Authors: Amie Nichols
“I was letting it sink in, I was just taking some time.” I realize now what a total ass I've been. She told me about her past, something she can't change, and I shut her down. I went back to the boat after just a short time and she was already gone. I didn't feel like I was cooled off enough to go searching for her so I came to Suzy's.
“Take all the time you need, but get Suzy out of here while you are doing it.” She avoids my eyes and turns to walk away from me.
“What about you, where are you going to go?” I grab her arm, swinging her around to stop her from walking away from me.
“I've been taking care of myself for a long time, Justin. I don't need you to protect me. I'm used to being on my own,” she bites, her fiery side coming out again.
“You are not on your own, I'm here.” I move her so she is forced to look in my eyes.
“Where can you take her?” She ignores my comment completely.
“I will send her to my grandfather’s cabin, it's off the beaten path and no one knows about it.” I sigh, running my hand through my hair in frustration. I'm not leaving her, there is still something she is not telling me.
“You go with her, that way I know she's safe,” she orders me. I stand back in shock at her sudden assertiveness.
“Only if you are coming also,” I order right back. She stands there staring at me for a few seconds, like she is weighing her options. Is it worth arguing about, or is it just easier to give in now because she knows that is what she will end up doing anyway?
"Fine, but we need at least two vehicles," she says, and I nod in agreement.
"Suzy will come with me, and I want to be driving behind you."
"I don't know where I'm going, it would be better if I follow you," she argues.
"Hell no, I will tell you. That is what cell phones are for. I'm not chancing losing sight of you in the dark," I order, and walk out of the room before she has a chance to argue.
Telling Suzy all of this is going to be fun. I don't even know the whole story and she is not going to leave this house easily.
“What's going on?” Suzy yells when I return to the living room where she's been pacing.
“We need to go to Grandpa's cabin, I will explain everything when we get there.” I'm hoping the direct approach will work. I should've known better when I get a look of what-the-fuck.
“Please, Suzy, it has to do with Jade. It seems as though he was into more than just lobster. Some very bad men are on their way here to collect and until we know what they want, you need to be hidden,” Ellie says, stepping beside me.
“What do you mean, 'what they want’?” Suzy retorts, using her fingers as quotation marks.
“I know firsthand what these men will do, and trust me you don't want to be on the receiving end of their anger. This is not a request, this is me telling you that you are in danger, and I mean scary, this-only-happens-in-the-movies danger
,
” Ellie states, so matter-of-fact that it sends a chill through me. I'm scared now, and so is Suzy. Once we get to the cabin I am going to find out everything Ellie has not told me yet. I have to hand it to her, the scare-the-ever-living-daylights-out-of-Suzy has worked. She runs out of the room and up the stairs saying she is going to pack a bag.
Chapter 32
Ellie
While we wait for Suzy, I hear an all too familiar sound. The ground-shaking rumble of a pack of motorcycles. The sound sends chills down my spine. I dart to the light switch, flipping it off. I want to look out the window but don't want anyone to see me. With my thumb and forefinger I lift a space through the blinds. Justin stands behind me, instantly sensing the danger. It's a pack of six, wearing leathers. It's dark so I can't see faces. They slow in front of Suzy's house, the ‘front door’, or the first rider, motions for the rest to stop.
I strain my eyes to see if I can recognize him. He has a full beard, and a bandanna wrapped around his forehead. I can see he is tall and muscular framed, but I can't make out the writing on the jacket. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that they're LDR.
“Who—” Justin starts to talk and I hold up my finger to my lips. I'm trying to hear what they are saying now that the bikes are idle. They are interrupted though by a curious neighbor stepping onto the front stoop of his house holding a cell phone up to his ear.
The leader looks from the man to Suzy's house contemplating a move. Either he has orders not to engage or he decides now is not the time. He motions to the rest of the pack and they rev their engines, driving off. I watch as they disappear down the street. Now that they are gone I realize how fast my heart is beating.
“Was that Fausto?” Justin whispers behind me.
“No, Fausto hates motorcycles. That was all Chico. Probably what was left of Chico's men, ones that aren't wanted. There are a few not in hiding or on most wanted lists.” I turn to face him and he's so close I have to stretch my neck to see his face. Now my heart's beating faster for another reason. I can feel the heat coming off him.
“There was a guy in The Gull a few days ago, Jim said he had on a leather jacket and looked like a gang member. He was asking questions about the disappearance,” he reveals to me, making my insides tighten.
“Fuck, they've been here a few days. What if one of them saw me?” The lights turn on startling us both and our heads turn simultaneously to see Suzy standing at the door.
“Why were the lights off?” she asks, staring at us. I can't think straight, my mind only on the fact that Fausto might already know I'm here.
“We need to go now, Suzy.” I absentmindedly pull my gun from my hip holster that was hidden by my jacket, checking the clip and making sure there is one in the chamber.
“Wait, no.” Justin grabs my upper arm, pulling me back around so I am facing him. “I'm not letting you out of my sight,” he orders.
“Justin, we don't have time to do this.” I'm panicked and he knows it. He doesn't know the extent of why I am scared of Fausto. “We need to leave now.” I state, holstering my gun again as Justin watches me intently.
“Then we all go together,” he says after a second. I know him well enough now to know better than to argue with him.
“Fine.” I don't want to waste any more time. I step to Suzy and grab her duffle bag and wait by the door.
“Keys,” Justin says, walking up to me holding out his hand. I put the keys to the rental in his hands and he strides out, pleased with himself that he won this one. Suzy locks the door behind us and I climb in the back getting an unhappy look from Justin.
What? All of a sudden we are fine
, I want to scream at him. He has been a gigantic ass.
Justin takes extra side roads to make sure we aren't being followed. I was just about to tell him to do it when he did it on his own. With his SEAL training he knows how to spot a tail. I text Cody to let him know about the six LDR. I'm not sure, but if I had to guess, the leader was Sebastian. Sebastian would recognize Cody and me in an instant. He was Chico's number two. He wasn't there the day of the raid and disappeared, waiting for the smoke to clear before resurfacing. When he came back on the grid he had lawyered up and never had to do jail time.
Cody texts me back telling me to be careful, that he is on his way. It's about ten p.m. and the car is silent as Justin takes us over Orr's Bridge, the only way off Bailey Island. After about fifteen minutes I scoot up and poke my head between the seats. Suzy is sound asleep.
“She took some pills, she'll be out all night,” Justin answers my unasked question of how she is so relaxed that she could be sleeping and not asking a thousand questions. “How are you?” he asks, looking into the rearview mirror at me.
“Fine, just worried about Suzy's safety,” I answer in as calm a voice as I can muster.
“Okay, we should be there in about forty minutes,” Justin says apprehensively. He knows there’s more, a lot more, and I know as soon as we arrive at the cabin I'm going to have to tell him the rest.
Chapter 33
The stranger at the B&B.
When I hear Agent Marks is on the move, the first call I make is to Deputy Director Carl Parson's cell phone.
“Just a minute,” he says when he picks up the line. I hear him moving around and then hear a door close. “You can't call me like this,” Carl says, noticeably irritated.
“What does she know?” I demand into the phone.
“She's smart, what did you expect? And what am I supposed to do when Fausto Alverez is in the United States and my agents know about it?” I can tell he is talking through his teeth. His job is on the line right now, and if anyone finds out what Director Parsons has done, his freedom.
“Why didn't you inform me she knew?” This is not good, she's on high alert and knows he's coming. She needs to be here when he comes, or he's not going to be happy. We don't know where the gold or the brothers are. He just laughed when we told him that we lost our payday.
“Because shit is hitting the fan, I couldn't risk contacting you,” he says in a loud whisper.
“Well, you better find a way to get her back, or find out where she is going. He will not be happy if we lose her,” I shout into the phone, before hanging up.
Chapter 34
Justin
After about forty-five minutes we reach Card Cove, pulling onto Casco's Way. It only takes a few more minutes to reach the cabin.
“Do you need help with her?” Ellie asks as we both get out of the car. I walk around to the passenger side to carry my out-like-a-light sister into the cabin.
“Just get the door.” I toss the key to the cabin to Ellie, who hurries up on the deck to unlock the door. I left the headlights of the car on so we could see. It's pitch black here, being in the middle of nowhere. There is wooded area on one side and an ocean inlet on the other.
Ellie turns the lights on in the cabin and I step by her with Suzy cradled in my arms. I nod to one of the bedrooms and Ellie hurries to open the door. She moves the covers back on the small bed and I lay Suzy down. She barely stirs as Ellie covers her up and we walk out, shutting the door.
“I'll get the bags,” I tell her as we stand awkwardly staring at each other.
“I'll help,” she says, following me out to the car. I shut off the headlights and grab Suzy's duffle. Ellie has a duffle bag also and a laptop bag.
“I'll take the couch, you can have the other bedroom,” I tell her once we are inside and I have the door securely locked. I move to all the windows making sure they are locked.
“No, you can have the bedroom. It's your cabin after all,” she whispers. She is avoiding eye contact with me. What I really want to do right now is lift her up in my arms, carry her in the bedroom, and fuck the hell out of her. I want to forget about what she told me and make her forget she ever had to do something like that in the first place.
I'm standing next to the couch now where she has no choice but to look at me or walk around me. I know she is mad, and she has every right to be. She told me it was her past and she couldn't change it. She also told me she believed in me and that I wouldn't judge her. I reassured her that no matter what she told me it wouldn't affect the way I thought about her. She trusted me with her story and I acted like a huge jerk.
When she goes to move around me I reach out to her. Grasping the nape of her neck, I make her head tilt up so she has no choice but to look in my eyes.
“Sweetheart, I'm sorry,” I whisper and she grabs my wrist that is by her neck. She is not trying to get away. She is making contact. Like two magnets, we are drawn to each other. Our lips crash, the contact hard and needy. Not letting an inch between us, she rakes her nails across my back as she tries to get as close to me as she can.
“Is that a gun in your pocket or you just happy to see me,” I breathe when her Glock digs into my hip. I don't know why, but it turns me on more when she pulls the gun out of its holster. With lightning speed, she pulls the clip, empties the chamber, and clicks on the safety before setting it on the table next to the couch.
She looks up at me through her lashes with a sweet little smile before she is back on me. Jumping in my arms, I have her ass in my hands as she claws at the back of my head. Our tongues darting in each other's mouths as I carry her into the bedroom. I kick the door shut with my foot, not wanting to let her mouth go. She hangs on for dear life and as I lower her onto the bed she brings me with her.
“Babe,” I lift myself up, her head coming with me as she tries not to break our kiss. “Babes, I need to say something,” I mumble into her mouth.
“No, please, I can't handle it,” she pleads, her head falling down onto the bed. I see tears well in her eyes.
“What do you think I'm going to say?” I can't help but chuckle.
“I...wait,” she stutters. “What are you going to say?” she sees my smile, and she is visibly confused.
“You first,” I insist, kissing the tip of her nose.
“That this is just sex, and that you could never be with me,” her voice cracks and a tear runs down the side of her face, the salty droplets absorb in her hair.
“That's pretty specific.” I lift an eyebrow. Is that really what she thinks of me?
“I don't know, I'm just so in love with you—” Her hand goes up, her palm pressing on her forehead as she waits for my reaction.
“I'm in love with you, too, that is what I wanted to say. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I—” Her mouth is on mine, her arms wrapped around my neck as she smiles against my lips.
Her hands travel down my back, fingers digging at my shirt as she tries desperately to get it off. Holding myself up with one arm, I grab the back of my shirt and pull it over my head. Her warm hands are everywhere, like she wants to touch every inch of me.
I pull up her shirt and cup her breast, palming her hard nipple through her thin lacy bra. My lips go to her neck and her soft moans of pleasure against my ear make my dick throb. Pressing myself against her, she bucks her hips, pressing her pussy against me. Even through our jeans I feel like I could come.
I roll over, pulling her on top of me. She crosses her arms at the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head. Reaching behind her back, she undoes her bra. I help the straps down her shoulders and off her arms.
“Beautiful, you are so fucking beautiful, babe,” I groan, sitting up so I can take her nipple in my mouth. Her hand presses on the back of my head as she arches into me. Her hips sway so her pussy rubs against my rock hard cock. My hands are pressed firmly against her back as I kiss up her neck and over her jaw. I bite her chin lightly before taking her lips with mine.