Protector - Laurel Dewey [85]
The child quickly walked backward through the living room, bumping into chairs and tables. Jane stood in the doorway that led into the living room. “Don’t you walk away from me!” Jane hollered above the roar of the punishing storm. She raced through the living room after Emily. The child stumbled, allowing Jane to get closer. She snagged Emily by the straps of her soaked denim jumper and shook her. “I’m not fucking done with you! You understand me?”
Emily jerked free of Jane’s grip and jumped onto the couch. Jane tried to grab her but Emily was able to swing her body over the back of the couch, avoiding Jane’s grasp. “You want to play hardball?” Jane yelled. “Is that what you want?” Emily shot around the couch to her right. Jane was way ahead of her. As Emily rounded the corner of the couch, Jane caught her by the back of her jumper. “You think you can run from me?” Jane screamed as she jerked Emily back toward her. Emily’s back fell against Jane’s chest. Jane held tightly onto the back straps of Emily’s jumper, wedging her white-knuckled fist into the girl’s spine. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jane kept her fingers wrapped around the straps as she forcefully pushed Emily forward, first several steps and then again, shoving her abruptly two and three feet at a time. “You think you’re so smart!” Jane pushed Emily forward, edging her closer to the staircase. “Huh? You think you’re so fucking smart?” Another sharp jab in Emily’s spine forced the child another several feet. “Well, you’re not smart! Do you hear me?” The two were now at the foot of the stairs. “I asked you a question!”
With that, Jane let go of Emily’s straps and angrily turned her around to face her. “I asked you a question!” she screamed. Emily said nothing. With that, Jane shoved Emily backward. The child fell on the inclining stairs. Jane leaned down, grabbed Emily by her shoulder strap, inadvertently also clutching the small squeezable flashlight that was attached to the strap. Jane raised her right fist into the air and was just about to slam it into Emily’s face when her left hand squeezed the flashlight. The pinpoint light shone directly in her eye.
Everything stopped.
Jane’s fist froze in the air as the piercing light yanked Jane back into her body. She still felt anger but it was quickly tempered by a sudden awareness of what she was about to do. Jane lowered her fist and pulled away from Emily. As the moment crystallized and the realization of what just transpired sunk in, Jane began to shake. Emily reached out her hand to Jane. “Don’t!” Jane said, her voice trembling. “Leave me alone!” Jane stood upright. “Go upstairs, Emily,” she said, almost in a whisper. Emily sat up, deeply concerned for Jane. “Go upstairs,” Jane whispered. “And stay there.”
Reluctantly, Emily stood up and climbed the stairs, looking backward every so often before retreating into her bedroom and closing the door.
Jane closed her eyes, in shock by what occurred. After five minutes, she walked into the living room and pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket. Slumping onto the couch, she dialed Weyler’s home phone number. After two rings, he answered.
“Hello,” Weyler said.
“You need to come over here,” Jane said almost inaudibly.
“Jane? What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“I’m no good,” Her voice was choked with emotion. “I’m no damn good.”
And then she hung up.
Chapter 14
Jane knew it was all over.
The career she had worked so hard for was about to end. Once Weyler found out from Emily that Jane had violently shoved her around and came within seconds of punching her in the face, it was only a matter of his signature on an official page of Department letterhead that would seal her termination. What else could he do? Jane was already on shaky ground. For Weyler to try and figure out another Department loophole or ask for another favor from Brass would only make him look ineffective.
Jane sat