Another Brush Stroke (The Carnal Exhibitions Book 1)

by Barefoot, LW

  The well-built man watching Evan and I, is the same guy who has been attending to Ru’.

  “Harper, this is Brad. He will be with you until this blows over.”

  “Nice to finally meet you, ma’am,” Brad says.

  I smile at him and his grin widens, making him look young and innocent. His skin is dark as pitch, eyes a light blue hue.

  “We don’t know how long that could be,” I interrupt.

  It’s been five years and it could turn into five more.

  “I don’t care how long it takes. You deserve to start living your life. Brad’s already well acquainted with your home. He’s been following you for the last few months.”

  I let the shock register on my face. Brad winks at me and shrugs as if it’s another day at the office for him. Evan said months. I haven’t known him that long. Why the hell did he have me followed?

  “Even my casual acquaintances have to have a full background check. You and Jamie are roommates and Brad was the one doing the digging.”

  “What is it you do for a living? Why so much secrecy, Evan?”

  “Real estate and investments. There are people who appear to be close to me that would stop at nothing to destroy me. So in a way, we have a lot in common,” Evan tries to explain, but I know he’s not telling me the whole truth. “Harper, I thought it would be easier to be honest with you. If you ever need anything and Jamie and I can’t help, you have Brad. I don’t want him tailing you anymore from a few cars back. Now that things have escalated, I expect him to be with you whenever you leave your house. I need to keep you safe.”

  I don’t like that he’s been prying into my life before we met. It touches way too close to a violation I’m all too familiar with.

  “Did you find anything else interesting about me I should know about?” I all but spit out.

  I don’t care who he is, or how he’s justified snooping around behind my back. He searches my face and I feel my cheeks heat with anger. That’s right Evan, I’m pissed.

  “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I considered your feelings at all. I didn’t know you then Harper, but I do now. I’m sorry I violated your privacy. I swear I’ll never cross that line again. If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t find anything on either you or Jamie. He told me everything after our first date, I didn’t get the knowledge off some report or background check.”

  “If you ever go behind my back again, I’ll gut you,” I hiss with all the venom I possess.

  “Dibs on Harper for dodgeball,” Brad jokes and couple of the men laugh and comment under their breath.

  “I’m sorry it will never happen again,” Evan proclaims, ignoring his security team argue over who won the last game.

  “I’m not a victim, Evan,” I challenge him.

  “I don’t see you as a one and I damn sure don’t pity you,” Evan whispers.

  Harper

  Evan leans back and pulls his laptop out. As soon as the subject changed it felt like a huge weight was lifted.

  I reach for the stack of photos Evan took from the hotel. Observing where and when the art exhibits took place, looking at the locations of the galleries in relation to where I had stayed. All of them were taken of me in or just outside of the actual shows. Not one photo is of me entering or exiting either a hotel or an airport. I concentrate on keeping my eyes off the red warning on each one.

  The authorities had to find out what the Sculptor’s signature meant and why he marked his victims in varying Roman numerals. To this day, it still remains a mystery. After I physically recovered, I did my own research. Wasted hours in the library and on the computer. With my up-close and personal experience, I thought I could decipher the mysterious meaning and significance. But I wasn’t able to figure out the riddle any more than the FBI and local authorities.

  We hoped he believed he killed me. My death should have splashed across the media and on the front page news. He had succeeded in killing me. The only thing that remained was a broken girl with a heart that refused to give up.

  The FBI forced non-disclosure agreements on everyone who was at the crime scene, along with the doctors and nurses who treated me. They helped me disappear, they allowed me to become a ghost, I thought I was safe. I thought the FBI would keep me safe, but they failed.

  I can’t even wrap my thoughts around Ryan’s suggestion of the possibility that someone else could be behind the photos.

  Those few agonizing moments after Tom instructed me to pack my bags crushed me. The thought of starting over again was too much, too soon. Jamie and I were more than willing to leave Phoenix, and the other places that we dotted the map and laid low. But the thought of leaving New Orleans is out of the question. I’m not sure I could leave and never look back. Jamie loves it as much as I do, especially after landing his dream job. I can see an actual future for us there and I’ve never allowed myself to think that far ahead.

  The game we have been playing came crashing down around us. Evan knew exactly what was going on last night. His intensity and forcefulness now made so much sense. He was finished playing, and he meant everything he said. He didn’t flinch away from me, or ignore my scars. For a moment, he made me believe they’re not as appalling as they are. He didn’t see me as a scarred woman last night, he just saw me. He forced me to stand there and accept myself. It wasn’t going to happen overnight, but Evan did more for me in that moment than he could ever know. He grounded me and sent me soaring at the same time.

  We have to land somewhere in the Midwest due to a winter storm and it’s late afternoon when the jet lands back in New Orleans.

  Three SUVs wait on the tarmac when the jet pulls to a stop. Brad and the rest of the crew start unloading as soon as the door opens. Once everyone is out, Evan unbuckles my seatbelt. We’re alone when he grabs me and kisses me senseless. Taking and giving, he leans back and rests his forehead to mine.

  “I have things I need to get sorted out. Brad will take you home tonight, if that’s okay with you?” Evan explains.

  “Of course,” my compliance comes easy.

  He kisses me and stands to escort me out of the jet.

  A stretch limo drives up the runway as Brad picks Ru’ up and puts him in the back seat of one of the SUVs. Evan’s pace quickens as he pulls me along behind him holding my hand. He’s fast as he opens the passenger door and waits for me to climb inside. His tall stature blocks my view from the car that pulled up. A woman’s voice calls out to him and he stiffens in an instant.

  Brad nods to Evan and starts the vehicle. As we pull away from the hangar, I look back to see the woman who called out his name, but she doesn’t get my attention. A man exits the limo, a shock of black hair and sparkling green eyes and I’ll be damned if he doesn’t look exactly like Evan. Evan stares at our taillights as the couple approaches him. His eyes never waver from our vehicle until the car rounds a corner and we’re out of sight.

  “Who are those people?” I turn back around in my seat and ask Brad.

  “Best not to worry ‘bout them,” he says, his eyes on the road.

  He quickly changes the subject, and asks if I want to have dinner with his family tonight. I’m surprised by his sudden invitation. I’m still thinking about it when he starts talking again.

  “I’m sorry, but I feel like I already know you. And my Momma cooks the best Cajun food you ever put in your mouth.”

  He turns from watching the road to smile at me with that young, boyish grin. Instructing me about adding more rice to the étouffée if it’s too spicy.

  “I would love that, but isn’t too late to call and add another couple of people?”

  “Hell, no. Sunday dinners are huge. All us kids come and bring whoever is with us and half the neighborhood shows up as well. There’s always plenty of food, even for your little dog there. The kids will love him.”

  I look back at Ru’ seated on the second row seat. I guess he would be little to someone as tall and broad as Brad.

  “I think yo
u’re forgetting Ru’ and I are already old friends. Evan mentioned he wanted me to set up extra security in your house. He didn’t mention I did it while you and Jamie were sleeping,” he confesses.

  “Should I be worried about the fact that you’ve been sneaking around my house?”

  “I’ve known Evan for ages and he’s nothing like the rest of his family. You can trust him. The security system he had me replace was basically shot. The wiring was all wrong and it shorted out when I was inspecting it. You have nothing to worry about as far as he’s concerned. He was just trying to look after you.”

  “What do you mean he’s nothing like the rest of them?” I ask.

  Out of everything he’s said, that one sentence bothers me the most.

  “That’s not my place to tell you. I shouldn’t have let that slip,” he offers me a shrug. “By the way, Rufus is a sad excuse for a guard dog. But I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like or one that didn’t like me. When he finally woke up and walked downstairs he was all shaking and happy to see me. We’ve been buds ever since.”

  I try to picture Brad being stealthy and quiet while sneaking around my house at night, but I can’t do it without laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” he asks.

  “Just trying to imagine you sneaking around my house and Ru’ thinking he just met his best friend,” I exclaim and he let’s out a small laugh.

  “Yeah, well, I guess it kind of was. He was all excited, getting louder by the second and I thought he was going to wake up your roommate. I would like to train him, if that’s okay with you?”

  “Of course, he’s my first dog. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

  “Those bulldogs are too smart for their own good. If you don’t lay down the law, they will do whatever they want, whenever they want. That’s where the term bull-headed comes from.”

  I like Brad already and I know what they say about dog’s instincts recognizing good people. They have better intuition than humans.

  Brad insists there’s nothing we could bring to contribute to the dinner at his mother’s house, until I bring up swinging by the store for beer and he reluctantly agrees with me. It’s cool enough to leave the windows rolled down in the car for Ru’, while we choose a variety of locally brewed beer and a case of root beer for the kids.

  Shotgun style homes line up close together, with wide porches and no driveways when we pull off the interstate. Parked cars litter both sides of the cracked street. We find an empty spot after driving around for a while. Brad scoops Ru’ up as if he weighs nothing. I follow him up to a porch full with people staring at us as we approach.

  The screen door flies open and two little kids come flying at us. They swerve around us, laughing and playing tag. The kid’s squeal is louder than the slamming of the screen and its rusted hinges. It draws the attention of the people on the porch after they nod to us in welcome. Brad still has Ru’ in his arms when he instructs them there are cold drinks in the car and it needs to be unloaded. Several men get up from their seats and move to the parked vehicle.

  Loud laughter comes from the kitchen further into the home. An older woman wearing a ‘kiss the cook’ apron, screeches when she sees Brad.

  “Oh, it’s my baby. You handsome devil, you’ve made your Momma so happy. And who is this precious whittle guy?”

  She coos at Rufus and his butt starts wagging. She kisses Brad on both cheeks and grabs Ru’s face and starts baby talking him and kissing his head. I love this woman and we haven’t even been introduced, yet. Warm rich chocolate eyes sweep over me when Brad steps away from his mother.

  “Well, well, well. Aren’t you just the prettiest little thing this side the Mississippi?”

  Brad’s mom says drawing out syllables and skipping over others. I blush as she holds her arms out wide, expecting me to enter them. I look to Brad for reassurance, his grin stretches wide and he nods.

  “Well come on, I won’t bite ya’.”

  I laugh and do as expected.

  “Nobody comes to Mae’s house and not get lovin’.”

  “I’m Harper, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me.”

  “Lord have mercy. She’s polite too. Honey, you don’t ever need an invite, my door is always open,” she says.

  The apron she wears couldn’t belong to anyone more appropriate. She stops in the kitchen and barks orders that it’s time to say the blessing and to round everyone up.

  The backyard is full of picnic tables and fold-out chairs. I ask if there is anything I can help with. Brad thanks me and informs me that’s not how things work here. He lets Ru’ loose and assures me the yard is secure and he won’t be able to get out.

  Several people walk through the gate at the back, carrying covered platters and dishes. This is an honest to goodness neighborhood dinner. The intricate mix of people is fascinating. Grace is given and there’s laughter all around. I get so caught up with Brad’s sisters and watching kids play with Ru’ I don’t notice Evan at first. A couple of the other men who were in Chicago with us are also here, their matching black attire pulls my attention to them. I watch Mae’s enthusiasm as she hugs the newcomers. I don’t miss Mae and Evan glance in my direction.

  Evan gets swept up in the fray, shaking hands and speaking with someone at every table.

  There’s beautiful chaos in the setting. One of Brad’s nieces braids a section of my hair and another one tries to run her fingers through the unruly waves.

  Instruments are set up, shining with the reflection of the disappearing sun. I listen as one of Mae’s neighbors tell stories about Katrina and how the community is still recovering. There’s dessert and music. Booze and atmosphere. It’s one of the few times I don’t want the night to end.

  I gather up several plates and serving dishes. One of Brad’s nieces tries to help and loads a plate in her small hands.

  Evan stands at the kitchen sink, hand washing dishes when we walk in. The thought of him getting his own coffee seemed ridiculous to me, but watching him with his sleeves rolled up and scrubbing plates is downright unbelievable. He’s never looked more appealing or more attractive.

  My little helper stomps her foot and looks up at me in annoyance, her tiny arms hold up the plate, breaking me out of my trance. Evan turns and smiles at her. I lean down and tell her to add it to the stack that’s in my arms. She grins, displaying the adorable gaps between her teeth, then runs off screeching out the back door. Evan comes over and lifts the dishes out of my arms.

  “Let me help you with those,” he says.

  Those simple words were for this moment, but I feel like they correlate so well with his actions today.

  I start drying the dishes he places on the countertop. We brush up against each other through our mutual task. I want to ask him a thousand questions, but I stop myself. This silence is nice and uncomplicated and it’s enough. Music filters in through the open window. Evan catches me yawn.

  “I kept you up too late last night,” he says.

  I don’t know what comes over me, as heat floods my cheeks, “Did you like stealing my sleep?”

  Evan grabs me with his wet soapy hands and pulls me sharp against him. His fingers dig into to my arms in warning. He nuzzles the crook of my neck, whispering, “You have no idea what I have planned with you while everyone else is sleeping.”

  His soaking wet hands start working their up my spine, under my shirt, teasing and tickling. I laugh and try to pull away from him, but he captures my mouth. It’s light at first, but builds and I melt from the pressure he rules over my lips.

  “Ew, gross,” my gap-toothed friend exclaims holding up another plate for us to wash.

  We didn’t hear her come back in through the screen door. Evan drops his hands and grabs the dirty platter from her.

  Brad whistles for Rufus and moments later he meets us in the kitchen. Evan kisses me one last time as he walks with us to the front of the house. Mae meets us at the front door to say her goodbyes.

  “Baby g
irl, I mean it. You need anything at all you let me know, ya’ hear?”

  “Yes ma’am. Thank you for this evening.”

  She hugs me before moving to Brad and Ru’ to shower them with love.

  I’ve been trying to piece together how Evan knows these people. He’s family to Mae and Brad, but he isn’t. He blends in so well and at the same time, stands out like a sore thumb. I had too much to think about as it was.

  Brad doesn’t say much as we load up and head to my house.

  We arrive back and Henry, the doorman, nods to Brad like he lives here. My mind keeps circling back to the last two days. Two long exhausting days.

  “Are you officially moving in?” I ask Brad.

  “I know this is unconventional, but I’m here for your safety. We can be friends or I can be the dark shadow that follows you, and you will forget I’m there. It’s my job to protect you and I won’t fail.”

  The combination of his kind eyes and his willingness to put his life on the line completely wins me over.

  “I’d rather be friends. Thank you, by the way, for doing this, and for taking me to your mom’s house.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he smiles.

  I show him around the house. Gathering a blanket and clean sheets from the linen closet and walking up to the third floor that rarely gets used. I help him put the sheets on the bed. Having him here feels right and I’m fed back a small ounce of security.

  “I’ll sleep when you wake up, please don’t go anywhere without me,” he instructs.

  “I promise.”

  He follows me back downstairs, checking the locks on the windows and doors on the way, setting the security alarm on the first floor.

  “I think you should call Jamie, so I don’t give him a heart attack when he gets here.”

  “I will. Please make yourself at home.”