Beholden: A Small-Town Standalone Romance (Carmel Cove Book 1)

by Dr. Rebecca Sharp

  I brushed by him and reached for the door, his truck keys in my hand.

  “Laurel…” he chided and then warned roughly, “This isn’t a good idea. Not with Blackman out there. I know you’re worried about her home situation, but—”

  “No buts, Eli.” My head swung side to side. “Not now. Not for her.”

  “I’m not saying no,” he ground out, his protectiveness pulsing steadily through the veins in his neck. “I’m just asking if there is any way it can wait until tomorrow night?”

  My hand froze on the doorknob as I met his stare for several long seconds. Reaching out, my small hands barely covered half of his biceps as I gripped him and stepped close, telling him softly, “I know he never asked, but I wasn’t here to help my pap when he needed it. I can’t—I won’t put Jules off. Not when she needs me.”

  There was a long pause, and I could see he never expected a different answer from me even though fear required him to ask.

  “Dammit.” He huffed, spearing his hand through his hair. He knew like I did this was a cry—a call for help. “Then I’m coming with you.”

  “No.” I meant to shake him, but his arms hardly moved with my effort. “This is something with her family—my family. And she asked me to come alone.”

  “Laurel,” he growled, and I knew this battle I might not win.

  “Please, Eli,” I pleaded. “The last time I saw her, she wouldn’t tell me everything that was going on and then I didn’t hear from her for a week. I don’t want to risk you being there… and her feeling like she can’t finally tell me the truth.”

  I moved even closer, putting my body flush to his and searching his gaze. “They’ve taken away the few people she thought she could rely on. She’s alone, Eli. Alone in a palace full of people.” My head dropped for a second to take a fortifying breath and continue. “I’ll be okay. This has to do with family. Not the business. Not Blackman.” I slid my arms around his neck. “Plus, Dex installed the security cameras yesterday, so you can check on us.”

  Displeasure cracked all of the gorgeous lines on his face as he stood there, tensed like a rubber band about to snap.

  “Please.”

  With a sigh, his forehead dropped to mine and he conceded, “Alright, but just keep me updated, so I don’t lose my mind. And I will have Dex check the cameras if you don’t.”

  A small smile pulled up one corner of my lips as I pushed up on my tiptoes to reach him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he grunted and took my mouth in a demanding, worry-laden kiss. “You have a heart your grandfather would be so proud of.”

  I shivered with warmth, hoping this was the kind of legacy my pap would be proud of.

  Darting out into the crisp, California night, I jogged to Eli’s truck. The chilled air had a pre-storm scent, the one that was calm but foreboding. The one that whispered, ‘be careful’ with every gust. But I was too concerned for Jules to heed any kind of warning.

  Laurel

  When I pulled around the back of Roasters, there was a black Cadillac with tinted windows already parked. My already thundering heart picked up speed as I stopped the truck. The goosebumps on my arms should’ve warned that something wasn’t right, but my mind rationalized the expensive black sedan was just the kind of vehicle my uncle would keep in his fleet to drive.

  Without another thought, I shut off the truck and left the keys in the cup-holder, beelining for the back door to the coffee shop.

  “Jules?” I hollered as I walked through the door, squinting into the dim light in search of my cousin. Met with silence, I pressed through the kitchen and down the short hall to the front of the building. “It’s me. Laurel.”

  Of course, it was, dummy.

  I was panicked. Jules sounded so frightened on the phone, and I didn’t want to give her any other cause for concern.

  “Jules, are you—” I broke off with a gasp as I stepped into the mostly-empty front room.

  It was that moment when you wake up from a nightmare with your heart pounding, your eyes wide, and your brain wondering if you’re still amidst the danger. But instead of waking up from it, I was falling into it.

  “Good evening, Miss Ocean,” Alexander Blackman drawled with just as much acidity as the smile that dripped over his face.

  Until now, he’d concealed himself well for the public. But tonight… now… he looked every inch the oily devil who’d threatened to harm me and those I care about not even twenty-four hours ago.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I moved up our meeting.” His smirk ticked. “I saw an… opportunity to get this unpleasantness over with.”

  I heard him, but it was hard to focus because it wasn’t his voice or his presence that perpetrated this nightmare. It was the gun he had aimed at my cousin’s head as she knelt on the floor next to him.

  “Jules, are you okay?” I demanded, ignoring Blackman as I locked my gaze with my cousin’s tear-streaked one.

  “I-I’m sorry—” she broke off and shuddered as he pressed the muzzle of the gun harder into her skin.

  Oh, God.

  “Miss Vandelsen is perfectly fine. For now,” he replied, jerking her up to stand with a grip that was sure to leave a bruise.

  Still, my cousin didn’t cry out, though I knew she was in pain. From the looks of her, she’d already been punished for not cooperating with his plan.

  The adrenaline pumping through my veins gave me the strangest sense of calm. I knew I was afraid. I knew I was scared to death for my cousin. For myself. But I only had two options: focus on the fear or focus on the solution. Both would take all of my faculties. And both would end with different outcomes.

  “What do you want?” I demanded calmly, dragging my eyes back to the black wells of his.

  “You know what I want,” he seethed.

  “And I told you I wouldn’t be able to give you the deed until tomorrow after I picked it up from the lawyer,” I insisted even though it was a lie.

  Thwack.

  I screamed and lurched forward as Blackman slammed the butt of his gun into the side of Jules’ head, her battered form crumbling to the floor with a strangled whimper of pain before turning limp.

  Oh my God.

  My head throbbed like it had sustained a similar blow.

  He’d knocked her out.

  My mouth dried up into nothing but sand and shock.

  My feet skidded to a halt when the gun swung to aim at me.

  “Don’t,” he warned with a pleasant smile that made my skin crawl—like he’d gotten enjoyment out of incapacitating my cousin.

  I put my shaking hands up in defeat. Even though there was a gun pointed at me, my focus was on Jules. Her shallow exhales mingled with moans of extreme pain from where her body was sprawled on the floor, blood dripping from the gash in her temple.

  Rage now tinted the eerie calm and I prayed that Eli had followed through with his promise to have Dex check the security cameras.

  I turned on Blackman and shouted, “I told you I’d give it to you as soon as I got it! Why—”

  “Miss Ocean, save yourself the trouble of aggravating me further. I know that Mr. Ross no longer has the deed.”

  No.

  I gulped, dread icing every cell in my body.

  No, no, no.

  I notched my chin up and threw every ounce of energy into keeping my face a mask of stone. It didn’t matter how he knew right now, what mattered was that he knew.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Unless he was in that room that day with my aunt and me, he couldn’t know that Gavin had given it to me.

  Could he?

  The sickly-sweet smile dropped from Blackman’s face, melted off by the pure evil that lay waiting underneath. His expression was nothing short of deadly as he stepped back and, before the word ‘wait’ could escape my lips, his pointed and polished loafer pulled back and slammed directly into my cousin’s torso.

  “No!” I screamed, unable to stop myself from doublin
g over as he kicked Jules in the stomach, her silent, tortured scream ripping right through my heart. He’d been looking at me. He’d been aiming the gun at me. I was his problem, not her.

  “Please,” I begged, tears leaking down my face. “Please, stop. Please, don’t hurt her.”

  I’d come to help her and now she was injured—bleeding and unconscious because of me.

  “I know he gave it to you, Laurel. And I know you brought the deed here. I know because I have eyes here. I know because the men I work for see everything in this town,” he said calmly, the torture he was inflicting on an innocent woman taking nothing from his calm composure. “So, let’s try this one last time, Miss Ocean. Give me the deed or I will kill her and you. And then, I will ransack this place again, and find it myself.”

  I sucked a breath.

  I’d known, but now I knew.

  It was him. All along. This was all because of him.

  Pain ripped through my chest, tearing my heart in a thousand pieces. I couldn’t stop him from hurting Roasters. I couldn’t stop him from hurting my pap. But, goddammit, I could stop him from hurting Jules.

  No matter what it cost me.

  “Okay.” I nodded frantically this time, my eyes flicking back to Jules, desperately wishing I could help her. But I couldn’t. Which meant I had to find another way to help. Another way to get us out of this situation alive. “Y-You’re right. It’s here.” My head kept bobbing, trying to jostle my thoughts into some sort of action plan. “And it’s yours. Just please,” I begged. “Please, don’t hurt her anymore.”

  “Smarter than that old man,” he sneered. “Now, give it to me. I’m sure it’s better that your cousin gets to a doctor sooner rather than later. I try not to discriminate between hitting men versus women. Wouldn’t want to be accused of being unfairly sexist.”

  I gagged, looking away before I vomited.

  Focus, Laurel. Focus for Jules.

  “Let’s go,” he snapped; curt words punctuated by the cocking of his gun “I don’t have all night.”

  “Okay.” My head jerked to nod as my arms wrapped around me. “Okay, I have it. I’ll get it for you. I… I have a container in the back.”

  I took one last look at Jules, confirming she was still breathing with labored effort, before turning toward the back of the building, and the empty coffee container where I’d stuck the deed.

  Even though the room was devoid of furniture, the walls were covered. Paint and photographs and newspaper clippings. Everything that Roasters was hung all around me. And then I caught sight of the wooden plaque Mick re-hung when we finished working on Friday—the one that summarized everything Roasters stood for.

  Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

  I swallowed down a sob.

  Start where you are.

  My steps were slow and measured as I approached the back hall. Not so slow that they drew Blackman’s displeasure, but slow enough that I had precious moments to think.

  I’m in a tight spot, Pap. My thoughts confessed to him like he could give me the answer.

  Use what you have.

  I looked around. I was being honest, I didn’t have much. Everything out here was empty.

  I stumbled slightly as the floor shifted in the hallway, my eyes searching for any object I could possibly use to get Jules and me away safely.

  Use what you have…

  I passed the espresso machine but burning him with its steam seemed like a longshot.

  What else did I have?

  My pulse raced. I was running out of time. And I knew once I gave him the deed that was the end of it—and us. I didn’t see any scenario where he let Jules or me walk out of here alive.

  Dustpan. Broom. I squinted into the dim kitchen. Oven mitts next to the stove. Baking sheet. The skillet—

  The cast-iron skillet.

  Hope vacuumed into my lungs. That could work.

  You always said I had skill when it came to using the skillet, Pap. Hopefully it doesn’t fail me now.

  I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to see Blackman just a few feet behind me.

  Do what you can.

  Grab the pan.

  Do what you can.

  Hit the bad guy.

  Do what you can.

  Grab Jules and run.

  I stuck with simple because simple was all my brain could handle right now, and my window of time was short. Hitting Blackman wouldn’t kill him, but it would give me time.

  Time to get away.

  And leave him with the tempting proximity of the deed… of everything he wanted.

  I couldn’t save them both.

  Our legacy is more than brewin’ a cup of coffee.

  Our legacy is helpin’ people, plain and simple.

  My throat tightened until breathing anything but short, rough gasps was impossible.

  I needed to sacrifice the deed in order to save Jules. I needed to sacrifice Roasters to save my family. And even if I’d made the wrong choice by giving up this place before, there was no doubt that this was the right decision—the only decision—now.

  I took in a long, deep breath, tasting salt air on the tip of my tongue.

  Do what you can.

  “It’s just in that container over there,” I offered, pointing over to the storage area to our left.

  As soon as his head turned, I took that split second to spin and grab the skillet off the top of the stove.

  Do what you can.

  I cried out as I swung the solid weight through the air and connected it with a loud thwack to flesh and bone.

  And then I ran like hell, praying to God I’d get Jules help in time.

  Eli

  I grunted and reached for my phone.

  Nothing.

  No text. No call.

  Something wasn’t right, I just knew it. I didn’t care how unlikely it was that her cousin had something to do with Blackman. I didn’t care that, as far as Blackman knew, Laurel was meeting him with the deed tomorrow at which point he’d have everything he wanted. This situation didn’t feel right from the second I saw Laurel reach for her coat.

  But it had been fifteen minutes and the dark pit in my stomach still wasn’t gone. Instead, it was growing.

  “Fuck,” I growled and dialed Laurel’s number.

  Voicemail.

  Letting loose a curse, I reached for my jacket. This was a mistake. I should’ve gone with her. Even if I sat in the fucking truck the whole damn time, she shouldn’t have gone alone.

  My cell vibrated with an incoming call and I answered before I checked the ID, assuming—hoping it was Laurel.

  “Laurel?”

  “It’s Ace,” the deep voice returned, surprised. “Where the hell is Laurel?”

  A spout of expletives erupted from my mouth. “Roasters. She went to meet her cousin, but something is wrong. She’s not answering her phone. I need you to pull up the security cameras,” I demanded, adding. “And I need you to come get me and take me there.”

  “Motherfucker,” Ace swore violently and, in that instant, I knew her meeting and Ace’s call were connected. And not in a good way.

  “Wait, why are you calling me? What the fuck is going on?”

  “Blackman knows about us. That tomorrow is a setup.” The floor felt like it cracked open beneath me and my heart stopped. No. No fucking no. “I’m two minutes from the house. I was on my way to you already to let you guys know. Fuck.”

  “How the fuck does he know?” I raged, throwing the door open and stalking outside. I had to get to her. Even if I had to fucking walk.

  “I had one of my guys keeping an eye on her cousin as soon as Laurel was threatened. I just figured it was better to be safe, especially since we’d spotted Blackman at Rock Beach in the past,” he explained with barely controlled anger. “He was about to make one more round for the night when someone knocked him out. When he came to, Jules was gone.”

  My pulse skyrocketed as his headlights streamed down the dri
veway.

  “But why Jules? And why now? How could he have known that tomorrow was a trap?” Question after question as I opened the passenger door to his truck, ending our call and climbing inside. Ace barely stopped, the truck picking up speed as I closed the door behind me.

  “Fuck, I don’t know,” he said through clenched teeth. “The cartel has connections. Maybe they threatened the lawyer. Or Laurel’s aunt. Somehow, he figured out she already has the deed, and he wants to take it from her on his terms.”

  “But Jules called her,” I went on, my hand pulling painfully at my hair as fear ripped my body apart. “Jules wanted to meet her. So, Blackman was already there at the resort. What if he took Jules because she called Laurel? What if he didn’t know it was a setup and somehow Jules is connected to all of this?”

  Ace’s grip fisted around the steering wheel and I was surprised it didn’t break off the column.

  The silence between us was fragile like dynamite. Possessive, protective rage crammed into a space where one spark was all it would take to make us explode.

  Where one hair harmed on Laurel would send me to a place I didn’t know existed—a place where I would willingly… eagerly… murder a man for touching my woman.

  “We’re going to save them.” I believed him. I knew Ace would do whatever it took to make them safe.

  Still, I didn’t reply right away. I stared at the hood of the truck as it ate up the road and all the distance between me and the woman I loved.

  “And we’re going to make him pay.”

  For Laurel. For Jules. For Roasters. For Larry.

  Laurel

  “Jules, we have to go right now,” I groaned, throwing all my weight underneath her shoulder to lift her off the floor. Nausea hit me again, rolling my stomach, when I saw the pooled blood left behind from her head wound.

  Her weak, pained whimper as I moved her was drowned out by the angry grunts from Blackman who was all too quickly recovering from my attack. All the blow had done was buy me just a few minutes, maybe only seconds, to get Jules out of here—to get us somewhere safe.