AJ's Salvation (15 page)

Aly felt what little color remained drain from her face. “He was so young. He actually tried to flirt with me,” she mumbled and then felt herself shaking. She absolutely didn’t like where this was going. 

Mrs. Karmison nodded carefully. “He liked you a little too much, which is why I planned on taking someone else the next time.”
The next time …
Aly shook her head.

“How many times have there been?” she inquired, and the woman finally stood up, shrugging her shoulder carelessly. 

“Every three months ever since you left, so you do the math,” Mrs. Karmison explained, and Aly touched her throat as a strangled cry wanted to make its way out of her mouth. “And please, stop questioning everything. They only ever took pictures of you two in town. I respect your privacy to some degree. This was the safe haven you provided my grandson, and I’m more than thankful for that.”

“If you knew all this time, then why haven’t you sent the police after me? Or worse, Collene?”

Mrs. Karmison laughed a cold laugh. “It’s interesting that you consider my daughter worse than the police, who could lock you up for twenty years and more.” 

Aly swallowed. “Collene’s the devil. She would beat Alessandro. That knowledge alone would be worse than spending my entire life in prison.”

“Zack. His name is Zack.” Aly simply ignored her protest.

“Why did you never tell anyone?” She had other questions, but that one mattered the most at that moment.

“Just like you, I didn’t want him to be treated the way his mother intended to treat him. Besides that, I couldn’t watch what she did to that boy any longer. He sacrificed his happiness before, and I knew if we’d ever get Zack back, he’d do it again. He was Collene’s perfect victim because he knew how to act when others were around.” Aly didn’t need to ask who ‘he’ was. 

“You knew what she was doing to Jam, and you never figured you should step in?”

“Step in and take the punishment for it? He was much stronger than I ever was! If I had interfered, my husband would have probably killed me.” It chilled Aly to the bone how emotionless that woman managed to talk about her own possible death.

“Between you and Jam, you could have gone to the police. You know that. He had the wounds to prove it,” Aly protested, and Mrs. Karmison shook her head.

“Who believes that a girl can beat up a guy? What guy lets himself be beaten up? None. Besides, my husband bought half of the police. They would never dare to go against him unless there was no other way. But we’re wasting time. My daughter is gone, and no one has heard from her in more than two weeks. I’m positive she won’t be back. If you would now please pack my grandson’s clothes so he and I can leave?”

Aly stared at her. “What makes you think I’m handing over my boy to you now?”

The older woman suddenly stood right in front of her, almost poking Aly’s eye out with a skinny finger. “He’s not your boy! He’s my grandson, and you kidnapped him. You will hand him over because it’s either that or I call the police. If you let him go nicely and never show your beautiful face in Townsend ever again, you will one day have the chance to have your own family with a son who truly belongs to you. If not, you’ll rot in prison. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you deserve this fate, but I will not hesitate.”

Aly forced herself to stay calm and try to see a way out. She knew one thing for sure, though. She needed to stay out of prison if she ever wanted a chance to see Alessandro again. “I will not pack a bag for him, though,” she insisted, and the other woman rolled her eyes.

“Fine, I’m gonna buy him new stuff. He needs to look more like a Karmison anyway.”

Just then, the back door flew open and her son came in, his face tear-stained and angry. “He left! It was your fault! Why did you make my dad leave? We finally had him here! I hate you! I hate you so much!” Alessandro walked over to her, beating his little fists against her stomach.

“Lesso –” 

“Zack, it’s good to see you. You don’t need to see your mom anymore anyway. I can take you to your dad.” Aly was sure she couldn’t take any more. She knew she had it coming for years since she had hung her heart on two guys who didn’t belong to her, but hell, it had been fine for such a long time. How could she possibly have guessed this day would still be coming?

“Who are you?” Alessandro was now moving behind her, and Aly breathed a little easier.

“I’m your grandma,” Mrs. Karmison explained, and it disgusted Aly how she suddenly looked all nice and teary. “I live where your dad lives and your mother allowed me to take you back with me so you can spend the summer with us. How does that sound? She figured you would like to hang out with your dad more now,” the woman lied, and Aly had to stay quiet.

“But I still have a week of school left,” Alessandro said carefully. Aly could tell how much he liked the idea of spending more time with Jam. After all, he didn’t know he wouldn’t ever return to her. It broke her heart.

“That’s okay. You’re such a good boy that they’re fine with you leaving early. Don’t you want to see Jam?”

“Can Mom come?” Her heart went out to him, but she still stayed quiet.

“No, your mom has the café, remember? She can’t leave, but the summer isn’t that long.”

“I won’t see Mom?” Mrs. Karmison shook her head but then smiled a bright smile.

“But you’ll be able to spend time with your father and your grandma. Don’t you want that, boy?” He did. God, Aly could tell, and she was sure his grandmother could too. At least that way he would go without a protest and it was the perfect excuse.

“I do,” he said, and instantly, his grandmother reached for him.

“We have to leave right now, or we’ll miss our flight. I have your clothes in my car,” she explained, and Alessandro looked back at Aly.

“I’m mad at you, Mom, but I’ll still miss you. Maybe I’ll call you when Dad tells me he isn’t mad at you anymore,” he promised and then was out of the house. She couldn’t believe it was that easy for him to trust a virtual stranger.

“He seriously wants his dad,” Mrs. Karmison commented and then pointed at a bag she had left on the sofa. “Two more things before I leave. First, this,” she said, pointing toward the sofa, “is for all your expenses you had through the years for Zack. And second, you didn’t ask the most important question of all.” She obviously waited for Aly to say something, but Aly knew if she opened her mouth, she’d break down. She didn’t want to do that in front of the woman who just fully destroyed her life. “You didn’t ask how I knew you had my grandson.” 

This time, it was obvious Aly wouldn’t find out unless she inquired the answer. “How?” she croaked out.

“You were the only woman Jamison ever loved. I was there the night my daughter decided that you were her next project. By project, I mean victim. Jamison said something about you, and Collene stared at you. I realized it, he realized it, we all did. I saw how she bumped you into tables. And then, from one second to the next, she stopped, and Jamison was with her. I think she forgot you the moment he decided to be with her. When my grandson was gone, I remembered. Who could be a better choice than the woman you could never have?”

With that, Mrs. Karmison left, taking Aly’s whole life away. Her hope about Jam returning to talk to her was down the drain, too. Alessandro had made it pretty obvious that Jam was gone. Aly hated herself then and there. If she had waited just one more night to confront Jam, he’d still be here. 

As it was, she had no idea what to think or do. Eventually, she reached for her phone and called the only person who came to mind.

Faintly, she heard the back door open and close, but she was too numb to react. She sank down to the floor while she waited for someone to pick up.

“Aly?”

“Greg, they took my son, and I can do absolutely nothing about it,” she sobbed, choking on the pieces of her broken heart.

Jam had driven all night. The moment he had walked away from Aly, he had gotten into the car and left. He had a hole where his heart used to be, and finally, he needed to stop the car in the middle of nowhere. His hands were shaking so hard that he no longer trusted himself to drive. Stumbling out of the car, he fell to his knees and allowed himself to sob. They were dry and choked and even though Jam had known a lot of pain in his life, nothing came close to what he was feeling there at that moment.

“God, Aly, I’m so sorry,” he mumbled, knowing she couldn’t hear him. His phone started blaring, and he cursed. Not many people had his number, and it was exactly right that way, but that usually meant whoever was calling was important.

“Loane?” he croaked clearing his throat. 

“You sound like my sister does, Loane.” Jam wasn’t sure he’d be able to sit through a sermon now. 

“Greg –” 

“I don’t care what went down between you two. Okay, that’s a lie because she’s crying, but we have bigger problems. Much bigger problems.”

Jam didn’t think there could be anything worse than this.

“Thea Karmison took your son back home to Townsend. She threatened Aly. At least that’s what I gathered between her gut-wrenching sobs. She told Aly never to show her face in Townsend again, so I guess you need to move your ass back here, and … I don’t know. I can’t believe she knew all this time. She waited until she knew Collene was gone and then went to get him back. Aly’s a mess, Jam. Maybe you should call her up and ask what exactly that woman said. I …”

“I will not call your sister, Greg.” He couldn’t because hearing her voice would push him over the edge.

“You will, Jamison Loane, because you need to know everything that hateful woman said! Then you move your ass back here and solve this problem. I can’t walk in there and take Alessandro back. Please?” Jam knew he was right because, even though he was sure Aly was screwed either way, he needed to know what he was up against.

“What if she refuses to talk to me?” That was probably what scared him more than hearing her cry. He had walked out on her while she’d been crying, so maybe he could make it through that.

“Someone took her son, and excuse me for being harsh, but that puts everything else in perspective. I don’t think she cares about anything you said to her right now.” It
was
harsh, but Jam had to agree that most likely Greg was absolutely spot-on. 

“See you in three hours. I’m almost home,” Jam promised then he hung up, thinking for a moment. Aly needed someone by her side, and even though he couldn’t reach Philomena, that friend Aly had talked about, he’d be able to call Dorly. 

It had taken a few rings before the old woman picked up, sounding out of breath. “Rome?” 

“It’s me,” he said, wanting to add more, but she already interrupted him.  

“Jamison. You should be here. I’ve never seen the girl like that. It’s terrible. You –” 

“Dorly, I can’t be with her and get back her son at the same time. I know she most likely won’t be able to make you understand how someone could just take her son, but -”

“She told me.” It almost tore the ground from under Jam’s feet. The more people they told, the higher the risk would be that Aly might end up in prison. “I saw that old hag taking her boy away and went over. I don’t think there’s much Aly cares about right now. I called Phil, too. Boy, how are you?”

“I wasn’t there when the woman came. You knew that. I’m okay.”

“How can you be?” It dawned on Jam then that Aly had told her really everything.

“Please, Dorly, I don’t have time to think about it now, and I’d prefer not to do it anyways. What I do worry about, though, is my son and Aly. Please, don’t leave her alone and call me as soon as the police show and pick her up.” He wanted to pull out his hair. This just couldn’t be happening. 

“I will stay with her. I just came to turn my heating off and get some of the chicken so I can make some chicken soup for that girl. She loves you, Jam. You know that, right? Even if she maybe pushed you too far too soon, this girl always had her heart on her sleeve where it concerned you.”

Jam didn’t need to hear that after the way he had treated her. God, the way he spoke to her … he shook his head because he knew he couldn’t change it now. They had to deal with more pressing matters.

“I have to call her now, and then I need to get back to … I don’t know. I don’t know what to do, but I need to do something. I need to un-break Aly, and the only way to do that is to get Alessandro back to her.”

“She needs both of you back. Call her now.”

“What if I say something stupid? I’m not sure I can say the right things around her,” he admitted, and then bit his lip. 

“Follow your heart. Bye, Jam, and be careful.” 

He told her bye and then hung up before dialing. He worried that if he waited too long then he wouldn’t ever make the call.

For the first time ever, Jam had Aly’s name on his screen. Her number had been in his phone since shortly after she had left back then, but he had never before called her.

“Rhyme?” Her voice was a shadow of what he was used to, and it hit him deep.

“I’ll get him back,” he whispered because he knew that was the only thing that really mattered to her. “Alessia, I’ll get him back to you. I swear even if it’s the last thing I do.” And since he was up against a family like the Karmisons, it might even be true.