Free Hearts On Fire by Penny Childs

this
because you want me to help. I’m trying. Let me.”
         “It’s not that simple.”
         “It is. Let me take you
to see Matt. He’ll handle this. He’ll take care of it.”
         Yes. Matt would take care
of it if she let him. “Not now, JD. Not tonight.”
         Relief flooded him.
“Tomorrow morning then? Will you come with me tomorrow?”
         Without hesitating she
nodded her head. “Okay, JD. Okay.”
     
     
         How could this have
happened? He just didn’t understand how this could have happened! That conniving
little bitch was supposed to be dead and buried in the woods. Yet she had
managed to stumble her way home. And alive she posed a serious threat. So far
she had not woke. But when she did all hell would break loose.
         So he had to get to her
before that happened. He had to finish what he’d started. Put an end to her
wretched life once and for all. Because as long as she was alive his own life
was in jeopardy. Christ what a mess this had turned out to be. What a mess! And
all in the name of love. Well… and money. He couldn’t forget about the money.
He hadn’t really cared one way or another about it before. Until he’d had a
chance at a quarter million dollars. That was a lot of money. More than he’d
know what to do with. Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. He’d know what to do
with it. He’d leave this place. Hopefully with Julie. If not, if she couldn’t
get herself together, then he’d go without her. But go he would. As soon as he
found the money…
         A buzzing in his pocket
broke off his thoughts. It was the cell phone only Julie had the number to. He
pulled it out of his pocket and answered right away. Sometimes he would let it
go into voice mail. Not now. She was much too fragile to put off right now.
Ducking behind a corner he whispered, “Yes?”
         She sighed, sniffling. “I
can’t take this anymore. I just can’t.”
         His blood ran cold. Was
she going to crack on him? Would he have to… No. Not her. Please not her. He
loved her but he was not going to spend the rest of his life in prison for her.
“Jules, please, get a hold of yourself.”
         “I can’t. You… you killed
Ken, didn’t you?”
         She couldn’t handle the
truth before, she sure in the hell couldn’t now. “Of course not. It was an
accident. I told you.”
         “But Katy wasn’t. You
beat her. You tried to kill her.”
         “I did what I had to do
to protect you. To protect us. You need to understand that.”
         Her sigh was long.
Forlorn. Defeated. “Lies and secrets. They always bring about destruction and
pain.”
         “Julie…”
         “I won’t tell on you. I
won’t. I’ll take your secret to the grave with me because I love you. But I
can’t go on like this.”
         To the grave? What the
hell was she talking about? “Julie, please, whatever you’re thinking of doing,
don’t.” Now he felt panic flood him.
         “It’s too late.”
         And he heard it. The slur
of her words. The sighs. The yawn. “What have you done?” he nearly bellowed. But
God, he thought maybe he knew. Because he knew her.
         “What I had to do. I love
you. Don’t ever forget that I love you.”
         He heard the line between
them go dead. “Julie?” But she was gone. With a shaking hand he replaced the
phone to his pocket. Christ. She was gone.
         He dragged in a breath.
Then another. He needed to think. He needed to come up with some sort of plan.
Blinking, he stared across the street at the hospital.

 
    Chapter 12
     
     
     
         “Your sister needs to come down for dinner.” Arlene crossed her arms under her breasts and stared
down her oldest son. “I tolerated her flightiness this morning when she missed
breakfast. I won’t tolerate it again tonight.”
         JD looked up from the
magazine he’d been leafing through while they waited