Anchored To Love

by S. M. Stryker

  “Whose mother?”

  “The old boyfriend’s mother. He said something about the dude’s mother being almost as crazy as he is and she was going to get to him as a distraction to get the girl. He was describing everything he was going to do to the chick. Hopefully, he doesn’t find her, because he is one twisted fucker.

  “He also has some chick that is obsessed with him that is trying to get close to either the old boyfriend or the chick. She tried to get a job at the old boyfriend’s office but wasn’t hired so she went to the girlfriend’s shop. He didn’t say what she was going to do there, but it’s eyes and ears on her. When he started talking about it, I just rolled with it not showing I cared. But that guy is one sick mother fucker, excuse my language.”

  “Really? When did he say this?”

  “A week ago Friday night, he and I left from here, and Raven came a little later. He said he had tracked the girlfriend down, but she didn’t go home. He thought he found the old boyfriend’s house, but we haven’t gone out since then and, to be honest, the guy freaks me the fuck out.”

  “Did he say how he found her?”

  “He said that he remembered the girlfriend saying the ex’s name. Actually, he said that all she talked about was the ex-dude, said that she had a bracelet with a half a heart on it that she wouldn’t … dude,” I look down at Beckett’s wrist. He’s rubbing a medallion. I just stare at the bracelet. Then my eyes flash to his. “You’re the dude, aren’t you?”

  “That would be me, yes. Listen, Carson …”

  “Like dude, no worries. I won’t be talking to the crazy motherfucker. He scares the shit out of me, what he wanted to do to you and yours. He found you, well, your mom, online and well, with computers, you can find anything or anyone. Thomas found that your mom moved to Oregon. He focused his search for you down here and obviously found you. He did something to the mom, your mom, to get her to agree to help him.”

  “Do you know what he did?”

  “She’s on some crazy meds, and he took them from her, said he would give them back when she did what he said.”

  “Wow! He does seem a little on the deranged side.”

  “Just a little, crazy fucker. Sorry for the language.”

  Beckett laughs. “Don’t worry about it, and thanks for your candor; I value that in an employee.”

  “Anytime, but if I were you, I would hide my ass, as well as your babe’s.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

  I stand to leave.

  “Hey Carson, I was going to talk to him about the app that he showed us for his interview. Did he talk to you about that?”

  “Yeah, he did talk about it; he thought it would make him millions.” I turn back and sit back down.

  “What do you think of it?”

  “What I saw when I downloaded it and played with it, was that it had a flaw in it.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, in order for it to work it calls the other phone you want to track. If the phone is answered, it grabs the location and it is able to connect and track it through its GPS.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that,” Beckett says, as he rubs his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

  “But if you’re looking for the same kind of app that doesn’t call the person you are trying to find, I have one you might want to look at. I took some of what he had and tweaked the coding and it works great.”

  “Really? Do you think I can get some copies of that app? Let’s call it beta testing. If it works as you say, we will do everything in our power to push it through so you can sell it.”

  “Dude! That is way cool. Let me get it for you.” I leave the office to get the app. When I return, I download the app to Beckett’s phone. I explain how to work the app. He thanks me and I leave to go back to my office. As I get to the door, I turn and say, “Make sure you cover what’s yours, you don’t want that sick bastard to get a hold of her.”

  Beckett nods as I close his door.

  I get back to my office and finish working on a couple of ideas for new apps.

  At lunchtime, I walk to up to Raven’s desk to see if she wants to go to lunch. “I’m really not hungry, Carson.”

  “Then we’ll just sit and talk, you look like you could use a friend to talk to. Come on, you need to step away, there’s some real negative shit going on in here today.”

  “Okay, let me get my purse.”

  We walk over to the diner and take a seat.

  “So what’s going on, Raven, you are always so upbeat. I mean, we haven’t known each other long, but I can usually tell and I know this isn’t normal for you.”

  “No, it isn’t. I probably shouldn’t say anything, but I did something I probably shouldn’t have done and I might get fired over it.”

  “Shit, what did you do?”

  “Well, you know when we went out for drinks a week ago?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I drove Thomas home.”

  “Fucking hell, Raven, I told you to stay away from him.”

  “I know, but I didn’t want to be alone and … well, when I got back from the bathroom he had ordered another drink. There was no way he was going to be able to drive home so I told him I would drive him home. And stay for a while. Surprisingly, he gave me his keys and told me where he lived and I took him home. I got him into his house and got him to bed. On the way home, he kept talking about his ex-girlfriend and what he was planning on doing to her when he got ahold of her. I couldn’t get out of his house fast enough, he was passed out on the bed, and I call a taxi to come and pick me up. I waited outside for it. I know, I should have listened to you, I should have listened to myself. I was just so tired of being alone.”

  “Raven, please know that you can always come to me. I understand about being alone, and although I want to be your friend, I won’t take advantage of that.”

  “Thank you, Carson, I can tell we are going to be good friends.

  “So tell me what you did, to think you were going to get fired.”

  The server brings me my burger and refills Raven’s tea, as her eyes start to brim with tears.

  “Raven, it can’t be that bad.” I place my hand over hers.

  “After the Friday night fiasco, I just didn’t feel right about Thomas, so on Monday I took his personnel file and was looking through it. I made a copy of some of his papers and paid one of those places online to pull everything on him. It was just weird that there wasn’t anything on him from prior to four years ago.”

  “What did you find?”

  “That he’s the guy that almost raped Harlow, Beckett’s girlfriend, and beat up her father. She’s been hiding here at her aunt’s house.”

  “I knew it had something to do with Beckett. Thomas talked about a leather bracelet with a heart medallion on it and when Beckett called me into his office today and I told him what Thomas had said, he was rubbing the medallion. Do you know what the whole story is?”

  “I only know a little of the story. From what I was told. Beckett was small for his age, but he had a real bad childhood. Verbally and physically abused and neglected by his mother all of his life. He met Harlow in first grade and she would stand up for him. He had to move when he was thirteen and they lost touch. Before he left, Harlow gave him the bracelet. At sixteen, he started to work for Richard and started taking Krav Mega. Mitchell met him back then and helped him train. Toby told me he was only five feet five inches his senior year of high school, can you believe it?”

  “Dude serious?”

  “I know. Anyway, through Krav, he gained confidence and self-esteem. He went to college and then within the last couple of months he found Harlow. She had dated Brad—Thomas’s real name—for a couple of months and he attacked her one day when they were home alone. Luckily, her dad came home and heard her screaming. Brad beat the shit out of her dad and Brad got away before the cops could get him. Brad’s been on the run since and Harlow moved down here with her aunt that day.

  �
�Beckett and Toby always reconnected when Toby came home from Afghanistan, but the last time he was there, he was injured and discharged. Beckett talked him into starting the security business.

  “Toby has been trying to find Brad, but he had used false information when he was hired on here, so his background check only looked for the information that Thomas gave him.

  “Anyway, because I took the information out of Thomas’s file, that’s grounds for termination.”

  “How did they know you took it?”

  “Today the background check came back and I had to tell them what I found. There was no way I would keep that a secret. There were too many lives on the line. I told them what I did, but I would rather get fired than to have someone hurt.”

  “God, Raven, I can’t believe they would fire you. Were they mad?”

  “No, they seemed fine, in fact, they said something about me heading up personnel when we get larger, but what I did was still wrong.”

  “Raven, most people would have ignored what Thomas said and wouldn’t get involved. You did something about it; you took the initiative to gather more information. You’ll be fine. After all, you just saved two lives.”

  “We better get back, thank you for getting me out of the office. I was pretty upset.”

  “Next time I want to hear about your new man.”

  Raven started to glow, she has a big smile on her face and her eyes light up. “Well, we just started dating, but I really like him a lot. I would love for all of us to go out and maybe I can get my roommate to join us.”

  “I would love that, it’s time for me to make some new friends.”

  “Great I’ll talk to Toby. I’m so excited!”

  The next couple of weeks go by fast. No one has heard from Thomas and you can feel the tension in the air at the office. Raven and I have been staying close. With Thomas on the loose, I don’t want her going out by herself. She is so petite, she’s probably barely five feet tall, and I’m sure under a hundred pounds. She wouldn’t stand a chance against someone Thomas’s size.

  It’s been nice getting to know her more. She tells me about growing up without her mother and what her suspicions are about her grandparents. She’s lights up when she starts talking about Toby.

  I start to think about the last time I felt like that and I miss it. I feel like there is a big hole there, I knew that Char was special, more than special, it was like coming home whenever I was with her. I have to get my head off this. “So tell me about Toby.”

  “Where do I start? He’s an amazing person; he grew up in the foster system because his mom was on drugs, so the state stepped in and took him away thinking he would be adopted, but never was. At eighteen, he joined the Marines and was in for six years, before he was hurt in an ambush after hitting an IED. He didn’t know what he would do for a job, and Beckett showed him that security would be a great job for him since that’s what he did in the Marines. I never thought I would feel like this about anyone. Especially this early in our relationship, but I know he’s the one.”

  “How does he feel?”

  “He knew it before I did.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, it took him a couple weeks just to ask me out because he was fighting his feelings.”

  “I’m happy for you.”

  “You’re so sad, Carson. Who was she?”

  “Who was who?”

  “You know, it’s really funny, I have noticed that when I start to know someone and start to care about them, I get that connection. It’s almost like I can tap into what you are thinking.”

  “Right … yeah I believe that,” he says, sarcastically.

  “Was I not right about the job?”

  “Just a lucky guess.”

  “You met her back east, and you were in love with her. Something happened, and she left you. You thought she was your soul mate.”

  “Stop, Raven, I can’t do this.”

  “I’m sorry, Carson, but you will find your soul mate and soon.”

  “Why do you do that? Why? Fuck, the last thing I need is to be in a relationship that is full of drama, I hate drama.”

  “That’s life, Carson. Everything you do will have a consequence, sometimes it good, sometimes it’s bad. But how could you not want to be in love?”

  “I’ve lived all my life without love, Raven. I was an inconvenience to my parents. I don’t think they have ever said they love me. I wasn’t a priority for them. Love is overrated.”

  Raven reaches over and places her hand on mine. It almost burns me, but there is a rush of something that goes through my whole body.

  “That’s really sad, Carson. Every child needs to be loved. But she’s out there and you will change your mind.”

  “This is a bunch of shit, Raven, and I’m done talking about it.” I get up, throw my money on the table, and start to walk to the door. I look over at Raven as a tear rolls down her cheek, and she quickly wipes it away. Fuck me.

  She walks over to the door and we walk back to the office in uncomfortable silence.

  Monday rolls around and I walk into the office. Raven is on the phone and she doesn’t look at me as I walk in and I give her the silent treatment as I walk to my office. No one else is in the office—it’s eerily quiet again. At lunchtime, I go out and get a sandwich to bring back to the office to eat. When I get back to the office I have to use my key to get inside, but the alarm is not armed and Raven isn’t at her desk. I start to walk to my office. As I turn the corner, I run right into her. “Shit!” I grab her so she doesn’t fall.

  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Raven says, then shifts to get around me. I notice tears in her eyes. Fuck me.

  “Did I hurt you, Raven? I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m fine thank you.” She continues to walk to the front desk.

  I’m such an ass. I walk back to my office and eat my lunch. Shit, I should have asked if she wanted me to pick her up something. I didn’t even think about her not being able to leave the office.

  When five o’clock rolls around, I start for the front to leave. As I get to the front desk, it’s empty; Raven must be somewhere else in here. I just leave, locking the door behind me. The whole drive home I feel like a shmuck. I try to call Raven’s cell phone, but get her voice mail.

  The next morning I walk into the office and Raven’s desk is empty. Again, the office is quiet. Raven and I didn’t talk yesterday so I don’t know where anyone is. I walk into the kitchen, and Raven is in there pouring herself a cup of coffee. When she sees me, she turns and starts to walk out the door. I grab her arm to try to stop her. She stops and looks down at my hand on her arm, then slowly turns and looks at me, but doesn’t say a word. She slowly looks up at me.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, I just … I just can’t believe in love anymore.”

  “And that’s what makes me sad, Carson, because you are a great guy and you have so much to offer and you are throwing yourself away.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “My roommate was with her boyfriend for five years before he was killed, and all she would ask for is just a little more time. When I met her, she was broken. The person that she swore was her soul mate hurt her with something he knew she could or wouldn’t stand for, and she knew she didn’t have a choice, but to walk away from him. We were both living on the streets. I remember holding her as she would cry herself to sleep. This went on for months and she almost didn’t get involved with Braydon. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have Jaxon. Jaxon was the only thing that gave her strength after Braydon’s death; he was the only thing that kept her from taking her own life. The point I am making is that things happen, we don’t know why they happen, but they happen for a reason. She moved back here and after a while she started healing and eventually knew that she wanted to give love another try. And even though she lost her love, she wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “So your roommate has a child?”

  �
�A baby, yes. I’ll understand if you don’t want to go to dinner with us tomorrow night.”

  “Why would you think I wouldn’t want to go with you?”

  “I don’t know. With everything that is going on here, I’m just a little emotional and upset.”

  “What? What’s going on?”

  “Have you not watched the news lately?”

  “No, I don’t watch a lot of television.”

  “Come up to my computer and I’ll show you.”

  We walk to her computer and she finds the news link online and plays it. The clip shows Beckett’s Jeep on its top and the truck covered with a yellow tarp.

  “What the fuck?”

  “That Jeep is Beckett’s, and the truck was the girl that I was competing against for my position. She was working with Thomas to get Harlow Friday night. Luckily, Toby and Davis were right behind Beckett, and Toby was able to get Beckett out of the Jeep. Davis got Harlow away from Thomas, but Stacey couldn’t get out of the truck and she burned to death. Mitchell saw the whole thing, which triggered his PTSD.”

  “What happened to Beckett?”

  “He was in a coma for three days. He lost a lot of blood, and he got out yesterday. Harlow, Richard, and Toby have been at the hospital.”

  “Thank God he’s going to be okay. Did they get Thomas?”

  “No, Toby was more concerned with Beckett and getting him away from the vehicles before they blew up. I’ve never seen someone as scared as I did Toby, Friday night.

  “I’m sorry, Carson. I didn’t mean to push my beliefs on you. I just know what I know, and as my friend, I just want to see you happy and I know you’re not. I know you have been wandering and have been lost. I know you are trying to figure out why she left and I know you were hurt and I’m sorry for that. I’m just a romantic at heart.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Charlie

  I JUST HEARD from the school and I can start back in the fall term. I am excited and a little apprehensive. Trying to go to school and raise a child on my own will be a whole other level of stress, but if I can do this and get it finished, Jaxon will have such a better life.