Uncovered by Truth

by Rachael Duncan

  “I can’t really go anywhere with these bruises on my face,” I remind him. “I wouldn’t want to be photographed like this.”

  His jaw ticks, no doubt upset with my attitude. “Isn’t that the kind of thing that got you smacked around in the first place? You need to watch who you’re fucking talking to, or do I need to remind you?”

  My mind automatically drifts to him hitting me in the face. It felt like an explosion had gone off right on my cheekbone. The ringing in my ears was deafening, and I struggled to maintain consciousness as I fell to the floor. I was so disoriented I couldn’t make out what he was screaming at me. It just sounded like a constant, muted roar. Right when I started to regain my bearings, he landed a kick to my ribs, knocking the air out of me. I know I downplayed it to Alex, but in that moment, I was afraid for my life. I don’t know what is going on, but each day Cal becomes more and more unhinged, and I’m terrified of him.

  I shake my head in response.

  “That’s what I thought.” He walks to the door to leave and I am just about to let out a sigh of relief when he turns back around. “Oh, by the way, I won’t be home tonight.”

  “Work stuff?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business,” he chastises, “but it’s not work related. I’ll be fucking Mona all night long if you really want to know. You can’t expect me to sit here and stare at your horrific looking face, now can you? Hell, I couldn’t get a hard on if I tried with a fucked up face like that.”

  I swallow hard and will the tears to go away. I’m almost there. I’m almost free. I chant this over and over in my head. As soon as I’m in Alex’s arms, none of this will mean anything. I dig deep and search for something other than hurt and humiliation to hold on to.

  Anger.

  It fuels me, causing me to look that bastard in the eye and pour out all the hate I feel for him. How dare he say that to me when he’s the one who busted my face up to begin with! I will not be made to feel embarrassed or ashamed. I did not do this to myself and I’m sure as hell not letting him make me feel like I did.

  He waits a beat to see if I’m going to respond, but I don’t. I just need him to leave so I can get out of here, and telling him what I think won’t accomplish that. After he’s satisfied I’m not going to talk back, he turns back around and leaves the room.

  My body sags with relief for a second before I spring up and go back toward the window. I hope Alex is still there waiting for me.

  ALEX

  I CAN’T WAIT any longer. I’m going in after her. Right as I’m about to go around to the back of the house, I hear the window open. I blow out a long breath when I see her coming out feet first. Rushing back over, I hold my hands out and wait to catch her. She hangs by her arms off the ledge for a few seconds. I’m about to tell her to let go when she releases her grip. She hits me hard and fast, knocking the wind out of me as I take the brunt of her fall before we tumble to the ground. “Are you okay?” I ask barely above a whisper as I struggle to catch my breath.

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  I quickly get up and help her do the same before grabbing her hand and running over to the back corner of the yard where there’s some trees to hide behind. Once we’re out of plain sight, we stop, both of us breathless from the short sprint and the adrenaline pumping through our bodies.

  “Did I hurt you?” she asks.

  “Nah, I’ve been through worse.” I wink at her and she smiles in return. “Come on, let’s go.” I hold her hand again and lead her down the path I usually take when I’m sneaking up to see her.

  We make it to the street, but I know we’re not in the clear yet. Cal could be leaving the house any second. We need to get as far away from here as we can. Glancing at her, I see the worry etched into her face. It’s in the lines around her eyes and the tightness of her lips. I hate myself for bringing her into all of this. Part of me wonders if I had stayed away from her if this would all be happening. I’ve caused her a lot of pain and now I’m putting her in danger by going on the run with her.

  “When I saw the window was closed, I thought you were bailing on me,” I joke a little. “I almost went in there after you.”

  “Cal came up to my room.” Her voice shakes a little, and I don’t know if it’s from the rush of leaving, or because that prick did something to her.

  “Did he touch you?” I ask, my eyes traveling all over her body to examine her. I’ll go back and kill that fucker with my bare hands if he put his hands on her again. It’s hard enough to restrain myself now as it is.

  She shakes her head. “No, he just gave me a hard time about not responding to him.”

  I relax a little, but not completely. The mark on her face is a constant reminder of the hell he put her through. A hell that I look forward to introducing Cal to when this is all over. But it’s not just the physical abuse she’s endured, it’s mental too. How he could treat her like shit when she’s nothing but selfless and caring is beyond me. He doesn’t deserve her. He never did.

  I lead us purposely past the SUV Tyler is sitting in. Even though I can’t see him through the tinted windows, I know he sees me. He’s probably shaking his head for bringing Elizabeth with me, but I don’t give a shit.

  We stick to little back roads, avoiding major intersections to keep from being seen. It’s doubtful anyone would pay much attention to me, but Elizabeth is a public figure, and people might notice her. About twenty minutes later, we’re walking into a convenience store. I need to call Turner and find out where the hell I’m supposed to go.

  “Turner,” my boss answers the phone.

  “It’s Matthews.”

  “What the fuck are you thinking? I just got a call from Tyler. Have you lost your fucking mind thinking you could bring her with you?” he bellows at me. I look at Elizabeth and turn my back to her, hoping she can’t hear everything he’s saying. I knew he’d be pissed.

  “Look, I get it. I just need the address.” I can’t say much more since Elizabeth is standing close by.

  He lets out a deep sigh. “It’s a bit of a drive. I don’t want anyone to know about this location, and that includes a cab driver. There’s a car parked in a lot nearby. The keys are sitting behind the front tire. You’ll find directions and a burner cell phone in the glove box. Take that car and text me when you’re there.” After telling me exactly where the car is, I hang up, grab Elizabeth’s hand, and head that way.

  TWO HOURS LATER and we’re driving down a dirt driveway tucked away in some woods. The sun has started to set, and I’m sure Bruce and Rodney know something’s wrong by now. The whole time we’ve been in the car it has been pretty quiet. I guess we’re both caught up in our own thoughts. I know she’s afraid. Hell, it’s written all over her face. I just hope I haven’t done the wrong thing by bringing her with me.

  A little ways down this gravel path, an old log cabin comes into view. “I think we’re here,” I say. She turns her head and looks straight ahead.

  “Do you think there’s electricity?” She almost looks horrified at the prospect of there not being any, and while I’m surprised this is her first thought, it still makes me laugh.

  “Probably,” I reply through my laughter, which earns me a glare from her. “Sorry, but you should see your face.”

  Her features relax a little but she still cuts me a look from the corner of her eye. I stop the car in front and look around. “I’ve never been camping before, so that’s why I was asking.” She scrunches up her nose in the most adorable way.

  “No need to get your panties in a bunch, sweetheart, but this,” I pause and wave my hand toward the cabin, “is definitely not camping.”

  “If it doesn’t have running water and electricity, then it’s camping.” I try to hold it back, I really do, but a chuckle escapes me anyway. I’m expecting her to be mad, but she finally cracks a smile. It’s a welcomed reprieve from today’s events and gives us a hint of the normalcy that we’re both seeking.

  “Come on, Bear Grylls, let�
�s go play man vs wild.”

  We walk in, and much to Elizabeth’s delight, there’s electricity and running water. “Looks like we won’t need to teach you survival skills this time,” I joke with her. She sticks her tongue out at me and I enjoy the moment. She hasn’t been this carefree since all hell broke loose. Now that we’re here, maybe she can relax a little and feel free from him, from her old life. What she doesn’t know is we just dug ourselves deeper into shit. And I’m an asshole for not being upfront with her about it.

  I have a mental war with myself constantly trying to decide if I should tell her exactly what she’s gotten herself into—rather what I’ve gotten her into—or if I should keep quiet. Every time I weigh my options, I always settle on not telling her. I have her best interest at heart, but she might not see it that way when everything comes to light. And, because I’m a selfish bastard, a large part of me is afraid she’ll walk away when she finds out. If I can delay that from happening, I will.

  The cabin is very bare, housing only basic necessities. It’s obvious it’s here as a hide out and nothing else. There’s not one single luxury item to be found. All that’s here is a few pieces of lumpy furniture, a refrigerator with some water in it, and a pantry with a lot of canned goods. But it’s the note on the counter which catches my attention.

  Don’t you just hate when they freeze your assets?

  “Freeze your assets?” I mutter to myself.

  “Whatcha looking at?” she asks as she looks over my shoulder at the note in my hand.

  “A clue of some sort.” I rub my unshaved chin trying to figure this out. I know Turner left it intentionally, but why?

  “The freezer,” she says matter-of-factly. I look up at her. “Haven’t you ever seen Coyote Ugly?”

  “No, is that more of your brain-killing TV?” She smacks me in the arm.

  “Real funny.” Walking over to the freezer, she opens it and pulls out an envelope. “I think I’ll hold on to this.” She holds it behind her back with a challenge in her eye.

  “Don’t make me come over there and get it,” I warn her.

  “You don’t scare me, Matthews.” I’d be a damn liar if I said my dick didn’t harden with the way she’s biting her lip and arching her eyebrow at me. Her sassy attitude is begging for me to tackle her to the ground and fuck her until that smug little smirk is wiped off her beautiful face.

  I stand in my spot, unmoving, staring her down like a lion stalking its prey. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable under my predatory stare. Without warning, I make my move. In two long strides, I’m on her. She doesn’t have time to react to my advance and gasps when I have her pinned against the kitchen cabinet.

  “Do you know what it does to me when you challenge me? How hard it makes my dick and how much I want to be buried inside you?” She swallows hard and I have a small sense of pride that I’ve rendered her speechless. I bring my lips to her mouth and she opens in invitation, but I don’t give in. They whisper over hers, just barely touching, making her want more. I trail over to her cheek and continue down to her neck. “Is that what you want, Elizabeth? For me to take you right here and finish what we started that one day?” She moans in response and my lips feather down her neck. My hands go up her rib cage and skim over her breasts before going around to her back. Her head tilts back and her eyes close in anticipation. The affect we have on each other is undeniable.

  And I take that moment to snatch the envelope out of her hand.

  Pulling back, I flash her a cocky smile, but she’s not looking at me. Her head is still thrown back and it appears she has no clue I stole it from her or that I’ve backed off. A low chuckle rumbles in my chest at her complete oblivion. She peels her eyes open, her mouth dropping when I wave the envelope in her face.

  “Close your mouth, sweetheart. That’s what you get for being a little tease.” I wink at her and walk back to the couch as I snicker to myself.

  “That’s—that’s just playing dirty, Alex.” Glancing over my shoulder, she has her hands on her hips and looks to be on the verge of a tantrum. She’s so damn adorable.

  “I never claimed to fight fair.” Opening it up, there’s a wad of cash inside. I’ll have to make sure Turner gets a Christmas card this year. He thought of everything.

  “What’s in it?” she asks, leaning over the back of the couch.

  “A little money to get us by until I get everything worked out.” I still have no idea how that’s going to happen. Whenever I talk to Turner, it doesn’t seem like there’s ever any progress. And now that I’m on the run, everything has changed.

  She comes around the couch and sits down beside me. “What’s the plan?”

  I sigh. “Right now, I don’t know.” That’s the truth, too. I don’t have a clue and that worries me. It’s rare I don’t have some kind of idea on what to do next. It’s a foreign feeling and I hate it.

  We’re both silent for a few minutes. “Let’s play a game,” she says suddenly with excitement in her voice.

  “A game where you get naked?” I wiggle my eyebrows up and down at her suggestively. She responds by smacking me in the arm and I rub it, pretending that it hurt.

  “Is that all you think about?” She acts like she’s offended, but I know she loves it.

  I shrug. “I’m a guy.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Let’s play twenty questions. Sometimes I feel like I don’t know you like I should. I know how I feel about you, but I want to know all the small details too.”

  “Are you sure you want to know more about me? There might be some deep, dark secrets hidden away. You might not like what you find out.” I’m only half teasing her when I say this. I am keeping a secret from her, and it’s pretty big. She knows the important parts about me, but she might not see it that way when she realizes I’ve been lying to her since the day we met. Hell, she doesn’t even know my real name.

  She squints at me and sizes me up. “I’ll take my chances and go first,” she replies. I hope she doesn’t ask me anything I have to blatantly lie to her about. “Chocolate or Vanilla?”

  “Vanilla. Least favorite activity?”

  Her lips purse together and she taps them with her finger. “Paintball,” she says decisively with a nod of her head.

  “You didn’t think that was fun?” I thought we had a great time.

  “Uh, no. I don’t consider getting shot in the ass fun. I was bruised for a week.” I wince slightly remembering the purple bruise on her ass cheek. I still kind of feel bad about it. “If you weren’t doing private security, what would you be doing?”

  “FBI.” That’s not a lie technically. “What about you?”

  “I’d be a teacher. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be able to teach and put my degree to use.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes and I know this is something she’s passionate about. Once the dust settles, one of my goals will be to push her to pursue it. “Have you ever been in love?” Her question catches me off guard. I’m not sure why. I knew we’d have this conversation eventually, I just wasn’t expecting it to be now.

  “Before you, I thought I was in love once.” In the past whenever I’d think about this, I used to get upset and angry. Angry that I wasted so much of myself on someone who threw it all away. Now, I thank God it didn’t work out because it ultimately led me to Elizabeth.

  “And?” she prompts.

  “Nope, it’s my turn.” She scowls at me, causing me to laugh. “Where do you see yourself in twenty years?”

  She leans her head back against the couch and takes in a deep breath. “If you had asked me that question five months ago, the answer would’ve been easy. Now? I have absolutely no idea. It’s terrifying, but also so liberating. I feel like for once I can make choices that make me happy.” Her attention comes back down to me and her left eyebrow arches. “What happened with you and that girl?”

  “You really want to talk about this?” I groan.

  “Yes, you’re not getting off the ho
ok that easy. You know about my past with relationships. It’s only fair I know a little about yours.”

  “Fine,” I sigh. “I met her in high school. She was a year younger than me. When 9/11 happened, I knew I wanted to join the Army. She wasn’t exactly thrilled, but I went and enlisted anyway. She found the enlistment papers in my jacket pocket one night. To say it didn’t go over well is an understatement.” I can still hear her yelling at me when she realized what she was holding. “She told me I was selfish and was super pissed that I went off and did this.”

  “She said you were selfish?” Her eyes are wide in disbelief. I’m sure it was the same reaction I had when she said it to me too. Once the shock wore off though, I felt nothing but resentment toward her.

  “Yep. I should’ve known then that it wasn’t going to work out, but I was either too dumb or too young to realize it. I went off to basic training and got stationed close to home once I graduated. Everything was fine until I got deployed. I’d been gone for about seven months and was coming up on my two-week leave. She kept telling me how excited she was and how she couldn’t wait to see me. She picked me up from the airport and was real quiet on the way home. I made a joke and said something like, ‘What? Did someone fill my shoes while I was gone?’ And she just started crying. Then I knew what was going on. Turns out she had been cheating on me for most of the deployment.”

  Her hand goes to her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

  “Eh, it happens. The bad thing was I was planning to propose to her while I was home.” I let out a humorless laugh. “Dodged a bullet on that one.” After that, I focused on nothing but my job. I never thought I’d trust a woman again after that kind of betrayal. Sure there were other women in my life, but only on a very casual level. I definitely never thought I’d fall for someone, especially while I was undercover.

  “Wow, no kidding.” I half expect to see pity on her face, but I don’t. There’s nothing but understanding and compassion there. Maybe it’s because she knows what it’s like when things don’t go as you plan, but I’m thankful for it. The last thing I want is for her to feel sorry for me. I got enough of that when she dropped me off at home and I had to tell my family why she wasn’t with me. Then there were the stares and looks of sympathy from my guys when I went back overseas. I not only hated my ex for what she did to me, but also for the way her actions made everyone treat me. Every time one of my guys looked at me differently, or a family member told me how sorry they were, it would bring the hurt and betrayal back to the surface. Which would immediately be replaced by disgust and anger.