Page 7 of Securing Samantha

“Take the girl to the car.” James seemed unsettled. “Then come back and kill them.” James tilted his head at Samantha and LJ. “You better hope you’re right, Jameson. I’d hate to think you’ve disappointed me.”

“LJ, honey, close your eyes. That’s it, sweetie. Don’t open them until your mama or I tell you to. We’re playing a game and I need you to do what Aunt Kassie says.” Kassie took her sight off James long enough to watch LJ’s face squint. Kassie stepped to her right.

“If she makes one more move, Jameson, kill the bitch sitting in the chair and her kid in front of her.”

Samantha struggled against her bonds as she screamed against the tape, begging for her child’s life.

The man holding Emma started forward and Kassie threw a letter opener and the man dropped Emma as he fell to the floor. Before the weapon she flung hit its mark, Kassie bent to her shoe, lightning fast and threw the knife into the face of the man holding LJ. The man stood suspended for a moment before he fell over.

Samantha attempted to rock the chair back and forth, causing her body to spin in Jameson’s way. He grabbed the arms of the chair to subdue her when Kassie grabbed a jar of one of Samantha’s creams and threw it at Jameson’s head, hitting him right between the eyes, knocking him backward.

She grabbed his gun as a shot went off. Making Samantha’s heart jump in her throat. Jameson dropped it on the floor as his hand went to hold his forehead. Kassie aimed the gun in James’s direction.

“One more step toward Emma and I’ll plant one between your eyes. LJ, keep your eyes closed,” Kassie warned.

James pulled a knife and held it to Emma’s tiny neck. “He assured me she was Kaitlyn. Her nerdy twin was a nurse. She wouldn’t have the guts to kill a man. Kassie was a crazy bitch, she’d do it. Is she Kassie or Kaitlyn?” James demanded to know.

“I don’t…know.” Jameson stammered.

Samantha knew. She began to panic. She fought against the bonds that held her to the chair. She felt utterly powerless in protecting her son. The conversation around her muted as she focused on her child’s small body.

James maneuvered himself closer to LJ causing Samantha to whimper.

Please don’t let him hurt my son. She silently begged. He held the knife to the little boy’s side while Kassie edged her way to her daughter. She bent down and picked her up.

“I’ll carry my daughter. I don’t want you to even touch her,” Kassie snarled.

Kassie waited until Jameson stood. She held the gun out with the barrel pointed down. He took her wrist and tapped it twice before taking the gun. Kassie’s eyes flickered to meet his. His head shook slightly, and he winked.

Samantha watched wondering what he tried to convey as she watched Kassie walk down the hall.

She left them there to die! Her heart pounded in her ears; she struggled harder to get to LJ. The tape gripped her to the chair.

Turning to Jameson, James ordered, “Take care of them and bring me the gun.”

Jameson waited until James walked out of the room.

“Scream,” he ordered. Momentarily stunned by his request he yanked the duct tape halfway off her mouth. Son of a bitch! She opened her mouth and let the fear she felt escape in a scream as he held the gun up and shot into the wall. Then he shot again and cut off her scream. LJ let out a scream and started to cry. He pressed the tape back onto her mouth and held his hand over it. He put a finger to his lips in a message for her to remain quiet.

He cut the tape from around her wrists before walking away. Samantha pressed her wrists against the tape and rushed to LJ. He peed his pants and tears ran down his face as he squinted to keep his eyes shut. She wrapped him in her arms for dear life as another gun went off in her house. She grabbed him and ran to the closet squeezing him under the shelves. She stood in front of the door armed with scissors and a jar of hand cream. It might not kill anyone, but she saw the goose egg already forming on Jameson’s forehead. It might buy her some time.

Another shot came from the backyard. A few minutes later she heard Carol screaming. More vehicles and car doors screeched to a halt in front of her house. Relief flooded her as the team entered her house. She opened the door and LJ leaped into her arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as she shakily pulled his head into her shoulder to shield him from the sight of the bodies and blood.

Saint crossed the doorway and helped her and LJ up and murmured softly in her ear, “You did good, Miss Samantha. I’m walking you over to Jake’s, close your eyes.” She did as he asked. She saw the bloody floor and the dead men staring up at her ceiling. Her mind struggled to imagine anything worse than what she had already witnessed.

When the team returned home with Kassie and Emma, her friend insisted on visiting LJ and Samantha. Carol Reese offered her the home she and Catherine rented, directly across the street from Samantha’s. Carol stayed with Jake since his return from the hospital and Catherine wasn’t staying there. Seeing her house across the street didn’t allay the anxiety as she relived the nightmare in her mind.

Kassie hired specialized cleaners to rid the house of the gory scene. When she realized Samantha struggled with entering the home, she rented the building between Ty’s restaurant and Bryanna’s bakery. Before she knew it, Samantha’s salon products sat proudly displayed on the shelves and Kassie purchased new sink bowls and chairs to occupy the space. She scheduled appointments and paid for counseling for LJ, who never wanted to sleep alone anymore. Claire scheduled visits with her. They helped, somewhat. The house still remained an obstacle. No longer a place of tranquility or peace, she no longer cared to live there.

Before she visited Liam for their morning meeting, she made seafood chowder and planned to make soda bread when she returned to Carol’s. When she asked if he wanted to eat dinner with her, he turned her down without a single hesitation. Since the day she discovered him, she didn’t have a moment alone with him. Claire set boundaries on their time. When she explained to Samantha her husband didn’t tolerate stress, and her visits to see her husband needed to start slow, she understood. No. She didn’t comprehend at all. Liam seemed almost relieved to see her go.

She drove home with tears running down her cheeks, packed LJ’s bags for the weekend, and promptly threw the chowder down the garbage disposal. She booked a room in Seattle to stay the weekend. She found a new romance novel by Lainey Reese to read. A hot shower, peace and quiet, and a great book sounded like a winner to her. She’d live through the characters in the book since her own husband didn’t want to spend time alone with her.

CHAPTER SIX

Whiskey paced Leo’s office. “I tell you, it’s not working. She stares at me as if I’m supposed to know exactly what she’s thinking. I screw up nonstop.”

Leo sighed. “It’s only been a couple of weeks. Taco checked on Samantha. The shop seems busy as usual but the living arrangements present a problem.”

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