Betrayal Ch. 05

"We will be; we're waiting for the repairmen to fix all the damage," Patti answered. Tim nodded, and the Jacksons agreed after looking at one another for consent; a nice non-verbal conversation, like a married couple should have.

Alan looked at his watch: "I need to leave soon." Jeanie touched his arm and pleaded, "Please stay, Alan. I want you to meet my big sister; she's lonely after her divorce last year, you're lonely, and I think..."

"Set up!" Tim called, and everyone laughed again.

Alan smiled, shook his head, and told Jeanie "If she looks anything like you, I will definitely." "Well, she's bigger than me and a lot prettier, but she's a little bit of a bitch about men since her husband ran off with his secretary."

"Ah, so we share a common story! I guess I've been a bit of a bastard toward women a few times since..."

"Well, this should be entertaining," Jimmie predicted with a snort.

"Wait, if she's divorced and better looking than you, how about you set her up with me? I'm all but divorced: I mean, my wife's buddies have been trying to kill me for weeks; surely her story isn't worse than mine! We might be perfect for each other!" Tim cajoled with a straight face.

Jeanie narrowed her green eyes and cut them to Tim, giving him a look that could maim. "You are not a free man, and may never be; Alan is!"

"May never be?" Tim inquired. "How's that? I've filed for divorce; my attorneys say it's a slam-dunk, so I should be free within a few weeks." The crowd around the table was stifling laughter again.

Getting into the spirit, Jeanie tossed her hair back and stuck her nose up in the air, appearing aloof; she looked down her nose at him and said, "Remember the girl in the blue dress who turned down the tempting offers of two sexy eligible bachelors to sit in a hospital room with you? You made promises to her that you haven't kept, so you are NOT YET free. After she tries you out and throws you back, maybe then you will get introduced to my sister...if Alan hasn't already scooped her up!"

The audience of five roared in appreciation, and Tim hung his head in apparent resignation. His left hand, however, crept from his lap to Jeanie's legs and swirled up between them. She dropped her 'airs' and hurriedly dropped her hands off the table in an effort to stop his hand just short of the junction of her thighs. She knew her sweat pants were bound to be soaked and she didn't want him to know how strongly seeing him naked and then being teased about it had affected her.

She was just a moment too late, however; his fingers were already grasping the inside of her thigh, and the edge of his hand was pressed against her wet pussy. The cotton sweatpants were navy, so you couldn't readily see the wetness, but they could both feel it. She looked stricken; she was unable to move his hand, which felt waaaayyyy too good anyway, and her mind flashed back to the ecstasy he visited upon her in the hospital.

His assault felt so good she barely stifled a moan.

She stopped her struggle and looked around the table to see if anyone had caught on. Tim was innocently looking across the table at Alan, who was grinning at Jeanie. Patti and Jennifer were both giving her knowing looks and smirking at her growing panic. The other two men were trying to look uninterested, but she saw the mirth in their mouths and around their eyes.

Tim wiggled his little finger between her labia, and she emitted a low moan at the sensation. That triggered another round of hysterical laughter, with Patti managing to choke out, "Tim, stop torturing that poor girl!" which drove the laughter up another few decibels.

Jeanie was terrified that she would orgasm right in front of everyone if he didn't quit gripping her tender thigh, pressing his hand against her throbbing pussy, and wiggling his finger between her folds. Her efforts to fight him off, however, were half-hearted at best, because audience or no audience, it felt too damn good to want it to stop.

Without notice Tim nonchalantly loosened his grip and began to remove his hand. Jeanie was still gripping his wrist and her hands came up with his; she relaxed her grip, released her breath, and slumped down in her chair.

Patti couldn't keep herself from teasing her more. "I wish I had a camera, Jeanie! The look on your face is... what... orgasmic, maybe? What do y'all think?"

Jennifer answered, "If he had continued whatever he was doing for another few seconds, I think orgasmic would have been the best description, Patti. But now I'd call it unfulfilled!"

Alan turned his attention to Patti when the laughter died down, and stated, "We better get cracking on those divorces, Patti. I'm afraid time is running out on our mandate to maintain proper distance until the divorce decrees are issued."

Jimmy loudly opined, "Uh huh. We need to start locking them into their respective rooms at night from the outside, and NEVER allow them to be here alone!"

Jennifer looked doubtful; she shook her head, and predicted, "You're way too late! The vibes those two are spreading have my panties as wet as hers! Randy, I think we need to get home, Baby!" Everyone at the table laughed at that outburst, but Patti's panties told her it was true.

Tim dropped a bomb when he dismissively said, "Much ado about nothing; we just like to tease each other, right, little buddy? Besides, after tonight I'm going to save the local cops and all you guys a lot of expense and danger because I'm going home. Well, actually, to my ranch back home. I have a nice cabin out there: concrete slab, rock facing over cinder block, metal roof, on top of a hill."

Alan tried to object, but Tim continued, "It's a mile to the county road, and there are two locked gates between there and the cabin. I'll pick up one of my brother's trained German Shepherds as a guard, I'll be loaded and prepared for battle, and I'll be far enough away from anyone else that there won't be any "collateral damage'. As long as I'm alive, or until these jackasses aren't, everyone around me, my wife and kids, even her parents, are in danger. I refuse to continue endangering everyone else! This is my battle."

"You promised you would do your PT, Tim! That was a condition of getting out, and if you don't you won't ever regain full use of your arm or leg! Please, stay here with us! The lawmen will guard us now; we'll be safe!" Jeanie begged.

He turned his chair to Jeanie, took her hands in his, and continued. "PT is available down there too. I've used it before; the therapist is a good one, and a good friend. Besides, they gave me a sheet with every exercise drawn up, and I've been doing them long enough to know how.

I've thought this through carefully, Jeanie, and discussed it with someone I trust. Last night proved they won't quit trying, regardless of how well protected we think we are. Some policemen might get hurt, my family might get hurt, my friends might get hurt, you might get hurt, and those injuries would be because of me. I can't live with that.

Down there I have family and friends who are woodsmen; some are military vets, others are seasoned, semi-professional hunters, and all are crack shots. Everyone knows me, and strangers are unusual enough that they are noticed and chronicled. Once my story is told, there will be about 4,000 people looking out for me, and looking for the five assholes. Trust me: we will all be safer when I'm down there.

That doesn't mean, however, that all of you will be completely safe. Your asshole ex still wants you dead, or at least beat to hell, and when I disappear they may decide to take one of my friends to try to learn where I've gone. Randy and Jennifer are both still in danger because of the crooked sheriff. Furthermore, the more I learn, the more I'm convinced there are people with a lot of power involved that we don't know about.

Karen is going to be questioned by two Texas Rangers and a senior State Trooper from the Criminal Investigations division about anyone she may have seen or heard about. The same law enforcement officers are going to interview other people who may have information, including members of the Williamson County Sheriff's Department, and I'm going to watch some movies while I'm self-quarantined that may provide more information. I'll be in contact with Ranger Boyd by phone and radio, and we will keep each other well informed.

We need to end this thing, and we need to do it soon. I don't like being a sitting target, much less making a target of others - like the people at this table. This is for the best. And before you ask, yes, I will be well armed, and I will be well guarded. They won't be sitting in a marked patrol car, but, believe me, they will be alert, and deadly!"

Jeanie started to protest again, but Randy cut her off. "He's right. We can't protect him in an urban setting nearly as well as they can in a rural. He and the Rangers came up with this plan, and I consider it the best route. If he stays here and we don't catch them, sooner or later they will ambush him successfully. Down there he is with his people in a setting he knows best, and I happen to know he's got some good friends who will do anything for him because...well, they owe him, and they love him too. It's not 100% foolproof, but it's much safer than staying here as a sitting duck."

Jeanie looked skeptical and disappointed, and she wanted to argue, but the doorbell rang. She hopped up, "Oh no! It's my family!"

"Go get ready; we will invite them in, introduce ourselves, and entertain them while you do" Patti said. Jeanie ran back to her bedroom.

The group met them at the open door, which the workmen had removed and were replacing. The Hildebrands were an attractive 40-something couple, accompanied by a built-like-a-brick-shithouse red-haired woman in her twenties.

You could see Jeanie at 48 in her mom, Emilia, who was 5'4", beautiful, and built, with a charming demeanor. Daddy Joe was over 6 foot tall and slender, with short hair and the erect posture of a military man. Sister Kathy was simply Jeanie and Mom on steroids; 5'6" or 5'7", bustier, with red hair rather than blonde, but with the same pretty face and curvy body.

Emilia and Kathy were wearing designer jeans and sweaters; Joe was wearing khaki pants and a Polo shirt.

Jeanie's absence was explained and introductions were made by Jimmy, with Tim being introduced last. The common countenance of her family during the introductions was open and convivial, as a Texan would expect from San Antonio natives.

When Tim was introduced, however, those warm greetings turned to hugs, kisses on the cheek, and thanks for 'saving' their daughter, along with a careful visual evaluation. He responded by deflecting credit, saying, "All I did, no all we did" pointing at Jimmy, Alan, and Patti, "was support Jeanie in breaking away from and dealing with her abusive husband. She is the courageous one."

Mom eyed him speculatively, and stated unequivocally that Jeanie had told them a very different story and they believed their daughter. She grinned, pulled his big arm up against her soft tits, gave him another kiss on one cheek, patted his other cheek, and turned back to the group to thank each verbally.

Noticing that Jeanie was nowhere in sight, she teasingly asked, with a big smile, "So our youngest daughter isn't ready yet? How unusual, right?" Her husband and daughter laughed; the others looked puzzled.

Sister Kathy noticed our questioning expressions and explained, "You seem confused. Jeanie was always the most fashionably dressed and impeccably groomed person anywhere she went, and she was always late! I swear, she even looked flawless playing volleyball, running track, and cheerleading, but every date had to wait for 15 minutes for her grand entry! We called her Princess Jeanie!

Is that not the way she is now?"

Patti looked at the others, and then answered, "No, I haven't seen that at all; far from it. She dresses casually, wears little makeup, and is always ready when we are. The reason she isn't ready now is that we ate a late breakfast and talked a little too long. Tim, you work with her - what do you think?"

"She's about the most down-to-earth, self-effacing, kind and caring woman I know," Tim replied with a touch of defensiveness. "I've seen her dressed up, so I know how stunning she can be, but that was once in nearly two years. The remainder of the time I've known her she's been well but casually dressed, worn only a little makeup, kept an attractive hairstyle appropriate for a teacher who is also the dance team coach, and has been pleasant toward everyone...she's been more 'All-American girl' than 'princess' when I've been around."

Her sister looked incredulous, mom looked like she thought Jeanie had conned Tim, and Dad beamed with pride. "See, I told you she had grown out of it!"

"Oh, Dad, she's always been your little princess!" Kathy exclaimed with a hint of jealousy.

"Speaking of..." Alan said, with a glance to the hallway. Jeanie looked delighted to see her family. She was wearing a three-quarter sleeve navy jumpsuit that zipped up the front and comfortable athletics shoes. Her hair was clean and neat, and the only jewelry was a simple heart necklace with matching earrings. Admittedly, the jumpsuit highlighted her curvy body, the hairstyle framed her gorgeous face, and the light makeup made her pretty emerald green eyes look even bigger, but she looked less like Daddy's 'spoiled princess' than her sister or mother.

The three women excitedly hugged, kissed and exchanged compliments, and then Jeanie broke away and went to her dad, who looked ecstatic to see and hold her. Definitely "Daddy's Girl" Tim thought; perhaps she did get favorable treatment and a lot of positive reinforcement growing up. He smiled at their joy, and marveled at her amazing body and round butt as she stood on tiptoe hugging Daddy.

While they were hugging, Patti told Mom Hildebrand that they would be expecting them for supper, offering that Jimmie and Tim would be grilling steak, shrimp, and a variety of vegetables, followed by her famous Texas chocolate sheet cake with chocolate Pecan icing. Mom assured her they would return for the feast, and asked what time. Patti said whenever; just let them know so they could be ready.

Jeanie turned back to the rest of them: she told Patti and Jimmy they would be back by 4:30, told the Jacksons she enjoyed meeting them and hoped to see them again, and asked Alan if he would be able to go with them and show them some of the new and out-of-the-way stores he had told her about.

Even though they had talked about this, Alan blushed. Kathy grinned at her baby sister and shook her head, knowing full well this was a set up, but liking Alan's good looks and personality enough to go along with it.

Jeanie enthusiastically led her family and Alan toward the car, before remembering she had left her purse inside and running back to the door. She stepped inside, grabbed her purse off the chair by the door, and gave Tim a smoldering look. "You better be here when I get back, or I'll track you down, Mister," she threatened, before cupping his cheek and giving him a soft promise of a kiss. With that, she giggled and ran back to the car.

He took some good-natured ribbing from Jennifer and Randy about their 'friendship', but their attorneys just held their hands over their eyes as if they hadn't seen anything.

The Jacksons had to leave, but promised to keep in touch. They signaled Tim to come outside, where Randy put his arm around Tim's shoulders and Jennifer wrapped her arms around his waist. "We both want to thank you for the good advice you gave us yesterday," Randy began. "I got an inkling of how you must feel, and I'll admit that I was crushed to the point of being suicidal. But after I listened to my little west Texas girl I realized she didn't have the knowledge and experience to beat the sheriff, and also that I need to better equip her. She's too gorgeous for her own good, so she will always attract men, including bad men who will try to use her. We're going to work on that, and we want to keep you in our lives. In a single day you've become a guy I trust and rely on, and Jennifer feels the same."

Jennifer hugged him tightly enough that pain radiated from his wounded hip, but he ignored it and hugged her back. "Thank you, Tim. I was terrified when I heard your name yesterday, but you've turned out to be my best friend in the world not named Randy Jackson!"

She relaxed her hold a bit and leaned back to look at him with moist eyes. "There are some things... some observations I feel I should tell you about. I know Karen was blackmailed into making the films, like I was. But, Tim, she wasn't being blackmailed by the time I got involved. It seemed she was almost running the show. She told me she was getting out after this movie, and she was going to spend all her time being the best wife and mommy in the world because she really loves you and your sons.

She meant it; I could hear it in her voice. Then the sex would start and she would become a porn star. They had to change the script, such as it was, to one where I was being raped, because all I could do was cry. I hated those men! I could kill every one of them, and gladly would! Karen, well, she seemed to enjoy the whole thing, but she was kind to me, and understanding.

She's the only one I wouldn't kill! As I told Randy, the only part I enjoyed was when I was with her. I'm not bi, or at least I've never been before or since, but being with her was...I don't know -- thrilling, sensual, maybe. Everyone around her feels it, and I'm sure you do too.

I know she meant what she said about going back to being a mother and wife all the time; but can she do it? Can she really give up sex with other people, men and women? I wasn't the only woman, you know, and the men you know about aren't the only men. She supposedly only had about 10-12 'play days', but she acted like a pro.

I see the pain in your eyes, and I'm sorry. I owe my second chance with Randy to you, and I just HATE to think of her hurting you again. I know you will make the right decision. Just know you can call us anytime if you need anything, okay?"

The rest of the day was a blur. There were workmen everywhere; Jimmy and Patti were constantly guiding them through the repairs and changes to be made, including adding deadbolts and expanding the security system to include opening the doors and windows.

Tim stayed busy; he split some oak and mesquite for the pits, and piled wood in the big fire pit on the patio, but mostly he did his PT while he considered the situation in which he was trapped. When he lit the pit fires at 3:45 to let them burn down, he had reached a number of decisions that he would need to share tonight.

***

Kathy was holding Alan's arm as they walked into the backyard, and they followed her parents to the pit where Tim was preparing to cook the steaks. "Son, Jeanie told us the whole story over lunch. Thank you so much for helping her make and then supporting her decision to leave Larry, and for taking good care of our little girl during her recovery!"

"Sir, your daughter did much more for me and took much better care of me when I was injured than I did for her" Tim demurred. "I am the one who owes her thanks, and I owe her family thanks for raising such a kind and caring person!"

Jimmie had wandered over from the pit with the grilled veges, and Mr. Hildebrand asked him, "What really happened last night? We saw the repairmen when we came, and some are still here, but Jeanie was hiding so she doesn't really know, and when we asked Alan he suggested we ask you. So, what happened?"

Jimmie related the events of the previous day, beginning with Tim's release from the hospital: learning the sheriff was involved, plotting with the Rangers and DPS, the failed trap for the bad guys, and ending with the shootout last night. In each segment Tim was mentioned in a heroic way, and Jeanie's mom and dad began to look at him differently.