by K. C. Crowne
“That’s fine,” Wade said, waving my comment off.
“Do you have any idea why he might have run after you like that?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
Wade shrugged but averted his gaze. He refused to look me in the eyes. “No clue.”
“Are you sure? I mean, it looked like you took off the minute you saw him.” I tried to keep my voice even and calm. “Is there a reason you were afraid of him?”
“Afraid?” Wade scoffed. “I’m not afraid of him. He’s a nobody.”
His hands were balled up at his side, his body tense. His eyes were dark and distant, and he didn’t look like the same businessman who’d been staying here on and off for years. He snarled at me, and I stepped back, wanting to put more distance between us. His entire demeanor had changed rapidly, and I questioned whether I should have left this to the sheriff.
I’d never seen this side of Wade before.
I remembered him grabbing me and how Grant had to step in. Grant wasn’t here. No one but Phillip and me were here, and Phillip was down the hall. Not like he could do much anyway; he was just a kid.
I needed to get out of there.
“Alright, well, I apologize again for what happened,” I said, choking on my words. “I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
I moved away from the doorway, and then took off down the hallway. I wasn’t running, but rather walking as fast as I could. I wrapped my arms around me as if I was cold, hugging myself tightly.
Something about the way he looked at me, the way he spoke to me, unnerved me.
“Leah?” Wade called out to me.
I turned around once I was at the end of the hallway, near the lobby. “Yes, Wade?”
“Stay away from that asshole.”
I froze in place, unsure how to respond. It sounded like a threat to me, and I don’t take well to threats, but I’m not stupid either. I nodded, and without saying a word, walked to the lobby. The first thing I did was walk into my office and call the sheriff.
Teddy, an old friend from high school, answered on the third ring. “Liberty Sheriff's Department, Teddy speaking.”
“Hey, Teddy, this is Leah. Leah Barnes.”
I was still shaking, and not really thinking straight. I didn’t need to give him my last name - everyone knew me, especially Teddy.
“Oh, hey, Leah. Everything okay?”
“No, not really,” I said softly, almost fearing Wade could hear me. It sometimes felt like he was always around, no matter where I was. I had always brushed it off as it being a small town and an even smaller hotel, but now I was thinking it could mean something else. “I might have some information for you regarding the fire at the cafe. I’m sure Kellen told you someone had vandalized his truck and that he thought the threat was meant for him. Well, I’m pretty sure he’s right - and I have an idea who might be behind it.”
Ooo000ooo
I told Teddy everything I knew, but without any proof, there wasn’t much he could do. He said he’d look into it and warned me to be careful around Wade, which was a no brainer. I could call him if I ever felt threatened, which was nice. But I wanted this case to be solved, dammit. He could have hurt someone at the restaurant, and we didn’t need that kind of crime. Liberty was supposed to be a safe place, the type of town you could leave your car doors unlocked in the middle of downtown with your purse on the seat, and it would still be there when you returned.
I planned to reach out to Kellen, to apologize for everything and to tell him I’d work with him in trying to figure out who was behind this. If it was Wade, I’d help put that asshole behind bars. Sure, he did a lot for my business, but I wasn’t about to let him destroy my home, and I wasn’t about to let him threaten me.
It was late by the time I got home, though, so I went straight to bed. I was exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t shut down for the night. I stared up at the ceiling, replaying everything that had happened over the last few days.
It had been a wild ride, but the one memory I kept going back to was of the kiss with Kellen. I had no idea it was him at the time. He’d shaved his beard, and I finally got to see those lips of his - those sexy, delectable lips that felt so good against mine.
God, I’d wanted him so badly in that moment. I hadn’t known who he was, but I’d have gladly let him have his way with me - and I usually wasn’t the type to hook up with guys so fast. There was just something about him. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he drove me absolutely wild.
Now that I knew he wasn’t a married man, I felt a little better about indulging in my fantasies. I still had no intention of going after him; his life was full of drama and I didn’t know the first thing about him. But I could still fantasize about him. Besides, an orgasm was often the quickest way to put myself to sleep.
I slipped my hands into my panties and circled my clit. Closing my eyes, I imagined Kellen’s tongue swirling around it, his stubble rubbing against my flesh.
“Yes, Kellen, yes,” I whimpered.
I pictured his big, rock-hard body naked and glistening with sweat. His cock hard and ready, dripping with pre-cum, ready to take me.
I pulled him up so his body was hovering above me, his blue eyes staring down into mine.
“Take me,” I pleaded, slipping my fingers deep inside my wet pussy.
I moaned as I fucked myself, imagining Kellen’s cock sliding in and out of me. A man as big as him had to be well-endowed; he’d stretch me open and reach the deepest parts of me.
“Yes, yes,” I whimpered.
I writhed on the bed, picturing his glorious body above mine, his cock pumping in and out of me. I wanted him so badly in that moment, I would have done anything to have him fucking me.
I came hard and fast, begging for him to cum inside me. In my fantasy, we came together, our bodies rocking and shaking, riding out the pleasure together as he filled me with his seed.
It could never happen, not in real life. But in my dreams, it was the best sex I’d ever had, which was a bit sad when you think about it.
I fell asleep, hoping to find someone who could make me feel the way Kellen did.
Chapter 11
Kellen
“You alright, man?” Grant handed me a beer he’d just grabbed from inside. We were at my place, the night of the fire in the parking lot, and I hadn’t really said much. My mind was elsewhere.
Matilda was asleep in her crib, safe as can be, but I was a nervous wreck. The fire was small, no one was hurt, but the memories it brought back were hitting me hard. And if this Wade guy had something out for me, I had to watch out. So far, he was sticking to property damage, but would he take it any farther? How the fuck did I know. None of it made sense to me.
I shook myself out of my thoughts and found Grant staring at me with a worried look on his face. The only answer to his question was the sound of the crickets and bullfrogs in the distance. A lovely sound, I might add, but not the response he was hoping for.
“Yeah,” I lied. “I’m good.”
“You sure about that?” Grant asked, looking askance. “Because I know that look. That looks says you’ve seen some shit and you’re trying your damnedest to forget, but it’s not going too well.”
I cracked a smile as I took a swig from the beer. “Spoken like someone who knows what it’s like.”
“Of course,” he said, leaning back in the chair with a sigh. He stared off into the distance, deep in his own thoughts. “I know what it’s like to be triggered.”
“I wasn’t triggered.”
He cocked an eyebrow and side-eyed me. “Fine, if you don’t like that term, what should we call it?”
I shrugged. “We don’t have to call it nothin’, because we’re not going to talk about it.”
“Fine by me,” Grant said. “But if you’re not going to talk to me, at least talk to someone. That little girl in there? She’s counting on you to keep your shit together.”
He was right. And there was no one else I could talk to. A therapist?
Fuck, no. I’d been there, done that. None of them understood what I was dealing with. I had no other friends, no family I could burden with my troubles. My sister Emily was sweet as pie, but she didn’t understand the damage inside me - and I didn’t want her to ever see me like that.
Just like I didn’t want Matilda to see that side of me either.
Grant was it, and he understood me better than anyone.
After a few moments of silence, I responded. “The fire reminded me of some shit, that’s all. Brought back memories.”
“Tell me something I didn’t know.”
I cringed. He wanted me to get in deep, to talk about my feelings. Not something I was good at doing, and it felt weird talking to another man so intimately.
When I didn’t answer, Grant spoke instead.
“You know, every now and then I hear gunshots or fireworks, and it takes me back to Iraq,” he said, pausing to drink from his beer. “I still remember their names. Every single one of them. And I see their faces every night when I try to sleep. Not only the faces of the men I lost, but their families too - I met most of them at the funerals. Some of them had kids, one of them had a pregnant wife. She had twins a month after the funeral. They’d been trying for years, and finally they had the babies they’d been yearning for. Except their father never got to see them born.”
My heart ached hearing those words. It reminded me of Henry and Alice. Both had wanted Matilda so badly; they had wanted a family. They wanted her to have brothers and sisters to play with, a dog, a backyard for them to play in, the whole shebang. And they never got it.
“But there’s a difference between you and me, Grant,” I said. “You didn’t send those men in to die. You weren’t in charge of them. You were their equal who just happened to get out alive while others didn’t.”
“It’s not your fault, Kellen. You were simply doing your job.”
“I wish I could believe you,” I said softly. “I made the call, and they’re dead because of me. And I’m still here.”
“Survivor’s guilt is a real pain in the ass. I always wonder why I survived and someone like the dude with the pregnant wife didn’t, but it’s just the way it is, man. You can’t change the past; you can only keep moving forward. And in your case, take care of that sweet baby girl.”
“Matilda is literally the only reason I am moving forward,” I admitted. After Henry died, I thought about just giving up. I drank a lot in those days. Too much. I sobered up and got my shit together when I realized Alice had no one. I knew what I had to do and I did it. I just didn’t expect it to go this far.
“Then keep moving forward for her sake. Even if she’s the only reason you get up in the morning, that’s fine. Just keep pushing forward and get better. If you can’t do it for yourself, then do it for her, man. Because she needs you.”
I put the beer down on the side table. I no longer had any desire to drink. He was right. I had to keep my shit together for Matilda. I couldn’t fall into a black hole like I did back then. I couldn’t go on two-week-long alcohol binges and drown my sorrows in a bottle of Jack.
“Thanks, man,” I said. “You’re right. I know you are.”
“Damn right I’m right.” Grant smiled at me. Even behind that smile, there was a pain in his eyes thought. Talking about this hadn’t been easy for him, but he did it anyway.
He was a true friend.
Another wave of guilt washed over me, but it had nothing to do with Henry. It had everything to do with my new best friend sitting beside me.
I thought about the kiss with his sister and felt like an ass. I shouldn’t have made a move on his sister. It hadn’t been my intent when I went to the ball; it just happened, but that was no excuse. I thought about telling Grant but wondered how Leah would feel about him knowing.
For the meantime, I kept it to myself. At least until after I talked to Leah. If she’d even talk to me.
“So you said you thought the fire at the restaurant today was meant as a threat for you,” Grant stated, spinning the bottle around in his hand. “Why’s that?”
Damn. Just as I was trying to decide what to do, he had to ask about that.
“Do you know someone named Wade, who stays at the hotel?” I asked.
Grant put the beer down on the table and looked at me with a serious expression. “Yeah, why?”
“I think he’s behind it.”
I expected Grant to argue with me like his sister had, but he leaned back in his chair and steeped his fingers in front of him, mulling over the words. “I don’t know why he’d be after you, but honestly, there’s something not right about him. Was that why you chased him at the hotel the other day?”
“Yep,” I affirmed. “Because as soon as he saw me, he took off. Made me suspicious.”
“Don’t blame you. He’s a weird dude,” Grant said. “I don’t like the way he looks at my sister.”
“Oh yeah?”
“He’s obsessed with her, I swear. But Leah tells me I’m overreacting, that he’s a good guest and one of the only reasons the hotel manages to stay open. Still, I try to keep an eye on him.”
“Yeah, I plan on it too.”
Grant raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Bullshit. I can take care of myself.”
“It’s not just about you, Kellen. This is my sister’s business we’re talking about, and the guy might be obsessed with her - we don’t want to push him over the edge. And two, you have a baby to consider now.”
Dammit, right again.
Grant continued. “Until we figure out what’s going on, I think it’s best if you stay away from the hotel.”
“But what about the work that needs to be done?”
“I can handle it,” he said. “It’ll go a bit slower, but I can manage. He probably won’t stay much longer anyway. Did you tell Teddy everything you know?”
“I did. He said without any proof, there’s not much he can do, but he’ll look into it.”
“He’s a good man, and a good sheriff. I’m sure if there’s something to find, he’ll dig it up.”
After meeting the guy, I didn’t doubt it. I nodded and decided to drop it. I wasn’t happy about being out of work, but Leah was still pissed at me anyway. Probably best to let her cool down. She might never want to see me again based on how she reacted at the cafe. Not sure what that was about - calling me disgusting and all that - but clearly she wasn’t so happy about the kiss.
Grant finished his beer, and we sat outside for a while longer, shooting the shit. We talked about the work that needed to be done on the hotel and the cost of it all. Money wasn’t an issue for me; I had saved up plenty of it over the years, owned my place outright, and Alice and Henry had left enough to take care of Matilda.
We’d be fine, I just liked staying busy and working. Besides, the more secure we could be, the better it would be for Matilda.
Grant then helped me with one last thing before he went home.
We installed security cameras all over the property, around my truck and house. No one was stepping foot on my property without me knowing about it. Wade might think he’s smart, being a successful businessman and shit, but he had nothing on the two of us.
And he wasn’t coming near my little girl’s home again. Not without evidence that would put him behind bars.
The next morning, I awoke to Matilda’s crying. It was breakfast time. Bright and early. I yawned and rubbed my eyes as I walked to her room. Collecting her while still half asleep, I made my way into the kitchen and got to work on her bottle.
A glance out the window was all I needed to see that Wade - or whoever it was - had struck again.
“Fuck,” I cursed, as I stared at my pickup. The entire side facing me was covered in spray paint. A message, just for me, in black paint.
Stay Away From Her
He was fucking batshit insane, obviously. I was pissed, but I had to deal with Matilda. I fed her and changed her, then rocked her back t
o sleep. Normally I’d go back to bed for a few hours, but not this morning.
I had some work to do.
I sat down on my computer and pulled up the security camera footage. Sure enough, there was that familiar asshole walking on my property. He did everything but look right into the cameras, giving us a pretty clear view of his face.
Enough that I knew it was him.
“Got you,” I muttered as I reached for my phone. “There’s no getting out of it this time.”
I called the sheriff’s office, and Teddy answered.
“Do you ever go home?” I asked him.
“I live at the office,” he said, and I wasn’t sure if that was a joke or not. If so, he didn’t laugh. “What’s up?”
I told him about the video and my truck, and he said he’d be right over. I watched a few more times, my blood boiling with rage as the asshole defaced my truck.
But hey, this time, I had him.
Chapter 12
Leah
“What are you doing here?” Grant muttered.
I looked up and saw Grant and Kellen talking in the doorway of the hotel. Grant didn’t look pleased in the slightest, but I heard Kellen respond, “I called you. They have everything they need to catch the guy, I just wanted to let you and Leah know.”
“Know what?”
Kellen turned around, and my heart stopped in my chest. He was letting his facial hair grow out again, keeping it clean and tidy this time. I had to admit, he looked damn fine with a beard. His blue eyes were serious as a funeral, but they still sparkled like the clear blue sky overhead.
Kellen walked over to the counter. Leaning forward, with a smirk on his handsome face, he said to me, “They got the bastard. Wade came back around to my place, but I had cameras up. I handed everything over to Teddy, and they’ve put a warrant out for his arrest.”
“So it was Wade? Well, that’s a relief. I’m glad they caught him.” My internal monologue was saying something else - cursing the loss of business. But overall, I knew it was a good thing. Something wasn’t right with him.