Hiding Catherine

by Jennifer Becker

  Oreo? She thought confused.

  “Oreos aren’t pies,” Ortiz grumbled as he pulled an Oreo out of his pocket.

  “Seriously? You’re going to get crumbs all over my floor.” Charlie grumbled with his fists on his hips.

  Ortiz ignored him and faced Catherine. She took an involuntary step back as the man towered over her. He and Charlie were about the same height, but Ortiz was more muscular. She wouldn’t be surprised if the man could bench press a small car. The man was huge. “Catherine, it’s nice to meet you finally. I’m Hector Ortiz. Most people call me Ortiz or Oreo.”

  Catherine looked at Ortiz and Charlie, wondering if this guy was for real before holding her hand out to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you too.” Ortiz ignored her hand and wrapped her in his arms and hugged her lifting her off the ground by several inches.

  “Alright, enough,” Charlie snapped as he walked around the island to Catherine’s side.

  “He’s so sensitive,” Ortiz whispered loudly in her ear.

  “Out,” he barked and pointed outside where the rest of the team watched them but waited for them to come out.

  “I’m not a dog, man. It’s not like I was going to piss on your rug or something.” Ortiz mumbled before he went back outside.

  “Sorry about him, he’s the baby of the group.”

  “He’s,” Catherine tried to think of the right word. His height was intimidating but his personality was that of a gentle lamb, “friendly.”

  Charlie scuffed. “Only to those he likes. If you’re an enemy, watch out.”

  Catherine gulped at that. She could only imagine what the big man could do to those he deemed an enemy. His hands could crush her with ease. Smaller hands could do the same thing she remembered.

  “Hey, come back,” Charlie called out to her and cupped her face with his hands. His large hands covered half the side of her head, but he was so gentle with her. “Where did you go?” He asked quietly.

  “Nowhere.” She said quickly repressing memories best forgotten. “I’m right here.”

  “You’re a horrible liar, babe.” Charlie leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. She melted against him as he kissed her more deeply. She opened her mouth to him and his tongue dove in. Catherine clutched his back and moaned into his mouth. This was what she had been missing all week. This connection. Charlie kissed her like a starved man, and she was a banquet feast.

  “I’ve been waiting almost two weeks to do that.” Charlie husked when he could finally pull his lips away from hers. Catherine looked up at him dazed as she licked her lips. Charlie groaned and lowered his back down, unable to resist the temptation before him. Catherine was about to suggest they move this party somewhere else, when a voice cleared from behind them.

  “Yo Bdog, you going to finish barbequing since it’s your party and all, or are we going to have to fend for ourselves?”

  Charlie stiffened in her arms and gently set her away from him, before slowing turning towards the man smiling at him with a mischievous grin on his face. This new man was shorter than Charlie but not by much. He was probably just shy of six feet tall. He was as muscular looking at Ortiz, and his body was bronzed tan with beach blonde hair.

  Charlie growled at him. “Alex, what did I warn you about calling me that ridiculous name?” Alex didn’t look worried that Charlie was seconds away from beating the crap out of him. Charlie stepped towards him, but Catherine wrapped her arm around his bicep and halted him. He could easily pull out of her grip, but he stood by her.

  “Please don’t fight,” she asked quietly.

  Charlie turned back towards her, removed her hands from his arm, brought her hand to lips and kissed each knuckle. “For you, anything.”

  Catherine was ready to collapse in a puddle at his feet. No man had ever spoken to her that way, and with such a timber in his voice. She locked her knees, so she didn’t embarrass herself and fall or worst throw herself at him and the barbeque be damned.

  “What is going on in that pretty little mind of yours?” Charlie smiled wolfishly, probably knowing what she was thinking. Every last, little horny detail.

  “I’ll tell you later.” Right now, she had to meet the rest of his friends and get through the rest of the day without jumping him. Easy right?

  “I’m holding you to that.” Charlie stepped away and pulled her bag to him. “I told you not to bring anything.”

  “I know but I was nervous about meeting everyone, and when I get nervous I bake.”

  “Four pies?” He asked astonished as he pulled them out of the bag.

  “I was up early.” After all the long hours and late nights, she should have slept like a log every night, but she kept waking up early every morning, and had trouble getting back to sleep.

  “I don’t like you working such long hours.” Charlie pulled her close and stroked a finger along her cheek, “I can see the dark circles under your eyes.”

  Catherine tried to turn her head away, but he held her in place. “I don’t have to close for the next week. I’ll be fine.” She could feel her bodies fatigue even now. She needed a few good nights’ sleep, and she would be right as rain.

  Charlie looked down at her skeptically.

  “Really,” she assured him.

  “If you get tired or overwhelmed let me know and I’ll take you home.”

  “Charlie, I’m a grown ass woman. I can take care of myself. When I’m tired, I sleep. When I’m hungry, I eat. I’ve been taking care of myself long before I met you.” When Catherine was tired, she turned snappish. She could tell she caught him off guard with that by the look of shock in his eyes. Most saw her as bright and happy all the time, but she could yell and cuss like everyone else.

  “I’m being overbearing, I’m sorry.”

  Catherine felt bad for snapping at him. She was horrible company right now. “Maybe I should go.”

  “Don’t even think about it. I want you here. How about we take these pies outside and join the others to eat some barbeque?” His puppy dog eyes did her in.

  “Fine,” she told herself she wasn’t being a push over. Yes, she was tired but being with Charlie was worth it. She would stay an hour or two, and then go home to get some much-needed rest.

  Chapter 15

  The sun had set a few hours ago, and Charlie had started up the fire pit in his backyard. Everyone sat in a chair around it except Catherine who was snuggled in Charlie’s lap. She listened to the guys tease each other and joke about training incidents during what they called Q course. Ortiz’s was her favorite, when the trainers kept trying to find out where his Oreo supply was coming from. It turned out he had made friends with someone on base, and they snuck them to him. He claimed that was where his nickname came from. She looked around the fire pit trying to match the names with faces. The nicknames she didn’t think she would ever remember, but their real names she would eventually get. She already knew Ortiz and Alex who still insisted on calling Charlie Bdog to his great annoyance. There was Vincent, Bennett, Daniel, and Tony.

  “You’re being awful quiet,” Charlie whispered in her ear making her shiver, which had nothing to do with the cold.

  “I’m enjoying listening to you guys.” She snuggled deeper against him then yawned.

  Charlie wrapped his arms tighter around her. “I think you’re ready to call it a night.”

  “It is getting pretty late.” She had no idea what time it was, other than the sun had set a few hours ago, but she loathed leaving.

  “We’re going to call it a night as well. 0400 PT comes pretty early.” Ortiz stood up. “Catherine, it was a great pleasure to meet you, and thank you for the pies.” Ortiz had eaten half of each pie on his own. She had made apple, pumpkin, cherry, and an apricot fried pie.

  “You as well,” she said standing up.

  Charlie’s phone rang as they stood up. He looked at the caller ID then at his team. “It’s Tex.” He said before heading inside.

  Well, that was cryptic.

>   “Who’s Tex?” she asked the guys.

  They all looked around uncomfortably for a moment. “Maybe you should ask Charlie that,” Vincent suggested.

  “But I’m asking you. Who is he?” Was it a he or could it be a she?

  “Tex is an ex-SEAL who helps out with computer stuff from time to time,” Ortiz told her when she crossed her arms and glared at them.

  “And he calls late at night?”

  “He’s always available. If he’s calling Charlie at this hour it's important.”

  “Oh, well I guess I’ll just see myself out.” She didn’t know how long his call would take and she didn’t want to stand around his house awkwardly if he was planning on sending her home anyway.

  “Leave the pies?” Ortiz asked hopefully.

  “Sure,” Catherine went inside, and looked for Charlie so she could wave goodbye, but didn’t see him. She would text him when she got home she decided. She grabbed her purse and was heading outside when she heard Charlie yelling behind a closed door next to the front door.

  “What do you mean you can’t find him, Tex? This is what you do. Martin Fenton has to be found. I don’t care how much digging you did. Why did she wait so long to press charges? Put a bug on her phone, and see if he tries to reach out to her.” Catherine stared at the closed door in horror. Had Charlie had someone look into her background? And not just look into her background, but he was trying to put a tap on her phone? He was not only looking at her like she had done something wrong, but he was using her to find her ex, Martin.

  He knew what Martin had done to those women and child. He probably thought she was involved somehow. He said himself ‘Why had she waited to finally press charges.’ Well, he could keep on wondering because there wasn’t a snowball chance in hell she was telling him now. How stupid, she thought she could outrun her past and start over. She had never felt so humiliated as she did at that moment. That Charlie would stoop to having someone look into her background like she was some kind of criminal.

  She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Charlie’s friends huddled in the kitchen looking at her sadly. She didn’t even know what to say to them. She turned back to the room Charlie was in when the door opened, and he almost stumbled into her. He looked at his friends and her face before hanging his head. “Catherine, I…” She didn’t let him finish or talk himself out of the mess he made. She was hurt. She raced out the front door, ignoring everyone’s call for her. She didn’t want to listen to anything they had to say. They were all guilty in her eyes. They knew what Charlie had done and did nothing to stop him. She ran to her car fearing Charlie would stop her before she got to it. She unlocked it with the remote and locked it as soon as she was in. Charlie stood outside her door trying to talk to her, but she wouldn’t listen. She started the car, backed out, and left without a backward glance. Tears streamed down her face, and her heart felt as if it shattered into a million pieces. “Damn you, Charlie.” She cursed, swiping at the first of many tears to come.

  * * *

  Charlie had been ready to call it a night himself and maybe try to convince Catherine to stay the night. They hadn’t been together for two weeks, and while he was still willing to wait for them to have sex, that didn’t mean they couldn’t do other things as she had suggested. He was elated his friends had easily accepted Catherine. He could tell she had been overwhelmed by them all, but they had minded their manners, and she had won them over. After being introduced to everyone, the stiffness in her shoulders eased, and soon there was easy conversation flowing.

  When he stood up to say goodnight to everyone, while trying to keep Catherine with him, he heard his phone ring. There were only a handful of people who would be calling him late at night, and the majority of them were all standing in front of him. He hoped it wasn’t his commander moving their mission up. A tic worked in his jaw when he saw Tex’s name flash across the screen. A part of him wanted to ignore it and deal with the situation in the morning, but he knew if Tex was calling him this late there was a reason.

  Charlie stepped away telling his team it was Tex and waited until he was inside the house, away from prying ears before answering. The team would know why he was calling but Catherine didn’t, and he hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet.

  “Go,” he said without preamble.

  “Well hello to you too, Captain.” Came Tex’s quick remark.

  Charlie winced at being so brisk with Tex. He had been impatient to hear what the man had to say and get back to Catherine. “Sorry, how are you?”

  “Better, but I know you're impatient, so I’ll get to it. Your leak was found and was Midas’s commander working directly with the man from Panama you were sent to get the hostages from, Alejandro Ferrera. Unfortunately, the commander can’t confess anything because he was killed shortly after he was apprehended. FBI is looking into the matter now. As for the other, you were right to suspect Catherine’s ex. His name is Martin Fenton. He was Special Forces stationed at Fort Hood. Up until a year ago, when he was medically discharged. One too many tours and PDSD hit him hard I guess. He turned to alcohol and drugs. After he left, he started building up a rap sheet. Burglary and assault. His girlfriend Catherine Cummingham wound up in the hospital on more than one occasion for broken bones and bruising. Catherine always explained it away as being clumsy. Classic domestic abuse. Then about seven months ago she pressed charges and fled town.” Charlie was upset that Midas caught the man after he told him he wanted in on the capture, but he would take that out on Midas, not the messenger. His attention switched to Catherine, and his heart ached for what she must have gone through at the hands of that monster. She was so small and frail. No wonder she was wary of him and his teammates.

  “From what I can gather Martin wasn’t directly involved in Emily and Annie’s kidnapping. He was more of a money handler, and bought the containers for the mock war games. When the ring leader was sent to Leavenworth, Martin started working on getting him out of prison, but we all know how that ended.” He had been killed during the prison escape.

  “So where is he now? Is Martin dead?” Charlie sure hoped so because if he wasn’t he would find the prick and give him a taste of his own medicine.

  “Unfortunately, that’s where the trail goes cold. Since the attempted prison break, no one has seen him or heard from him. I’ve checked your girl's phone records, and I can see that he hasn’t tried to contact her. The guy fell off the face of the planet.”

  “What do you mean you can’t find him, Tex? This is what you do. Martin Fenton has to be found. I don’t care how much digging you did. Why did she wait so long to press charges? Put a bug on her phone and see if he tries to reach out to her.”

  “Maybe you should try asking her,” Tex growled at him. “There is only so much a computer and data will tell me. Only she knows the reason she turned him in. If someone knows the reason why, besides her, they are really good at covering their tracks.”

  Charlie threw his head back and growled. Why did everyone have to keep telling him he should have asked her to begin with? He knew little more now than he had two weeks ago. It was time to confront Catherine. She may not want to talk about it, but he wasn’t giving her a choice anymore. For all he knew, the man could be responsible for the leak. “Thanks, Tex for all your help.”

  “Anytime brother.” Charlie hung up and felt like throwing his phone against the wall. What a clusterfuck situation. He wasn’t getting answers anywhere. Midas had been working with the FBI to find the leak. That didn’t sound good. He would try to get a hold of Midas again. Was the commander the only leak or were there others involved? He would discover the answer soon enough, but for now, he would go back out and kick his friends out and have a sit down with Catherine.

  Feeling calmer, Charlie left his office ready to say good bye to his friends and talk with Catherine, but he drew up short when he opened his door and saw a pale and shaking Catherine standing in front of him. It didn’t take rocket science for him to figure out
that she probably heard some, if not most of his conversation. The cat was out of the bag. “Catherine, I…” He started to explain, but she flew out the front door so quickly he didn’t have time to react. He looked over at his teammates who all glared at him in answer. He would deal with them later. He spun on his heel and chased after Catherine already at her car. He sprinted across the driveway to catch her before she fled, but she had closed and locked her door by the time he caught up with her. She didn’t look at him as she turned on the car and drove off.

  Fuck. He royally screwed up. Everyone kept warning him to tell her first, but he hadn’t listened.

  He ran back inside ready to grab his keys and give chase, but Ortiz held his keys out away from him. “Ortiz, if you value your life and your cookies you will give me my keys this instant,” Charlie warned him in a deadly low tone. Charlie loved him like a brother, but he was standing between him and getting to Catherine. He would go through his whole team if he had to.

  His teammates stood as one against him ready to battle him. “We warned you, Charlie, what would happen if you didn’t tell her,” Alex told him calmly with his arms crossed over his chest. To most it was a look intimidating, to Charlie it just irritated him. He didn’t have time for this. Every second they wasted here Catherine got away, though he knew she was probably headed home. She had nowhere else to go, unless she was planning on fleeing again.

  Charlie felt like a vise was squeezing his heart. He wasn’t ready to give up Catherine yet if ever. He fucked up; he knew that. But he could fix it. Catherine was the most forgiving woman he knew. “Give me my keys, and I’ll fix it.”

  Vincent shook his head. “Give her time man. Women don’t like finding out their boyfriend had someone look into their background and suggest tapping her phone.”

  Charlie cringed. He had suggested tapping her phone. He hadn’t been thinking when he suggested it. He was so focused on finding her ex he hadn’t thought about anything else.