A Change for the Good

by Melanie Jayne

  After breakfast, the group gathered in Zoe’s room. Zoe appeared restless. She was shifting between sitting on the side of the bed to against the pillows at the top. “Patty, can you hand me some paper so that I can make a list of things I need to pack and to tie up at the apartment before we leave town?” She turned to Tony. “Now, when you say that the cabin is rustic, how rustic is it? Electric and indoor plumbing but no cable rustic? Or outhouse, eat from a cooler rustic?”

  Zoe had listened patiently while the Alessi brothers presented their plan to leave the area and go into hiding. Tony was relieved that Zoe had agreed with his plan.

  “The cabin is a work in progress. I bought it six years ago and started the remodel myself, but my assignment in Atlanta put a stop to that. It has indoor plumbing with a working shower and, well, there is an antique bathtub in the kitchen. I have a wood burning stove for heat, and yeah, we should take extra blankets, sheets and towels. Pack warm clothes, because it gets cold at night. No TV so take your books, and cell service can be spotting during a storm, but you can use the house phone for dial-up internet service.”

  “I can go to the grocery for you all, it that will help?” Patty offered.

  “What about Geno?” Zoe asked. “Won’t you need to tend to him?”

  Geno was shaking his head as Patty answered, “It won’t be a problem. I’ll drop him off and get him settled and he will be fine.”

  “Then that would be great,” Tony added.

  Zoe and Patty were busy working on the growing lists, throwing out questions left and right about their needs such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Patty’s nursing training must help her stay on track because this event didn’t throw her off her game.

  The ladies were still in the get acquainted period, speaking politely to one another until Patty crossed a line by sweetly asking, “What type of condoms should I buy? I assume you are using protection.”

  Zoe did the haughty stare that she had developed as headmaster. “Really Patty, if you would like to ask about our relationship, just ask. I don’t like impertinence.” Zoe’s eyes shot daggers and both men sat up straighter but neither attempted to diffuse the situation.

  Zoe continued. “I understand that you are curious, but let me assure you, Tony and I are both adults. Consenting adults.”

  Patty gave Zoe a measuring look and spoke after a dramatic pause. “I apologize. You are right, that was very rude of me. I want us to be friends, I really am sorry.”

  Zoe smiled in acknowledgement.

  ****

  As Tony had predicted, the day was filled with delays. The stop at the police station took several hours so they grabbed fast food and ate it on the way to Zoe’s apartment.

  Thirty-five minutes later they were loading Zoe’s clothes and necessities in her SUV, which they would leave in Geno’s garage and trade for Tony’s ancient Suburban. “That’s it. I’m going to do a walk through to make sure the drapes are closed and everything is secure.” Tony worried that Zoe was doing too much. She was tough, never complaining, but he had caught her gritting her teeth a few times.

  Zoe was driving her SUV as she followed Tony’s truck to Geno’s house. He checked his mirror several times to make sure she was still behind him, while making several calls to check in with Geno’s crew and to update them. He then called a deputy friend who lived near his cabin, alerting him that he was heading there for an extended stay.

  Tony parked next to Zoe’s SUV in Geno’s drive. His brother was walking out the garage door as Tony got out.

  “I’ve got this,” Geno said as he raised the lift gate and started to unload Zoe’s things.

  “You sure?” Tony looked pointedly at Geno’s injured side.

  “It doesn’t hurt that much and hurts more when I sit on it. Go on and get your shit.”

  Tony walked to Zoe’s and pulled her to him. “I’ll be back in thirty.”

  She raised her chin and met his eyes. “Go on, I’ll be fine and I’ll make sure he doesn’t do too much.”

  “Same goes for you.” He brushed her lips lightly.

  Geno cleared his throat. “We’ll get her loaded and then I have a few things in the office to go over.”

  Tony looked at Zoe again.

  “Go,” she whispered.

  He kissed her again and walked to his truck.

  He found Zoe sitting in Geno’s office acquainting herself with Patty’s Glock. The sight instantly aroused Tony. She was perched on the corner of the desk handling the gun with confidence, dressed in a black hoodie, her hair falling around her face, concentrating on the polymer in her hand. Zoe looked focused and dangerous, a sexy combination in Tony’s book and his cock agreed. “So where are we?” Tony asked as he entered.

  Geno glanced at the doorway and nodded. “Patty picked up the permit paperwork and Zoe’s filled it out. She looks to be comfortable.”

  Zoe gave Tony a smile as she continued handling the gun.

  “She sure does,” Tony’s voice had a rough edge. “I brought my Glock to keep in the Cabin, for both of us.”

  Geno continued. “I think we’re done here. I’ve updated Zoe on my plans from this end. Being less mobile for a few days shouldn’t cause any problems. She called her attorney and his wife in Denver to check in.” Geno appeared calm but Tony knew that he was deeply concerned.

  Patty and Geno walked the couple to the Suburban. Stopping by the passenger side door, Patty pulled Zoe in for a hug.

  They separated slowly, Patty stated calmly while looking into Zoe’s eyes. “Take care, honey. We’re here for you.”

  “I will and thank you for doing the shopping and everything.” Zoe smiled and it was clear that the tenseness from the morning was forgotten.

  Zoe then turned to Geno. “I won’t forget anything that that told me.”

  He pulled her into his thick arms. “Good. Listen to Tony. He’s in charge as of right now. Keep the doors locked and the phones charged.”

  “I know. Tony is in charge.”

  She moved towards Tony and the open door. He helped her in and buckled her seat belt. He then shut the door firmly.

  He faced his family. “Thanks for everything.”

  “Just follow the protocols we talked about,” Geno said.

  Tony nodded.

  “Don’t do anything risky out there with no backup.”

  “I know,” Tony grunted, clenching his teeth.

  Patty took the moment of silence to pull on Tony’s arm and stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek. “Be careful for both of you. You have someone precious there. Take care of her.”

  Tony pulled Patty in for a huge hug. He kissed the top of her head, understanding that she approved of Zoe. “I will.” He released his sister-in-law and then turned to his big brother.

  “I’ll be in touch in a day or so.”

  “Use one of the burner cells that are in one of the shopping bags.”

  “I know.”

  “Yeah, I know that you know, but I gotta say it.”

  Tony stepped forward and hugged his brother. “Talk to you soon.” He jogged around to the driver’s side and got in as Geno followed.

  Geno was at the window. “Drive safe.” He slapped the door and stepped back and walked towards Patty.

  “The route that I am going to take is adding about forty-minutes onto the trip so you should try to rest,” Tony told Zoe as they headed out of town. “I can tell that you are tired. You get quiet when you’re tired.” Tony glanced her way.

  “I am tired, but I’m keeping quiet because I can tell you are pissed. I want you to work through it or maybe you might tell me the reason behind it.”

  Tony let out a sigh. “Saying the reason out loud will make me sound like a dick.” Tony paused before continuing. “Patty and Geno have been great to me. They set up my transfer to the rehab facility in Bloomington after I was released from the hospital. They were there for me, especially at the beginning because I had a rough time. I won’t ever be able to repay them.” To
ny paused.

  “But?” Zoe prompted.

  “But, sometimes I resent it when he treats me like the kid-brother.”

  “When did he do that?”

  “Just now, reminding me about things that I damn well know how to handle,” the words exploded from Tony. “I’m clear about what is going on and what I need to do. I just felt that out by the truck he was questioning if I know how to keep you safe, and it pissed me off.” There was real anger in his voice.

  Zoe rested her hand on his thigh. “I have no doubt that you will keep me safe. If I did, I wouldn’t be here with you. Since I am the target and the client, my opinion should matter.” She rubbed her hand back on forth on his thigh. ”They love you and are so proud of you. I can see that clearly. I don’t know much about Atlanta or the time you were injured, but I think they are trying to come to terms with everything that has happened.” Tony acted like he might interject so she hurried to continue. “Maybe both of them, especially your brother, are afraid of losing you after just getting you back. It makes them overprotective. When Geno and I were finishing our meeting, he told me that you were a helluva A.T.F. agent and that you sacrificed so much for the job. He said it with a lot of pride. I could tell that he wanted me to know that you knew your shit and I should trust you.”

  Tony was stunned at how quickly Zoe had become part of his world. She calmed him with a few insights and some words. Before she entered his life, he would have been fuming for hours, now that he had her, he could confide his thoughts and feelings. She listened and didn’t tell him he was terrible person. She offered a different viewpoint and most likely was correct. The psychiatrist had warned Tony that during the healing period he might internalize events and should remember that others were affected also.

  How would she react when he told her about some of his actions in Atlanta? Would she process it as calmly as she had the other admissions, or would she only see the monster that Ice turned out to be?

  A part of him knew that it was time to talk to her about Atlanta. It scared the hell out of him, but she needed to know all of him. It would be a painful task. He had told no one outside of his handlers and the psychiatrist. The character he created had witnessed and been a part of many vile acts. He tried to separate the role he created from himself, but in the dark of night he knew that he carried a great deal of Ice’s rage in his own heart. Would it be fair to give Zoe that infected heart?

  She woke as they drove through the small town of Bentley. “Are we close?” She asked as she shifted in her seat.

  “About fifteen minutes. This is the closest town. It has a little store for groceries, a gas station and a cafe. It’s getting colder outside. I’m worried that you are going to freeze tonight until the stove gets going. Maybe this is a bad idea. I don’t want you to catch a cold on top of your injuries. We could backtrack and get a hotel room.”

  “Don’t be silly, this is a good plan and I can’t wait to see your place.” Her voice took on a sexy rasp. “If I get too cold, then you will have to come up with ways to keep me warm in bed.”

  He chuckled. “I might have an idea of two.”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  ****

  The gravel drive was blocked by a huge metal gate affixed to thick tree trucks. Tony stopped to unlock the padlocked gate. It was so dark that the headlights only illuminated what was right in front of them. Zoe started to shift to the driver’s seat so she could maneuver the SUV through the open gate, but he waved her off. “The drive is rough. You have to know the secret path to follow.” After securing the gate behind them, they rode down the deeply rutted lane.

  “I know I should grade the drive or get new gravel, but if it looks like that there are upgrades to the property, it might attract attention and I don’t want that.” Tony was jumpy. “This place, it’s not much, but it’s all mine.”

  Zoe anxiously waited to see the land that was clearly important to Tony. She could hear the pride in his voice when he talked about it. She could barely make out the outline of a one story cabin. It had a concrete slab front porch, with a rocking chair on each side of the front door. To the right of the house there was a beaten up barn.

  Climbing down from the Suburban, Zoe stretched her aching muscles. Tony was limping and had been on his feet almost the entire day. She knew he had to be hurting. He grabbed the huge flashlight from the backseat.

  “Wait here,” he told her, until he entered the cabin and all the lights flipped on. When he hit the switch, she reached into the backseat to grab several plastic bags of groceries. Zoe made her way to the side door that led into the kitchen. It was set up with hand-me-down appliances and just as he had described, there was a huge claw footed tub off to the side of the kitchen against the common wall with the bath. She would definitely be investigating that indulgence later.

  She placed the bags on the counter and started to walk around her new home. A handmade bar separated the kitchen from the large common area that was the living room and bedroom. The living area held a large sofa and a recliner that faced a fireplace made of limestone. In the opposite corner stood the wood burning stove, and down from that, a gigantic bed. It looked to be hand–carved with four posters and a huge headboard. Zoe would have to climb up to get into it. The bathroom, which had a shower, was between the bed and the kitchen.

  Tony began to work with the wood stove so she continued to unload the groceries and supplies.

  “Babe, I’ll get to the rest in a few. Stop working so hard.” Tony was crouched in front of the stove.

  “I’m okay.” She was exhausted but they needed to unpack.

  “You deal with the groceries that need to stay cold and we can put the rest away tomorrow.” He started to stand and walk to her.

  She thought it over and nodded.

  Twenty minutes later, Tony claimed the stove was producing heat. She had put the perishables in the fridge. She could barely keep her eyes open. Watching him check the lock on each window and both doors, Zoe said, “I am going to use the bathroom and go to bed.” She didn’t want to press him to join her. He might welcome some time to relax.

  Chapter Ten

  Zoe didn’t know when Tony finally came to bed. The sun was pouring in the front windows, she was wide awake and he was still sleeping soundly beside her. Slowly she slid from their bed. She walked quietly to the bathroom. She had slept in a Bronco’s sweatshirt and her yoga pants. She pulled her hair back in a band, washed her face and brushed her teeth then headed towards the coffee maker.

  An hour later, she heard Tony get out of bed and then the bathroom door close. The shower started, she put her book down and walked to the kitchen to start breakfast. She timed it so that she was pouring his first cup of coffee as he walked into the kitchen.

  “That smells great.”

  “I’m glad you remembered to pack the coffee maker. We would have been in trouble without it. I can’t stand the taste of instant.”

  He took the offered cup and kissed the tip of Zoe’s nose. “Need any help?”

  “Not at the moment, but stay close because it could turn to shit.” Zoe gave him a quick glance and caught her breathe. He looked good dressed in a black thermal shirt, worn jeans with his wet hair brushing his shoulders. He had forgone shaving for a couple of days so his dark beard had filled in. He looked dangerous and sexy.

  After downing his first cup of coffee, he moved closer to turn the bacon and fiddled with the temperature under the burner. “This stove is a little tricky. I traded a load of firewood for it. I know that it needs to be replaced but I was waiting until I remodeled the kitchen.”

  Zoe hip checked him and said, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from checking things out. Grab some plates because we are about to be in the breakfast business.”

  After several bites of the eggs, bacon and toast, he said, “This breakfast and the company were perfect. Now that we’re here, I’m worried that you are going to be bored.”

  Zoe shot him an exaspera
ted look. “I brought a ton of books and my e-reader. Plus you said there is a river along the back property line that I want to see. I couldn’t get a good idea about the land last night, so I was hoping we could take a walk later? You can show off your estate, Mr. Landowner.”

  “I forget that you are a woman who is comfortable filling time by herself. I need to bring in wood since we may get some snow tonight. I also want to set up some safety precautions along the drive. My buddy, Wyatt, will be stopping by later to check in. He’s a deputy sheriff so he may come in his official vehicle.”

  “Are you using him for back-up?” Zoe asked intelligently.

  Tony replied, “Not at the moment. My thought is to tell him the bare minimum. However it can only help if he is clear on the basics of our situation. Out here, we are on our own if trouble comes knocking. That is why I’m going to install some waist high, motion sensor lights on the drive and the perimeter of the house. Wildlife may trip them, but it will be an added layer of security.”

  Zoe nodded. “Plus it is good to meet neighbors in the country. Maybe I should make cookies or something?”

  He laughed. “Babe you kill me, we are hiding from bad guys and you are worried about meeting neighbors and baking. I think Wyatt will be fine with some coffee. If he wants a snack then he can ask.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help you? I want to be useful.”

  “Zoe do anything you want. Treat this like your home.”

  There was a flutter deep in her stomach. “Okay then, I thought after I clear the breakfast things, I might clean a bit.”

  “You cooked, so I’ll clean up. If you want to do anything inside go right ahead. I haven’t been out here much since moving back so I know it needs attention. Then we can go for a walk and I will show you the sights, but I don’t want you doing too much.”