Under His Protection
Chapter 23

“Kenny, or would you prefer I call you by your real name, Howard Crain?” Joe asked as he and Zane sat down across from him.

“Kenny,” he grunted. His eyes went to Zane and his hands balled up into fists.

“You know why you’re here don’t you?” Joe asked.

“Nope,” he said, his gaze never leaving Zane.

“You are under arrest for the murder of Trevor Frost, the kidnapping of Jade Edwards and invasion of privacy. There are more, should I read them all?”

Kenny glanced over at Joe. “I didn’t kill anyone,” he spat, spit coming from his mouth when he spoke.

Zane let Joe do the talking prior to their talk about him being just an observer. He was becoming anxious and wondered when he was going to ask about Jade.

“We have your print on the knife found in Trevor,” he said and tossed the knife that was bagged on the table. “We also have you on the apartment surveillance camera going into the building and then coming out twenty minutes later.” He clicked on the TV, showing Kenny going into the building and shortly after rushing out through the entrance door.

Kenny started to squirm, his ticks got worse as his head jerked and arm twitched. “Ok, I went there to tell him to stop stalking her. He followed her everywhere she went.”

Joe stood and slammed his fist on the table. “So let me guess, he told you to go fuck yourself and you got mad and stabbed him.”

“No, no. I picked up the knife that was lying on the table and waved it in front of him, told him to back off or else. He knocked it from my hand and tossed me out. I didn’t kill him,” he said, yelling.

Zane couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Where is she? Where is Jade?”

Kenny looked at him and smiled. “How would I know?”

“Look you, son of a bitch tell us where you’ve got her.” He clicked the TV back on and showed the tape from the underground parking lot. “There you are, carrying what I believe is Jade.”

“You can’t see no face so what makes you think it’s me?”

“It’s you, your build and there is that limp of yours,” Zane snapped.

“Lots of people walk with a limp,” Kenny answered.

“You sick bastard, you rigged her apartment for months with cameras. We saw all the pictures you had of her in that hidden room. Tell me, how could someone like you afford all that expensive equipment?”

“You’d be surprised what you can buy on the black market and what I couldn’t buy I stole.”

“Are you the one who shot me? And were you aiming for Jade?”

“If I were to shoot you, you’d be dead, It wasn’t me.”

“So you did none of it,” Zane barked.

Kenny banged his fist on the table, staring at Zane with hate. “I would never do anything to hurt her. I love her, she is mine.”

“It must have made you angry to see me with her, to know I was staying there. I bet you were so pissed you decided to take her. You say you love her but yet you planted a homemade bomb in the cottage where we were staying. She could have died.”

“That wasn’t me, I would never hurt her.”

“It was you, Kenny, you did it all,” Zane hissed. “Admit it, you were mad that she wouldn’t give you the time of day. You knew she would never let a little creep like you near her. Who would? Just look at you, a crippled ugly man that repulsed women. Tell us where she is.”

“I want a lawyer, I’m not saying another word until my lawyer is here.”

Zane and Joe looked at each other.

“Ok,” Joe said. Looking at Zane motioned for him to follow and walked out of the room. “Let’s grab a coffee, it’ll be a while before a lawyer gets here.”

“We’re wasting time, the clock is ticking and she’s still out there somewhere. Let me have a few minutes alone with and I’ll get him to talk.”

“You know I can’t let you do that Zane. Just wait till the lawyer gets here and maybe we can make a deal.” He watched as his partner paced back and forth, his hands clenching by his side.

Forty minutes later Kenny had his lawyer by his side. “My client has no knowledge of Miss Edwards's whereabouts. The video does not show his face. The only crime against him is installing the cameras in her apartment.”

“That’s where you are wrong, we have his fingerprint on the knife that Mr. Frost was killed with and a video showing your client coming and going around the time he was killed,” Joe said, glancing over at Zane.

“Your client is a sick pervert," Zane said, looking at the lawyer. He’s been watching Miss Edwards for months. Watched her every move. When she was asleep, showering and changing.” He got up and walked around the table to stand next to Kenny and leaned over, his face almost touching Kenny’s. “Did you get off on watching her? I bet you wished you were with her, to touch her soft flesh. It must have been torture knowing that she didn’t want you, that the thought of your very touch on her made her ill.”

Kenny’s face turned red, his jaw clenched and the veins in his neck and forehead stood out.

“She’ll never be yours so tell me where she is,” Zane yelled into his ear.

What happened next took them all by surprise when Kenny jumped to his feet and with his free hand grabbed Zane around the throat and started choking him, Joe tried to free Kenny’s hand and when he couldn’t he yelled out for help.

“She was mine till you put your dirty hands on her. I watched you climb on top of her like an animal in heat. I saw the way you touched and sucked on her and stuck your dick inside her, making her thrash around on the bed. I waited for her to be pure again and we were so close but you ruined it all. Now I have to wait months for her to be clean.”

Zane felt the pressure on his neck, the breath being sucked out of him.

Joe and another officer finally got him to release Zane. Not able to pry his hand off they used the stun gun on Kenny. Back in the chair, his other hand was cuffed to the table.

Zane coughed, his hand rubbing his neck.

“Fuck man, are you ok?” Joe asked him.

“I’m ok,” he said and looked at the lawyer. “That’s another charge against your client, assaulting a police officer. I suggest you tell him to give us the location of Miss Edwards's whereabouts.”

“You were taunting my client, pushing him to react.”

Sitting down across from Kenny Zane stared him in the eyes, his throat felt like it was on fire but he began to reason with the man, using a different approach. “You’re right, I should not have touched your woman.”

“Damn right you shouldn’t have,” Kenny snapped.

“You really do love her don’t you?” Zane pretended to be sympathetic.

Kenny’s eyes changed from dark fury to dream-like. “Yes, she’s my angel.”

“Why did you take her?”

He looked right at Zane. “To protect her.”

“Protect her from what?”

“From them.”

Zane rubbed his chin, trying to keep his composure. “Who?”

“The ones who are trying to kill her. I don’t know who, I just know someone wants her dead. I have to keep her safe so let me go.”

“We can’t do that Kenny, you killed Trevor and kidnapped her.”

“I didn’t kill that man, I’m being framed.”

“You are never getting out, you are going away for a very long time.” When Kenny turned his eyes away Zane raised his voice. “Look at me,” he ordered.

Kenny’s eyes went back to his.

“You say you love her and protecting her from the person who wants her dead.”

“That’s right,” he nodded.

“Who’s protecting her now? She’s out there alone. Does she have food and water to keep her alive? If not it’s only a matter of time before they replace her or she dies from starvation. If you truly love Jade then tell me where she is. Kenny please, don’t let her die.” Zane’s stomach was in knots waiting for him to answer.

“I’ll tell you under a few conditions.”

“Anything, just name them,” Zane said, leaning closer.

“You stay away from her, tell her I’m sorry and that I love her. Have her come and visit me, weekly.”

Zane looked into the eyes of a madman. “I give you my word I’ll never see her again and I’ll see she knows how much you love her and was only trying to keep her safe. I’m sure she will be happy to come visit you.”

His eyes lit up. “You really think so?”

“Without a doubt.” The man was completely insane he thought as he slid a piece of paper and pen towards him. “Write the address down.”

When Kenny handed him the address he and Joe got up to leave but Zane stopped when the man called out to him.

“You will tell her, right?”

There wasn’t a chance in hell that he was going to relate the message to her or keep his promise to stay away from her. With a nod, he left the room with Joe. He was anxious to get to her. They arrived shortly later outside of town at an old rundown abandoned apartment building that was partly in ruins and looked as though it was ready to collapse.

Jade:

It had been hours since Kenny had left and Jade was getting worried. Not about him but scared that something had happened to him. What if he were killed in an accident and couldn’t make it back or tell anyone where she was? What if no one found her? She would die from starvation. She had to hold on to the hope that Zane would replace her. After eating the grapes she saved the apple for later, only God knew how long she’d be here before help came if it ever did.

She tried to read to pass the time but her mind wasn’t on it, not to mention that there wasn’t much light in the room, only the one coming from the bathroom. Getting up she went to the bathroom, grateful that the rope had enough room for her to reach it. After washing her hands she brushed her teeth, they felt furry and needed a good cleaning. Suddenly the light went out and she found herself in total darkness. Fear ripped through her, causing her to freeze.

“Ok,” she said out loud. “I just have to get back to the bed, I can do this.” Taking hold of the rope she slowly moved her hand along it, pulling herself further up the rope. Her senses told her she was getting close to the bed and cried out in pain when she hit her shin on what she knew was the leg of the bed. Feeling her way managed to get up onto the bed. Pulling the cover over her she rubbed her shin as the tears fell.

The room was so dark and she couldn’t see a thing so she laid down, her thoughts going over the last couple of weeks. Meeting Zane was the best thing to happen to her. He was so handsome, an amazing lover and he treated her with respect and not like some bimbo. He was so tender and loving and really seemed to like her for her, and not because she was a model.

She let out a scream and bolted upright when there was a loud crash and the door flew open and bright lights blinded her. Covering her eyes she heard his voice call her name.

“Jade.”