by A. Gorman
Her face twisted with anger. “I saw something, Duke. I’m not lying! Why would I?”
“To avoid having to talk about last night.” I tried to smile at my own dumb joke.
Her eyes widened briefly, then the scowl returned. She smacked the palm of her hand on the table. “No, that is not why!”
I reached over and put my hand on hers. “Shh. It was a joke, Rayanne. Take a deep breath.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I can’t believe you’re joking at a time like this.”
“Well obviously you’re a bit more freaked out than I am. I do believe you saw something, however, it’s gone now. I’ve texted the office to check your phone for any recent threats.”
She nodded. “Okay.” Then she got up and put her coffee cup in the sink. “I’m going to shower.”
“I will be posted up right here, where I have a view of all the windows.”
She looked at the gun I had set on the table then back up to me, piercing me with those warm eyes. “Thank you, Duke.”
Chapter 20
Rayanne
I stood under the hot water and cried. The water didn’t wash away my tears, it only added to them and didn’t make me feel any better. I was scared, confused, and had so many emotions running through me that I could barely breathe.
I did the bare minimum in washing and shaving and got out and wrapped a towel around my hair and one around my body. I cracked the door to let the steam out, then used the flat of my hand to wipe away the mirror fog. My eyes were puffy and red and I shook my head. I was being guarded by the government, my life was in real and serious danger. I felt like I did when I had started getting those death threats a few weeks ago. Scared, vulnerable, confused, and angry, even. I wasn’t angry now, just more frustrated. I didn’t feel like Duke believed me when I told him I had seen someone at the window, but he wasn’t a complete ass about it, like I expected him to be.
But I had seen someone. Since the morning was so young, the majority of the light was at the back of the house, the east side. The front window was still a bit dark, but I did see someone in a black hoodie. I didn’t know if it was an adult or a teen, male or female, but there had been someone there. Not an animal, and not a shadow. I was drinking my coffee and going over the events from last night, wondering how I was going to tell Duke that my feelings had been hurt that he’d chosen not to stay the night in my bed. I know I’d fallen asleep while he was in the bathroom, but that didn’t mean I didn’t need him beside me.
The sound of Duke coming out of his room and going into the bathroom this morning had bolted me from my thoughts and when I looked up, that’s when I’d seen the figure in the window. I had been frozen to the spot. I couldn’t even scream. I hadn’t been able to see the person’s face, but it was definitely pale under that hoodie, and he or she had gone as soon as I looked up. I stared at the empty window long enough until I realized I needed to get Duke. That’s when he’d come into the kitchen, but I was still frozen in shock. I was seriously kicking myself for not having reacted faster. He could have found whoever it was if I’d had just jumped up then and there.
I brushed my teeth and hair and went into my room to get dressed. I went over to the little knob on the blinds at the window and twisted it to be sure they were as closed as they could be. The window was completely covered, but there was a smaller horizontal window above that one that was bare. It never bothered me before because unless someone was over 7 feet tall or had a ladder, there was no way they could see in. I also enjoyed watching the stars and moon at night through that small window when I couldn’t sleep.
I turned my back on both and went out into the kitchen wearing nothing but a long fitted black tank top that came down to my thighs and some crazy patterned leggings under it. It looked stupid but I really couldn’t care less about anything at this moment.
Duke stood at the counter and was looking down at the small phone, which was still attached to the charger. He looked up when I came in, his eyes roaming the length of my body, then back to my face. He looked worried, which made my stomach turn over and knot up.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Well, they checked your phone. These are the texts you’ve received from an unknown number over the past 24 hours.”
He turned the phone to face me and showed me three texts from Jack-N-Jill:
Here’s the first text: I know where you are, bitch.
I saw what you did, you filthy whore.
I’m gonna kill that bearded pig you’re with while you watch, then I’m gonna fuck you and kill you.
Tears brimmed in my eyes and then streamed down my cheeks. I had never had anybody talk like that to me. This stuff only happened in the movies. I couldn’t believe this was my life.
Then suddenly something hit me, and I looked at Duke. “Is he talking about last night? Oh, my God. Are you gonna get in trouble?”
He chuckled but there was no humor in it. “That’s the least of our troubles. The agent did ask me what the threat meant and I told him I had no idea. Maybe you can tell them later you were masturbating or something.”
I gasped and slapped his arm. “No!”
“The bottom line is, we have to get the hell out of here.”
“What? Like now?” I asked, shocked.
“Yes, like now. If you hadn’t claimed to have seen someone at the window, I probably would have passed these threats off as empty and just an attempt to scare you.” He held the phone up. “But, being that he knows what I look like, and the comment about you being a whore tells me they’ve made our location.”
My heart sped up. “So why haven’t they tried to kill us then? Just broken in here and killed us in our sleep?”
“Obviously he knows I’d shoot anyone who tried to enter, and the alarm would have alerted us. My mistake is letting you sleep alone. Now pack, we’re leaving in five minutes.”
I nodded and walked woodenly to the bedroom and began throwing my things into the suitcase I’d brought. I found an empty grocery bag and shoved all the books into it, then closed my suitcase, setting it in front of my room while I did a quick sweep of the house to make sure we don’t leave anything behind.
I saw Duke’s wallet and FBI badge on the counter and because I couldn’t help myself, I opened it up. I just wanted to see where he lived, as I quite literally knew nothing personal about the guy except for the size of his dick and how well he uses it.
My cheeks flushed hot as I opened it up and saw his driver’s license. Something wasn’t right. That was his picture. Height, weight, eye and hair color was right, but his name was wrong.
Royal Wayne Hawthorne
1858 Seaside Court
Tampa, Florida
Royal?
And his middle name is Wayne! That was just a joke that I’d called him cowboy after John Wayne. Oh, this is rich. I started giggling and closed the wallet, trying to remember I was in a serious situation.
Duke came around the corner and raised an eyebrow when he saw what I was doing.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, here ya go, just tidying up before we leave, making sure we don’t forget anything.” I handed him the wallet and badge.
He eyed me speculatively and grumbled his thanks, walking in the direction of my room. He picked up my suitcase, and I grabbed my purse, the bag of books, and my sweater and walked toward the door. He opened it cautiously and told me to get behind him. He had the gun in one hand, my suitcase in another, and his duffel bag slung around his back.
I stayed close to the back of his body when he turned his head slightly and said, “Run.”
I ran behind him and he opened the passenger side door and I practically dove in, breathing hard as he slammed the door closed. He looked around with his gun still up, holding my red suitcase in the other. He quickly popped open the trunk, threw our stuff in there, and then waved the gun around and got into the driver’s seat. I breathed a sigh of relief when he started up the car and pealed out of the gravel drive backwards.
He then spun the small car around and darted toward town, my heart in my throat.
* * *
Once we were in town, he drove a little too fast down side streets and then down the main drag where we’d been out shopping. His eyes continually looked between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. He hadn’t said a word the whole 15 minutes, just drove.
“What now?” I asked when we came to a red light. “Shouldn’t we be leaving town?”
He nodded and pulled a can of chew from somewhere between the seats. When he opened it, he cursed when he saw it was empty. I smiled a little to myself. He replaced the lid and chucked it behind him with force.
“There’s a store, do you need to get more? I’m also hungry.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he yelled, smacking the steering wheel with his meaty hand.
His outburst startled me. “What’s wrong, Duke? You’re scaring me.”
“Yes, we need to get out of town but the agent told me to wait here, they were sending more agents for backup. They’re going to transport you somewhere else. We’ve been compromised, and I can no longer protect you. I’ve made that clear…”
Tears glistened in my eyes. “But I need you. You’ve kept me safe this far…”
He whipped his head in my direction and anger was storming in his eyes again. “No, I haven’t! Don’t you see that? We’ve been made! I failed you. I failed us. I’m fucked and you’re fucked, and this whole situation is utterly fucked!”
I shook my head and said, “Nothing you’ve done has put me in danger. These guys after me are very wealthy and have a lot of resources. I knew they’d catch up to me eventually, but you know what always set me at ease?”
He just glared at me, his jaw pulsing, his knuckles white around the steering wheel.
He didn’t answer, so I did. “You. You protecting me. I feel safe with you, and I still do. Please don’t leave me, Duke. I don’t trust anyone else. Just you.”
I released my seatbelt and leaned over. Brushing my hand along his beard, I stared into his eyes. “Please.”
He seemed to be defused or disarmed by the gesture, so I climbed into his lap and straddled him so we were face to face. “I need you. I loved last night. Please.”
He swallowed hard and slammed his mouth onto mine. I groaned when his tongue went into my mouth and I began grinding my hips into his until a car honked behind us.
He didn’t move. I didn’t move. We didn’t care – we couldn’t. I continued to kiss him with all the gratitude I’d been storing up, and he continued to kiss me back with all the passion and built-up frustration and anger he’d been putting out. We needed each other in that moment, and I wasn’t sure if it was just a temporary thing for him or not, but I knew for me, it wasn’t. After last night, I’d fallen hard for him.
Shouting and honking continued and I climbed off his lap so he could drive. He pulled into a local convenience store gas station and parked around the back. Looking around and then making sure the doors were locked, he looked at me. His anger seemed to have been chiseled away by our kiss. At least for now.
“Listen. I don’t want to leave you. I have to. I’m already in the shit as it is at work. I can’t fuck up again.”
I cocked my head in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing. Never mind. Just know that they now have to reassign you to someone else. I can’t do this.”
I grabbed his wrist tight and said, “No, tell me what you mean. You’re in trouble at work?”
He nodded slowly and looked away. “Nobody wants a witness protection assignment, Blondie. I do mean nobody.”
I was starting to get angry, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. “Why are you in trouble at work, Duke?” I repeated.
He sighed, and stared out the windshield. “Three excessive force charges.”
I snorted and threw a hand to my chest to still my heart. “I’m utterly shocked!” My tone was laced with flippancy.
“You don’t know jack shit, so do not sit there and judge,” Mr. Stormy Eyes said.
I folded my arms across my chest. “Okay. Do tell. I love a good cop story.”
Chapter 21
Duke
I stared in disbelief at her. She seriously wanted to hear why I’d been assigned to her in the first place? Fucking women. I’m gonna be single forever. She’s gonna hate my ass when I’m done, but whatever. Fuck it. Being single ain’t so bad.
Taking a deep breath, I rattled off the three stories that had gotten me in hot water at work. I still thought the charges were bullshit, but I was clearly in the minority with that opinion. Once I was done, I waited quietly for her to start screaming at me about what a hot-head Neanderthal I was and how I deserved to be in trouble. Instead, she looked at me with a smirk on her face.
“Seriously?” was all she came back with.
“Look. I’ve been at this a while. These criminals, they know nothing but violence and pain – and sometimes you have to speak to them in the only language they understand.”
She chuckled, that smirk still on her face and said, “I agree.”
Well, I have not been shocked into silence very often, but this was one of those times. When I finally found my voice, I said, “Wait, what? You just said –”
“You didn’t let me finish,” she smirked, “I was going to say… seriously? They put you on a discipline detail for that? I don’t really see what you did wrong. Sounds like all the douchebags deserved it.”
Holy motherfuck. I think my dick just got hard. “You’re serious?”
She laughed. “Yes, I’m serious. I work in a law firm. Do you know what kinds of scum I see come through the doors every day? Losers who want to sue because they break into a place with the intention of robbing it and then get hurt while they’re breaking the law. Or are crying police brutality because they got pepper-sprayed or the cop dug his knee into the guy’s back a little too hard after he’d just shot up a neighborhood. Every day I would have to bite my tongue and just do my job because my greedy bosses would take these clients just to get rich. So I get where you’re coming from. The face-bashing into the asphalt on the freeway was a bit much, but…”
I laughed. “Yeah, that one may have been going too far.”
There was a tap on my window and I jumped in surprise. Holy shit. I’m the worst agent ever.
A white guy in a crisp shirt, a red tie, and black slacks was scowling at me. He opened a black badge and pressed it flat against the window.
Special Agent Jack Morris
Richmond Field Office
I was relieved to see backup had arrived. I looked past him to see his plain white government sedan parked behind him, another male in the passenger seat. I shooed him with my hand for him to back away from the car. He nodded and turned to give me enough space to open the door so I could speak with him. All of a sudden, he fell to the ground. I gasped when I saw a young man wearing a black hoodie pulled up over his head and blue jeans. He had a baseball bat in one hand and a gun in the other.
Grinning wickedly, he tucked the gun into his waistband and wound up the bat with the intention of breaking my window. Rayanne screamed and I didn’t even think. I ducked and slammed the car into reverse, almost hitting the guy. Shoving the car into drive without even looking, I squealed out of the parking lot of the small gas station and hit the main drag without even stopping. I looked in my rearview mirror to see the guy toss the bat and hop on some kind of red crotch-rocket motorcycle and give chase.
“Dammit!” I yelled, flooring the gas pedal.
Rayanne was breathing hard, her fingers gripping her legging-pants. “Duke, that was Shane! That’s Elmo’s son! What the hell is he doing? Oh, my God! That must be who’s been threatening me!”
I nodded. “Yes, he’s wanted by the feds for questioning,” I said, glancing in my mirror to see him on his bike a ways behind me. My eyes bulged in their sockets when I saw two more guys wearing hoodies on motorcycles. A normal civilian wouldn’t notic
e, but I could clearly see they were carrying pieces under their sweatshirts.
Fuck!
The light up ahead was red, but I ran it and continued down the main street. In a last-minute decision, I made a sharp right turn, practically taking it on two wheels. The tires squealed in protest but I kept going. A big brown sign indicating a state park at the corner where I’d turned didn’t go unnoticed by me, but I didn’t care. I had to lose these assholes.
I could hear their motorcycles following me and I swore. I had to lose them. I took another sharp right, and smoked down a small residential road. Why? Why did I turn down here? That was not a good decision.
Shit. I have a gun. But they have guns, too. I made another couple of turns and found myself at a dead end – we were at the edge of a tall cliff that dropped off into a lake surrounded by waterfalls. I slammed the car to a stop and could hear the motorcycles in the distance getting closer. I readied myself for a firefight but there was just no way. I was outmanned and outgunned.
An idea hit me. It was stupid, but I didn’t see how I had any other choice. I put the car in park and looked at Rayanne while I undid my belt buckle. “Take your pants off!”
Her eyes bulged. “What? Now? We can’t…”
“Take off your fucking pants. Now!”
She nodded and kicked her little ballet looking shoes off and pulled up the long black tank top she wore. She slid her crazy patterned legging-things off and threw them at me inside-out. I got out of the car and scooted the seat as close to the steering wheel I could. I removed my belt and looped it through the steering wheel, then secured the other end around the metal bars that held the head-rest. Yanking her pants from the seat, I tied one end around the other side of the steering wheel and the other end of them around the other metal bar of the head-rest.
She stared in horror at me.
“Get out of the car and run as far and as fast as you can in that direction,” I growled, pointing along the ledge of the cliff we’d just been stopped at.