Guarding Light (36 page)

   Mackenzie took her place next to Catlyn again, re-aiming her gun. "Now, chief, what the hell is going on in here? Can't leave you guys alone for a minute, huh?" Mackenzie directed her question at Jack while splitting a look between them.

   Jack regarded Mackenzie curiously. He could tell that Mackenzie didn't think he was the bad guy, regardless of her protecting her friend. Looking directly into Mackenzie's eyes he said, "You know I love Catlyn and I'd never do anything to hurt her?" It really wasn't a question but he still waited for Mackenzie to answer.

   Mackenzie nodded acknowledging his truly spoken words. "But, also chief, you have to admit you've fucked up somewhere along the line." Mackenzie indicated him on his knees and cuffed with a tilt of her chin. "Dude, you've really screwed this up, you got my girl thinking she's about to die here." Mackenzie put her gun away laughing. "Real smooth, Slick, you should write a book on wooing your woman."

   Feeling a thousand times lighter and liking Mackenzie that much more he frowned at her, "You're a real comedian." Jack pulled his hands towards her as much as he could. "Get these things off me."

   Mackenzie laughed hard, reaching in her jean's pocket for the cuffs' key. "Now, chief, if I take these off, you promise to play nice with Cat."

   Jack stood and rubbed his wrists, glaring at Mackenzie as she put away her cuffs and key. "Oh, you should be on the stage with that routine."

   Mackenzie laughed again and took a seat on his bed. She waved a hand towards Catlyn. "Handle your business, Chief. Try not to fuck it up again." Mackenzie threw a glance towards Catlyn and leaned forward to Jack and stage whispered, "Try not to get shot too."

   Jack turned to Catlyn who was watching them both closely in profound confusion. She still held the gun on him and although she still shook, it was not as much as before. Jack knew he owed Mackenzie big for handling this situation with levity and calmness. Mackenzie taking their situation in stride helped Catlyn to calm down and take a closer look. Catlyn knew Mackenzie to be very astute. So if Mackenzie didn't see a threat Catlyn shouldn't either.

   "But, I-I saw you with J.T." Catlyn strengthened her stance, lifting the gun higher. "I saw you laughing with the man who raped and almost killed me."

   Hurt coursing through him, he probed Catlyn's eyes. "Do you honestly believe that I'd smile at and shake hands with the person who nearly destroyed the woman I love?" Jack bowed his head, still shocked she could believe such a thing. He looked back up into her eyes, his eyes pleading for her understanding. "I would kill the bastard if he stood in front of me."

   Catlyn was beyond confused. His eyes reflected, love, pain and a wish for understanding. But she had not been hallucinating. "I know what I saw. It's one of my nightmares. How do you explain that?"

   Jack opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a voice coming from the doorway. "It's explained very easily with two words 'identical twin'."

   "I asked you to wait in the bedroom next door." Jack growled. He saw all the color drain from Catlyn's face, which revealed a lot, as most of the time you couldn't really see Catlyn's emotions in her coloring. Jack went to her and grasped her under her elbow. "Mackenzie." Jack indicated Catlyn's other side with a tip of his head. Mackenzie immediately supported Catlyn too while gently removing the gun from her trembling fingers.

   Jason Tyler Dark moved into the room, stopping about a foot directly in front of Catlyn. The closer he came, the more support Catlyn seem to need. Her eyes grew huge. She leaned back as to keep distance from her and her manifested nightmare. There was nowhere to go. Jack aligned his body along hers, his front to her side, buffering her shudders, moving his hand from her elbow to her waist.

   "Steady on, sweetness. This is
Jason Tyler Dark
. Actually, he is a chief inspector with New Scotland Yard. He's pursuing the fugitive Jon Taylor Dark in a joint investigation with Interpol. Jon Taylor Dark is wanted for a series of rapehomicides in London and Liverpool, England, Paris, France, Rome, Italy and several in the states of NY, California, Florida and Washington."

   Jack wasn't sure Catlyn was taking any of the information in. Her stare was direct and piercing as was Jason's. There was an almost tangible connection flowing between the two as they continued to stare at each other.

   Jack looked at Mackenzie as the stare between the two antagonists extended. Mackenzie shrugged, not sure what they should do.

   Before it became completely uncomfortable watching his woman devour another man with her eyes, she spoke, "Your eyes are darker, kinder and have a dark gray ring around the blue."

   Jason's eyes widen in shock and then the guy blushed. Jack couldn't believe it. The man stood there looking his fill at
his
woman and now blushed at her first words to him. Well, there goes another one under the Lyte spell.

   Jason spoke in a raspy whisper, "Not even my fiancée could tell us apart, even when Jon was slitting her throat, she died thinking it was me."

   Catlyn gasped and tears came to her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered back to him.

   Jason shook his head. "Not your fault no one can tell us apart." He gave a wry smirk, "Not even family members see a difference."

   Astoundingly, Catlyn reached a comforting hand out and touched Jason's chest. "I see one Jason."

   Jason's chest rose and fell in a deep breath. He didn't touch Catlyn but he closed his eyes at her contact and then opened blazing eyes to stare intently into Catlyn's.

   Jack rolled his eyes. Enough of this shit. "Ok, now that we know I am not harboring 'Jack, The Ripper' and not having breakfast meetings with your rapist, can I get some of that sweet understanding?"

   Catlyn let her hand fall from Jason's chest and gave Jack her full attention. Just the way he liked it. She put her hands on her hips. "No, I don't understand you!" Catlyn glared at him. Well, maybe she wasn't looking at him exactly like he liked but at least she wasn't looking at Jason anymore and that horrible fear wasn't lurking in her beautiful brown eyes.

   "Jack, how many times did I ask if there was anything I should know?" She glared at him now as her speech picked up and she stepped pass Jason to start pacing. "You didn't think an exact double of my rapist roaming around wasn't something I needed to know?" She asked while her pacing stride got longer and stronger. Not waiting for him to answer she continued her dressing down, "And, I asked over and over if there was something I could do to help with your 'investigation'." She threw brown daggers at him as she remembered a new infraction. "Oh, my God, your friend Bob was killed by J.T.!" She continued her rant and pacing. "Men! Always think they…"

   Jason stepped next to Jack, watching Catlyn. He spoke quietly to Jack. "You're in serious trouble."

   Jack sighed as he also watched the love of his life attempt to tear him a new one. Just as quietly he spoke to Jason, "Yeah, I know. But, I was protecting her."

   "That never goes over well with women." Jason unnecessarily informed Jack.

"You think?"

   "Man, she's pissed. She's beautiful though. She finally grew into those big brown soulful eyes."

   Jack narrowed his eyes suspiciously on Jason. "Keep your eyes off. She is taken."

   Jason gave a laugh that wasn't really a laugh, "Like I'd even have a chance. I am the carbon copy of the man who stole her innocents and almost killed her."

   "Just letting you know in case you get any ideas."

   "Don't worry, Chief. I like the lady," He added with a soft smile as he continued to watch her, "a lot, but I don't believe in mixing business with pleasure or going after unavailable women."

   "Good. Just so that we understand each other," Jack cast a glance at Jason.

   "Understood Jack," Jason offered his hand. Jack shook it quickly, looking back at Catlyn as she started to wind down from her ranting.

   "…and, if you were honest like we had agreed, I wouldn't have had one of the biggest frights of my entire life."

   "Hey, you, bright-eyes, let's go and leave them to their drama." Mackenzie poked Jason, heading towards the door.

   Jason gave the couple a good-luck-look before following Mackenzie from the bedroom.

   Looking Jack in the eye Catlyn asked, "When? When did you know there were two of them?"

   Jack went to take her in his arms but Catlyn stepped away from him. "Please, just answer the question."

   "To be honest I had an epiphany your first night at the bar and grill. In your apartment, you had just told me that you believed I lied to protect J.T. and to harm you. I was hurt and confused. And, I thought you were being emotionally hysterical about it. But, then you said 'we both can't be right' and it was at that very second it hit me. What if we
both
were right? J.T. having dinner with me and Sara but at the same time raping you, what facts would have to be, for us both to be right?"

   Catlyn frowned. "And, that's it? That's all it took for you to realize there were two of them, me saying we both couldn't be right?"

   "Well, it wasn't quite that simple. There were incidents that happened when we were kids that made me think J.T. had split personality, like he was two different people. Besides, I knew I was telling the truth. And, I believed you believed you were telling the truth. I just added the fact, besides you being emotional and hysterical, why not also
right
?"

   Jack waited for Catlyn to say something. She didn't. She only turned away from him.

   Catlyn went to her duffle bag on Jack's bureau. She took out her toiletries, undergarments and a change of clothes. She then headed towards the bathroom.

   Jack followed. At the threshold, Catlyn turned. "Where do you think you're going?"

   Sheepishly Jack nodded towards the bathroom. "I thought we'd kiss and make up in the shower." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "I can massage some of your aches, make some new ones."

   Catlyn's unsmiling expression didn't change at Jack's teasing. She continued to stare at him as though he were a mystery and then spoke softly, "It doesn't work that way. You don't get to lie to me, give me the most wonderful sex in my life, scare the living daylights out of me, fucking fi
ght
me and insult me by throwing in my face how slutty I was in your bed." She threw up a silencing hand when she saw him about to say something. "And, you most certainly do not get to smile that sexy smile, flash those gorgeous green eyes and all is forgiven and we take a shower together."

   "Catlyn, come on, be fair." Jack gently grasped her arm to turn her back to face him when she made to go into the bathroom and close the door. "Do you have any idea how I felt, knowing the woman I just confessed to loving and consummating our relationship with, all night, no less, in the morning put me in league with a serial killer and rapist?" The muscle in Jack's jaw jumped.

   "And do you have any idea how I felt when the man I love, finally made me his, on Valentine's Day, no less, in the morning threw in my face our sex and demeaned me with the exact words of my rapist?" At Jack's horrified expression, Catlyn continued, "Yes, that's right 'fuck every orifice' is exactly what J.T. said before he did exactly that, he raped my ass, my pussy and my mouth. You fucked me last night in those very same 'orifices', so it's not too far fetch for me to put you guys in the same league. You both certainly hurt just as much. The only difference is the pain J.T. inflicted was physical."

   Again Jack gripped her arm when she turned to go into the bathroom. With pleading eyes he entreated, "Please, Kitten, don't do this to us. I admit I was a douche. I get that way when I am angry and hurt and I know that doesn't excuse my behavior, but, please don't do this to us. We were meant to be together. We are finally together. Don't let my one mistake ruin us, please let me fix this."

   Catlyn couldn't endure his hurt. Even now, his pain meant more to her than hers. Before she could give in to him she turned quickly and slammed the door between them. He had to know that he couldn't pick and choose what to be honest about. Their relationship won't last if he did.

****

   In Jack's kitchen Catlyn heard laughter as she once again neared the entrance. Freshly showered, hair flat ironed and dressed in a silk white blouse and red skirt, Catlyn felt a thousand percent better. From the doorway she unobtrusively observed the trio as they made breakfast.

   "So you were actually here in Newburgh too?" Mackenzie asked of Jason.

   Jason gave a deep sigh. "Yes. I grew up here part time too. It wasn't my idea to become just one J.T. it was Jon's. He said he wanted his own friends and own life. He was tired of sharing with me. I was more comfortable in London and he was more at home here in Newburgh. We decided London was mine and Newburgh was his. But, it didn't work out in London they found out we were twins fairly early. Jon warned me, although, my town got ruined for me, I had better not ruin his town for him. I had to keep pretending there was only one J.T. when in Newburgh together. I didn't want to cause a rift between me and my brother so I pretended. "

   Jason sat down after pouring four glasses of orange juice, continuing, "My parents had their own drama. My father and uncle are identical twins and my mother slept with both, cheating on her husband, my father," Jason shrugged. "Well, I choose to believe my father is the one married to my mother."

   "There is no way to test to determine which one is your father?" Mackenzie asked.

   "Identical twins have identical DNA." Catlyn answered Mackenzie's question from the doorway.

   All three in the room turned to her. Jack came over to her. Deeply searching her eyes, he leaned in to kiss her lips. At the very last second Catlyn slightly turned her head, having Jack's kiss land on her cheek. Jack gave her an imploring look before clearing his throat and turning back to the laden table. "I hope you're hungry." He too was freshly showered. He must have used one of the guest bathrooms. He wore a black dress t-shirt with black denim jeans and smelled wonderfully of his after shave.