Part 20 (1/2)
”So...you ready to s.h.i.+t-can this joint and grab a beer?”
She wet her lips, suddenly a little uncertain. She hadn't remembered Jimmy being quite so rough-looking the last time they had gone out. ”Yeah...sure...let me get my purse.” She grabbed the fringed, quilted shoulder bag she had made herself, stopped a second in front of the mirror to check her appearance-a yellow halter top, jeans, and sandals-and they headed out the door.
They went to Ernie's, a local Venice beer bar that was a favorite of Jimmy's. They played pool and drank pitchers of beer, ate greasy hamburgers and fries. Amazingly, by ten o'clock, Jimmy was ready to go home.
Laura was ready, too. In the course of the evening, she had discovered she was no longer interested in Jimmy Osborn. She didn't enjoy hearing how he'd ”beat the s.h.i.+t out of that no-good Buddy Taylor.” She didn't like hearing him snicker with his friend, Joe Rizzoli, about the great bod Teresa Wilson had, or how tight her p.u.s.s.y was when Joe had finally screwed her.
All she could think of was that Jimmy was short on brains and that the way the guys talked about Teresa was the way they must talk about her.
She couldn't help thinking of Brian. Whenever they had been together, they had talked about interesting, important things. He had challenged her, made her remember things she had learned in school, made her want to learn more. Even when they were fighting, he made her think instead of just react. And she had to admit there were times he was right.
Jimmy pulled his ten-year-old, dented black Camaro over to the curb and Laura opened the door and got out, knowing Jimmy would never come around to help her as Brian always did. Besides, she was eager to get home. She had never been so grateful to reach the front door of her apartment.
”Thanks, Jimmy.” Standing on the cement step, she unlocked both door locks and walked inside. ”I'll talk to you later.”
He braced a hand on the door frame above her head. ”Hey, wait a minute. You trying to give me the brush-off or something?”
”No, no, of course not. I'm just tired, is all. I haven't been sleeping very well. I thought tonight I'd go to bed early.”
”Good idea,” he said with a leer.
”That isn't what I meant.” She tried to close the door, but he slammed a heavy boot against the jamb.
”Listen, baby, I bought you dinner, remember? I bought you drinks.” He shoved hard on the door, pus.h.i.+ng her inside, then followed her in. ”You ain't gettin' off so easy.”
”Get out, Jimmy. I'll give you the d.a.m.n money for your lousy hamburger, just get out of my house.”
”No dice, baby.” He grabbed her arm and dragged her hard against him, brutally gripped her jaw and forced her mouth open, then shoved his tongue halfway down her throat. Gagging, Laura raked her nails down his cheek and jerked away, taking several hasty steps backward.
”Get out!” she shouted. ”Get out or I'm calling the police!”
Jimmy rubbed his cheek, noticed a trace of blood on his hand. His eyes narrowed and darkened. ”I ain't leavin', baby. I'm gonna stay right here and teach you some manners.” His lips curled faintly. ”I'm gonna f.u.c.k you good, Laura. Maybe next time you'll know better than to mess with Jimmy Osborn.”
Laura made a strangled sound in her throat and tried to run, but Jimmy caught her arm and shoved her up against the wall. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back.
”You're gonna get it, baby. You're gonna get it real good.”
”Jimmy, don't!” Laura pleaded. ”Please let me go.”
A slight noise came from the doorway. ”You heard what the lady said. Let her go.” The door swung wide and Brian stood framed in the opening. ”Get away from her and get out of her house.”
”Brian...”
His hands were balled into fists, his mouth a grim line. He was taller than Jimmy, but Jimmy was younger, with a more wiry build. And utterly ruthless. If the two men fought, Brian was bound to get hurt.
Jimmy's lip curled. ”Get outta here, man. This ain't no business of yours.”
”I said to let her go,” Brian repeated, legs slightly splayed, every muscle taut.
”Be careful, Brian!”
Jimmy yanked so hard on her hair tears sprang into her eyes. ”Shut up, b.i.t.c.h! I'll take care of you when I'm through with him.”
He let her go and turned to Brian and the instant she was free, Laura bolted into her bedroom. Her hands were shaking so hard she had trouble with the drawer in her bedside table, but eventually it moved and she jerked it open. The .38 special she had purchased through a friend sat exactly where she had left it.
She gripped the gun with both hands as she had been taught in her one-and-only lesson and tried to hold it steady. Taking a deep, calming breath, she raced back to the living room just in time to see Jimmy Osborn standing in front of Brian, his mouth a tight line, bloodl.u.s.t s.h.i.+ning in his dark eyes.
Laura raised the gun, her hands shaking but steadier than she would have expected. ”Hold it, Jimmy! Stop right there.” Standing with her legs slightly spread, she kept her arms straight in front of her, just as she had learned. Her knees were trembling, but she held her ground, pointing the pistol straight at Jimmy's heart. ”I don't want any trouble, Jimmy. I just want you to leave.”
Brian looked incredulous. ”Laura, where in G.o.d's name-”
”Not now, Brian. Are you leaving, Jimmy?”
He looked at her and a muscle ticked in his jaw. His mouth looked tight against the shadow of beard beginning to roughen his cheeks. ”I can't believe it. Little Laura Ferris drawing down on Jimmy Osborn.” He chuckled without mirth. ”You got more bra.s.s than I thought, babe.” She tensed when he started to move, but he merely stepped around Brian and walked toward the door. ”See ya around.”
She didn't stop pointing the gun until Jimmy was gone and the door firmly closed. Then she lowered the weapon to her side and let the tears she had been holding slide down her cheeks.
Brian crossed the room in three long strides. Gently pulling the gun from her fingers, he set it on the table, then eased her into his arms. ”It's all right, honey, don't cry. He's gone now. Everything's going to be all right.”
Laura sniffed back tears. ”Brian, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have gone out with him. Julie warned me not to. I wouldn't have-” she glanced up ”-if I hadn't been so mad at you.”
His arms tightened protectively around her. ”I'm sorry, honey. That's what I came here to tell you. I know I was wrong to interfere in your life. If I didn't care so d.a.m.ned much...” The words trailed off and Laura smiled softly. She reached up to touch his cheek.
”You shaved your beard.”
”Yeah, I thought it might make me look younger. We aren't really so far apart in age, you know. I was hoping you'd like the change.”
”I love it.”
He smiled and she saw that he had dimples, hidden before by the beard.
”You were really terrific,” he said, ”even if you shouldn't own a gun.”
Laura bristled. ”That gun saved your a.s.s, Brian Heraldson.”
”I suppose so. But maybe I could have surprised you and saved my own a.s.s. I used to box in college. I was pretty good at it, too.”
Laura didn't tell him Jimmy Osborn wouldn't have fought by the Queensbury rules. ”Thank you for what you did. You would have fought for me. No one has ever done that.”
”No one?”
”Except my sister, of course. Julie's been fighting for me as long as I can remember.”
He ran a finger along her cheek. ”Tonight you fought for yourself.”
Laura smiled. ”I did, didn't I?” They walked together over to the sofa and sat down, Laura snuggling against him. ”You know something, Brian? As terrible as this abduction thing has been, in some way I feel stronger for it. Do you think that's possible?”
”Maybe. Overcoming adversity often makes people stronger.”
”I don't think I've overcome anything, but I'm trying. I'm trying very hard.”