His eyes dart to her, and a small smile plays on his lips. He tilts his head slightly and gives a slight shake of his head. “No.”
“No?” repeats Charlotte.
He nods.
“Patrick, I don’t think you realize how much trouble you’re actually in.”
He puts his hands together and places them on the table, then leans forward. “I’m not Patrick.”
“You’re not Patrick Lau?”
“No, which means you’ve got nothing on me.”
JT pushes off the wall, Charlotte stands, and they both leave the room. As soon as the door closes, the man laughs. Relief washes across his features, and he looks up at the ceiling, smiling widely.
Charlotte and JT walk in, and I turn to face them.
“He might not be Patrick Lau, but he’s guilty of something. Before you used his name, he was panicked, but now he looks like he’s won the lottery.”
“We’ll run him through all the channels and find the dirt on him,” agrees Charlotte.
“But that means Patrick Lau and Landru are in the wind. We have no way of tracking either of them,” says JT.
“They’ll turn up,” replies Charlotte.
JT locks eyes with me. “Where would Patrick Lau go?”
“Somewhere where we can’t extradite him, or he’ll go underground and back to what he knows.”
Charlotte laughs. “Have you met us? We’ll find you no matter where you go. It’s only a matter of time.” She walks out of the room, leaving me alone with JT.
“Time for you to go.”
“How?”
“Just go for a walk. Out the front door and keep going. My men won’t stop you, but if Charlotte sees you… well, that’s another thing.”
I frown at him, and he smiles. “If you ever need anything…”
“Yeah, we have that friend in common.”
I nod, and JT gestures toward the door with a nod. Opening it, I walk out into the hallway toward the front of the building. John Boy is there with Perses, and he smiles at me. I keep going through the doors and out into the night. The compound we’re in is lit up like it’s daytime, but no one pays me much attention. When I get to the gate, another of JT’s men is there. He opens it with a nod, and I walk out into the night.
Tula
Sean patched me up and left me with a bottle of antibiotics and painkillers and strict instructions to stay put until someone comes for me. He only stayed with me for five days.
It’s been a week without any kind of human contact.
I’ve spent most of my time sleeping. Getting shot again isn’t fun. The hardest part is trying to wash without getting the bandages wet. Tentatively, I feel the bandage on my stomach. It’s tender to the touch, but if I lie still and don’t move around too much, it’s fine. Sean said I was lucky, and the bullet didn’t hit anything vital. When I asked him how he knew this, he laughed and said if it had, I’d have bled out or died from infection. He’s a peach.
Before he left, he stocked up the cabin with supplies from town. I don’t need anything, but without the internet or television, I’m bored. It’s the early hours of the morning, but I don’t even know what day it is. As a bit of a joke to myself, I started marking the days off on a piece of paper on the dining room table.
Standing, I walk toward it and mark another ‘X’—day eight. I’ve never really been a people person, but at least I had the internet to connect with others. Now, I have nothing but trees and silence. The kitchen is right next to the dining area. Sean said Maddock lived here for three years by himself. He only came out of hiding for Cherie, plus the fact that the bad guys found him, so I guess he had no choice.
I can’t imagine living here by myself for that long. The coffee machine is prepped and ready to go, so I hit the button and stare out the window over the sink. I’m going to die of boredom if someone doesn’t come for me soon.
The sound of a car coming up the gravel drive makes me jump. Holding my side, I move quickly to peer out the window. It’s an old red truck, and the man behind the wheel must be in his late sixties. He has a head of silver-gray hair and a scowl on his face. He’s wearing a flannel long-sleeved shirt, and as he climbs out of the truck, I notice he’s wearing jeans and black boots.
Is he the person who’s supposed to come for me?
He doesn’t look like a member of the MC.
He also doesn’t look dangerous.
The man reaches into the truck, pulls out a picnic basket, closes the door, and walks toward the cabin. I’m dressed in a tank top and my underwear with no shoes. Backing away from the window, I look around the cabin in a panic.
There’s nowhere to hide.
“Think, Tula!”
My eyes land on the closet, so I rush to it. Inside are men’s long-sleeve shirts, all black. I put one on and quickly do up the buttons—my side throbs from my movements. There’s no time to think about it though, as the man knocks on the front door.
“Hello? You awake?”
I’m not sure what to do. Do I say something, giving away the fact I’m in here or do I hope he’ll go away?
“My name is Samuel Lake. I’m Cherie Lake’s grandpa. She’s with Maddock MacKenny. They asked me to check on you.”
Tiptoeing toward the door, I open it a crack and look at him through the small opening.
He’s smiling at me and holds up the picnic basket. “I got homemade biscuits, gravy, and coffee.” He smiles at me. “Not that I made it. A friend did.” He looks embarrassed. “A female friend. More like an acquaintance, really.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Please don’t tell Cherie. She worries.”
I open the door all the way, and he comes in and puts the picnic basket on the dining table.
“Ah, good, you’ve got coffee on. Wasn’t sure if you had any, but I should’ve known those MacKenny boys wouldn’t leave you without it. You ever noticed how much they drink? Can’t be good for them.” He keeps talking to himself as he moves around the small kitchen.
Not knowing what to say or do, I shut the door and sit at the table, making a groaning noise as I do.
Mr. Lake stops talking and looks at me. “You hurt? They didn’t mention that you were hurt.”
“Y-yes.”
He moves toward me and bends over slightly, staring me in the eyes. “Hurt bad, too, I think. Come on, these hard chairs aren’t good for aches and pains. Let’s get you to bed.”
“I’m okay.”
“Young lady, I’m old and ornery. Don’t argue with me.” He holds out his hands, and I put my hand in them and let him help me to my feet. “Tell me what happened to you. Did one of the MacKenny boys do this to you?”
“No, sir. The MacKenny boys are helping me.”
“Well, that makes me feel better.”
With an arm around my waist, he helps me to the bed, then he waits until I’m in it before he pulls up the covers and puts a pillow behind my back.
“You comfortable.”
“It’s better.”
“Pain?” I nod. “You got anything for it?”
I point to the bottles of pills next to the bed. He picks them up and reads each of them.
“This one’s an antibiotic. It says you have to have it with food. How about I get you a glass of water, you take a painkiller, we feed you, then you can have this one?”
I feel like I’m being ordered around like a child, but right now, I could use some help, and the company is nice.
“You gave me a fright when you pulled up. I think I moved too quickly and hurt something.”
“Hmm.” He nods and shifts away from the bed and into the kitchen. Returning, he holds out a glass of water. “Take two of your pain pills. I’ll take care of you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lake.”
“Call me Samuel. You got a name?”
“Tula, my name is Tula.”
He smiles widely at me. “Nice to meet you, Tula.”
It turns out that Mr. Lake, Samuel, is as smart as a fox. If I hadn�
�t said my name was Tula, and I wasn’t injured, he was going to leave my ass at that cabin. But seeing as I passed the test, he invited me to his home. It’s a farmhouse, and it has that well-lived-in, cozy feel. There’s even a window seat in my room. The best thing about being here is I have the internet, and Samuel has a television in his living room.
He’s been waiting on me, hand and foot. I’m not allowed outside when he has visitors, as I’m in hiding, but thankfully he doesn’t get many. The farm has a few horses, some cows, and a bunch of chickens. I’m not a fan of the chickens. Whenever I go into their enclosure, they peck at me. Samuel laughs at me and says it’s because they know I’m afraid of them.
His granddaughter, Cherie, calls him every night at six, and from those conversations, I know Angus is missing. He hasn’t been seen for two weeks, no one knows where he is, and he hasn’t called in.
I’m sitting on the window seat, staring out over the farm. Its green pastures have a calming effect on me. I’ve always been a city kid, but after spending a week in the mountains and now a week here, I could get used to the country life. So long as I have the internet.
“You need anything, honey?” asks Mr. Lake.
“I should be asking you that.”
“Pfft, I’m not the one with two gunshot wounds.”
I wave a hand at him. “They’re healing.” Reaching up, I touch my neck, and the uneven skin feels weird under my fingertips.
“It’s healing nicely, and men like scars,” offers Samuel to try and make me feel better.
“I think you’ve got that wrong. Women like scars, men, not so much.”
Samuel laughs. “You’ve been dating the wrong men.” He goes to leave the room, then turns back around. “I almost forgot… I got you some blue hair dye.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, caught you looking at yourself in the mirror. I thought you needed cheering up.”
Samuel doesn’t approve of my hair or my tattoos, but he’s done his best to make sure I’m comfortable.
“Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.” He grins at me. “Wanna help me do it?”
“Hell, no.”
I burst out laughing. “Want me to fix you lunch?”
Samuel smirks at me and asks, “What are you going to make?”
“Baloney and cheese?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll be honest with you, Tula. If I have to eat that one more day, I might just smother you in your sleep.”
Beaming at him, I nod. “Okay, okay. Did you buy some turkey? I could make you a turkey sandwich.”
“Yes, I got you everything on your list. Meet you in the kitchen.”
Samuel leaves the room, and I stand, putting the laptop down. Cherie had it couriered to him for me. I’ll be forever grateful to them for taking such good care of me. On the back of the door is a robe which probably belongs to Cherie, so I slip it on and join him in the kitchen.
Samuel is on the telephone. His eyes come to me, and he nods. “Thanks for ringing. The new mare is doing fine. Eating me out of house and home, but I’m glad I got her. She’s an interesting horse.”
It’s code. I’m the new mare. Looking up at the clock, I read the time. It’s only one o’clock. Cherie doesn’t normally ring until six. Maybe something’s happened?
Samuel ends the call. “That was Cherie. There’s no news on Angus. They fear the worst.”
“It’s only been two weeks. Maybe he couldn’t get across the border?”
Samuel nods. “Maybe.”
“What do they want you to do with me?”
Samuel sits at the small two-person table in his kitchen. “Honey, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. No one wants you going anywhere until you’re all healed up properly.”
Samuel Lake is a good, hardworking man. He’s taken care of me like I’m one of his own, and I appreciate it, but I have a life to get back to.
Opening the refrigerator, I pull out the makings of a turkey sandwich. “You know, I’m well enough to go home.”
“What about the people who are after you?”
“They don’t know my real name. I was careful. And my side is healing nicely.”
Samuel grunts. “Don’t leave yet.”
I put mayonnaise on the bread and look at him. “I don’t want to take advantage.”
“I’m in this big house all by myself. I know I’m being selfish, but it’s nice having you here. Stay another week, and if you still want to go, I won’t stop you.”
I place the sandwich in front of him and then make one of my own. “Thanks, Samuel, I appreciate that.”
He grins at me as he takes a big bite of his sandwich. Truth be told, I don’t want to leave. Not yet, anyway. It’s great having someone take care of me. I haven’t had that in a long time. Sitting opposite him at the small table, we sit in comfortable silence as we eat our lunch. When we are both done, Samuel collects both plates and puts them in the sink.
“I’ll do the dishes.”
“No, you won’t. Go have a lay down. You look tired.”
He’s right, I am tired. It seems like the moment I have anything to eat, my body wants to take a nap.
Stifling a yawn, I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
Samuel gives me a hard stare. “Get yourself to bed. Have a sleep. I’ll yell when dinner’s ready.”
I frown at him but don’t argue. Instead, I stomp my foot, do a dramatic turn, and leave the kitchen with his laughter following me through the house.
I’ve been at Samuel’s farm for a month. There is still no word from Angus, and his brothers now fear the worst. My side aches occasionally, but it’s healed well. I even do small chores around the farm, but I feel like it’s time for me to move on. I accessed the cameras to my apartment, and no one has been in or out of it since I left. If someone were after me, they would surely have staked out or ransacked my home.
Samuel is sitting outside on the porch, looking straight ahead. I walk out and sit next to him.
“Something on your mind, Tula?”
“I think it’s time I left.”
Samuel hangs his head and nods. “Yeah, I thought you might be thinking that.” He turns to stare at me. “It’s no trouble having you here. I enjoy your company. And I kind of like getting parcels delivered to my front door.”
In the beginning, Samuel refused to order anything over the internet for fear of them having his credit card details. Once I assured him he should use a credit card with a low limit and only that one for purchases or PayPal, he agreed to let me order things for him. I’ve created a demon. He orders just about everything he can over the net. I think it amuses him that he can do it from the comfort of his home. He’s even on a first-name basis with the delivery driver who leaves Samuel’s parcels until late in the day so he can stop and have a drink with him.
“You can still order things over the net.”
“I don’t have a computer.”
“I’m leaving the laptop with you. They might have bought it for me, but I don’t need it. I’ve got one at home.”
Samuel nods and stares straight ahead. “When are you going?”
“Tomorrow.”
His neck twists sharply in my direction. “Why so soon?”
“I’m healed, Samuel, and there’s no reason for me to be here.” I look down at my hands. “Angus isn’t coming.”
We don’t say his name. I know losing him will hurt his family, and my being here must be a constant reminder that they saved me and not him. They are a tight group, and I don’t want to cause anyone more pain than I already have.
If I hadn’t gone to Angus in the first place, he’d still be alive. The kiss we shared all that time ago is like a sad rerun that my body and mind refuse to let go of. I wake up in the night, feeling that kiss and wishing I’d explored it further.
“Before I go, could we go out to the cabin? I’d like to make sure it’s clean and tidy for the next person who uses it.”
“I can do that.”<
br />
“I know, but I want to do it.”
“When?”
“Now?”
“Okay, and I’ll call into town on the way home. Going to cook us up a feast for your last night here.”
“Want me to make you a pie?”
Samuel laughs. “After the last one? No, ma’am.”
My last pie was a bit of a disaster since cooking was never my strong suit. “What if we buy a pie?”
Samuel nods. “Now we’re talking.”
Laughing, I stand. “I’m going to grab a jacket. Meet you in the barn?”
The barn is where Samuel parks his old red truck.
“Yep.”
Samuel stands and walks across the field. The keys to his truck are always left inside it. I’ve told him it’s stupid as anyone could steal it, but he shakes his head and says people out here don’t do that.
When I reach the barn, he’s got the truck running and smiles at me.
“I’m going to miss you, Tula.”
“Why don’t you take Cherie up on her offer and move in with her and Maddock?”
“I tried that. It’s no good. They need their privacy, and I need mine.”
I shake my head at him, and we drive in silence toward the cabin. It’s a beautiful day. The sun is out, and I can’t see a cloud in the sky. It’s big mountain country here. They loom up like guardians in the sky with their snow-capped peaks.
I’ll miss Samuel. I’ll miss the slower pace of life, but I won’t miss not being connected to the internet. I haven’t gone into any of my old sites for fear that people are looking for me, but instead, I’ve made up a new persona. This time I’ve stolen a handle from the Alien franchise and called myself Ripley. I thought about using another Star Trek name, but it felt too obvious and could lead straight to me.
Samuel pulls up in front of the cabin, parking near the front door. When Maddock lived here, he was in witness protection, so he had gravel laid up the windy driveway so he could hear when anyone approached. It’s a smart move, so no one can sneak up on you.
Climbing out of the truck, I slam the door and take the steps two at a time. Samuel makes his way to me at his slow and steady pace.
“You sure you’re up to this?”
Spark of Deception: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 4: An MC/Band of Brothers Romance Page 12