hers and told her not to make a mess on her clothes. Amber joined them ten minutes later. She was asked to eat quickly, not make a mess and told her on no uncertain terms that she couldn’t take her food with her. A few minutes later Jasmine grabbed her purse and bible and headed out the front door.

  Ethan was at the main house where everyone was gathered. He was dressed in khaki pants and a sea green shirt. She took her eyes off of Ethan and looked at her sister, Renee and Antonio. She greeted everyone, before pulling her sister to the side.

  “I am feeling overwhelmed,” she said matter of factly. “I need to be able to talk some things out with you later, please. I just need a moment,” Jasmine requested.

  Renee nodded her head. “Right after church,” Renee said searching her sister for a clue as to what was wrong.

  The Blake-Moore family walked out together. Everyone was loaded into cars, and they left the Estate in a single file line, like when you go to a funeral.

  Once they arrived at the church, everything that had been on her mind drifted away. So many of the members of the church hugged her and told her that they had prayed for her. The fellowship was always so sweet. Love was here. These people had watched her grow and struggle to become the woman that she is now. They had helped and offered advice but never judged her. She had introduced Ethan to people who hugged or shook his hand, but most importantly welcomed him.

  The all-male choir sang a beautiful song to usher in the Holy Spirit. Pastor Parks preformed the rest of the order of services in the exact same manner as always. The service was filled with soulful gospel music, community announcements, and then the preached word. Pastor Parks preached a sermon entitled, the storm is almost over. His message pulled at her heart strings. She was moved to tears because she needed so much of what he was saying to be true in her life. Ethan reached over and linked his fingers in hers as he passed her a tissue. After the call to discipleship, the pastor did an alter call, and she stood and went up, she poured out everything that was troubling her heart onto the alter. She was deciding to trust God, rather than give into her fears. Trent was to her right, and had come up to pray as well. When he noticed that she was having a hard time getting up, he helped her and escorted her to her seat. Her girls hugged her legs as the pastor gave the benediction and closed out the service.

  As Jasmine stood, talking to anyone and everyone, Ethan’s sixth sense started to tingle. He started to scan the congregation slowly. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing at attention. Trujillo and Townsend were the first to notice that Ethan’s mannerisms had changed and joined him scanning the crowd. Trent started to tell his family to start leaving the church when there was a scream from the back of the church. Trent, Kimberly, and Trujillo went in the direction of the disturbance. Jasmine was reaching for her girls, but Marisol
and Carina were already there using their bodies to protect and shield the girls like Ethan was doing for her.

  Ethan continued to scan the crowd, yet no one stood out of place. Trent came from the back and walked up to the podium and addressed the remaining congregation. “There is a situation that has developed. The FBI has been contacted and is in route. I would like to ask that everyone please leave the church in a calm and orderly fashion please.” People started to leave the church and did as Trent instructed.

  Trent came over to Ethan, and advised for him to get all of his family and friends out of the church safely and back to the Estate. Someone had left a message for Jasmine in the offering plate. They had cut out words from various newspaper articles and glued them onto a piece of construction paper. It had been more of a warning than a threat. None the less everyone needed to be on their A game.

  Everyone was able to get back to Blake-Moore Estates safely. The mood and atmosphere had changed. Ethan had recalled seeing a light skin gentleman of medium height in the church who quite frankly looked out of place. He gave it the benefit of the doubt until his sixth sense had kicked in. He had checked the gentleman’s location throughout the service and he was still in the same spot. Yet when all the commotion was going on in the front of the church, he noticed that the same gentleman left before they were given the all clear. His gut was telling him that this guy had something to do with all of this.

  Ethan left the girls and Jasmine in care of Carina, Michelle, Stacy, Kimberly and Jamieson. He, Trujillo, Kennedy, and Townsend went back to the church, where he gave a description to an FBI sketch artist. They reviewed information that had been taken into evidence. He also shared the information on the three suspects that they thought would be people of interest. He followed up on the University providing the information for their independent contractors. He did all that he could, then they all climbed back into the car and headed back to Blake-Moore Estates.

  Ethan admitted to himself that he felt like a caged animal right now. He wanted to tear someone, anyone up right now. He hated that more than anything, the fact that Jasmine was and her family were hurting needlessly. He also was kicking his own ass as well, because if he wasn’t distracted by the woman herself, then maybe this case would be closed by now. Everyone on the team had their heads in the cloud. He felt like it was the results of his poor leadership.

  It was Trent who broke the silence.

  “I know that Michelle’s remission in regards to her leg has caught us all off guard. What she is going through affects us all directly in one way or the other. We may not have limbs that have become infected, but are fighting a war inside our minds. A war, that is making us doubt what we already know to be true about each and every one of us. Coming home and finding out that I have a son has caught me off guard and seeing family and friends who I neglected deliberately, and chose to keep at a distance due to no fault of their own, has caught me off guard. I have been focused to deal with my personal shit and so is Michelle. Ethan, you are dealing with your abandonment issues. You are leading your first investigation and you have the hot’s for the target who apparently to everyone’s surprise also has the hot’s for you. Right now you, to whoever is behind this are nothing more than a publicity stunt. If that is your woman when she goes to bed tonight, go with her. Get fully into character,” Trent advised.

  “If I get fully into character, I am going to be compromised. I like her, really like her, and I am compromised enough as is,” Ethan responded.

  “My father always says, “That a man shows his love for his woman, not only by saying, he loves her but by showing her. For a woman you love, you are willing to protect and provide for,” Trent said.

  Trent noticed that Ethan was still hesitating to go in full throttle. He asked, “Do you want her to dump you for Trujillo?” Not waiting for an answer, “Trujillo could you handle the assignment?” Trent asked.

  “I got it,” Ethan growled.

  “Dude, get out of your head. You guys are feeling each other. Maybe something will develop from it, maybe not. If this develops into something more, then awesome, if not then you can save face by saying it was just the job?” Townsend said.

  Trent continued, “Ethan I need Luke on my sister, she is the one that always has the inside track on State Representative Jasmine Anderson, she could become a target.”

  “I just assigned Trujillo to her this morning. She is fascinated with the long hair, Native American tales and culture. She can interview him for days and not even realize that she is being tailed,” Ethan explained.

  “Claire is very smart,” Trent said. “She picked her own tail and let you believe you assigned it,” Trent said.

  “Trujillo,” Trent bellowed his name.

  “Trent I have no intentions of touching your sister,” Trujillo responded before Trent could go any further.

  “My man,” Trent responded.

  They were turning into the Blake-Moore Estates when Trent said to Ethan, “You got to start putting your foot down with Jasmine if you really want this to work.”

  “Yeah, you can’t let her run all over you man,” Trujillo echoed. She is used to having to help run a State.”

  Townsend let out a breath before saying, “Ethan, they are setting you up.”

  “I already know,” Ethan responded.

  They all enjoyed a chuckle before getting out of the car.

  Chapter 20

  Ethan checked in with the rest of them team, who were all at Jasmine’s villa.

  Marisol spoke for the group and advised him that Jasmine had completed her first day of physical therapy, and even learned a few self-defense moves. She was still stiff and sore, but she was still in the game. She was currently in a meeting with Ms. Jeffcoat and Katrina planning her big Memorial Day fundraising event. Later her girlfriends were coming over for dinner.

  Ethan responded, “I am going to go check in on her and make her aware of some changes with our setup and then I will be out to meet with everyone at our headquarters.”

  He walked back to Jasmine’s study where her team was assembled taking notes. He tapped on the door lightly. Jasmine looked up and threw a smile over her shoulder. She went over to her desk and picked up her schedule for the next two days along with a copy of the Sunday Newspaper. They were on the cover kissing, holding hands as they walked through the memorial and the last one was of him helping her into the car. Her approval ratings were up due to the public sympathy and her becoming more human to the voters.

  He passed the newspaper back to her, and then asked her to come speak with him out in the hallway, or even better, excuse the ladies for just a moment. Jasmine opted to excuse the ladies for a few moments to give them more privacy. When the door was closed, Jasmine sat on the edge of her desk and said asked, “What is going on?”

  “I am moving in tonight and sharing your bedroom with you,” Ethan responded simply.

  “Why?” Jasmine asked and crossed her arms in front of herself waiting for a response.

  “There are several reasons, the first being that it would strengthen the illusion that we are in a relationship, which could help us move faster in the investigation. Secondly, I like you. I am enjoying getting to know you. When this investigation is over and we have caught the bastard who is responsible for making your life a living hell, I want to still be a part of your life. Developing this, whatever it is, into something special. Lastly, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you or your girls on my watch,” Ethan finished.

  “About the girls, if I were to share in your feelings and agree to follow you down the path in which you are leading us, then you have to understand that my girls are part of the package that is me. I am not shipping them off. Also, my sister needs me from time to time and I am all that she has left, and I will be there for her when she needs me. Lastly, I have my hat in a lot of interest and passions, and I can’t or won’t slow down on pursuing them,” she informed him.

  Ethan countered with, �
��Your girls captured my heart from the very first moment I laid eyes on them. If they don’t object, I would love to get to know them as well. I would not ever ask you to abandon your family, friends or interest in order to have a relationship with me. The way you nurture and take care of everyone is one of the things that drew me to you.”

  “Thank you,” Jasmine said. “Ethan I am not seasoned in this area; dating and all that. I haven’t been with anyone in three years.”

  “Okay, nothing has to happen physically with us until you are ready. We can go as slow as you need,” Ethan said.

  “Okay,” Jasmine said.

  “How are you feeling about what happened today?” Ethan asked.

  “Right now to be honest, I am numb. I am just pushing forward because the show must go on I am refusing to give power over to this person or persons who are trying to use fear to paralyze me; what is meant to be will be. I am scared, but I can’t let that control me. I am also very tired, mentally and emotionally, to be completely honest. I have really been missing my mother and father lately,” Jasmine said trying to be open and honest. If the relationship part didn’t work then she would at least come out with a friend.

  “I can be here for you, you know. I know all your girlfriends are coming over later, so you can probably get all your feelings out and not feel judged by them. But, I can be that for you, I want to be that for you,” Ethan said.

  “Ethan you are so sweet and tender,” Jasmine said. “What do you need from me?” Jasmine asked. Before he could answer, Jasmine said, “I stopped and checked in on Michelle today, she told me what was going on with her leg, about how she thinks that she stopped counseling too early and that maybe all of you did.”

  “It’s possible, we all have struggles with PTSD, but all of my physical wounds are healed and my emotional and mental wounds are managed with physical exercise and conversations with Trent, Townsend, and Santino. I am no different from the average human. I am damaged; holding myself together with whatever is available and working,” Ethan said.