Set Me Free

by Melissa Pearl

  Zach finally sighed, licking his lips. His mouth felt arid as he tried to speak. "For your own safety, you need to stay out of this, Jae." It sounded so poxy. He knew she would hate it and he was right.

  "Ugh." She made a face. "You're so full of shit, Zach. I love you guys and if you're in trouble I want to help. Let me in."

  "I'm sorry. I can't." The words only just made it through his locked teeth.

  "You want to. I can see it." She shook her head, a pitying scorn marring her features. "Once again Zach Schultz gets duped by a girl. I thought you were stronger than this, but I guess I was wrong." Her lips bunched together as she shook her head. "Don't expect us to save your ass this time." She turned away then spun back with a last flair of anger. "And if Elliot gets hurt in any way because of you, we're finished, you understand me?"

  Her vehemence left Zach speechless. All he could do was nod.

  Once more she tortured him with a look of hurt so strong he nearly buckled on the spot. It she hadn't stormed across the street, he probably would have. He watched her red curls fly as she ran down the road before reluctantly turning back to the house.

  This sucked.

  Running his hands through his short hair, he trudged back home. He felt like the world's biggest asshole. Jaeda....in fact all his friends....had put up with his crap for years now, always stuck with him. It hurt to think he'd finally crossed a line. Was he an idiot to be putting Lucy before his friends? He despised being in this position.

  Opening the front door quietly, he crept towards the dining room, but was quickly met by Lucy. Her blue gaze was soft with sympathy.

  "Are you okay? Is she okay?"

  Zach shrugged, burying his hands in his pockets.

  Without a word, she stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips pressing into the crook before whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing this to her, but I want to keep her safe. I know how much you care about her." Pulling away from him, she touched his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I'll go. If you need me to, I'll walk out that door right now."

  "Is that what you want to do?" Zach's voice was flat.

  She hesitated. "A little bit, maybe."

  Zach gripped her shirt, forcing himself not to lose it. Her fluctuating stance was like whiplash and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. She either needed to walk out now or commit until the end.

  He was about to say so when she started talking again.

  "I hate what I'm doing to you and your friends, but..." Her teeth brushed over her lower lip. "But a bigger part of me needs to stay, to end this and then make it all right again. Besides, Elliot will bust my ass if I walk out now."

  Zach frowned, an angry spark flittering through him.

  Lucy shook her head, leaning forward and resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Zach, you have the world's best friends."

  He kissed the side of her head, gliding his hand down her back as she stood tall to meet his gaze.

  "I want to be a part of your world. I just really, really don't want anyone to get hurt."

  It wasn't her words that did it. It was the way her lips trembled as she said them. It was the wisp of hair resting on her cheekbone. It was the vibrant color of her eyes that were about to glass over with tears.

  With a soft smile, he pulled her into his arms. "You're not going anywhere," he whispered into her neck. Her delicate skin resting beneath his lips and the way her body felt against him was confirmation enough. Yes, his friendships were on a precarious ledge at the moment, but they were there because of a girl worth fighting for. He was confident his friends would come around eventually, but he wasn't stupid enough to think it would be an easy road. They had to get this done, and quickly, before Jaeda wrote him off for good.

  Giving Lucy one last squeeze, he pulled away and captured her hand in his, gently tugging her to the table.

  "How mad is she?" Elliot looked up from his laptop, interrupting Alex mid-sentence.

  Zach shook his head, not wanting to go into details. His uncle did not look impressed by all the drama...or being interrupted over it.

  Pulling out a chair for Lucy, he watched her glide into it before stealing a glance at Elliot over her head. His friend sighed, closing his eyes and nearly whacking his head on the keyboard.

  "She'll come around," Zach mumbled.

  Elliot flicked him a glare that said, she better!

  Zach swallowed and turned back to his uncle. "You were saying?"

  "I was saying..." He threw Elliot a droll look. "It's obviously going to be too hard to try and prove this case wrong, right? I mean he covers his bases, he fudges evidence to say what he wants it to say...or he destroys it. So, we're wasting our time down that avenue. We need to get him on something else."

  "Al Capone got busted on tax evasion," Zach blurted, nestling into his seat.

  "So, what, you're saying we should look at Tenner's accounts then?"

  "Maybe." Zach shrugged. "Or maybe we should be trying to get him on anything crooked. Anything that would be enough to open an investigation, right Uncle Al?"

  Alex nodded. "Yeah, I mean it doesn't have to be much and we know Lucy's dad had something on him. Maybe we could find out what that was?"

  Her nod was slow initially, but then began to move steadily.

  "We need to get into his space. Figure out how he moves and then find a chink in his armor." Alex dropped the marker onto the table, pressing his knuckles into the wood. "If he is involved in some kind of gang work, he'd be meeting with people, wouldn't he? I mean, if we could get pictures of him doing something or any kind of paperwork that would expose him, we could finish what Jack Tate started."

  A thick silence descended over the room. It was filled with a buzzing excitement, but not enough to burn off the ominous threat.

  "My dad was killed for what he found out," Lucy whispered.

  Alex pushed his index finger into the table. "Your dad was working right under Tenner's nose. It's different this time. He's gonna have no idea we're watching him. Lucy, we don't really have a choice here. We have to find something on this guy before the FBI catches up with us."

  Zach reached for her hand, threading his fingers between hers and giving them a squeeze. The spark of hope from L.A. had returned. She glanced at him with a quick smile, it wobbled with nerves, but it was there. They had a new plan...and this one was going to work. It had to.

  Chapter 17

  LUCY

  Fueled by a mixture of excitement and urgency we left for San Francisco that night. We followed Alex in Elliot's car so that we could get back to Danville easily. If we found what we needed in the next day then Alex could stick around and start knocking out a story and maybe we'd have a chance at a normal summer...whatever that was.

  We arrived at Alex's apartment forty-five minutes later and dumped our stuff. Grabbing a dark sweater, I threw it on before shoving a black cap on Zach's head.

  He grinned at me as I tweaked the peak before running down the stairs after Alex. Piling back into his car, Alex followed Elliot's directions to the Tenner home. He'd easily found the information online and we'd printed out a map before we left.

  Zach and I sat together in the back, his fingers wound tightly through mine. I rubbed my thumb over his knuckle, my digit unable to remain still. My insides were chaos. I couldn't believe I was actually heading towards the man I had spent nearly half my life running from.

  I felt safer with my dark hair, but that wouldn't necessarily stop him from recognizing me. He was like a hawk and I couldn't help wondering if he had a sixth sense especially honed for me.

  Ten minutes later Alex slowed as we entered the Sea Cliff neighborhood. It was easy to see it was one of the best areas in San Francisco. The houses were huge and right by China Beach Park. The Tenners lived on McLaren Ave. It was a smallish street, making any foreign parked car blatantly obvious.

  "We can't just park outside his house," I muttered when Alex pressed on the brake.

  "I
know, I'm just checking it out."

  Thankfully it was late and most people were asleep in their beds. I glanced at my watch as Alex pulled out of the street and parked around the corner. It was going to be a really long night.

  "Why didn't we just sleep at your place and come back early in the morning?" Elliot grumbled as he pulled his hoodie over his head and wrapped his arms around himself. Slumping back in his seat, he rested his head against the window and looked into the darkness.

  "He might have late night business." Alex turned, squinting out the back window. "I want to be prepared for all possibilities. Don't worry, man, I'll take the first watch down the other end of the street. You guys can argue over who will watch this end. At least I'm leaving you the car."

  "We should have just brought mine," Elliot muttered.

  I glanced at Zach, wondering why that hadn't occurred to us. We'd all just piled in after Alex and not really thought it through. Not the best start to a stalking vigil. I hated how sloppy I'd become. We needed our wits about us!

  Alex grinned, slapping Elliot on the shoulder before opening the door. I felt totally exposed as the internal light popped on, but the door was quickly shut and we were shrouded in darkness.

  I watched Alex's dark form become a shadow as he jogged down the street. I had no idea where he was planning on hiding out. It seemed stupid that he was leaving the car at all, but I guess we had to cover both ends of the street.

  "C'mere." Zach tugged my shoulder, forcing my back against his chest. I nestled my head into his body with a soft moan.

  "If you guys start making out back there, I'm gonna kick your ass, Schultz."

  I quietly chuckled, running my hand down Zach's body and tucking it behind his back. Zach wiggled his eyebrows, which I saw in spite of the darkness. This just made me titter, which only made Elliot groan. Zach took it one step further by making loud smacking noises with his lips until Elliot expelled a loud curse and went to leave the car.

  "Kidding! Elliot, don't go. I promise I won't maul my girlfriend with you still in the car."

  "How generous of you." Elliot clicked the door shut again.

  "I am gonna kiss her goodnight though."

  I craned my neck and met his lips, my insides flooding with that familiar security only Zach seemed able to give me. As my tongue skimmed against his, I closed my eyes and pretended for just a moment that the world didn't exist.

  Zach pulled away first. I could sense his reluctance, which made me a little giddy. If only Elliot weren't in the car, our bodies would be singing in seconds. Zach stripping me naked when I first got back had been the most intimate and erotic moment of my life. I knew it wasn't about lust, it was about care, but it still sparked something within me. I wanted Zach. I wanted him to care for me in every way he could. Just thinking about it ignited a fire in my belly. I ran my hand up his chest, my fingers itching to get under the fabric of his shirt. I'd never felt this way about a guy before. Every guy I'd kissed in the past had been a job. Zach was my choice and the more time I spent with him, the more I craved him.

  I traced my finger across his collarbone and followed it with my lips, hoping Elliot wouldn't turn around and notice. Zach drew in a quiet breath, his chest muscles flinching beneath my touch. It took all my will power not to straddle him.

  I leaned back before the temptation got too great. Zach wouldn't let me go far though, tucking my head against his chest. I could tell by the way his muscles quivered that I wasn't the only one on fire right now. I hooked my knee over his thighs, wanting to be as close to him as possible. His hand slid over my butt, pushing me into him, our bodies melding together as his hand glided over my bare thigh. I was so grateful I had thrown on my fitted jean shorts, I loved that he had easy access to my skin. The summer heat had never been more welcome.

  I closed me eyes, swallowing back the blissful sigh that wanted to escape.

  "I'll stay awake for now." He kissed the top of my head. "You get some rest."

  "Thank you," I whispered, already lavishing the state of euphoria I was tucked in.

  It took me ages to get to sleep. At first my brain was too filled with loved up images of Zach and I tangled together in a bed of crispy white sheets. Not being able to play out my fantasy soon became too much and I had to force my mind to other things. Unfortunately, the only other things invading my thinking space were terrifying, but once I hooked onto those thoughts, I couldn't seem to let go. My brain kept bouncing me awake with the terrifying reality of what we were actually doing. Thankfully, Zach's soft fingers running through my hair in a steady rhythm soothed my tremors and I was able to drift into a light sleep.

  *****

  "Okay, it's go time." Something sharp slapped my shoulder and I sat up with a jerk. My blurry eyes took a second to focus as I rubbed them. Light was shining in through the windows, illuminating Zach's sleepy face. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he groaned and slowly came too. He was so gorgeous, that square jawline did me in every time. It was an effort not to lean forward and kiss it as he sat up.

  "What's happening?" he mumbled. Tugging his shirt straight as he swiveled around to look out the back window. "Where's Elliot?"

  "Gone to pee." Alex pointed around the corner.

  I wrinkled my nose as Alex kept talking, "There seems to be movement in the house now. I stayed up until nearly three and there was nothing. It's now seven and I saw the curtains open a few minutes ago. I wanted to get back to the car so we'd be ready to go if he comes out." Alex glanced at his watch. "He should be leaving for work soon."

  "Where'd you hide?"

  I looked out the back window, craning my neck to see down the road.

  "There was a front yard back there with a pretty decent bush. I just tucked myself in there."

  Peeking over the front seat, I took in his dirty appearance and nodded.

  "I know, I know." Unbuttoning his shirt without a second thought, he whipped it off and threw it at our feet before scrambling under the passenger's seat for a new one.

  I couldn't help noticing his toned body. No wonder he had so much sex. Not that I was overly surprised before. He was a real charmer, but nothing compared to my Zach.

  My Zach.

  I liked the way that sounded in spite of the thorn of sorrow that embedded itself in me every time reality hit. My Zach? Was that even possible?

  Biting the inside of my lip, I squeezed the seatback in front of me. Elliot returned a second later, his fly still wide open. I closed my eyes against the flash of green underwear.

  "Dude, flying low," Zach muttered, throwing me an apologetic look.

  "Huh? Oh." Elliot arched back in his seat, doing up his fly as if it was the least embarrassing thing in the world.

  I pressed my lips together, quelling the giggle that suddenly wanted to break free.

  "So, there's definitely movement. I heard the garage door opening as I peed."

  "You peed by his house?" I gaped.

  "Two birds with one stone. I went around to his back yard. No one saw me."

  My bulging eyes matched the army of nervous hacking at my stomach. These guys had no idea how lethal Tenner was. Had I not explained myself clearly enough? He'd probably shoot some kid for peeing in his yard. He was a—

  "Look, someone's coming."

  Zach and I spun around, squishing to the edge of the window. A blond guy with a buzz cut jogged down the driveway, a football tucked under his arm.

  "That must be his kid, Billy."

  "Billy the kid," Elliot snorted as we all watched him.

  Zach rolled his eyes at me, then suddenly spun as we noticed the guy take a turn in our direction. I kept my head low, not wanting to be spotted. Alex rubbed his forehead, trying to look casual as Billy passed our car.

  "Don't worry, he didn't even look our way," Alex mumbled.

  I sat up to see Billy walking up the street. "Do you think we should follow him? It might be a good way to Tenner."

  Where the hell that came from, I will never
know, but Alex loved the idea and before I could even think of a protest, Zach and I were strolling up the street behind Billy Tenner.

  Chapter 18

  LUCY

  Catching my fidgeting fingers, Zach stilled them in his hand and smiled at me. "Hey, this is way better than just sitting in a car. It's good to be doing something."

  "I don't know if this guy can get us in and I don't even know what I mean by in." I grimaced.

  "His house maybe?"

  "Are you insane?"

  Zach quietly chuckled at my horrified expression. "Don't you think it's worth a shot? Who knows what he's got locked away in there. His son could lead us to a gold mine without even knowing it."

  "I hate using people this way." I made a face.

  Zach squeezed my hand. "You're too sweet sometimes, you know that?"

  I shot him a look that said otherwise. He just grinned at me and pulled me down the next street.

  We had no idea where Billy was going and he didn't seem in that much of a hurry. School was out, I guess. He was distracted with his phone for most of the long walk, but we finally reached a small diner where he was met by a few other guys dressed in sports gear and looking ready for a serious game of rough and tumble football. They did that funny handshake guys do where they end in this half hug and slap each other on the back. He did the rounds among his friends before they all piled into the diner together.

  "Let's linger for a sec before we go in." I pulled Zach back before he could cross the road. "Look at your phone, pretend you're texting someone."

  I glanced behind me, feigning boredom as Zach fiddled with his phone. It was kind of nice that he just did it without questioning me. He had no idea what I was up to, neither did I for that matter, but it was cool that Zach trusted me enough to follow my lead.