Fire (Beautiful Ashes Series, Book 2)

by Ann, Lora

  “Okay,” her lip trembled.

  Tar might have contention with his brother’s wife, and harbored some deep-seated trust issues with her. But he wasn’t a monster. With a gentler tone he added, “Try to keep things as normal as possible, especially for Cole’s sake.” A lone tear escaped and ran down her cheek. Instinct kicked in as he caught it on the pad of his thumb. His former fiancée took it as an invitation and wrapped her arms around his waist. Lisa buried her head against his chest and sobbed. “Hey,” he stroked her back up and down, “try not to worry.”

  “I c-c-can’t hel-p it,” she stuttered.

  He blew out a heavy breath. “I know.”

  Tar stood there holding his brother’s wife as his past began to collide with his present. He remembered Lisa standing in a tiny apartment begging him not to leave on the assignment. How she worried for his safety. Telling him over and over, she couldn’t bear it if he were killed in the line of duty and she didn’t know any details. He tried to understand her point of view. In his opinion she knew he was a SEAL, and that it just went with the job. God, if he had just listened to her. Really heard what she was saying. And now, there she was right back in the same scenario. Difference being, Chase wasn’t trained to handle warfare. Nowhere in his job description did it say: could be taken hostage and tortured to death. Tar thought he hated this woman, but as his memory provided information he somehow missed before, added to what she was going through, he realized that wasn’t the truth. He held her tighter and vowed, “I’ll bring him home to you or die trying.”

  *****

  Keeley locked down her fear on the drive to the private mental facility E talked her into. She couldn’t fault him. He cared about her and was only doing this for her well-being. She had to be strong for Lacey. If her sister knew how she really felt, Lacey would insist on Keeley coming home with them. Although that option was inviting, she acknowledged the hospital was best. They could help her. Give her the tools necessary to battle her newfound addiction and how to overcome any others that tried to rear their ugly little heads. But Keeley also knew she had to walk a tightrope. One misstep could land her in that place forever.

  She decided now was as good a time as any to read what was in the envelope given to her before they left the hospital. There was no containing the scream that bubbled up and out. E pulled over immediately and turned, “What is it?”

  Her hand shook violently as she handed the piece of paper to him. Lacey undid her seatbelt and climbed in the backseat, holding onto Keeley tightly. “Shh, whatever it is, we’ll take care of it.”

  “Lacey,” there was caution in her name as her gaze met E’s, “we’ve got trouble.”

  Keeley cried out, “I’ll never be free.”

  For a split second Lacey sat still, letting her mind play all kinds of tricks on her in rapid fire, before she reached forward and pulled the note from E’s fingers. “Holy shit! How did he find her?”

  “The hospital wasn’t really that difficult,” E pointed out. “Question is, does he know where she’s going now?”

  Keeley was ready to climb out of her skin. “Does it fucking matter?! He has enough money to find me.” She grasped the handle on the door. Lacey yanked her back with all her might. “Let me go, Lace. Let me get the hell out of here.”

  “No,” E spoke with the utmost authority, “you’re done running.”

  “Maybe this time…” Lacey questioned.

  “We’ll protect her.”

  “How?” Keeley’s frantic voice was disconcerting to both E and Lacey.

  Neither knowing what to do or say to help ease her hysteria. Fact was, the worry was legitimate. The threat scribbled in those five words was ominous: I am coming for you. All made worse by his audacity to sign it: Love, Braxton. As if there was no intimidation at all, just a simple note to a friend.

  E made an executive decision then and there as he prayed he wouldn’t regret it. “Buckle up,” he ordered.

  Lacey couldn’t help but notice, as she consoled her sister, that he turned south heading away from San Francisco. She didn’t want to alarm Keeley but made eye contact with her husband in the rearview mirror. The worry she saw there let her know this was no joking matter. Braxton was a very real threat, and once more, her sister was wanted by a madman.

  They pulled into the driveway of a beautiful home over the cliffs of Carmel. Keeley fell asleep in Lacey’s lap during the drive. E tried to reassure his wife as he put the Escalade in park. “We should be safe here until we can figure this shit out.”

  “Whose house is this?” she inquired, taking everything in from the cypress trees to the jagged boulders. “It’s absolutely breathtaking.”

  “Belongs to Alex. Which reminds me, I better give him a call,” he said, stepping out of the SUV.

  Keeley sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Wow!”

  “Yes, my sentiments exactly.”

  “Where are we?”

  “Carmel,” Lacey answered, opening the door just as E ended his call.

  He took her hand. “Everyone will be here by morning.” Holding his wife close to him, “I haven’t been here in years,” he declared.

  “Why’s that?”

  He sighed heavily. “Not the best of memories.”

  “Oh.” Lacey studied E, wondering what that meant, but noticed he was back in time, remembering. She stood there trying not to worry about the deep V between his brows. Surely whatever was in the past wouldn’t rise up now when they needed his calm the most. But as her husband stiffened and became distant, she knew better. Damn. How could she snap him out of it? She leaned in to kiss his jaw, which was taut, and realized what he tried to pass off as something small really wasn’t. “E, talk to me.”

  He locked a haunted gaze on hers. “This is where my former Domme was killed.”

  “Wait! I didn’t know she was dead,” Lacey stared at him.

  “Yeah, not really something I like to discuss.”

  “Domestic violence is never pretty,” Keeley added, shocking them both.

  “How did you know that?” E half growled.

  She shrugged. “Tar.”

  Lacey didn’t miss the tears welling up in Keeley’s eyes as she turned and walked away from them. She also noticed E wasn’t all too happy that her sister knew something he’d not shared with his own wife. That was proven by the way he turned from her and stalked away.

  Well, this was turning into a horror show.

  *****

  Cole lay on Tar’s chest sleeping soundly. Tar couldn’t resist his nephew’s request to have a story read to him as he snuggled. There was a time when Tar thought Cole was the reason Lisa left him, but the math didn’t add up. She’d chosen Chase over him plain and simple. Cole was the result of that love conceived on their honeymoon. He stroked the soft curls wondering how the poor little guy was processing everything. Yes, he was accustomed to his daddy being gone a lot, but did he understand why his mommy was so distraught? Did he comprehend exactly why his uncle was now there? Children sometimes grasped more than adults realized. Then again Cole was only five, so maybe he didn’t fully understand more than Mommy was worried about Daddy and Uncle Tar was there to help. Tar found himself praying that was the case. The precious little boy in his lap didn’t need nightmares.

  Lisa walked in and Tar couldn’t help but notice how swollen her eyes were from all the crying. He held out his hand to her and squeezed when she placed hers in his. “I wish I could find that peace,” she said, stroking her son’s back with her other hand.

  “Try not to make yourself sick with worry. It won’t help you or him.”

  “Really hard not to. I just…” her voice caught.

  “Your imagination is far worse than reality,” Tar assured.

  Incensed, she pulled out of his hold. “Seriously? You’re going to placate me with that bullshit.”

  He fought his grin hard. She’d always been a sassy woman. One of the reasons he fell for her years ago. “I’m not blowing s
moke up your ass.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.” She spun around and glared. “You of all people know exactly what they are most likely doing to Chase this very moment.” Tar cringed, and she didn’t miss it. “Ah-ha! Go ahead and tell me I have nothing to be worried about again. If you do, you’re lying and you know it.”

  He couldn’t very well deny it. “Listen, he can get through anything as long as he can hold onto you and Cole in his mind. You can take that one to the bank.”

  Her demeanor shifted instantly. “Oh!” Lisa covered her mouth at the realization that just hit with his words: She and Chase had taken away Tar’s lifeline. Then how was he sitting there? “My God, Tarius, where did you find the will to endure it?”

  “What’re you talking about?” No one should’ve known he was held prisoner in that camp. That was classified information. Mainly because they should not have been there in the first place.

  She backpedaled, “I…uh…I…shit, I’m not supposed to know.”

  He leveled his gaze on hers. “Know what?”

  “That you were a prisoner of war,” she gulped around those words.

  “Was I?” His brow raised high in speculation of what all she actually knew. He wasn’t being an asshole about it. Simply put, he couldn’t talk about that.

  She wasn’t privy to more than Tar’s unit was in an unapproved area. Direct orders to return to base camp were ignored. The eight-man team was taken by the enemy. When all was said and done, they lost three good men. It was kept quiet to protect many. “Okay, I know you can’t really talk about this. But it’s just us. And yes, I’m fully aware of your time in that godawful camp.”

  “Chase should learn to keep his fucking mouth shut,” he growled, disturbing the little boy on his chest.

  “Mommy,” Cole cried out.

  “Shh,” Lisa rushed over, “I’m right here, sweetie.” She picked up her son, but Tar latched onto her forearm.

  “This is not up for discussion again,” he warned. “Are we clear?”

  She nodded emphatically, “Very.”

  Tar released her. “Go take care of your son.”

  He watched Lisa carry Cole out of the room as he stood. His fucking brother should know better than to discuss top secret operations. Tar attempted to control his temper by breathing through it but was back in time, caught in the horror that was his past. The unspeakable acts done to him. He got through it by sheer grit and determination, not love or a will to live. No, far from it. Worst part was, Tar had locked onto the fact he wasn’t going to die by anyone’s hands but his own. How the hell could he ever admit to such a thing? The reason he was alive was because he wanted to control his own death.

  And Keeley thought she was unforgivable.

  As that thought rippled through his mind another jointed the party. Was he projecting Lisa’s blatant betrayal onto Keeley? Interchanging them in some way?

  Dear God, Tar knew he was just as screwed up. Maybe in a different way than Keeley, but still all kinds of fucked-up. Demons were his companions during that time in his life. Took more willpower than he knew existed to break those ties once he was freed from that prison camp. He could only hope and pray Keeley found that within herself as well. She was strong enough. If only she recognized it before it was too late.

  Chapter Five

  Lacey was beside herself. Keeley wouldn’t stop crying and E, well, he was in emotional lockdown. She paced outside the door where her sister’s sobs could be heard. Unable to figure out how the hell to help the two people she loved most, she turned and decided a walk might help clear her head. Alex’s home was just as beautiful outside as it was inside. A more modest house for the area. Most were elaborate, but not this quaint home. What made it stunning was the backside. It was all glass and looked out onto the vast Pacific Ocean. Being up on the cliffs made it downright breathtaking. But all of that was lost to Lacey as she tried to think of ways to help Keeley and E.

  They both needed to talk but how could she make that happen. Her sister was a clam when she didn’t want to discuss things. And her husband could put an emotional wall up in record time when he felt the need to protect her. So, her stroll quickly turned into a power walk. Needless to say, Lacey wasn’t exactly paying attention to her surroundings and didn’t notice just how close to the edge she was until the ground gave way underneath her feet. The fall happened before she could scream. Instead of going straight down to the jagged rocks below, she found herself on a ledge with a twisted ankle.

  Now what?

  She eased herself to a standing position and tested her weight. Her ankle protested with a vengeance and she lost her footing. Lacey was in great shape, thanks to dancing, and able to grab onto a small tree root, pulling herself back onto the ledge. Breathing heavily, she reached in her back pocket for her cell phone and noticed there was no service. The adrenaline dump, along with her emotional turmoil and precarious situation, put Lacey into a panic as she screamed for help. The sun was setting and Lacey was shivering from the cold as she pulled into a tight ball. Her voice was long gone. She wasn’t one to lose hope but even she’d admit this didn’t look good, at all. Leaning her head back against dirt and rocks, she silently prayed for help to come.

  *****

  E finally decided to tell Lacey everything and hope she could find mercy for him. He was not exactly looking forward to this confession but knew he couldn’t keep such secrets from his wife. After searching the house thoroughly, he went outside. It was considerably colder than when they arrived, and he noticed the wind was picking up. Didn’t take long for the thunder to rumble and lightning to flash. A storm was on its way.

  Where was Lacey?

  He raced back inside and banged on Keeley’s door, waking her up. “What the hell, E?”

  “Is Lacey with you?” he blurted out giving away his panic.

  “No. Why?” She rubbed her eyes and noticed the brilliant bolts of light over the ocean. Her eyes widened all of a sudden. “She’s not out there,” Keeley pointed, “is she?”

  “Fuck. God. No. Please say no,” E bellowed as he ran outside with Keeley on his heels.

  The storm was unleashing with a fury, blowing inland. Slanted rain made visibility damn near nonexistent as they searched and yelled for Lacey. Keeley thought to grab her phone and tried to call but there was no answer. E was using his phone as a flashlight. “LAAAAAAAACEY,” he yelled over and over, all to no avail.

  Keeley couldn’t believe her sister would be out in this. It didn’t make sense. She went to the side of a cypress tree and the ground slipped from underneath her. Her reactions were swift and she was able to grab a branch to keep from going over the edge. Thunder rumbled so loud she almost didn’t hear E. She cautioned him, “Be careful. It’s not stable over here.”

  “Okay. Hang on. Let me grab some rope.”

  Keeley nodded keeping her arms locked tight around the tree. She couldn’t help but be mesmerized by nature’s display as the streaks of electricity lit up the sky, blinding her momentarily. She had spots before her eyes and didn’t notice at first the person hunkered into a ball below her. Thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her, she ignored what appeared to be a figure until they moved. Keeley screeched in outright terror unable to discern who or what was on that ledge. Convinced it had to be an animal because no human in their right mind would be out in that kind of weather. She managed to pull herself up to the tree trunk and then scrambled to more solid ground, taking off at a dead sprint in the direction she came from. The rain coming down in sheets made it impossible to see where she was going until she hit a wall. Well, she thought it was a wall until she heard, “Keeley. Fuck. Are you okay?”

  “E! Oh my God, run. There’s something down there,” she shrieked.

  “What?” He grabbed her upper arms. “What’s down where?”

  She pointed to where she’d just come from. E hurried in that direction. With extreme caution he held onto the tree, where Keeley had been, and leaned over the edge. Unable to
make out anything but a figure below him. He called out, “Hello! Are you okay?”

  A head raised but again E couldn’t tell if it belonged to an animal or a person, until another flash of lighting. What met his eyes sent tremors through his body. Lacey was staring right at him with a fear he never wanted to see again as long as he lived. Finding a calm he didn’t feel anywhere inside, he called out, “Hang on, Sweetness. I’m coming.”

  E forced himself off the ledge to find Keeley. Luckily she was where he left her. He grabbed her hand, ignoring her protest. “No. I’m not going back.”

  Keeley was left speechless when E’s gaze met hers in a flash of light. He was beyond crazed. What popped her into full throttle were the words, “That’s your sister down there.”

  Holy shit!

  They raced back to the edge, aware of the danger, as the ground slid from under their feet, taking both to their butts in an instant. They looked down in horror as the ledge Lacey was on also was giving way. E eased over to the tree trunk and locked his long legs around it. “Keeley, you need to go over and grab her.”

  Keeley nodded, wondering just how the hell she was pulling her sister to safety with their size difference; yet knowing there wasn’t another choice. Time was running out. His big hands easily wrapped around her tiny ankles as she gradually went over the side and called out, “Lacey. Stand up carefully.”

  Lacey used the wall of mud behind her, hanging on tightly to the root as she stood up. Fear gripped her in a vice and she couldn’t do more no matter how loudly Keeley shouted, “Lacey. I need you to turn around.”

  She was frozen in place. Keeley knew she was going to either lose her sister that night or die trying to save her. Sacrifice was always the right thing to do. She wouldn’t let Lacey fall to her death, looking around for something to use as leverage. E had a mighty grip on her. How could she get him to let of her? The answer presented itself. A baby tree was growing out between two rocks. Keeley grabbed a hold and yanked so hard she thought her hip popped out. But she managed to get the result needed, and E released her ankles. Using the tiny lip those rocks provided, Keeley was able to reach her sister—barely. “Lacey, listen to me,” she was right in her ear. E is up there waiting for you.”