Layers Crossed (18 page)

“Oh, my God!”
Emma’s hand flew to her mouth.

“You sure you
want to hear the rest?” I asked. I’d lived with what I’d seen my
entire life, and a simple memory made me sick to my stomach. Could
Emma handle this?

She nodded.
Her hand smoothed over my thigh.

“We didn’t
know what he wanted for a while. There was no ransom or revenge
talk of any kind. But when he started taking the boys one by one
into a cabin, and the agony of their screams... I couldn’t believe
anyone could do that to a child. Later we learned that he was not
only a pervert, but also had schizophrenia.”

“What did you
guys do?”

“There were
still some left alive. We put our stupid plan into action quickly.
Maybe too quickly. I still think we were lucky to walk out of the
mess alive. Me and Derek were supposed to jump on each of his arms
to restrain him while Reeve got a hold of his guns.”

“But you were
only boys.”

“I know. But
we couldn’t just sit back without helping, and it sure didn’t feel
like we were nothing after we’d been trained at the camp to work
together and to have each other’s back.”

I breathed out
and started driving once more, taking a soft curve in the road and
turning. Thinking about the attack again restored the nerves and
adrenaline from earlier that day. Tightening my grip on the
steering wheel, I wanted this conversation to be over before it
even started. Reliving a nightmare wasn’t on the top of my
list.

“When you’re
young you think you can conquer the world, overcome any dread and
obstacle, as if each one of us was Hercules. There’s no need to be
objective. Reeve was supposed to be Hercules. He’d use his
kickboxing skills to take the murderer down, but it didn’t go as
planned. Reeve tripped when we sneaked behind Rambo, and before we
could get to the guy, he already had the guns pointing at us.
Fortunately, Reeve was a smart son of a bitch, and when he tripped
he remained on the ground, completely motionless. We thought he’d
died, but he was waiting for the right time to attack again. So
when the gunman was pointing his rifles at us, Reeve picked up a
rock and hit him over the head with it. He fired before falling to
the ground. One of the bullets skimmed right here” – I pointed to
my brow – “and another one went into Derek’s arm. But Reeve did it.
He knocked the asshole out.”

I knew I’d
skipped part of the story, but I preferred Emma not know what had
happened to my friend. Partly because I didn’t want her to connect
the dots but also because a girl shouldn’t have to hear about the
gory details. How he’d suffered and still ended up saving us in the
end boggled my mind each time I thought about it. He was truly
someone I could count on and someone I would call a friend until
the day I died. Reeve was a friend I’d take a bullet for.

“He saved your
life.”

“He did.”

“Do you keep
in touch?”

“Of course. We
have a bond no one can break.”

“Does he live
in Ogden as well?”

Fuck! Why
so many questions, Emma? I don’t want to lie to you.
I hated
the feeling. Hadn’t Emma herself said that secrets could destroy
people? But I couldn’t tell her the truth. I had to pay my debt and
keep my end of the bargain. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at
all. Why did she have to be so beautiful and charming and witty?
Why had the girl who was described to me as a spoiled brat turned
out to be a smart woman I would give my life for?

“No, he
doesn’t. But not too far.”

An hour plane
trip away, you could say.

“What part of
the military did Reeve go into?”

“Why? Do you
think you’d prefer an army guy over a cowboy?”

“Don’t be
jealous. You’ve been there too, so technically you’re an army
cowboy.”

“I’m not
jealous, Em. I’m just trying to figure out why so many
questions.”

“I’m curious
by nature. I know a lot of men who served the country, including my
father. Besides, the more information the better.”

“You don’t
say.”

“Are you
making fun of me?”

“Yes. Will
that get me in trouble with my PI?”

She yawned.
“Yes, big trouble. In fact, trouble is my middle name.”

That I could
believe.

“You’re
tired.”

“It’s been a
long day.”

It had been a
long day, but it hadn’t changed how much I ached for Emma. I was
drawn to her like a bear to a beehive and Emma was overflowing with
sweetness – sweetness I would give anything to taste again. I
shifted in my seat.

“I can’t
believe you’ve gone through so much in your life. The shooting,
your kidnapping. How did you get over it?”

“I don’t think
I did. It’s with me every day. I don’t trust easily – almost
ever.”

She sat
quietly for a moment before she spoke again. “Do you trust me?”

The car was
rolling down my driveway, and when I shifted the gears in to park,
I breathed out, “Yes. With my life.”

“Why?” She
cocked her head to the side.

“I don’t know,
Em. Why do birds fly? Why is the sky blue? Why do you make me feel
like a man not worthy of you?”

“I don’t try
to.”

“I know you
don’t. It’s me, Em. Always feeling like I can’t be enough for
anyone. And with you, I just know I can count on you, and I wish I
could reciprocate, instead of…”

…
failing
you, the way I failed Annabelle and Reeve.

“Instead of
what, Eric?” she whispered.

With my arms
braced against the steering wheel, I shook my head, saying, “To
this day I have nightmares and fear for my sister’s safety. You
know, because of her kidnapping.”

“You should go
to San Francisco. Check up on her.”

“How would you
feel if Julian and Tristan came here to check up on you?”

She slouched
in her seat. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

“But I did
send a friend to do it for me.” I grinned.

I could see
her thinking. The wheels in her head were spinning. Had I said too
much?

“Sneaking
around behind her back?” she asked.

“It’s out of
love.” I shrugged.

“It’s
clever.”

“Thank
you.”

I will
remember that when the time comes and you hate me.

“What if
Julian or Tristan checked up on you?”

“The old me
would say it’s out of love.”

“The old
you?”

“Before my
accident. They were much more easygoing. Afterward, not so
much.”

“Because they
love you.”

“I know they
do. But I want their brotherly love of wedgies and noogies instead
of constant harassment.”

I finally
turned the engine off. Looking over at her I asked, “Have you
talked to them about it?”

“Have you
talked to your sister about your concerns?”

“No. So, let’s
make a pact.”

Her eyes grew
to double their size. “I’m listening.”

“Within the
next month, we’ll each talk to our siblings.”

“And I can
trust you to do so?”

“Emma, I
promise you that you can trust me with anything. I would never
betray you.”

Failure is
another beast, though, and since I’d been lying to her the day I’d
walked into her office, I had a feeling my failure would turn into
the biggest betrayer of my life.

C
HAPTER
18

Emma

By the time we
returned to Eric’s house, I was exhausted. My brain felt as if it
was fried and squeezed through a meat grinder and if I didn’t get
any sleep, I’d fall over.

“I’m sorry,
Emma. This was a lot to take in today.”

“No, I had a
wonderful time, but I’d like to stay in tomorrow to do some
research on my computer.”

“You just say
the word, and I’ll stay out of your way.”

“I don’t mind
you being here.” I hoped Eric wouldn’t leave for the day just to
let me work. I enjoyed his company and felt so at ease with him, I
could have sworn we’d known each other in a previous life. Plus,
after that little session he gave me by the barn I couldn’t help
but hope for more. “I may have some questions.”

“I have work
to do of my own with the horses, so I’ll definitely be around.”

“Good.” I was
standing in the doorway to my bedroom, suddenly feeling nervous.
Eric stepped from one foot to another, hesitating. Was he nervous
as well?

“I’d like to
take a shower, if you don’t mind,” I finally said.

“Go ahead. I
have some work to do, but I’ll be back soon.”

And he
left.

I quickly
jumped in the shower, taking note of the meticulous way the soap
and the sponge had been stacked on one side, as well as his body
wash and shampoo. Eric’s home was cleaner than the bachelor pads I
remembered my brothers living in. I picked up a bottle, flicked it
open, and inhaled the scent, immediately imagining Eric next to
me.

“Amazing,” I
whispered as his torturous words of barn fucking drifted back to my
mind. I pictured him over me, the tinge of his sweat mixing with
the aqua aroma as I spread the soap over my own body. For the first
time in years, I tried to remember how it would feel to have a man
inside me again, and the thought awoke a new wave of heat and
desire between my legs. It had been so long – too long since a man
had touched me. What I’d allowed Eric to do to me against that barn
was absolutely sinful. I wanted it again. I wanted more. I needed
Eric like I hadn’t needed a man in a long time, and I knew that the
dildo hiding in my bathroom back in New York would never be enough.
Although not many knew, I was a complete opposite to what my
reputation suggested. While I chose to give my brothers the
impression of a party girl, it didn’t mean that I was one. I
desperately tried to stop everyone worrying about me, showing them
I was over the accident and had moved on, when deep inside my heart
had always ached for someone I could bare my soul to – someone like
Eric, who was now so much more than another name on a file.

After the
shower I lay flat on my back, sinking into the soft mattress. I
wasn’t sure how long I’d stayed like this, but I think I dozed off.
When I heard Eric turn on the shower, thoughts of his naked body
nearby filled my mind. I imagined the water cascading over his
muscles as he lathered a sponge and drew it over his arms and abs,
the way he’d flex and stretch. I fought the urge to rip my shirt
and panties off and jump back into the shower. I checked the clock
on the nightstand – six o’clock. There was no way I’d be able to
fall back asleep until he was done, so I hopped out of bed and
headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea.

The smell of
burning wood and the crackling sound of logs breaking apart filled
the house. Eric had lit the fireplace. I brewed my tea and sat down
in front of the fireplace, forgetting the work that had brought me
to Eric’s home just for a moment. It had been a long time since I’d
been able to relax. Spending the day with Eric, even though I’d
been working, had been one of the best days I’d had in a long time.
He rekindled a hope I’d lost the night David died. And the way Eric
looked at me made me feel like I was worth millions and like there
was no other woman in the world he wanted more. My need to help him
put his past behind and find John Huntz grew. I wanted him happy,
healed, and proud of the work I’d done. I needed his justice almost
as much as he did.

And his family
was so pained. I could see it in his mother’s eyes and his father’s
sagging cheeks. They were troubled – and it wasn’t solely because
of what had happened in the past. Whatever burden they carried now
was different. They lived in fear, which they were hiding from
Eric, and I suspected that fear was somehow justified. Part of me
wanted to tell him what I’d seen at their house. The overwhelming
number of locks and bolts sent shivers of their fear up my own
spine. Another part needed to secure the evidence first.

A shuffle of
footsteps startled me, and I jolted up.

“I’m sorry, I
thought you were asleep.” Eric stood in the doorway leading to the
bathroom. A white towel was wrapped around his waist and another
one hung on the back of his neck, draped over his shoulders. He
must have just fluffed his hair. The two piercings in his nipples
reflected the flames of the fireplace. Along with that sleeve
tattoo, that was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. Beads of water
dripped off his chest like perfect pearls, leading down the middle
path of his abs. I followed their trail down to the sculpted V
above his hips that narrowed near the edge of the towel. It was a
miracle that the fabric managed to stay fastened below his hip
bones. A darker shadow of hair was sprinkled just above the towel,
and I felt my heart pick up speed as I looked away. A bit more
staring and I’d be the one to eat him alive.

“I dozed off.
It’s too early to go in for the night.” I shifted uncomfortably in
my seat, suddenly feeling as if every single one of my nerve
endings was tapped into a live wire streaming erotic vibes.

“Is something
wrong?”

“No, it’s just
that… you in the shower… I needed some tea.” Was my voice
shaking?

“I hope I
wasn’t too loud.”

I stood up
quickly, nearly spilling my tea, and Eric froze. His gaze snaked
down my body and I realized I was wearing only my panties and a
button-up plaid shirt I’d bought earlier in the day. I was sure my
body had already betrayed me as the ache in my nipples pulsed
through the fabric. “I should go.” The whisper that came out of my
mouth was convincing neither him nor me. I watched him breathe from
the distance, noting how my slow inhales moved in tandem with
his.

And after
three long and determined steps, Eric was in front of me. We
collided and I was in his embrace, wrapping my arms around him like
an anaconda, pressing against his lean body, kissing him with the
desperation that had been building inside me. If his lips and body
were to disappear right now, I’d crumble. I needed him more than
air. I wanted him more than life, and in that moment, I’d do
anything he asked of me.