Wrecked (Stories of Serendipity #8): #8 by Anne Conley Page A

living room where he had more room to beat the living shit out of him. He continued pounding on Mark until his face was a bloody pulp, and he knew he wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. Then he called an ambulance for his dad.
    He was trying to put warm pajamas on Joe when sirens filled the air. Apparently, his call to emergency services, where he’d informed them his dad needed an ambulance as well as the guy he’d just beat up, had instigated a police visit.
    Jason admitted to the police officers he’d been the one to beat up the caretaker, and one of them immediately read him his Miranda rights before cuffing him and leading him outside. The first ambulance was split between helping his dad and setting Mark up on a backboard with a spinal collar. Seeing them pay such careful to the man he’d just beat up sent a mixture of emotions through Jason: anger they were giving him attention when he’d mistreated Joe, and shame that he’d done that to him. It was a dichotomous mix, and Jason didn’t know what exactly to do with it, so he focused on righteous indignation.
    “That asshole got high and left my dad in a bathtub of freezing water for God knows how long,” he gritted out through a clenched jaw.
    “We’re calling another ambulance, son. You need to calm down.” As if he would patiently sit and watch them treat the man who’d harmed his dad. He swore under his breath before being pushed into the back of the police car.
    Jason stared out the window in a fog as they car drove to the police station. His mind raced around, trying to remember all the times his dad had told him he was in danger from Mark. He’d chalked it up to dementia and now wondered how he could have been so blind. All the bruises he’d noticed lately, he had no idea how he could have been so stupid not to realize. Guilt filled him as he realized he’d nearly killed his dad by hiring a complete thug to take care of him.
    Jason floated through the booking process, trying to figure out what went wrong. He was fingerprinted and photographed, his rights read to him again, all while his mind raced with thoughts of the guy’s references. How they’d all said he was an okay employee but lacked focus. He hadn’t really thought much of that, thinking how hard could it be to make sure his dad didn’t burn down his apartment? It had never occurred to him the guy would be malicious. Or high.
    He stumbled into the jail cell after calling his brother and explaining what had happened. Jodie said he’d take care of it, that he probably would have done the same thing in his position, making him feel a little better. But he still couldn’t help feeling like the entire episode was his fault in the first place. Jodie didn’t verbally blame him, but he probably would have done more to find a better caretaker in the first place. Some nice little old lady who knitted and cooked and never would have actually put his dad in danger.

Chapter 14

    R enae had been sitting at the cozy corner table, sipping on her water, for nearly an hour. When seating her, Jessie had left her with a suggestive wink, but her glances had become increasingly pitying. Renae had declined the offer of a glass of wine on the house, and finally at seven, Jessie had plopped herself down in the vacant chair.
    “Okay, girls’ night out. Starting now. Connor’s given the okay, let’s go get shit-faced.”
    “No. I think I’ll just go home. Shit-faced is what got me in this situation.” Jessie didn’t know she was pregnant, and Renae wasn’t volunteering the information. She had planned to tell Jason first, but he’d stood her up.
    Not that she was surprised. It was probably just his way of getting back at her for not calling him back. It was all a ploy for revenge. She’d stomped on his manhood by not calling after the best night of sex she’d ever experienced, and now that she had the opportunity for real romance, he was stomping on her emotions. She’d never felt more like