Lies Beneath the Surface (Buried Secrets #2) (16 page)

“Eh, you know. Girl stuff.”
I reply.

“Y’alls been out with these two little princesse
s all day and still have your sanity?” He laughs, pointing to Brailee and Heidi Jo.

“They’ve been stu
ck to each other’s hips so much I don’t think they even acknowledged us until it was time to eat.” Savannah laughs nervously. Luke stares at her curiously for a minute. She drops her head, her hair hiding her face. Luke scoots away, giving her room to breathe as he picks up on her discomfort.

Leaning
in to me and he whispers, “Good sign seein’ Heidi Jo here with ya, beauts.”

“Not really. It is what it i
s.” If our love could strengthen just by the faith of our family and friends, Colton and I would be unbreakable. But it just don’t work like that. It’s sweet that everyone is concerned for our relationship, but honestly I hate that everyone is watching our drama unfold like a cheap daytime soap opera. There’s so much more to Colton and me, but it’s all hidden by the pending doom of ‘who’s the daddy.’

Luke pulls
his phone from his pocket, glancing down at the screen quickly. “Well, Momma just showed up, so I’ll leave you ladies to your supper.” He says rising tall to his feet, flexing his arms at his side. Savannah gazes up at him shamefully, with a sad look etched in her eyes and it worries me. “Call me this week and we’ll do lunch. Maybe Savannah can join us again.” He smiles brightly, turning on his heels as we call out goodbye to him.

“You okay, Sis?” I ask Savannah. She alway
s seems off kilter around Luke and it worries me. I don’t want her to feel unease with my best friend.

“
Peachy keen, sweets.” She smiles sweetly, but her voice is low.

“Can we get cupcakes yet?” Brailee asks.

“No, I want frozen yogurt! Only Carly Jo let’s me have the good stuff when it’s cold. Please, please, Carly Jo.” Heidi Jo shrills, piercing Brailee with a rotten scowl.

“Let’s have both!” I announce excitedly, pouncing up f
rom the table. Both girls laugh and scoot out of their seats to follow behind me.

We finish our evening back at the
mall food court to appease the girls’ sweet tooth. Acting
‘grown up’
the girls sit a few tables ahead of Savannah and me clear within sight, but far enough away for privacy. Savannah is swirling her spoon around in the yogurt cup with her head resting on her hand. She’s distant, almost on another planet even. She hasn’t talked much at all since we left Jaxson’s. “Hey,” I whisper laying my hand on her wrist and she flinches at my touch. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She stammers.

“Savannah, you know you can talk to me if something is bothering you, right? I sure load enough of my own drama on you. So if you need to talk, just let it out.” I try to grip her hand in mine, but she pulls away instantly. Red flags start to fly up and I’m concerned about why she doesn’t want to be touched.

“
Thanks, Sis. Nothing to worry you with.” She mutters quietly, keeping her face down. I can see the pain etched on her face, but whatever is eating at her I don’t think she’s ready to let it out just yet. I argue with myself internally over whether to push her to talk or if I should let it go. Being persistent and impatient, I press her to talk.

“Savannah, what’s up with you drawing away every time someone touches you?”
She wrings her hands together in her lap, chewing on the side of her lip just like I do when I’m nervous. I tilt my head down so I can look at her and when our eyes lock, she know’s she’s been made. Anguish is smeared all over her beautiful face, but I don’t know why. “Talk to me. I can see that something is hurting you, but I can’t help you until you tell me how I can help.” I plead with her, scared for my big sister. I know the depths that we bury our secrets and the lengths we go to hide that shame that we carry.

She turns to me slowly, he
r eyes filled with heavy tears that are threatening to spill over at any moment. “What draws you to Luke?” She asks quietly. What the hell? Luke?

“Luke? Savannah, what does Luke have to do with anything? You’ve only met him a handful of times.”

“Just answer me, please.” She begs, wiping the rebel tear from her cheek. I sigh, deciding to play along with her. I tap my fingers on the table for a moment, deciding the best way to answer.

“He’
s sincere.” I state, thinking hard about the best qualities Luke carries. “He’s comforting, he know’s just what to say when the words are needed the most. It’s almost like he’s Superman and can see straight through me. No matter how hard I try to cover up the pain I carry, he sees it, feels it even.”

Her tears run down her face and a faint whimper escapes her lips. She lays her face in her hands, shielding herself from everyone around her.
“Let’s go to your house, so we can talk in private.” I offer, but her head snaps up twisting toward me like she’s been possessed by the exorcist.

“No!” She sho
uts, cupping her hand over her mouth trying to catch the word as fast as it slips from her lips. I lurch back in my seat, shocked at her reaction. That breaking point I mentioned earlier, this may just be it for Savannah. I resolve to stow my line of questioning for now, because whatever is gnawing at her is explosive and she may not forgive me for causing a public meltdown.

“Calm down.
” I whisper across the table as I glance over checking on the girls who are content by themselves. “Come over tomorrow for dinner and we can talk then. Hell, you can come tonight if you need to. But don’t bury it, Savannah. I know all too well what buried secrets do to a kind heart.”

She stifles back the tears dabbing her face with a napkin as she inhales a deep breath. She
pulls her shoulders back and plasters on one of the fakest smiles I’ve ever seen. “Thanks for a fun day out, Sis. We’ll have to do it more often.” Knowing not to press her, I nod, remaining silent. She stands up calling to Brailee who immediately begins to whine about leaving behind her new best friend. I promise them that they will see each again very soon as I pull both Heidi Jo and Brailee into hug. Without offering a hug, Savannah tells me she will call me later in the week before her and Brailee turn to leave.

The shift in her demeanor when Luke showed up at Jaxson’s worries me
. They’ve only met a few times and he’s always a gentleman. And then it feels like a ton of bricks tumbling down on me. Luke saw through her façade. He saw through her pain and he knows her secret.

“Ms. Runyon will see you now, Ms. Simon,” Jodie, the sweet receptionist announces as she waits at the hallway entry. Tossing my purse over my shoulder, I follow her down the hallway into Michele’s office. She’s sitting behind a beautiful mahogany desk with a matching bookshelf lining the wall behind her. She doesn’t acknowledge me as Jodie introduces me as the next appointment. She flips her copper hair over the side of her shoulder and thumbs through a case file with black wire brim glasses tipping the end of her pug nose. Her emerald eyes are pinched together by a deep furrowing brow as she studies the file.  I take a seat in front of the desk, waiting impatiently. Her silence pokes at my nerves and it takes everything in me to compose myself.

“Ms. Simon, how’s everything been down at Simon Energy?” She questions, still studying the file, her eyes not once glancing in my direction.

“Quiet; sorta like the calm before the storm, and it scares the hell out of me.” She closes the file, folding her hands together and placing them on top of the desk as she pierces me with a pointed glare.

“Quiet is usually good,” she stews, “but in this case, please be careful. We are still investigating the destruction at Black Ridge. But at this time we’ve passed that investigation down to a junior investigator as Tiffani is focusing her investigation on Drew and Josh.” She slides a manila folder in my direction before continuing. “Have you been keeping up with the Black Pike fiasco over in Hatfield County?” I shift my eyes down, searching my memory bank for anything Black Pike. It seems familiar, but I can’t put my finger on anything specific. Shaking my head, Michele continues. “Black Pike is the mining company under fire for contaminating the public water supply in many small towns in Hatfield County. Until now it appeared as a ghost company with the ownership being hidden in the Destin Andrews Trust. The owners were clever enough hiding this rogue company under a trust. But they weren’t counting on me to uncover their lies and to expose them for the world to see.” She grins proudly, “and I plan to do just that.”

“Spit it out already, Michele.” I snap, annoyed with her dragging about small details. Tell me the facts and get on with it. I don’t need to see how the sausage is made, only what it taste like.

“The majority owner is Josh Moore. Drew Varney is a silent partner. The original owner however, was Big John Simon.” She pauses, letting the words soak in, but I show no shock to her statement. I’m over the shock and awe of Daddy’s tainted past. “The class action lawsuit accuses Black Pike of depositing billions of gallons of coal slurry into the ground for over nearly twenty years in small mining communities such as Shelby, Logan Creek, and Stratton. Most of these homes still have ground wells and have suffered immensely from chemical exposure.” The picture is becoming clearer and clearer.

“How much are they asking for?” I ask her and a devious grin splays across her freckled face.

“More than the two of them are even worth. Black Pike has been seized and company accounts have been frozen. They just need someone to admit ownership of the company to go after them. Big John knew what he was doing with Black Pike twenty years ago, Carly, when he started doing it. He had a keen business sense, I’ll give him that.”

“He was a bastard, Michele. Only out for himself. Hundreds of families have been affected by this and all this time he knew. All this time, Drew and Josh knew. That just shows what sinister minds they all have.” I seethe as the anger rushes from me.

“Carly, I think this is why Drew is coming after Simon Energy as abrasive as he has been. He knows it’s only a matter of time before they find out that he is a partner in Black Pike and come after him personally. This isn’t just an MSHA violation. This is EPA violations, million dollar fines, bankruptcy and jail time.”

“I hope the bastards rot under the damn jail cell.”

“They will, Carly. I promise you that. For now, you need to get your sister and her children away from Josh. I don’t know what I can do as far as saving any of their assets, but she needs to distance herself from him.”

“I’ll try, Michele. Savannah has been indifferent lately, so I don’t know that I can get through to her. But I’ll try. Is that all you have for me today?” I ask clutching the strap of my purse in my hand as I cling to edge of the seat ready to bolt out of here.

“No contact with Drew or Josh. I’ll call you when I have more.” I nod, pressing up to my feet and leaving her office. I stalk outside welcoming the cold, chilling wind. My face is flush with heat and beads of sweat line my forehead. I knew Drew had an ulterior motive for wanting to
overtake Simon Energy, but I thought he was just a greedy bastard wanting the empire he felt he deserved. It’s an even bigger slap to the face knowing that he wants my company only to save his ass. This prick is gonna fall hard when I’m done with him. I’m sick of the games and I can’t wait to bring his world crashing down around him.

I plop down in the seat of the Camaro, starting the engine and flip the air conditioner on instead of the heat. My phone chirps so I pull it from my purse to check the message.

Luke: We need to talk.

I reply quickly as I shift the car in reverse.

Me: Come by the office in an hour.

I pull onto the road heading east towards Simon Energy. The sun peeks through the clouds shooting bright, sparkly rays of light through the bare trees that are begging for spring to welcome them new life. Ten minutes into the drive I notice a black SUV in my rearview mirror, trailing me closely. Since the roads are dry I speed up a bit, ignoring the other driver. Damn, I hope this is sheer coincidence. The black SUV hangs back, hugging the curves with ease as he follows behind me at a safe distance. Suddenly, the driver whips to my left and comes zooming around me. My heart lurches into my throat as I brace the steering wheel tightly, ready for the impact. He speeds off into the distance, driving so fast that I couldn’t even get a glimpse at his license plate. This is the second time I’ve been followed by this asshole, and I fear what the driver’s motives are. These back hill country roads are narrow and winding with cliffs that could send you tumbling to your demise within seconds. The worst thing about it is if you go over nobody would even know you were there unless they watched you tip the cliff.

My heart thunders in my chest as the anxiety consumes me, and I crank up the stereo to take my mind off of the elusive driver. The thudding bass of music pounds in my ears, calming me slowly as I drive to the mines. The more days I spend in Williamstown, the more I wish I’d never returned. Too much danger lies here.

When I pull into the gravel lot I see a black Range Rover parked in my space. I park beside the sleek SUV then shut the engine of the Camaro down. Making my way around the back of the car, the door to the Range Rover swings open revealing Drew Varney. He climbs from the car and straightens his jacket as he looks up at me with an evil smirk. “Mornin’ Sis. How are you this beautiful day?” He leans against the car crossing his arms over his chest.

“Damn, I guess I’m gonna have to have a talk with security about letting bastards on my property. The exit’s that way…move your piece of shit import, before I have you removed by the KSP for trespassing.” I sneer as I begin walking to the office.

“You know, Carly, things would be so much easier on the both of us if you just hand over what is rightfully mine.”

“Not havin’ this conversation with you this morning Drew. But I will ask, why is it that you drag your sorry ass around both times that there has been vandalism at my mines? I don’t see it as a coincidence at all. So if you think costing me money is gonna scare me into handing over the company, you best find a better way to come at me. Because so far, I’m not impressed.” I glance at him boringly.

“Carly, if you are accusing me of anything, you better have your facts straight first.” He chuckles.

“Oh you’ll slip up soon enough you son of a bitch and when you do I’ll have you by your damn balls!”

The sinister laugh that erupts from his chest causes me to take a step back. “Oh the look on your face when you heard Brailee and Braden call me Uncle Drew was priceless.” He takes a step forward closing the space between us, his laughter dying. Through gritted teeth he sneers, “Don’t count on me giving up or slipping up. One thing our bastard Dad did teach me was to always cover my ass.” I lurch backward trying to distance myself from him. You can’t trust this bastard.

“You were clever pulling the wool over Savannah’s eyes. Making her fall in love with Josh, building their happy little family. But nothing is ever as it appears. I’ll figure out that son of a bitch’s secrets soon enough too. Now, you have two seconds to get in your car and get your ass off of my property before I call the KSP. I’m giving you the opportunity to go willingly or you can have some nice silver bracelets if you prefer.” He clutches his hand around my throat shoving my back against the Camaro, raising my feet off the ground. Nose to nose I peer into his hazel eyes, and the look of evil staring back at me causes my heart to race.

“Don’t threaten me Carly. You have one month to sign Simon Energy over to me before my wrath of hell unleashes on all that you love.” I try to pull the air into my lungs, but the grip of his strong hands around my throat is too tight. My vision blurs as I claw against his hand, and he laughs at my attempt to break free. “Such a pathetic, stupid little bitch. You disgust me,” he seethes, and the scent of bourbon on his breath causes my stomach to roll. 

Suddenly, the grip on my throat loosens and I fall to the ground. My head thuds against the concrete as I fight to draw air into my lungs quickly. My vision blurs a white, foggy haze and my chest constricts tightly as fear races through my veins. I flutter my eyes up searching for Drew and see Colton’s hand braced around his throat. His right fist crashes against the side of Drew’s face as blood splatters against the rim of the Range Rover. Drew reaches out clawing at Colton’s face, swinging his arms about trying to land any point of contact necessary. But Colton’s adrenaline is wild with fury and far too much for Drew to contain. Colton continues to beat Drew in the face and head until Drew’s arms fall limp to the ground and he’s gargling on his own blood.

Something in Colton breaks when he sees me pleading with the ground for oxygen. He rushes over and gently scoops me up into his arms, carrying me quickly to his truck. Laying me in the front seat, he hurries around the hood of the truck then climbs inside roaring the engine to life quickly. He pulls his cell phone from his pocket and yells into the phone when the caller answers. I can only hear Colton’s side of the conversation and my head lulls between lucidity and dream as he speaks. Police, attacked, girlfriend, bleeding…silence.

The oxygen I’ve been clinging too over the last few minutes finally escapes me and the world falls black. Thump. Thump. Thump. I hear, slowly assaulting my ears. I feel heavy, cold; lifeless even. I just want to crawl into the peacefulness and let the darkness wash away every thought and memory that possesses my mind. I feel a warm hand encase my face and as quickly as the oxygen escaped my lungs, it now soars through me. I jolt upright suddenly panting for air. Looking around me I see a worried Colton with blood stained knuckles gripping the steering wheel as the barren trees flash by us swiftly.

“Wh-wha-what hap-ppened.” I stammer slowly.

“Lay back, we’re almost at the hospital.” He begs, worry filling his tired eyes.

“N-no. N-no ho-sp, hosp-spiittal. Pweeese.” I beg and I can’t understand why my words are so slurred.

“Darlin’, you fell. We have to have the baby checked out. Damn it, don’t argue with me woman.” He yells before punching the steering wheel, causing blood to ooze from the open wounds. I curl my legs into my chest wincing my eyes shut. The curvy roads take my stomach with them on each twist and turn and it takes everything in me not to vomit. Suddenly the truck halts to an abrupt stop, but when I open my eyes everything is fuzzy. I hear the truck door slam shut then cold air blankets my face. I feel strong, warm arms encase me and my body bounces with each step. Noise envelopes my hearing, but when I try to pry my heavy eyes open, the light sends throbbing pain through my head. Shouting, beeping, and the distinct sterile smell tells me we’re in the hospital.

“Sir, please lay her on this bed, and the doctor will be right in to exam her.” I hear the nurse state. She sounds old, but her dialect is laced with true southern charm.

“Hell no! I ain’t lettin’ her go. You scoot your ass and tell that doctor to get my darlin’ checked now.” He barks out loudly, and I wince in his arms at his thunderous tone. “Shhh, darlin’ I got ya. Just don’t go to sleep. Pinch my arm, and let me know you’re still with me.” He begs softly. I will my fingers to pinch him lightly and he sighs quietly at my tender touch.