Chapter Fifty-Five
Jesse Owens had taken over the security department of Nascosto Scelto. He hired ex-marines and put them through a vigorous training regime before they were accepted into their ranks. He handled everyone’s personal security and he scouted locations before they travelled.
It was what Jesse was good at. It kept him busy, his mind occupied, even though the nightmares hadn't left him. His mind still assaulted him when he slept with images of his last tour, the dead bodies of his friends and the most tormenting one, images of Layla's blood splattered across the bathroom wall. He took on his new job, making sure there were no more dead bodies to haunt him.
Kelley, Mason, Lee and Marella were living in St. John’s City in a five-bedroom house where he’d redone the entire security system and placed three armed guards on the perimeter. On Kelley’s eighteenth birthday, he received his first deposit from his hotel shares and a threat from Charles Alexander. Jesse hadn’t taken it lightly.
He had personally vetted and screened the live-in nanny who was also their housekeeper, an older woman named Theresa. Carey and John had received the same treatment with a live-in guard in their house. They had tied the knot in a small, private chapel with only their family present.
Jesse had moved too and he’d closed his dojo to the public. He kept the place and used it for training his new hires. He now lived in the better part of Yorkdare Bay, central to most of Nascosto’s business interests. It was a modest three-bedroom house with an office, an indoor gym and a large pool in the backyard. He had a patio with a grill outside and his days were mostly ghost-free, depending on the date.
It was three am when his doorbell rang and he moved quietly through his house, down the stairs with his gun drawn. Looking through the peephole he saw someone on his porch with his back towards the door.
He pulled the door open with one hand, the other hand aiming a gun at the person’s head. The man turned, revealing a girl in his arms. Jesse immediately recognized Kirk Goodwin and he lowered the gun as Kirk’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
“Please help her. I know Kelley’s not here but I had nowhere else to take her.”
“Come in.”
Jesse closed the door behind Kirk as he walked into the living room and placed her unconscious form on the couch. “What did you do to her?”
Kirk stepped back from the sofa and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “It wasn’t me. I found her in a bedroom. There was a party and it had started to die down. I was looking for a room so I could sleep.”
“Leave and don’t come back here, Kirk.”
Kirk nodded his head and left quietly. Jesse stood there until he heard the click of the door’s lock shutting automatically before he picked the girl up again. He carried her upstairs to a guest room and then got the first-aid kit.
Her eyelids fluttered as Jesse worked over the bruises. “Marley?”
“No, no …”
“You’re okay.”
She lost consciousness again and Jesse could smell the liquor on her. For being assaulted she didn’t look too bad, mostly bruises and her busted lip that betrayed what had happened to her. Jesse cut away her clothes and then flinched away from her.
Blood seeped from between her legs and her thighs were bruised. He knew exactly what had happened to her and he cleaned her gently. He placed her underwear and clothes in a plastic zip-lock bag and dressed her in his boxers and a t-shirt.
Jesse sat on the chair next to her bed until sunlight filtered through the windows and Marley finally stirred again. She had her back turned towards him and he shifted slightly as she turned onto her back.
Marley lay there for a few seconds, blinking as she glanced up at the ceiling. She had no idea where she was but she knew exactly what had happened to her. She could feel the pain in her groin area and her joints felt stiff.
She screamed as she turned her head and she moved her body into a ball against the headboard, pulling the covers up with her. Jesse stood up and lifted his hands in surrender and took a step backwards as she watched him with wild eyes.
“I’m Jesse Owens and I won’t hurt you.”
“Why am I here?”
“Kirk Goodwin brought you here last night. I know your brother but I haven’t called him yet.”
Marley nodded her head. “I know your name.”
Jesse slowly sat down in his chair again and Marley seemed to relax a little. “Do you want me to call your mother? Kelley?”
“No!” She had said that too fast and now Jesse was determined to find everything out.
“I cleaned you last night and kept your clothes for evidence.”
“I can’t go to the cops.”
Jesse looked at her intently until she broke eye contact with him. “How old are you now, Marley?”
“Almost nineteen.”
“Where’s Laura?”
Marley looked down and then glanced briefly up at him. “Somewhere in Italy with some new boyfriend. I don’t want you to call her and you have to promise me that you won’t tell Kelley about his.”
“Why not? Kelley can help you, look after you.”
“Because he’ll do something stupid when he knows. Please don’t kick me out. I can’t go home.”
“Who did this, Marley?”
She shook her head and her lips were pressed closed. She wasn’t going to tell him although he could guess who was involved. It was the only reason why Kelley would do something stupid.
“I don’t think staying with me is a good idea.”
Her lip started to tremble and tears formed in her eyes as she finally looked at him again. “I understand.”
Jesse could feel something stir within him. He didn’t want her to cry but he was afraid that his presence would make her feel vulnerable, given what had happened to her. “Fine, just for a little while.”
Marley looked up and nodded her head. “Thank you.”
