Chapter Eighty-Three

Jon stood defiant in the parking lot waiting for the next move. “Well come on, show your face Jason, I know you’re out there” he shouted the echo of his voice bouncing back at him.

With a lazy smirk on his face Jason stood up from where he was concealed behind a station wagon. So he wanted to play, he wanted to be the man in front of Jesse and prove himself as chief protector. Jason walked around showing himself to Jon standing a few metres from him.

Jason was much bigger than him, his tall frame shadow easily creeping over Jon. Jon didn’t care, the very sight of the man in all his smugness was enough to make Jon want to lunge at him and pound him mercilessly into to the floor.

“Keep the fuck away from Jesse, if you ever so much breathe on her again, you’ll wish that you were still locked away in the Prisoner of War Camp” the words rocketed out of him and hit Jason hard in the chest.

His fists tightened and his chest clenched Oh no he fucking just didn’t. His eyes narrowed but still holding his ground he spoke fiercely.

“What gives you the right Rock-star to come waltzing back in here like you’re better than the rest of us? Converting my Jesse to your twisted ways of the world. She’s better than that, she’s better than all of you and your fake rich buddies”

Jesse sat poised in the car, her cell-phone still clutched firmly in her hand. She should have called the police but her eyes were still firmly glued to the two man stand off that was happening right in front of her. Jason could really hurt Jon, she knew exactly what he was trained in. Her slender body was beginning to shake with fear so she couldn’t just sit there and just wait it out.

“What gives you the fucking right to overpower a woman when you know she can’t defend herself? Only a coward does that, at least have a go at someone that has a chance to defend themselves” Jon spat back. The fire in his eyes burned bright with anger. There was no backing down now.

A crooked smile spread across Jason’s twisted face “And I suppose that’s you Rock-star? Bring it on” he said shifting forward slapping his fist against his hand.

Jesse couldn’t watch anymore, in seconds had opened the car door and found herself rushing over and standing between the two men.

Jon’s eyes widened “Jesse!! Get the hell back in that car” he demanded. What the fuck was she doing?

She shook her head staring at both of the men “No, Jon don’t do this, you can’t take him, he’ll hurt you for god’s sake” she turned and looked at Jason with pleading eyes “Please Jason, just leave us alone”

Jon was enraged, was she stupid putting herself in the middle of them? It was fucking dangerous for a start. He reached out and grabbed her arm but she pulled away.

“No Jon,” she turned again facing the man she once loved.

“You’re better than this Jesse, come with me, we can get away from all this” Jason held out his hand towards her. This time the sincerity in his deep brown eyes hit her hard.

The vision tugged at her heartstrings, she didn’t want Jason but the need to break his heart she didn’t want either.

“I can’t Jason, it’s over I’m with him” she spoke softly. She felt her heart rip in two, the anguish that was fighting within Jason was so obvious in his face. ”You need some help Jason, this has been a lot to deal with” she kept her voice calm and caring. The sadness in his eyes soon disappeared and was replaced by rage.

His hands twisted and the blood began to boil, she thought he was fucking crazy now? Fuck Bon Jovi really had got to her. He took another step forward startling Jesse and grabbed her on the arm “I’m not fucking crazy, your boyfriend tell you that?” he hissed.

Jon jumped into action lunging at Jason’s arm to get it the hell off Jesse, he hit him with such a force Jason was taken off guard and fell backwards on his ass on the hard cold concrete.

“Get in the fucking car now!” Jon grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the Chevelle she was about to protest, her gaze still firmly on the man on the floor.

“Jesse?” Jason reached out for her sadly “Please don’t leave me… please…I beg you…” a broken man lay helplessly on the concrete reaching out to the one woman that he thought could save him.

“In the car Jesse” Jon gave her a hard look, all he was concentrating on right now was getting them the hell out of here. He twisted his body to help her into the car closing the door hard behind her and then rushing to the driver’s side before jerking the car into gear. With a loud screech he took off out of the parking lot to the safe confines of the road.

Jesse sat in the front seat, the shock vibrated off her body. Jon flicked his gaze across her again mentally making sure she was ok. The tension closed around his heart seeing the silver tracks slowly inch down her cheeks. “You ok?” he asked trying to dial back the anger in his voice. He reached out for a gentle touch on her knee.

She nodded the numbness she felt radiated through her body. What had just happened here? She felt so helpless, the image of Jason sprawled out on the concrete with a desperate reach firmly in her mind.

Jon sighed and pulled onto the highway in the direction of home “Jesse, you should have never put yourself in the middle of us like that, it was dangerous and quite frankly stupid” he said. He hated that she thought he couldn’t even defend himself, it had bruised his ego. It was stupid to feel like that but he couldn’t help it.

Jesse blinked and looked across at him dumbfounded “What was stupid was you wanting a standoff with a fully combat trained marine? What did you think was going to happen there?” she asked annoyed. “Did you really expect that you were going to kick his ass?” the sarcasm dripped from her voice.

“Oh so I can’t defend myself now?” he asked annoyed keeping his eyes on the road. His hands were beginning to turn white from the way he was gripping the steering wheel.

“Jon he’s a marine, you of all people should know what they are trained to do” she pointed out. He could have killed you.

Jon huffed as he didn’t reply he kept focused on the road ahead, his mind spiralling into a whirl wind of thoughts. Yes he could have killed me, but I couldn’t just let him get away with hurting you, and being anywhere near Steph. What if Jason hadn’t been interrupted when he’d tried to approach you? God. He’d be calling the police when they got home, hell yes he would be.

“You still never should have done that” he muttered. Rain began to fall splattering hard against the windscreen as he drove them to his apartment. Pulling into the underground basement he killed the engine and reached over to the backseat for her bags.

“Let’s get you inside” Jon opened the passenger door and led her into the lift. Soon they were walking into the foyer of what would become her home until they had bought their own. There was no way she was going back there alone. His touch on her lower back was gentle and reassuring even though his tone currently was not.

Jesse sunk down in the large leather couch pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She could hear Jon in the kitchen mulling around making coffee but the distinct sound of his voice meant he was on his cell-phone. What was she going to do? Jason was losing it, but again that little niggling pain inside of her still felt that ounce of guilt and sympathy for him.

Jon walked back into the room minutes later carrying two cups of coffee, he rested one down in front of Jesse and sat next to her on the couch with his own. He hated how disturbed she seemed and quiet she was.

“I’ve called the police, they’re on their way, and you’ll be signing a restraining order against him and charging him with assault” he said. In his mind there was no negotiation with this.

“I’ll sign the restraining order” she said. She didn’t want to charge him with assault but she knew she should.

Jon looked over to her, his brow arched “Jesse, listen to me. You’ll be pressing charges against him. You want him just roaming around out there? Waiting till you are alone again for his chance? I won’t have it.” Jon’s lips tightened before he spoke again “Ok I’ll hire you a bodyguard then” he said matter of factly.

A bodyguard? Was he serious? “What?! No way Jon, that’s just ridiculous” she said. She didn’t need a freaking bodyguard.

He raked his hand through his hair, feeling his patience dramatically thinning “Jesse, why do you feel sorry for him? I know he’s your ex, I’m trying to understand here where your mind is at here, because I think it’s fucking crazy to be honest” there he’d said it. He just didn’t get it, she nearly was god damned raped and her ex-husband was a madman and yet she still defended him.

“I’m so confused, I know that’s not Jason, don’t you think that hurts me? Knowing he’s obviously screwed up from his experiences, and no-one is helping him” she hated that she still felt like that but she just couldn’t abandon the guilt that was etched in her heart.

Jon left a whistle fall from his lips “Look baby I know it’s hard to see him like this, but this is not your fault and not your responsibility you’ve been nothing but nice to him since he came back. Even if you know that it’s not his normal nature, its still dangerous, do you really want to risk your life, mine and the kids?” he asked seriously.

She gasped “God no, of course I don’t Jon, God no!” Fuck this was just complicated. She loved Jon and couldn’t bear if anything happened to him or his children.

“Well that’s what you need to think about Jess, as that’s exactly what you’re doing by letting that creep run around without any discipline. So you think about that” he had to leave her to mull on her thoughts before he said something he regretted. He picked himself up with his coffee and walked out of the room up to the bedroom to sit on his balcony. To give her space, him space until the police arrived. Trying to resist the urge to fix everything he had to let her come to the decision by herself. He’d done that far too much with Dot, but this time he knew he was right.

The empty feeling hit her when he left, she almost felt cold when he disappeared up the stairs leaving her alone. She couldn’t blame him for being angry, she really couldn’t he was just trying to protect her and his family. Taking her own coffee she slipped out to the north facing balcony from the living area and sat down in the large outdoor chair propping her feet up on the ledge overlooking the city. Lost in thought as the night sky blanketed across the skyline tears of fear frustration and an overwhelming sense of loss slid down her cheeks.