The Fight for Us (37 page)

She dialed Isaiah quickly. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m getting you and Harper some clothes. Nothing more.” His voice was quiet.

“Isaiah, please just leave. You can’t do this—”

“Listen to me.”

“Isa—”

“Quiet. I need you to trust me. You sent those text messages earlier in the day when you were upset. You took a nap. You woke up, and I was gone. You called me, and I told you I was getting you some clothes. End of story. There is nothing else you need to know and nothing else you need to say. Do you understand?”

“Please—”

“Do you understand? Say it. Then we’re hanging up. You watch T.V., make dinner, let the girls come home. It doesn’t matter. You make what I just told you your reality, and you let me handle everything else.”

She was starting to cry. It was absolute terror. He was going to get himself killed or kill someone else and end up in jail for the rest of his life. She couldn’t handle either of those scenarios, and she was panicking as she started to pace and quietly sob.

“Oh, God, Isaiah. I can’t lose you.” Her voice lurched as she tried to speak.

She could hear it as his breath left him in a rush, and then his voice was the one shuttering.

“You won’t. I promise. But you have to trust me now.”

“Okay—” She gasped out the response, but he cut her off quickly.

“I have to go. I love you.” He whispered the last part, and then the phone went dead.

She sat staring at the phone in her hand. The numbers were right there. She could dial 9-1-1. She was panicking enough to think she needed to. Could she trust him enough to believe this wouldn’t actually end badly? His life could be in danger. Did she really trust him enough to let him risk it?

Chapter Thirty-Two

Isaiah turned the ringer off on the phone and pocketed it quickly. He kept his ass in the chair as he listened to the sound of a key being fit into the lock. He knew that asshole wouldn’t be able to stay away if he thought she was here alone. Isaiah had upset the control he’d had over her, and Todd was just psychotic enough he couldn’t handle losing that.

Isaiah knew the type. The control was what Todd had always thrived on, and when one means of controlling her had failed, he’d resorted to another. Isaiah just hoped he was planning the same tonight. He studied the wide arched entryway between the hall and the living room as he listened to the door being opened, and when he heard footsteps moving quietly toward the kitchen, he watched the hallway.

The man was creeping at a snail’s pace as he moved past the living room entrance toward the kitchen. He watched as Todd looked up the stairs. There was no missing the music, and Isaiah could have sworn he saw a smirk pass the fucker’s face when he returned his attention toward the kitchen. Isaiah took Todd’s destination as a good sign he’d fallen for it. His hope was that Todd thought Joss was upstairs packing, and his movement toward the kitchen meant only one thing to Isaiah.

Isaiah didn’t move a muscle as he watched Todd move down the hallway, and it was only after he’d passed beyond the living room that Isaiah stood and moved quickly to close in behind Todd. Isaiah waited until Todd’s hand was reaching out to push the kitchen door open to say anything.

“Care to tell me what you’re doing here, you stupid fuck?”

Todd spun toward him, his eyes bulging in shock, and when Isaiah clicked his tongue as he appraised the man, he was just taunting.

“Little bit of trespassin’, huh? Think you can get away before I call the cops?” Isaiah actually smiled that time, and when Todd lunged at him, Isaiah let him.

The first punch lit on Isaiah’s cheek and sent splinters of scorching hot pain radiating through his head. It was enough to snag his tooth on the corner of his lip, and he could taste the blood in his mouth instantly. The second hit was a poorly placed backhand across his other cheek. It was glancing at best, but fortunately the ring on Todd’s hand did the damage his hand wasn’t able to, and Isaiah hissed as it cut into his cheek.

Isaiah cocked his head to the side. “Thank you.”

That was all Isaiah needed, and the moment he saw Todd’s face scrunch up in a snarl of fury, Isaiah lunged for Todd. He caught the man by the back of the shirt collar as Todd turned and ran toward the kitchen, and when Isaiah gripped that fabric in his left hand, he slammed his right one into the side of Todd’s head, smashing it against the door frame beside him.

A guttural groan escaped Todd as his body tried to crumple to the floor, but with Isaiah holding him up by the collar it was impossible. He shoved Todd through the door that led to the kitchen, and he followed him in.

“How ’bout you have a seat.”

Todd crawled up from the floor with his snarl still firmly affixed to his face, but he took the chair nearest him, glancing at Isaiah furtively. He looked scared under that snarl, but Isaiah was certain he was just as furious as he was frightened.

“You have no right to do this.” Todd seethed.

“Actually, I do. You’re trespassing—”

“I own this house.” He snapped back.

“That does not give you the right to enter it without Joss’s permission. Perhaps you should learn something about landlord tenant laws before you spout that bullshit. Let me guess, in your book you’re allowed to discount rent in exchange for a fuck too, is that about right?” His eyes narrowed as he watched Todd. He’d not sat yet, and he was hovering around Todd, walking slowly and calmly.

“She’s the fucking slut who agreed.” Todd was actually smiling when he said it.

And that’s all it took for Isaiah’s fury to erupt. He backhanded Todd hard enough to send him sailing into the wall beside the table as Isaiah’s rage boiled over in a snarling growl.

“Motherfucker!” Todd screamed.

“What about Rohypnol, Todd? Did she agree to that?” Isaiah’s words were controlled and intentional, but he was struggling to keep his lips from pulling back in a sadistic line.

Todd was still trying to right himself and get his ass back on the chair, and as he found his bearings again, he spit blood on the floor. His eyes glanced away, and Isaiah could only guess Todd was just catching on to the fact that Isaiah, Joss too for that matter, were on to his little game. But when he looked back up to Isaiah, he smirked again and shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t even know what that is.”

“No?” Isaiah nodded his head slowly, fighting the need to hit again. When he snatched his cell phone from his pocket, he pulled up the chief’s numbers and hit send before he could succumb to beating the shit out of the man. He had a plan, and he wasn’t going to let his desire to kill Todd get in the way. He wanted the timing to be on his side with this, and a long delay between Todd’s arrival and Isaiah calling the chief would look bad—as much as he wouldn’t mind a bit more time with Todd. “Hi, chief. I have Todd here at Joss’s house. I came over to grab some clothes, and the fucker just let himself in.”

“Jesus, Isaiah,” the chief grumbled. “He owns the property. It’s civil trespassing at best, and you damn well know it. I can’t even arrest him for that.”

“Yeah, no, I know, but I’m guessing attacking me when I confronted him would fall more in line with assault. You know,
criminal
assault.”

“Well, whadaya know,” Jeffries commented sarcastically. “And you just happened to be there, huh?”

“Hell of a coincidence, I know. Can you send someone out?” He was forcing his voice to remain calm.

“I’m coming myself. You hurt that man, it’s not going to look good.”

“Well, I can’t promise he’s going to come out of this unscathed. He did attack me, and I defended myself, but the damage is minimal.”

“I see.” The chief sighed. “Fucking hell, Isaiah. You’re going to make this retirement business hard on me, aren’t you?”

“Not at all, sir.” He hung up then, finally letting the snarl set in and glaring at Todd maliciously.

“Good. Get the chief here. I’ll have your ass arrested so fast—”

“For what?” He yelled. “I’m the only one of us who happens to have permission to be here.” His words tumbled out in a rush of anger. “So tell me, what exactly am
I
going to get arrested for?”

“You set me up!” Todd yelled with his teeth gritted.

“Yeah?” Then he leaned down to the man’s eye level, stowing the unhinged loud voice. “Prove it.” His voice was deadly calm when he said it, and he stared right into Todd’s eyes.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Todd’s eyes glanced away, saying otherwise.

“Fine.” Isaiah nodded again, taunting the man as he forced his demeanor to stay calm. He’d always been able to turn the calm on when he needed to. It was decidedly far more challenging at the moment than it had ever been before, but he did it. His ability to remain aloof and cool when he needed to had made him damn effective in an interrogation room, and this was nothing more than that. And just like an interrogation, there was something Isaiah was searching for. Information. Proof. Something he wouldn’t know for sure existed until Chief Jeffries was there, but something he wanted to see the assurance of now. He couldn’t go searching without compromising the evidence, and so, he let his mouth do the work his hands couldn’t. “Did you drug and rape Joss the other night?”

“You’re not an FBI agent anymore. I don’t answer to you, and anything I say to you now, I’ll deny later.”

“No reason not to tell me then, huh?”

Isaiah studied Todd’s eyes, and he saw the wheels turning in Todd’s mind. It was tempting to the man. Isaiah knew it would be. To a fucker like him, gloating about it to the man who it hurt the most was just a perverse need.

Todd chuckled as blood dripped from his mouth. Isaiah wasn’t actually sure he wanted to hear this, but he also wasn’t sure he could survive a lifetime not knowing. So he held his breath as he leveled his eyes on the man. Todd could destroy Isaiah emotionally by admitting it, and Isaiah was hoping he’d take the bait and do just that. Isaiah would just have to survive hearing it and do it without killing him.

When Todd exhaled slowly and let his eyes wander, Isaiah lost hope he was going to admit to anything, but then his attention moved back to Isaiah, and his brows rose tauntingly.

“Just as lousy a lay when she’s unconscious as she is when she’s awake. Of course, I missed her tears. I do like those.” Todd grinned, his teeth covered in blood as he did, and when Isaiah’s fist shot out connecting with the man’s gut, Todd’s body was slammed back into the chair, tipping the chair back to fall on the floor. Todd was gasping as Isaiah leaned over his body, twisting his shirt collar.

He wanted to kill him. He could kill him so easily—nothing at all to stop him. Nothing but his need to stay out of jail. Isaiah’s lips were pulled back and in a deranged line, and he didn’t need to see it to know he must look crazy. He was practically ready to spit in the man’s face, and as he imagined just how much fun it would be to strangle him, he fought it and yanked Todd to his feet.

“Sit. Down.” He spoke deliberately, his voice low and calm again as he snatched the chair off the ground and planted it where it was before it had tipped. “Now you’re going to listen to me.” He was still searching for his confirmation. All he needed was a sign that this had been worth his time. A simple charge of assault and civil trespass wasn’t enough to protect his family from Todd. He needed there to be more. “Why did you head for the kitchen when the music was coming from upstairs?”

Todd suddenly looked confused, but he eyed Isaiah suspiciously. “I don’t—”

“Here’s what I think.” Isaiah cut him off quickly, maintaining the calm tone. “I think you headed for the kitchen
because
you thought Joss was upstairs. You didn’t want to confront her while she was conscious. Remember? You’re beyond that tactic.”

Todd just studied him, likely trying to gauge exactly what the hell Isaiah was getting at.

“You were going to try to drug her again, weren’t you? That’s what I think. I think you couldn’t resist it. And because it worked out so well for you the first time around, you thought you could do it again. You thought she was here alone, so when you entered and you heard the radio upstairs, you headed to the place you knew she’d eventually come once she was thirsty enough. Not hard to drug a woman who’s not expecting to be drugged. It’s what fuckers like you prey on. You’re too pathetic to be a real man, so you resort to violence and drugs. Nothing more than the adult version of a bully.”

Todd said nothing. He was impassive, refusing to say anything. His nostrils flared, and his eyes glanced away for a moment. Isaiah was waiting for the deception. The response that would seal the deal. His furtively moving eyes were suggestive, but it wasn’t enough.

“What that tells me—” Isaiah paused, letting his words sink in slowly “—is that when they search you, they’re going to find all the evidence they need that you’re the one who drugged her.”

And there it was. Todd tried to scoff, but it stuck in his throat. His eyes shifted away as he shook his head, and when he looked back at Isaiah, his mouth twitched.

“Too bad you didn’t just stick with the civil trespass.” Isaiah’s eyebrows shot up as he smirked. “They couldn’t even arrest you for that. But assault…” Isaiah pointed to his cheek as he clicked his tongue. “Well, that’ll earn you a pat down.”

Todd’s nostrils were flaring as he breathed deep furious breaths through his nose.

“Wanna tell me what’s in your pockets?” It was Isaiah’s turn to smirk. “See, I’m not going to go digging to find out. It’s going to be your fingerprints alone. So you can say whatever the fuck you want to say about being set up, but you’re going to have a hard time explaining what you have on you.”

Todd’s jaw tightened, and he glanced away again as his mouth sneered. Isaiah could hear the distant sound of police sirens, but it was over for him. He no longer had much doubt what the cops were going to find when they patted Todd down. And as painful as it had been hearing Todd admit what he’d done to Joss, Isaiah was finally calm.

“You think the evidence they find on you will be enough for a search warrant?” Isaiah didn’t need Todd to answer that question. He was just toying with the man at this point. “I’m guessing it will. I’m also guessing you’re just about shitting yourself at this point. They’re going to find all sorts of shit on you, aren’t they?” Isaiah nodded his head, listening to the sirens get closer and closer.