A Daddy for Jacoby - By Christyne Butler Page 0,50

neck. The slightest pressure had her looking at him again.

“It’s your smile, your eyes and this bright pink in your hair you keep trying to hide.” It took only a tug of his index finger to set the curl free and it fell to rest along her neck and the collar of his jacket. “There, much better.”

“Justin…”

His thumb stroked across her lips, stopping her words. He lowered his head until their foreheads touched. “This has got to be the craziest thing I’ve done in a long time, but right now I want to—”

A muffled cry broke the night air. Both Justin and Gina stilled.

“What was that?” she whispered. “An animal?”

“Shh…wait…”

There it was again. Justin recognized the sound this time. He released Gina, pushing past her. “Go back inside. Now.”

“Justin, what is it?”

“Someone’s in trouble.” He started for the far corner of the building, heading deeper into the dark. Gut instincts, honed to a razor’s edge thanks to his time behind bars, kicked in. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good. “Just go.”

“And leave you alone? No way.”

Gina caught up with him as they rounded the corner. He wanted to yell at her to listen to him, but the scene in front of them caused Justin to grab her and they froze.

Twenty feet away, two seniors and their dates, obviously from the dance from their tuxedos and gowns, were in a world of trouble with four men, clearly intruders from their scruffy jeans, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.

Two of the hoodlums held one boy captive despite his struggles to break free, a bandana jammed into his mouth. A pretty blonde girl was held by a third man, his hand pressed tightly over her mouth. The last goon was squared off with another partygoer, a young kid in a white tuxedo, built like a football player, who stood between his visibly scared date and the shiny glint of a switchblade.

Justin turned to Gina and gestured to her to make a phone call. She reached inside the jacket for her purse, but he couldn’t wait. He raced across the grass, shoving the tuxedo-clad kid to the ground as the thug with the knife lunged.

Surprise crossed the knifer’s face at his sudden appearance and Justin sucked in his stomach, but the sharp edge sliced twice at his shirt. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, he swung out his right leg, striking with his foot and sending the knife flying into the night sky. Before the guy could recover, Justin threw a quick fist to the jaw and the guy was flat on his back.

“Justin! Look out!”

He turned, with barely enough time to plant his feet before being charged by the thug who’d let go of the girl to come after him. He used the man’s forward motion against him, but they both went sprawling into the dirt. This one was bigger and managed to place a few punches, but Justin fought back and when the opening came, he knocked the wind out of the jerk with a well placed right hook.

Knowing there were two other goons to deal with, Justin struggled to his feet, only to find they’d released the other teen and took off. Red-and-blue lights flashed, and seconds later a deputy sheriff’s cruiser rounded the far corner of the building, blocking their escape. Chaperones and teenagers spilled out of the nearby double doors.

That fast, it was over.

Justin winced as he stood, a little unsteady on his feet when Gina raced to his side. “Ohmigod, are you okay?”

She reached for him, but he only grabbed her hand and held on tight. “I’m…fine,” he punched out between gutted breaths. “What about…the kids?”

It took a few moments and most of the adults to get the curious onlookers back inside the gym. Then it was only the coach, another male teacher and Mrs. Powers left, along with the sheriff’s deputy, who’d been patrolling the parking lot when the call came in. Volunteer EMTs arrived next and right behind them, the sheriff.

“Gina!” Gage stepped out of his Jeep. “Are you all right? What’s going on here?”

Justin lessened his grip, but Gina held on tight and stayed by his side as her brother approached. Gina quickly filled him in on what had happened, ending with her assurance that as far as she knew both Giselle and Garrett were safe inside the gym.

Gage gave Justin a long stare before he walked away to talk with his deputy, who had the four assailants sitting on the ground by a chain-link fence. The