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Evans staggered for a moment, dazed by the head butt and a moment was all Jamie needed. He rammed the heel of his right hand into the older man’s solar plexus and followed that with a left upper cut to the man’s jaw. Evans staggered and fell. Jamie quickly flipped him onto his stomach and sat on him.
Jamie heard ru
“Hey, will one of you get the strap from my gym bag?” He smiled, “Let’s get this guy tied up.”
Roy Ta
Ben, Jake, and Jess arrived as the Troopers were hauling Evans from the floor and reading him his rights.
His mother was the only person who wasn’t there to save him, so that must be who was still on the phone. Jamie bent and retrieved his cell phone from the gym bag pocket where he’d deposited it.
“Mom? I’m okay. Everything’s okay.”
Jamie looked at Ben, concern in his voice, he asked, “Why isn’t she saying anything?”
Ben hugged his son, “It’s fine.” He let go of Jamie and took the phone, “Red, you’re on mute and you’re scaring the Bambino.”
*****
Lane looked at the phone. She’d heard the entire scuffle, completely unsure who was hitting whom. I’m scaring him, she thought as she tapped the screen to unmute the phone.
“Jamie? You’re sure you’re okay? It sounded like there was quite a struggle. It was like watching Die Hard with the screen blank. Did he hurt you?”
Like watching Die Hard. Jamie wanted to laugh. “I’m okay, Mom, don’t worry. The state police have Mr. Evans in custody.” He rubbed his jaw and looked at Ben, “I’m probably going to have to make a statement for the police, but I’m okay, I promise.”
He handed the phone to Ben and walked over to his siblings. They each hugged him, and then Jess reached up and gently touched his jaw. “Jams, I can’t believe you just lied to Mom.”
“She’s right, Jandy. You just told Mom he didn’t hurt you. One look at that jaw and that story’s out the window.”
Jamie laughed. “I told her I’m okay, and I am. You both know it’s good that Mr. Evans is already in custody. The last thing he needs is Mom climbing all over him for hitting me.”
Ben listened to the conversation the kids were having, and had to stifle a smile. Evans was lucky he was in custody because if there had been anything left when Lane finished, there wouldn’t have been after Ben finished. He cleared his throat and handed Jamie’s phone back to him, “Let me talk to the cops. I’m going to see if I can stall your statement until morning or at least until after di
Gabe and Joey joined the Parker Kids.
“Some rescuers we turned out to be.” Gabe said as he shook Jamie’s hand and pulled him into a man hug. “Glad you’re okay, man.”
Jamie gri
Roy Ta
Lane was standing near the limo, with the rest of the family. A thin veneer of calm shown to the world. As always, she’d been calm during the crisis, but tears filled her eyes as soon as she saw Jamie and she rushed toward him. She drew him into a fierce maternal hug. He stood six inches taller and bent, resting his right cheek against her head.
She patted Jamie’s back and whispered, “I saw your face. He hit you.”
Jamie patted his mother’s back and pulled away to look into her eyes. “Yeah, he got in the first punch. But it was the only one he got.” He wriggled his jaw back and forth to prove his point, “Really, Mom, I’m okay.”
Lane looked, over his shoulder, at Jake, Jess, Joey, and Gabe. Gabe tilted his head and lifted one eyebrow. “Really, it was all over but the crying by the time we got there. Jamie already had him on the ground. All we did was give him the strap from his gym bag so he could tie the guy up.”
Joey’s phone buzzed, “Bellini.” There was a pause followed by “Consider it done.” He looked at the family. “Ben’s on his way out. Everyone in the Limo. He motioned between Jamie and the limo. “You first.”
Lane looked at Joey and shook her head. Why had Ben called him instead of her or Roy? “What’s going on now?”
Joey moved his hands in a shooing motion. The Bellinis moved toward the limo. Lane did not.
“I asked you a question.” She said quietly but firmly as she stood her ground. The three Parker kids collectively held their breath. They knew that tone, and if Joey gave the wrong answer or, God forbid, didn’t answer, they knew all hell would break loose.
Jamie began moving toward the limo. “Mom, it’s okay.” He took Lane’s hand. “Dad told the state troopers that I’m too exhausted to possibly give a statement tonight. He’s just trying to make sure they don’t change their minds.”
“By hiding you from the police?” Lane whispered as they walked.
As Jess watched Jamie lead their mother to the limo, she leaned toward Joey and whispered, “Believe me, you just dodged a bullet.”
Roy Ta
Ben exited the building and tilted his head indicating that Roy should meet him half way. Roy closed the limo door and walked toward Ben.
“Everyone’s in the Limo except Sal, of course. The driver’s going to pick him up from here.” While Roy wondered about the call to Joey, he’d long ago stopped second guessing Ben.
“How much trouble am I in with Lane? I called Joey so I could have the conversation in Italian. I need to get Jamie alone and hear firsthand what happened before he has to give his statement. Evans was squawking about filing assault charges.” Ben let out a low growl. “He grabbed my son, popped him in the jaw and thinks he’s going to get someone to file assault charges against Jamie. The idiot has no idea who he’s dealing with.”
“I think Jamie smoothed things over with Lane for you. He told her you told the Troopers that he was too exhausted to give a statement, that you were just protecting him. You go with the family. Have di
Ben nodded and turned toward the limo. It was just after 10:00 p.m. when Jamie had called him, but now it was nearing 11:30 and they still hadn’t had di
“I love you.” She replied as she put her head on his shoulder. She wanted to know what was going on; what Ben had said to Joey and the details of what had happened between Jamie and Lucas Evans Sr. Right now, more than anything else, she wanted to close her eyes and just relax in the bosom of her family and the safety of her husband’s arms.