I Will Protect You

After more than an hour I gave infomation about what happened, the police officers finally allow me to go. I approach Jennifer who is still pensively sitting in the back of ambulance. Just like me, she is covered with a warm blanket given by the paramedics.

Before the ambulance came, I made her wore my t-shirt. It is wet but still better than wearing nothing. She is fine despite still in a big shock and few scratches caused by pieces of the bath tub that broke down by the explossion.

I sit next to her then round my arms around her shoulder. "Are you okay ?" I ask her, ignoring the ringing sound inside my ears. She nods.

"The police wants to interview me ?" she asks, still in daze.

"Not now. I told them that you are still in shock. They will interview you few days after," I tell her.

"Who did this ?" she asks, turns her head to me then asks with fearful eyes, "Who wants me dead ?"

"I don't know," I whisper to her. She rests her head on my shoulder and cries. I pet her back in circular way. "But most important is, that person fails."

"But they will try again, right ?" she says in between her sobs.

"Not if I find them first," I respond.

"You ?" she asks in disbelief. I nod. "How ?"

"I don't know. I will find a way," I say to her. "Meanwhile, you can stay at my place."

"No.. No.. you don't have to," she declines, " I can stay in one of my friend's house."

"Are you sure you are safe there ?" I asks.

"Am I gonna be safer at your place ?" she asks back.

"Well, I just saved you, didn't I ?" I remind her.

She nods. "But, it will be too.."

"I will protect you, okay ?" I resolve firmly. Actually, i am blaming my self to let my guard off and forgot about the main reason I contacted her in the first place. I was letting my buddy taking control instead of my brain. This might not be happened if I were more alert. I will do it right from now on.

-------

I open my apartment door and let Jennifer enter first, but she refuses. "You first," she says.

My hand leads her to walk behind me as I am entering my apartment and turn on the light. It feels empty, just like usual. The air is even the same air the last time I closed the door. I'm sure of it because I still can smell my parfume. But still, I close the door, tell her to stay near the door while I check the whole apartment. "All clear," I say to her while walking back to her.

She is clearly still in shock. She just stands there, her back is agaisnt the wall to support her, arms holding her stomach. Her face is as pale as paper, eyes bulging in fear, and her teeth bites her lower lips. When i touch her she jolts.

"It's okay. It's me.. you are safe here," I say to her gently. She hugs me tight then cries like a baby. I finally lift her in my arms and carry her to my bed. "You better rest."

"Don't leave me!!" she shouts and clings to me tighter when I'm about to leave her.

"I'm just about to give you a clean clothe," I tell her.

"No! Just stay with me," she refuses.

"Okay," I concede then climb the bed to lay beside her. She rounds her arms and legs to my body. Her breathing is fast and uneven. I put my hand on her back and rub her circularly. Somehow that move relaxes her a bit.

"Close your eyes, now.. You are safe here," I repeat those words several times like a chant while rubbing her back before I feel an even breathing on the nook of my shoulder.

--------

"Jerome Louis ?" I ask back to assure what I heard. "What is he charged for ?"

"Second degree murders of a girl, also kidnaping and making sex slave for half dozens of underage girls," Matt Windshield, Jennifer's assisstant answers.

"Sick psycho," I respond.

"It is not if it is a good business. Underage girl's price is triple the regular. You think he's the one who blowed her place ?"

"I don't know. I need to make sure for my self. Where is he being arrested ?"

"He is free on bail. One million and he payed it just like that."

"So he's in his house now ? I need his addr..."

A scream comes out from my bedroom. I immediately end my call then hurrily enter the room. I see Jennifer sits on my bed with trembling body. She covers her face with her hands.

"Hey.. it's okay..," I crawl to bed and sit beside her. I pet her back, while rounding my other hand around her shoulder. "It's okay. It's just nightmare."

"I'm so scare the murderer will after me," she says between her sobs.

"You are safe here."

"This is the second time I'm being targeted," she says.

I don't have a heart to tell her that it is her carreer's risk. Being D.A, charging those evil men, they all have motives to kill her. But all I say to her is, "Both are thwarted by me, right ?"

She nods. "Then don't worry. You'll be safe with me." She cries again. A short vibration is felt from inside of my pocket. I ignore it for now. Should be Matt giving me info where Louis is tonight.

"You haven't eaten since last night," I remind her after she is calming down.

"I'm not hungry," she refuses.

"Because you ate my sausage ?" I ask jokingly. She chuckles and punches my chest playfully. "I made a cream soup. I will get it here. You need to eat something, okay ?" She nods to agree.

I quickly go to my kitchen to bring her a bowl of cream soup, a glass of water and a pill. When I'm back at my bedroom she leans on the bed head, hand covering her mouth, while tears are trailing down her cheeks.

I put the tray on bed corner and lift the bowl. She doesn't even argue when I'm starting to feed her. She refuses to have another soup after having six or seven spoons. I don't force her. I give her a glass of water and the pill.

"What is it ?"

"Contraception pill," I say to her. She doesn't say a word and drinks it.

When I'm back after cleaning the dish, she already falls asleep. The pill works. Ofcourse it's not contraception pill, instead it is a sleeping pill. She needs a good deep sleep to regain her strength. I need her to have a good deep sleep so I can visit someone tonight.

--------

The sound of a door is trying to be opened mixes with hisses and giggles is heard. Few seconds later, the door is finally opened wide, showing a man with two women in his arms. He slides the key card to the home and immediately the light is on.

At the same time, he jumps in surprised while the two women muffle screams to see me sitting on an arm chair facing them. Or maybe they are more surprised to see my gun is pointing at them ?

"We need to talk, Mr. Louis," I say to him calmly.

"Who.. who are you ?" he asks in stammered.

"It's not important who I am. Let's just say, I'm the man who decides you can see tomorrow or not, depends on your answer."

"What do you want ?"

"Talk. Alone," I answer, signaling the women to leave. They definitely don't take second thought and run out of the room. "Close the door and sit," I tell him. He obeys then sits on the furthest corner of the hotel bed.

"Why did you order someone to kill Miss McCourtney ?" I ask once his bottom touches the bed sheet.

"What ? I don't.. Aarrggg!!" He screams as the knife I thrown punches his stomach.

"Wrong answer !" I bark at him while standing and walking toward him.

"It's the truth! I don't know..Aarrgh!!" I push the knife deeper. "I don't know any McCourtney, okay ?!"

"She is the prosecutor of your case and you dare to lie to me that you don't know her ??"

"I'm telling you the truth. I didn't know her name is McCourtney.. Arrgh!! Really.. And I have no plan to hurt her!!" He utters with high pitch since I take the knife and insert my finger into his wound.

"You have to do better than that to convince me," I say to him, pushing my finger deeper. He would screams loud if only my other hand doesn't muffle his mouth.

"I really didn't know her name until now, okay.. Even if I did, I don't have any intention to kill her.. Arrgh.. please you have to trust me, pleasee.." he whimpers now. But instead of lessen my threat, I hold my knife in front of his neck.

"Pleeeasee.. I'm no killer. I may kidnap and sell those girls. but I'm no killer," he says while crying.

"A woman died on your hand and you said you're not a murderer ?!" I hiss to him.

"That's.. that's what I'm trying to tell you. I didn't kill that woman. My lawyer has proves and I have alibi. I may only be jailed for kidnapping and trafficking, which it will be very short. But I didn't kill and I have no intention to kill," he says.

I look him in the eyes for a minute then finally let him go. I take his wallet, watch, and necklace. "Tell that you are being robbed by those two girls. They stabbed you in stomach then took your things. Understand ?!" He nods in fear.

"If I am being involved in this incident, I'll come to you and you will be lucky if you only be dead." He nods twice. I walk to the glass window and open it. I wear my sucking gloves again before going outside the room from the window.

------

When I'm back in my room, Jennifer is still asleep soundly. Even after I take a shower and lay my body beside her. I grab her and let her sleep on my arm.

I knew it's not Louis the minute he spoke. His voice was totally different from the caller. His words were also genuine and reasonable. I believe he didin't kill the woman. And if only for kidnaping and trafficking, he only needs to give money to the juries to win him. Beside, his case is filed on Monday while I received the call couple of days before it.

Jennifer mumbles something and snuggles closer to me. I kiss her head. I will find him, Babe.. don't worry, I speak to her inwardly.