Unconditional Love (35 page)

“Azurdee,” I whispered.

She turned and looked at the cab and then back at me. “What…I thought your parents’ party was tonight?”

I gave her a weak smile. “It was. Tristan and I left early. Nothing but a bunch of old people sitting around telling stories.”

She didn’t smile and my heart broke even more.

“Is that Liberty?”

I looked at Ryn sitting in the cab, then back at Azurdee, and slowly nodded my head. “Yeah.”

“Must be nice to just brush someone aside and go about your life with no thought to the person left behind hurting.”

I swallowed hard. “Who was the guy you were with?”

She looked shocked and her mouth opened a little before she tightened her jaw and said, “He’s a friend of Ryn’s. The manager here.”

I nodded my head and said, “You went back to his office. What for?”

She squared off her shoulders and said, “That’s none of your business. You made that choice when you let me walk away from you.” She turned and headed to the taxi before turning back and walking up to me. She took her finger and began poking me in the chest.

“You’re a liar, Lark. You never fucked Sherry because she was in France. She wasn’t even in town when you left town. You lied to me.”

I pushed my hand through my hair and said, “Listen, Azurdee, I just need…”

“Need what, Lark? Space? Freedom? A good fuck from a strange random girl?”

“No. I haven’t been with anyone since before our first night together. There was never anyone else, Azurdee. I’m so sorry I lied to you. I just need some time.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Did you ever even love me?”

I stood there shocked by her question. I looked around. Anyone could be watching us or listening to us.

When I saw the tear slide down her face I took a step toward her as she took a step back.

She slowly shook her head and whispered, “I hate you.”

She turned and got into the taxi, as I stood there frozen. I watched as her taxi drove off. I shook my head and felt my phone go off in my pocket. I took it out and was hoping like hell it would be Azurdee.

I read the message and said, “Fuck.” I made my way back into the club and started looking for Tristan. When I walked up to him, he looked pissed.

“Where is Liberty?”

He looked behind him and said, “Bathroom. Who do you think the fucker was who had his hands all over Ryn?”

I let out a gruff laugh and said, “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re upset because Ryn was at a club, with another guy?”

“You can’t tell me you weren’t pissed off watching Azurdee walk to the back with some guy.”

I tightened my jaw and said, “I’m going home. Are you staying?”

He shook his head. “Liberty has a headache.”

I laughed and said, “Have fun with that.”

He shot me a dirty look and said, “I’ve tried calling her. She won’t return my calls.”

“Who? Ryn?”

He nodded and looked toward the restrooms. “I’m so fucking confused. Ryn was supposed to be the girl I had fun with. The one I wasn’t going to have to worry about feelings and shit. I should have brought Liberty home at Christmas. I can at least deal with her.”

I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, ‘cause she makes you so happy.”

He snapped his head over and said, “She does, in her own little way.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Tristan. I’m leaving. You taking a cab or what?”

He let out a sigh and said, “Nah, just go on. I’ll wait for Liberty and just stay at her place tonight.”

I shook my head. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Later.”

As I walked out of the club and to my truck my heart grew heavy and the feeling that I was being followed grew even heavier. I stopped and pulled out my cell phone and hit Skip’s number before turning and seeing someone leaning against a building.

“Lark, what’s going on?”

I began walking again as I asked, “Any new leads?”

“No. None. It’s like Vazquez’s brother vanished into thin air. We have gotten a few informants to talk though. Looks like there is talk of something going down to where he might be present.”

I closed my eyes and said, “Azurdee?”

“They haven’t been able to tell if she’s being followed. Right now we don’t think so.”

I opened my eyes and looked to see that the guy who was leaning against the wall was now walking behind me texting someone.

“Well, that’s a negative for myself at the moment.”

“Fuck. You carrying?”

“Hell yeah I am,” I said as I reached and felt the pistol tucked into my holster.

“Check in when you get home. Looks like we might be heading out in a few days.”

I nodded my head and said, “Right. Got to go—at my truck and I’m just ready to get the hell home.”

“Lark, she’s gonna be safe. You did the right thing.”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “I know I did. I just wish keeping her safe wasn’t breaking her heart and making her hate me in the process.”

I stood down and looked at the report. Azurdee had been out with this Dodge guy twice in the last two weeks. I stripped out of my uniform and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. I started to make my way out to my bike when I turned and punched the wall.

“Motherfucker!” I cried out as my fist slammed into the wall.

“You know you need your hand to do your job, right?” Jason said from behind me.

I glanced over and said, “Fuck off, Philips.”

He lifted his hands and said, “Hey. I’m not the one who has a crazy guy after me trying to kill me. I just thought you’d want to make sure your shooting hand wasn’t damaged when we got the call.”

I shook my head, “The call. What call? They have no idea where this guy is. He was right there with us, Jason. Right there and I fucking let him get away.”

He walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Dude, neither one of us knew it was a setup. Let’s just be glad we got out of there alive. We’re gonna get him next time. I promise you.”

I nodded my head and said, “Yeah. I know we’ll get him. Doesn’t help that I’ve pushed the woman I love away to keep her safe and she is moving on without me.”

Jason looked away and then looked back at me. “We’ll get him, Lark. If it helps any, I’m really sorry for running to Skip about Azurdee.”

I smiled and said, “Yeah, I know you are and I know we will. I got to get going.”

Jason smiled and said, “Club tonight?”

“Nah, I can’t. Heading out to Mason. I’m going to be the godparent to my best friend’s little girl. I didn’t think we would be back in time to make it, so I’m going to head on out.”

Jason laughed and said, “Are they sure you’re the best pick?”

I chuckled and said, “I asked them the same thing.”

I decided to take my bike to Mason. I needed to feel the wind and just let it go. There was nothing better than going down a country road on a fast-ass bike.

I pulled into Scott and Jessie’s gate and hit the buzzer. “Hello?”

I smiled when I heard Jessie’s voice. “Hey beautiful. Want to buzz me in?”

“Lark?”

My smile faded when she seemed surprised it was me. “Yeah. This is the right weekend, right? Lauren’s being baptized tomorrow, right?”

“Umm, yes! Yes!” she said as she covered up the phone and said something to someone.

As the gate opened, it hit me. Azurdee would probably be here. I sat there for a few seconds as I looked up and down the road to see if there were any cars. As fast as I was driving, if anyone was following me, I would have lost them miles ago.

I started to make my way down the driveway. I let out the breath I was holding when I didn’t see Azurdee’s car. I parked my bike and turned to see Jessie and Scott walking out. Jessie looked pissed.

“Hey y’all.”

Scott shook his head slightly and gave me a warning look, but it was too late. Jessie walked up and slapped the shit out of me. I closed my eyes and then slowly opened them.

“That was for what you did to my best friend, you asshole.” She turned and looked at Scott. “Do something about this, because Azurdee will be here later. I don’t want him here when she gets here.”

“Hey, wait a minute. What’s going on between Azurdee and me has nothing to do with either one of our friendships with y’all. This has been planned for a few months now and I have every intention of being there for Lauren’s baptism.”

Jessie closed her eyes and dropped her head back and then looked at me. “God, Lark, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just I saw you and that day came flooding back, and all I could see was Azurdee on the sofa crying and her world falling apart.”

I swallowed hard and went to say something, but nothing would come out. Scott and Jessie both stood there and stared at me. I ran my hand through my hair and whispered, “Fuck.”

“I’m still in the Marine Corps. I’m a sniper, but I’m working under the CIA right now. My job is to go and kill people and we don’t really make it known that’s what I do. I do what the military doesn’t want anyone to know. The CIA has been trying to recruit me ever since they found out I’m not re-enlisting with the corps. Azurdee found out I was still in the Marines when I came back from a mission and was still dressed in my uniform. She has no idea what I do, and if she ever found out I’m afraid she would hate me. I killed one of the most sought after drug lords a few months back. The only problem was it was a setup. They were after me. Now his brother is after me, and they had pictures of Azurdee, and I had to break up with her to protect her. I love her more than anything. She’s my life. No one fucks with my life.”

When I finally took a breath and stopped talking, Scott and Jessie were just standing there staring at me. Jessie had her hand over her mouth and Scott looked confused as hell. I closed my eyes and realized what I had just done. I let a moment of weakness touch the lives of two people I cared about. I totally just put their lives and Lauren’s in danger.

“Son of a bitch. I’m sorry y’all. I should never have told y’all that. It ‘s just…I’m just. Fuck, everything is just so messed up right now. You can’t repeat what I just spit out.”

“I thought…you said you were discharged. What is Skip in all of this?” Scott asked.

“Senior level CIA agent. Or as I like to call him, my boss.”

Scott shook his head. “That house in Belize. How does he afford it, or does the CIA pay that well?”

I made a face and said, “Well…that house is actually mine. Well, my family’s house anyway.”

Scott and Jessie said at the same time, “Yours?”

I nodded my head.

“But…they knew who Skip was and…they let us go…and you said communications, you piece of shit,” Scott said as he turned and started pacing.

“Scott, I paid them to let us get through and told them to act like it was because of my boss.”

Jessie’s mouth dropped. “Are you selling drugs?”

I laughed and said, “No. I already told you I’m not doing anything illegal and for the record, Skip has a degree in communications.”

Jessie walked up to me and said, “Okay, I’m going to have to ask. How in the hell do you have a multi-million dollar condo in Austin, a house in Belize and God knows what else, when you’re just in the Marines?”

I glanced over to Scott. He frowned. “I never told Jessie about your grandparents. Then again, I never really knew how rich you were, dude.”

I looked back at Jessie. “My grandparents were very wealthy. Oil wells in Texas. When they passed away, they left everything to my brother and me. My parents are also pretty well off, not like my grandparents by any means, but the house in Belize was their house.”

“Holy shit. This explains so much,” Jessie whispered.

“It definitely explains some things, that’s for sure,” Scott said.

My phone pinged and I pulled it out to see I had a text message from Jerry.

Jerry: Sorry it took me so long. Dodge isn’t the guy’s real name. Sent you all the info in an email.

Me: Thanks. Owe you.

“I mean, now I know how you were able to look up all that information so fast and the connections you have.”

I gave him a weak smile as I said, “I do have connections, but not all of them are military. Most are CIA.”

Jessie looked at Scott and then me, “Wait. You said the CIA is trying to bring you on with them, so does that mean your time in the Marines is almost up?”

I nodded my head.

“Why didn’t you just tell Azurdee all of this?”

“I can’t. You can’t either. Why I just spilled my guts out I have no idea, but you cannot repeat anything to anyone. The less Azurdee knows, the better. I need this crazy lunatic to think that Azurdee was just another girl and no one important to me. If they think she can be used to get to me they will take her, and God knows what they would do. You cannot tell her anything.”

Scott walked backwards and when he hit the steps he sat down. “Holy shit. Lark. This is some…this is…”

“Heavy shit?” I asked as I walked over and sat down next to him.

I looked at Jessie and said, “I wasn’t even thinking about Azurdee being here because I kept thinking I was going to miss it.”

She put her hands up to her mouth again and said, “She asked if you would be here. When Scott said you were out of town I told her no. She said…she said she was bringing someone.”