Chapter 36. Payback.

                                    

                                          
Being that I work in my fathers law firm, I have access to public records. 
Being that Judy at the court house is sweet on me, I have access to a lot more.
                          
I looked up Tommy Reynolds. He has quite the wrap sheet. Persistent offender, DUI's, possession charges, assault, robbery, and domestic violence. 
                          
I also find that he has 3 cars registered in his name, a 69 Camaro, a Suburban and a Dodge truck. His home address is 124 Creek Crossing Road and I know exactly where that is. 
                          
I drove past his address after work, observed a bit. Hell, I might even called in an anonymous tip that I was sure he was running a drug business from up here. But I sure wasn't done yet. 
                          
I would get my revenge and it would be sweet. 
                          
Good guy Luke was tucked away and I'm back from my old ways. 
                          
I drove past his house every day, for 2 weeks. I got familiar with his routines and I was waiting for the perfect
opportunity. 
                          
He didn't call or text me, I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him, Jake was scarce and I was gearing up. 
                          
*********************
                          
I saw him climb into his black suburban and I followed him for a few good miles. He pulled into a deserted gas station and I pulled in directly behind. 
                          
My blood is boiling and my adrenaline is in over drive and coursing through my veins. 
                          
I step out of my pickup and I watch as his door swings open wide. 
                          
He climbs out and faces me. With a smirk on his face he says my name and it's like poison to my ears. 
                          
"Tommy Reynolds" I say stepping forward with clenched fists. 
                          
"Look, what's done is done. Consider your sweet girl as paying your debt." He smirks with his hands in the air.
                          
"You mother fucker. You come into her apartment and you made her feel unsafe, you destroyed her things and you have tore her world upside down." I spat. 
                          
"I did what needed to be done." He said. 
                          
"She sure is a spit fire, that one." He added. 
                          
Payback is a mother fucking bitch, Tommy. 
                          
I struck him and he moved backwards. My arm swung again and my fist connected square with his jaw. He lunged and got a hit on me. 
                          
His mistake because it fed my desire. 
Soon after punches were exchanged I had him on the pavement. 
                          
I kept hitting him, screaming things he took away for Kate. He managed to struggle enough to catch me off guard and topple over me, he swung to hit me and I moved and quenched my body as I heard the sound of his fist hit the pavement and him scream in pain. 
                          
I dove back on top of him. I didn't see Kate or Rhett. I didn't see Jake or Tommy. I saw Black. 
                          
My vision was black and my body was raging in anger. I was afraid to be in this place but I had exploded and I didn't care to return, only to let it run it's course. 
                          
I swung and swung at him until my arms were sore. I punched his face, until my knuckles bled and he moaned in audible sounds. 
                          
I was wearing thin, on the brink of exhaustion when I felt his hand move by my knee. He muttered in coherent words and I stared at his unrecognizable face. I felt a warm pain on my side and glanced down as I realized what happened. 
                          
I heard a clank on the pavement and I felt myself drifting out of black. Every thing went into slow motion as I felt the warmness of the July pavement on my skin. 
                          
*****************
I woke up and I was in the back of an ambulance. I know what happened and I know what hurts. 
                          
Tommy stabbed me. I'm not sure how bad it is, but my side is on fire. Every couple of minutes the EMT checks the gauze and changes it out. It hurts so fucking bad. 
                          
We arrive at Compton ER and from there doctors and nurses are running in and out. I have X-rays, blood work and it's determined I need surgery to close up my wound. The knife knicked my spleen and it's going to have to be removed. 
                          
I woke up handcuffed to a bed. An exhausted Kate-Anna laid at my legs and I wiggled enough for her to raise it and glance at me. 
                          
"Lucas." She says, I can tell she has been crying. 
                          
"Hey." I say taking my free hand to grasp hers. 
                          
"Why, Luke?" She asked me. 
                          
"Why? Why what, Kate?" 
                          
"Who was that man? Why. Why did he break into my house?" She asked as tears fell down her face. 
                          
I didn't want to tell her. I didn't want her to know that my old life was conflicting with the new one I had with she and Rhett.
                          
I cleared my throat. "That night, the night when you found me. Jake had brought me so much Heroin, I didn't know where it came from. " 
                          
"Jake stole it. He stole it from Tommy and he told Tommy about me. Tommy had been texting me, leaving me messages but I didn't know who he was. I tracked down Jake after the incident at your apartment and he gave me his name." I replied. 
                          
"Why didn't you go to the police?" She asked. 
                          
"I couldn't." I spoke quietly.
                          
"NO! No. You wouldn't, Lucas. There's a difference. You don't get to play this card anymore, Luke. You have a son, dammit who needs his father and you can't do this to him." She sobbed. 
                          
I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me. 
                          
"You can't so this to me, Lucas. You can't." She cried into my neck. 
                          
"I need to protect you, baby. I needed to protect Rhett." I said in a whisper. 
                          
"You're in so much trouble Luke. You're being arrested for battery. Tommy isn't pressing charges but Lucas, his face. I saw him. What you did, that was in humane." She said. 
                          
"I'm sorry, Kate. You were never meant to know. If I have to serve time for what I done, that's ok. I don't want you to worry about me but I couldn't let him do this to you. Every night I lay awake and watch as he tortures your mind, I can feel you tense every time I touch you, I can see the void behind your eyes and I couldn't let him take that away from you." I said. 
                          
"Don't let him take you away from me, Lucas. Please." She begged. 
                          
I kissed her like I didn't know when the next time I would feel her lips against mine. I savored every moment of it and committed it to my memory. 
                          
In the following days, I spent 3 nights in the Compton County Jail. Jail wasn't torture, being without Kate and Rhett was. 
                          
On the 3rd day, I went before the judge and he spoke of my charges. I wasn't expecting him to dismiss them all and rule self defense, but he said in the history of Tommy Reynolds, he had gotten off Scotch free to many times. 
                          
Tommy with his broken jaw, broken nose and swelled eyes was sentence to 3 years for breaking and entering, battery for hitting Kate and another 4 years for pending charges. 
                          
I walked out of the court house a happy man. A free and happy man, but what was important was Kate-Anna walked out beside me.
                          
Authors note: I hope you're still enjoying reading Chasing Kate. 
                          
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