by Day, Vella
“I’m ready.”
Clay took her suitcase, and she followed them to the garage. Dirk slid into the driver’s seat and Clay sat in back. She chose to sit in front, partly because Dirk’s jaw hadn’t unclenched since she told them she needed to leave. His father had abandoned him, and his mom, and now, she was doing the same thing. But she wasn’t ready to stay.
“The storage unit is on Houston and Humphrey Street.”
Dirk’s jaw tightened even more. Great.
Within ten minutes, they were parked in front of her storage unit. Both men got out, but only Dirk escorted her to the locker. Clay stayed by the car, as if he sensed someone was near. Goose bumps tripped up her arm.
She leaned close to Dirk. “Does he think someone’s here?” Clay’s hands might have been down by his side, but his stiff shoulders didn’t bode well for them being alone.
“Don’t worry. Just hurry.”
She punched in the number and let Dirk open the garage bay. The box of her clothes she needed, as well as a bin of her shoes sat just inside the doorway. “The computer’s over there.”
The final box contained her bank records, birth certificate, her social security card, and other important documents. She grabbed it.
Once they loaded what she wanted in the back of the car, Dirk jogged over to join them. She scanned the area but didn’t spot anyone who looked evil.
“Where does your friend live?” Dirk asked.
“It’s not far.” She gave him directions.
Before they arrived at the house, her cell rang. At first, she wasn’t even aware it was her phone. After that skinny, tattooed jerk had stolen hers, she’d been without one. Then she remembered she’d given Janice the burn phone number.
“What’s up?”
“I’m so sorry, but I’m meeting a client for dinner. I won’t be home until late.”
Although Elena was disappointed she wouldn’t have someone to talk to, she was glad Janice offered her a place to stay. “No biggie. Have a good time.”
“Ugh. This one won’t be fun. It’s about a child custody case. There’s a pizza in the fridge you can have. You remember where the spare key is?”
“Sure do. If a little birdie didn’t fly away with it.”
“I’ll be home by ten at the latest.”
“Thanks for everything.” She pressed the End button.
Dirk glanced over at her. “Problem?”
“Not really. Janice won’t be home until late.” She planned to ask her friend to drop her off at the long-term parking lot, but now she’d have to ask the men. “Could you drop me off at Lindon and Main so I can pick up my car?”
“Sure, but you aren’t getting rid of us that easily. We’re going to help you with these boxes.”
The computer was heavy, and she would need one of them to carry it in. “I appreciate it.”
They arrived at the garage. Fortunately, she’d stashed the parking ticket in her box of important items. Once she gave them the stub, they turned over the keys. She’d already paid for the one-month service. They were supposed to start her car weekly, and she hoped they had. When she slid in and the car turned over right away, she blew out a breath, glad one thing had gone right today.
Dirk had directions to Janice’s house in case they became separated. As she drove, she frequently glanced in her mirror to make sure no car slipped between her and Dirk’s car. This was the first time she’d been outside and alone, and a creepy feeling crawled up her spine.
“Nothing can happen.” Even saying the words out loud didn’t bring comfort. Being away from her men was going to be harder than she thought.
Once they arrived at Janice’s house, she parked next to the garage. Dirk stopped next to her and cut the engine. She hoped they weren’t planning to stay any longer than it took to help her unpack. The purpose of leaving their house was to allow her time to think things through without their distracting presence.
You’re going to miss them.
Terribly.
Dirk retrieved her computer, and Clay picked up both boxes of clothing as she grabbed her suitcase and personal items. “Just put the stuff on the porch while I get the key.”
Oak trees shaded both the front and backyard, providing privacy. Janice had taped a plastic holder underneath the bird feeder. Elena slid her hand along the rim, and once she located the sleeve, pulled out the key. She trotted up the porch steps as Clay stood motionless and Dirk scanned the neighborhood.
“Everything okay? You sense any Colters?” She wanted this nightmare to be over.
They both faced her. “All good.” Only Clay smiled.
She exhaled and put the key in the lock. The one-and-a-half-story house had a compact living room with a dining room at one end and an enclosed kitchen on the west side. On the east side were two bedrooms and two baths. Upstairs contained a cute office that led out to a second story deck above the garage. In the past when she’d visited Janice, they’d often sat up on the roof deck and shared a glass of wine. What she wouldn’t give for that peace again.
“The spare bedroom is through here. Just put the stuff anywhere.” Then, please leave so you don’t have to see me cry.
Once the men put her things in the bedroom, she walked them to the front door and faced them, her pulse racing. “No words can describe what it’s been like having both of you in my life. Not only did you risk your lives sav—“
“Say no more, sugar.” Clay polished his knuckles on his shirt and grinned. “We’re heroes. We know it.”
That almost made her laugh.
Dirk didn’t fake his reaction. “Sweetheart.” He moved closer.
She palmed his chest. “Please, don’t. If you kiss me goodbye, we’ll all end up in bed.”
Dirk halted. “Would that be so bad?”
No. “Yes. I need time. Promise me you won’t visit until I call.”
He winced and his hands clenched. “We’ll respect your wishes.”
The pain racing across his face cut her deep. “Thanks.” She averted her gaze. Her stomach hurt, and she fought back the tears.
Clay must have sensed her despair and pulled open the front door. “Dirk. Come on. Let’s leave the lady alone.”
Lady? Not our mate? Her insides almost bled.
As soon as they left, she rushed to the window. Once they were out of sight, the sobs came. She grabbed her stomach and sat on the sofa. Even the silence in the house seemed to mock her. What had she done?
#
Clay slapped the dashboard. “I don’t like it.”
Dirk glanced over at him as he turned right onto Jackson Street. “Like I do?”
“I meant, I don’t like leaving her there alone. You sensed the shifter when we were at the storage unit.”
“A lot of workers are shifters. Doesn’t mean he’s a Colter or associated with Hood.”
Maybe he was overreacting and looking for an excuse to go back and kidnap her for real. “True.” He pulled out his phone. “I’m calling Trax to see if any of the men have a beat on Hood.”
With Hood at large, there was no telling if he held a grudge against her or not. The man they’d captured mentioned Hood knew that he and Dirk had been undercover. That made things worse.
“Call the general. Maybe some of the men are spilling their guts, looking for a deal.”
“I doubt that. Since when have you known the general to cut any deals?”
“They don’t know that.”
“Harvey Couch’s death crippled their organization. If Hood goes down, the Colters will feel real pain. No one’s going to say anything.”
“I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me, too.”
#
Elena put away her few belongings and then spent at least four hours searching not only for a possible apartment, but for job openings. Her skills were limited. If her family had money while she was growing up, she would have gone to college. Law had always fascinated her, which might be why she enjoyed Janice so much. Sever
al companies were advertising for paralegals, but even if she had the money now, it would take a long time to earn a certification.
She dropped her head in her hands. Here she thought being locked in a cage was bad. She swore the pain in her heart now was worse. Torn between her family beliefs and what she wanted was a no win situation.
Maybe some food and a glass of wine would give her clarity. The jetted tub in Janice’s master bath would soothe a lot of aches, but she wanted to ask permission first. After two slices of pizza and a glass of wine, she dropped onto the sofa and clicked on the television.
Even though one of her favorite shows was on, she couldn’t concentrate. She loved both Clay and Dirk. They both wanted her and she wanted them. She should call them back and say she wanted to be with them. But first, she needed to tell her mom.
She clicked off the tube and dialed. Her pulse soared and her pits sweated. The phone rang forever before her mom picked up.
“Hello?”
“It’s me again, Momma.”
“Elena. Something wrong?”
“No.” She rolled the bottom of her shirt into a wad. “I have a confession to make, and I pray you will forgive me.” With her free hand, she made the sign of the cross.
“Tell me.” Those two words were fraught with censure.
Here goes. “I fell in love with the men who saved me.”
Silence met her. “Did you have sex?”
She would focus on the sex part and not on the fact she fell in love with two men. Lying would not help. “Yes. With both men.”
“Lord in heaven, forgive your soul. Why, Elena, why?” The strangled cry that followed tore out her heart. Damning her soul was one thing, but crushing her mother was another.
“Maybe I’m weak. Or maybe I believed this is the right thing for me. I’m happy, Momma, for the first time in my life.”
“Do they love you?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“God would not approve. Two men? What were you thinking? This can’t end well.”
She swiped the tears from her cheek. “In Gulfside, many women are with two men.” Perhaps she exaggerated, but she had nothing else to offer.
“I’m disappointed in you. I brought you up better.”
Being disappointed was better than being destroyed or suicidal. “I know, Momma. I’m sorry.”
Lights flashed across the living room window. She tensed then returned her attention to the conversation.
“I’m not sure you should come home for a while,” her mother said.
Her comment hurt, but the fact she wasn’t screaming helped. “I know. I know.” A second set of lights swept the other way a few seconds later. Perhaps they reached the end and turned around.
A car door sounded. The front porch light glowed. Janice had installed lights around the bird feeder, too. Who knew those critters needed to see to find water? She stepped to the window but stood to the side so the driver couldn’t spot her.
At first she thought Dirk or Clay had come back to beg her to return, but they would have parked in the drive. She peeked out. Darkness shrouded the two people, but there was enough moonlight to tell it was two men. Neither was Dirk or Clay. Her heart raced.
“Momma. I have to go. I think those bad men might have come back.” She disconnected, not waiting for her mother to answer.
This can’t be happening. Dear sweet Jesus, they were coming up the path.
Run!
Call 9-1-1. He fingers fumbled with the numbers. There wasn’t time.
Hide!
Horror gripped her, splintering her thought process. She spun and ran. The kitchen had cabinets under the island but they’d be stacked with pots. She dashed down the hall and up the stairs.
Glass shattered. Shit.
She blessed herself as she reached the top of the stairs. Searching the office for somewhere to hide, she discarded one place after another. They’d find her in a closet or under a bed. She glanced upward at the attic door. Perfect. She tugged on the rope and a ladder unfolded. While she’d never been in Janice’s attic, she bet all it contained was insulation and beams. If she stepped on the floor, she’d tumble through the ceiling.
Leaving it open to mislead them, she rushed out the door to the deck above the garage. Voices sounded downstairs. This time they wouldn’t toss her in a crate. They’d kill her.
Chapter Fourteen
Trax’s number flashed on Clay’s cell. He answered immediately. “What do you have?”
“One of the men talked. Seems Hood blames you two for the organization’s downfall.”
That didn’t surprise him or bother him much, except Trax’s tone reflected too much tension. “What aren’t you saying?”
“They might go after Elena.”
“Fuck.” He didn’t need any more information and disconnected. “Dirk!”
His friend rushed out of the bedroom. “What?”
“Elena might be in trouble.”
From under the kitchen counter, Clay withdrew his gun. Dirk kept his in the car. Clay sprinted to the garage and Dirk followed. It might have been after rush hour, but too many cars were still on the road.
“Can’t you go faster?” Clay asked.
Dirk shot him a lethal glare. “Fuck you.”
A faster way had to exist. He searched his phone. “Turn right on Henderson. We’ll cut through the housing development.” His gut churned and his bones ached. Shifting now would fuck things up.
He tapped his foot on the floor. Dirk leaned forward with a tight grip on the wheel. After negotiating more turns than a maze, he reached Janice’s street. In case Hood’s men had cornered her or worse, captured her, letting them know they’d arrived could be devastating. “Stop here.”
Dirk slammed on the brakes and barely jerked the key from the ignition before Clay was out the door. You head around back. I’ll take the front. Fuck. The window’s broken.
Change of plans?
He sensed two Colters. He had no idea if they had her. No.
Dirk raced to the back while he attacked from the front.
#
Out in the open, there was no place to hide.
Please God, guide me.
Elena searched for a way down from the deck. The seconds ticked by. She gauged she had less than fifteen seconds before they burst through the door. Blockading the entrance with the lightweight furniture wouldn’t be a good use of her time. She had to get to the ground and run.
A tree limb hovered close to the roof, but even if she succeeded in grasping the tree, she’d only be able to dangle. That would be no better than jumping from the deck.
She leaned over to judge the distance to the ground. Ten feet was a long way down. Then she saw it. A gutter. It didn’t look very sturdy, but her options were slim.
She dashed to the lattice fencing that rimmed the deck and swung over one leg. Stepping on the gutter, she bounced once to test if it would hold. It bent and creaked but didn’t come off. She swung her other leg over and prayed she had the courage to slide down the drainpipe.
The door onto the deck banged open, and her heart nearly stopped. It was now or never. She clasped onto the pipe and straddled it. Her arms strained and her grunts came out too loud.
“Let go!”
Her brain fried. The whisper sounded like Dirk’s voice. She glanced to the ground, and there he stood like a mirage.
“I’ll catch you. Hurry.”
Sweat slickened her palms and her fingers slipped. The pipe creaked.
Lord have mercy. She pushed off, pinwheeling her arms and legs. Her heart slammed into her throat. Dirk caught her. With her in his arms, he raced to the front of the house. Her pulse refused to slow.
Gunshots sounded inside. He set her down and handed her a key. “Go to the car and hide. I need to help Clay.” He pointed toward the end of the street.
With the evil men inside, she’d be safe as long as her two men took down those bastards. Her rubbery legs barely held, but she drew on e
very ounce of strength and ran. Tears choked her. When she neared the vehicle, she pressed every button until the lights flashed, and she heard the doors unlock. In case Hood’s men injured both of her men, she slid into the driver’s side and started the ignition. It wasn’t about hiding. It was about escaping.
She tapped the steering wheel and jiggled the handle of the gearshift making certain she could take off the moment her men exited the house. If only she hadn’t dropped her phone help could be here in minutes. Stupid Colters.
The dashboard clock read 8:46 P.M. Uh-oh. What if Hood’s men called for backup? Sitting here might not be smart, but leaving the scene with Clay and Dirk inside was dumber. Or was it? Indecision strangled her.
A small part of her wanted to rush up to the house and look in the window. The smart half told her to stay put. Now it was 8:49 P.M. How long did it take to shoot two men or wrestle them to the ground? In the television shows, the good guys won in seconds. A few punches and the bad guys went down.
What if the two Colters got the drop on Clay and Dirk? Don’t think about it.
Keeping an eye on the front door, she prayed. Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. As she said her prayer, her jumbled nerves untangled.
Before she finished, the front door banged open, and Clay and Dirk dragged out both men. Tears of joy streamed down her face. The bad men were cuffed, but she feared they’d shift and run away. Dirk shoved the man forward. Only then did the man’s bloodstained chest become visible. Halfway to the intruder’s car, the first man dropped to his knees.
Screeching tires made her duck. Her heart pounded. She anticipated gunfire, but nothing happened. Seconds passed. She chanced looking. Trax, Drake, and Kurt piled out of the vehicle, and she slumped against her seat.
Dirk and Clay let the new arrivals take charge. Darkening skies prevented her from seeing if her men were injured. Only a shot to the heart would kill them. Even if they were wounded elsewhere, they’d heal.
She slid across to the other side and Dirk climbed in. He cupped her face. “Are you okay?”
“Me? You’re the one who tangled with those men.”