Chapter 16

"Bron we had a problem last night," Mc spoke in a soft voice.

"Bounce!" she quivered as much as her voice. 

"She's fine, but she's not here," Mc answered her.

Kevin was still holding her arm when she surged forward taking him by surprise.  "Where's my daughter!" she screamed at Mc.

"She's okay, she's with Stevie, but I had to send her away."  Mc waited for what was to come next. 

"You can't do that she's my baby, this better not be a power play!" she yelled as she lunged for Mc.

Kevin grabbed her other arm.  He felt her body start to quake and wrapped himself around her.  Quietly he whispered, "It's Okay, she's Okay, she's gonna be fine.  I promise you."

Mc looked at her.  Oh, God this is killing her.  I didn't want this to happen.

"She was with Brian last night.  What happened?" she begged. 

"Yes, she was, but there was a note found in his room, he gave it to Howie, Howie brought it to me.  Lenny was in that room last night, that is too dangerous," speaking softly Mc answered her. 

"I want to see it," meekly Bron asked him. 

"No!" he replied. 

"I want to see it now!" she screamed.

Mc looked to Kevin for approval.  Kevin nodded a yes.

Mc fished through his pocket, drawing it out he handed it to her.  Kevin's hand dropped to her waist to steady her as she opened it and read it.

Hello Chica, Bounce is a beautiful girl.  I wonder if she should join her daddy? Then it would be just us.

Bron started to scream, shake, and sob all at once.  She turned into Kevin and grabbed on to him burying her head in his chest.  He tried to soothe her by just holding her.

Mc spoke first.  "Stevie left early this morning honey, he didn't take her home though," he stood there waiting for the reaction.

Bron whirled around stunned, "Why not?"

"Sparky, it's not safe for her to be there, now he is after her to get to you, but I don't know why.  He has changed his motivation but in the end it still boils down to me." 

"Where then?" she asked tears streaming down her face.  She knew why but couldn’t tell him. 

"She's safe, don't worry," Mc replied. 

Bron started to get outraged; he wasn't going to tell her, "Where DAMMIT!" 

"I can't tell you where until she gets there.  We took care of it," as he glanced at Kevin. 

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously following Mc's eyes to Kevin. 

"We didn't have a plan baby, Stevie tossed her in the car and started driving," Mc told her. 

"She'll be so scared, I'm not with her, she'll need me, please Mc don't do this to me," she pleaded.  Her face was red and covered with the moisture from her own tears. 

"Bron look, she'll be fine.  Stevie will make a game of it; he'll call it a Beanie Baby hunt.  He won't scare her," Mc reassured her. 

"Send her to her grandmother's Mc," Bron begged him as she started to fall apart.  Mc had now taken Bounce away from her.  He was always taking things away from her.

"That's to close to home Bron."

"I hate you, you've ruined my life, first my husband, now my daughter!" she screamed as she shook loose of Kevin and ran to the bedroom, slamming the door.

Kevin glared at Mc then turned to follow Bron.  Mary crossed the room and grabbed his sleeve "No, Kevin."

"She needs me Mare," Kevin glanced at Mary's hand on his arm. 

"No Kev, you are not what she needs," Mary answered him.  Mary understood Mc’s motivation even if Bron didn’t, but it still seemed harsh to send a small child away from the only parent she had left.

A sharp knock came on the door and they heard, "Let's go Train we have interviews till lunch and more after that."

Kevin looked at both doors, he was torn.  Mary looked at him, "Kevin go do your job, Jake and I will stay with her," as they both watched Mc walk out the door. 

Kevin was hesitating.  "Go Kevin, I'm here," Jake said.  "Nobody will hurt her, I swear."

Kevin walked to the bedroom door and gave it a soft rap with his hand.  "Bron, I gotta go, don't leave this suite," he waited for an answer that didn't come.  Internally he was thinking I don't want anything to happen to her, I care about her, this is dangerous and she's hell bent on finding out where Bounce is.  "Bron, don't go out of this room, I'm not playin’, I mean it," he spoke in a loud commanding voice that he knew would register with her that he meant business.  The basic male instinct to protect kicked in.  Her being afraid of him would probably be the only thing to stop her.  He waited a minute, walking over he grabbed his coat and walked out the door.  He thought to himself if she leaves, I'll kill her myself.

Mary and Jake stared at each other and then the door for what seemed like an eternity.  Jake and Mary started feeling uneasy with just the two of them sitting there.  They knew Bron wouldn't like being told what to do by Kevin, let alone anyone else.  Bron did take orders from Mc eventually after many threats, but it took Mc a lot of effort to get her to concede.

Jake looked at Mary with a sullen face, "Awful quiet in there Mary."

"Too quiet Jake," She said as she shook her head.

Jake looked at the door, "She's not crying."

"Not screaming either Jake," she answered.

Jake grinned at her, "I don't here hear throwing anything Mare."

Mary rolled her eyes, "That means only one thing Jake."

"Yeah, I know," Jake snickered.

They both looked at each other, their eyebrows went up, "She's scheming," they announced to each other in a low voice.

The bedroom door swung open and they were met with a pair of coal black eyes flashing at them.  "I'm calling a meeting Mare, go get the girls."

Mary stammered out, "But Kevin."

Bron went right into Mary's face and said firmly, "I'm taking back my life.  I'm tired of men who have no intimate connection with me telling me what to do, understand."

Mary opened her mouth, "Technically speaking..."  Mary stopped as an awful look crossed Bron's face. 

"Continue with that sentence and we will no longer be friends.  I will not have Lurch, Mc, or Stevie run my life any more.  Who the hell does he think he is, don't leave this suite."  Bron spun around to Jake, "Open your mouth and you’re dead meat." 

Mary bolted out the door; she couldn't think when Bron was like this.  She needed to get the girls, quickly. 

"This isn't good Bron, they aren't going to like this," as Jake tried to reason with her.

Mary, Gillian, and Amy halted at the door listening to the conversation between Jake and Bron.  They all hoped that Jake could at least get Bron to think about this without the anger involved over what Kevin had said and Mc sending Bounce away. 

"Bron, come on be smart about this, Lenny wants to kill you."
"Jake please I can't stay here."
"You’re safe here, Bounce is okay."
"No I'm not Jake, the baboon squad is getting to me!"
"Bron!"
"Please Jake help me get home."
"If I do, wonder if something happens to you?" 

Mary looked at Gillian, whispering in a fretting tone, "He's going to help her."

"Jake, what more could happen, they have taken Bounce away from me and my husband is gone.  Mc is trying to push me into Kevin's arms because he feels guilty."  Bron could see Jake starting to crack.  

"Oh Bron, Mc will kill me and Kevin will take what's left," Jake said to her.

 
"Mc will, Kevin won't, I'm nothing to him, wake up will you, this is reality.  Please Jake, please, you’re the only one I can count on."  Bron pleaded with him as her eyes started to mist.

Mary spoke up, "You don't see it do you." 

Jake answered Mary, "She never does."

"See what!"  Bron screamed.  "That my life has been ripped even further apart in three days, that I have nothing left.  That I was used last night by pop star like a common hooker.  I’m sorry, wrong, a hooker would have been paid!"

Mary and Jake shook their heads.  Amy and Gillian just stood their not knowing what to say. 

"Are you guys going to help me or not?" she whined.  Amy and Gillian nodded yes, Mary hesitated.  Bron watched her, "Well, yes or no?" staring Mary down.

Mary knew Jake was already wrapped around Bron's finger and that she would leave anyway.  She could only think of one way to stop her and that was to help her, sort of.  Her best friend could be killed and she didn't want that to happen.  Bron was being fueled on anger right now not on common sense. 

"Okay," Mary sighed.

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