Angels In Red (34 page)

Jenna furrowed her brow as she listened to Jack apologize, so intensely; his fear of losing her was almost tangible. This man, who only a short time ago walked in on her in bed with another man…

“Please Jack, you have nothing to be sorry for. Any man would’ve reacted the same way, perhaps even worse. You didn’t go home...you came here?”

He shook his head solemnly. “I drove for awhile trying to makes sense of things before I turned around and came straight here
. Any
man doesn’t share the love we have between us. How could I think for one second you’d do something like that to me?”

“Um... hello people!”

Jenna glanced past him at Buffy. Twyla went straight to Charles open arms, and her best friend looked from them to her and Jack and scowled.

“Let’s try to have a little compassion for the only one flying solo out here.”

A fleeting moment of dead silence preceded a burst of explosive laughter, shattering the wall of tension. Jack sat on a deck chair and pulled her down to sit on his lap, squeezing her hand so tight, like he feared if he let go she’d run away.

The aroma of chocolate chip cookies, straight from the oven wafted out to them. Charles was quick to offer Edna a helping hand with a tray laden with fresh coffee and cookies.

As much as she loved Edna, and her baking, if the delicacies came any closer to her, she’d be spilling her own cookies right then and there. She held up a hand to ward off the plate being passed to her, shaking her head while holding her tummy.

Jack rubbed her back. “Are you still feeling poorly?”

She feigned a smile. “That’s putting it mildly.”

Edna cupped the side of her face in her weathered hand: her eyes brimmed with moisture as she kissed her cheek. “Thank God you’re okay. I’m glad you’re home.”

She pressed her lips firmly together and nodded, for fear if she opened her mouth to speak, she’d let loose the torrent of tears that lingered precariously on the edge of her already tattered emotions.

The housekeeper pressed a damp hanky to her mouth and retreated back into the kitchen.

“So, I guess the question is, where do we go from here?” Buffy grabbed a cookie and sunk her teeth into it as she flopped back in a lounge chair.

“Before we do anything, there is so much I need to tell you.” Jenna tugged her lip with her teeth.

She turned towards Charles. “Please, can you help me? Jack needs to know everything… and I mean everything.”

While he sipped at the much needed dose of caffeine, Charles filled him in about their troubles with Howard Meed and Daniel.

Jack hardly believed all that had gone on without his knowledge. “Wow. Why did you keep me in the dark?” His gaze narrowed on Charles. “Why didn’t
you
let me know what those two jokers were up to?”

He raised his hands in defense. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t break Jenna’s trust, and she didn’t want you to worry about her, not with you being so far away. She feared you might hunt them down and do something that might land you in trouble.”

“Both of those assholes could use a good foot up the ass.” He released Jenna and clenched the arms of the deck chair, grinding his teeth. Jack caught Charles’ sideways glance, a smirk plastered on his face.

His body relaxed and he laughed at Jenna. “Okay,
maybe
you had a point.”

“Jenna was just looking out for you. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s crazy in love with you.”

Jack wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled the crook of her neck. “The feeling is mutual.”

Charles eased back in the swing next to Twyla, cookie in hand.

“I vote we pay Daniel and that weasel Howard Meed a visit.” Jack curled his lip in a snarl.

Jenna set her coffee mug down heavily. “And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you anything. I didn’t want you behind bars for beating the crap out of them, even though both deserve it.”

Jack‘s snarl turned to a grin. “Okay, I get it.” He took her hand in his and gently stroked it. “We have to do
something
. The guy can’t get away with this bullshit.”

“I agree. The two of them need to pay dearly for what happened at that motel. But let’s not forget Angel is still living on the ranch. Her well-being has to come first before anything,” Charles added as he brushed the crumbs from his shirt front.

“Yes, Angel needs to be safe. The problem lies in that she’s a very perceptive lady. It may take her longer to process different situations, but there’s no denying she’s very smart. The poor girl just found out she has a sister, and soon will have to deal with losing Daniel.” It worried her to think of how her sister would react to losing him.

“Getting your sister away from Daniel is the best thing for her.” Jack took a sip of his coffee. “Unfortunately, God only knows what’s been going on in that facility over the past twenty years. Least of which is having those girls brainwashed with some kind of hero worship of the guy.”

Jenna put a fist to her mouth and gagged. “It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I pray we don’t uncover the worst case scenario.”

Twyla reached across Jack to hold Jenna’s hand. “Diane got my job there, and she worked there many years before. She would never be quiet if she saw him do this to the girls.”

Jenna smiled. “Bless you. I so needed to hear that.”

“She’s right. What if we’re looking at this from the wrong angle? What if sex has nothing to do with any of it? What if it’s all about the money? It’s possible he’s manipulating those girls in a
loving
way as a ploy to get what he’s really after?” Jack suggested.

“You might be on to something. Maybe my mother wasn’t the only one paying cash. I mean, it’s possible my father isn’t the reason behind that arrangement.”

Jenna welcomed the security of being in Jack’s arms. Something she thought she’d lost forever only a short time ago. She glanced over at Charles, who appeared to be entranced with Twyla, and loving every minute of it.

He must’ve sensed her gaze on him for he looked up and smiled her way.

“You did good, my friend. She’s a keeper.”

He grinned sheepishly and held Twyla’s hand up for all to see the stunning sparkler on her ring finger.

“Oh my God!” Jenna jumped to her feet and threw her arms around the newly engaged couple. “I’m so happy for the two of you.”

Buffy clenched her hands. “Screw Daniel. He’s
not
going to ruin any more lives. If he wants to fight dirty thinking he’ll win, he picked the wrong opponents.”

“I suggest we try and get Doctor Gilmore over here first thing in the morning. That way, we’ll all be on the same page and can try and figure out exactly where to go from here.” Jenna looked at Jack, dreading the answer to her next question. “When do you have to head back?”

He winked and smiled suggestively. “Right
after
our meeting with the good doctor.”

Heat rushed to her face and down to her nether regions. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Her eyes filled with happy tears.
Thank God I didn’t lose you
.

Jack stood and scooped her up in his arms. “And on that note, if you’ll excuse us.”

Luckily, Dr. Gilmore was more than happy to come out to the estate before his work day at the ranch began. He walked into her father’s library and right over to sit behind the desk. Once settled in the chair, he looked up at Jenna and his cheeks instantly turned red.

“I-I’m sorry. How presumptuous of me. I guess its force of habit to be the one behind the desk.” He made a move to stand.

She put her hand out to stop him. “It’s perfectly fine. Can I get you something, perhaps a cup of coffee?”

“Maybe later. I have to say I’m more than a little curious as to why you were so adamant I come out here rather than meet at the ranch.”

Jenna took a seat next to Jack and gave Charles a nod to begin, having allotted him the task of bringing the doctor up to speed.

The psychiatrist listened intently as Charles told him of their quest to uncover the truth behind Daniel, and how Howard Meed fit in to the whole sordid ordeal. His face remained void of expression until he got to the part about Jenna being drugged. His posture grew rigid and his bushy eyebrows arched as he stroked his stubbly jaw.

Jenna shuddered and kept her gaze trained out the window in an attempt to keep her anger at bay.

“Well, that’s quite the story.”

“You don’t seem all that surprised,” Jenna said.

He leaned forward with his hands clasped on the desk in front of him. “I’ve always considered Daniel to be a very complex personality. I’ve been at the ranch for quite a few years now, and you can rest at ease, I don’t believe he’s sexually abusing any of the girls.”

She drew in a ragged breath, struggling to keep it together. “Thank God.”

Jacked sat on the edge of his seat. “Maybe he isn’t, but he sure has those ladies wrapped around his little finger.”

“Surely you’ve suspected something amiss. It doesn’t take a PHD to figure that out,” Buffy retorted brusquely.

Jenna smirked, repressing laughter at her friend’s not surprising remark.

Dr. Gilmore shifted in his seat, totally dismissing her crass remark.

“I’ve kept my position at the ranch for that very reason. The older girls are very tight-lipped when it comes to their relationship with Daniel. I would’ve quit a long time ago if I based my decision solely on how that man speaks to me, but my job is to care for the mental well-being of the residents.  I couldn’t...and never will, abandon them. They’ve come to be my family in many ways.”

“Thank you for being there for my sister and the others. Nobody is more relieved than me that there doesn’t appear to be any sexual abuse going on. If that’s the case, though, then what is that man up to? I still feel the older girls are being exploited in some way. Are they in danger of physical harm?” Jenna expelled a sigh of frustration. “The way those girls, including Angel, act toward Daniel isn’t natural. It’s like my sister believes Daniel is her
boyfriend,
for lack of a better word. What could he possibly have to gain by leading them on like that?”

“It’s simple. The root of that man’s evil is the almighty dollar. The sick bastard is greedy, money hungry, and he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants without jeopardizing the façade of loving curator of the Ranch. For God’s sake, the man drugged you.” Charles started to pace. “The question is, how do the girls possibly help him gain financially given their physical and/or mental limitations?”

“I’m not sure we’re headed in the right direction, but according to Daniel, my mother did pay cash on her monthly visits. Maybe she isn’t the only one? Isn’t it possible he’s using the older girls to get to their parent’s bankrolls?”

Dr. Gilmore cleared his throat. “You’ve definitely given me food for thought, Jenna. I really should be leaving. I’m never late, and we don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to me. I think we all need to take some time to digest everything we’ve discussed. I will help in any way that I can.”

“How do you think we should handle things as far as Daniel is concerned? I’m sure he is awaiting some kind of response after what he did to me.” Jenna balled up her hands, beyond angry at how she’d been drugged and almost lost Jack because of his twisted mind. “For whatever reason, Angel is
very
protective of Daniel. I don’t want her seeing me as a threat to him.”

Dr. Gilmore stood. “I suggest you all do nothing for a few days before surfacing. I promise I’ll keep a close eye on Angel. That way, Daniel will think his plan has worked, and it gives your sister time to settle after the threat Buffy posed working at the ranch.”

Jenna couldn’t help but titter at her best friend’s eye roll.

“Now, I really need to be on my way.” He shook Jack’s hand, then Charles’ before offering Buffy a slight nod and making his way out of the office.

“I’ll walk you out to your car.” Jenna followed him out of the library. Her mind swirled with every conceivable emotion.

Jenna sat on the staircase, balancing a clipboard on her lap, almost every item on her list checked off. Redecorating the old homestead kept her mind busy over the past few days of keeping a low profile. The heavy brocade drapes were being replaced with exquisite, hand embroidered lace. Full enough to ensure privacy, yet sheer enough to bathe the room in much needed sunlight.