Falling in Love Again: A Valentine's Day Proposal

by Mia Ford

  “Oh, God, what’s going on?” Abbi jumps up and comes to my side. She wraps her arms around me.

  “We were… were walking back to his house after reconciling and everything was amazing. But then something happened. We saw something and… and I don’t know what to do with that information.”

  Shit, I feel sick. The images of that murder make me want to fall apart.

  “Raelyn, you need to tell me what’s going on here. I can’t help you unless I know what happened.”

  “We saw someone get killed, Abbi. I don’t know how else to put it. These guys started arguing and then one stabbed the other.” God, it’s like a rush of everything spilling out of my mouth. “It all happened so quickly. And then I screamed, or I made a noise, or I did something, I don’t know what. And the killer saw us. He… he brandished the knife at us and he started chasing us. He wanted to kill us, Abbi. Seriously.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Abbi is completely shocked. “You saw someone be killed?”

  “We did, and now I’m all messy about it. I don’t know what the fuck to do.”

  “What did the cops say? You must have been at the police station all night? Oh God, and you’re going to have to deal with a trial and everything, aren’t you? Unless the asshole pleads guilty of course…”

  “Abbi, we didn’t go to the police.” I need to stop her in her tracks before she gets too far with this.

  “What the fuck? Why the hell not? What sort of person doesn’t go to the police?”

  All the arguments that Carter gave me float away. Abbi is right, her instincts are exactly the same as mine. I should go to the police, of course I should. How on earth did I get talked out of it?

  “Well, Carter said that it might have been something to do with organized crime and he was worried for us.”

  “That is crazy, Raelyn, of course you have to go to the police.”

  “We called an ambulance. It isn’t like we just left the guy to die!”

  “Raelyn, I am talking control of this situation right now, because you aren’t thinking straight, and it’s pretty clear from what you just told me that Carter isn’t either. I think the situation sent you into a shock.”

  She might well be right about that one, my brain isn’t on straight enough for me to make any sort of decision on that front, so all I can really do is nod at her. “Yeah. Okay. What do you think I should do, Abbi?”

  “We’re going to the police station. Right now. You need to report this. It’s so dangerous.”

  “But Carter said…”

  “I will talk to Carter afterwards. Right now, my priority is you. I need to make sure you’re safe. If this is organized crime, then you are in danger every moment that you don’t speak to the police. They will know who it is and be able to lock them up. There’s absolutely no reason not to do this.”

  “They could come after me, in some sort of revenge thing. If it’s a mob type deal, then I could be in serious danger.” I shrug hopelessly. “I just don’t know what to do for the best, Abbi.”

  “Raelyn, I know what’s best for you right now and it’s this.”

  She probably is the only person speaking rationally, so in the end I let her drag me from my seat and towards the front door. Her car is outside, so she bundles me in, and we start driving towards the station. I search inside myself, trying to work out how I feel, but nothing immediately comes to light. I don’t know if I’m relived about this decision or not. I’m not sure if I’m scared or worried that it’s going to piss Carter off. I don’t even know if this feels right, but it’s happening now and there isn’t anything that I can do about it.

  “Just tell them what you told me, Raelyn, and I will be there with you. This will be okay,” Abbi does her best to reassure me. “Just trust me. This is the right thing to do. Otherwise, you’ll always be scared.”

  As we pull up outside the police station, my butt molds into the seat. I realize with utter clarity that I don’t want to get out of the car. I am terrified. So scared that this is only going to get worse.

  “Right, are you ready? It’s time to sort this out once and for all.”

  “I… I don’t know, Abbi. It feels weird.” I glance my eyes around the parking lot, seeing all kinds of shady characters. This is supposed to be a police station, not the sort of place where criminals are hanging about. But it really seems like I shouldn’t get out. “I think that he’s here.”

  “Who’s here?” Abbi’s eyes narrow in suspicion, as if she thinks that I’m just searching for an excuse.

  “The guy… the murderer. I think that he might be here to stop me.”

  “Raelyn, why would he be here? He just committed a heinous crime.”

  “He or one of his guys. To stop me from reporting the crime. Look at those two over there.”

  Abbi peers passed me, the frustration rolling off of her in waves. I know she’s going to be pissed off with me for not wanting to go through with this, but I just cannot help it.

  “They are just people, Raelyn. You don’t know that they are anything to do with this.”

  I nod, trying to accept what she’s telling me. “Okay, yeah. So, I just need to do this.”

  “You do. And you will feel so much better when you do. Trust me. I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

  “Yeah, I know. Just give me a couple of minutes. That’s all I ask.”

  “Right, sure. Whatever you need. I don’t want to push you.”

  I try to calm myself down. I think only rational thoughts while I stare at the building. This could be the end of this now. I could put a stop to it and it’ll all be over… at least for the time being…

  “Oh my God.” I bolt up straighter as a mean pair of eyes cross my vision. “That’s him.”

  “That’s who?” Abbi is getting very annoyed with me now, and I really can’t blame her.

  “That’s him. It’s the killer. It’s him I’m sure of it. We need to drive away.”

  “That isn’t him, Raelyn, you’re just being paranoid.”

  “No, it is. It really is.” Everything is on fire, yet ice cold at the same time too. “That is him, I’m certain of it.”

  “Then that’s even more reason to go inside. He’s here, they can catch him.”

  “He’s here as a warning, Abbi, I’m telling you. He is so cocky, he’s so confident that he can stop me.”

  “Then don’t let him.”

  Carter was right, I’m utterly certain of it. This is some sort of organized crime, and this is a threat. One that I’m definitely not prepared to stand up to. It isn’t worth risking my life for. “I can’t. We need to go, Abbi. I need to get out of here. I know you don’t get it, but I have to leave. Please. Please, Abbi, please.”

  27

  Carter

  I race home from work at the speed of light, needing to know what’s going on with Raelyn. I haven’t been able to get hold of her all day long, and I’m understandably worried. The driver said that she got out of the car okay and that her friend met with her, he also told me that she went inside, but it isn’t enough. I need to know for certain that everything is alright. I need to know that she’s safe. I didn’t like not keeping an eye on her.

  It took everything that I had just to hold it together today, for the sake of the business. Thank goodness that façade is over now and I can just cave to how I’m feeling right at this given moment.

  Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…

  “Why aren’t you picking up?” I call out loudly. “Come on, Raelyn. You know I’m just a mess.”

  I intend to go to Raelyn’s house but I’m popping to mine first just to get changed and to check if there’s anything I need to pick up as I go. I pull up and jump out of the car, about to call her once more…

  “Raelyn.” I find her in a heap on my door step. “You’re here.”

  “I am.” She pulls her tear stained face up to look at me. “Sorry, I wanted to see you and I left my cell phone somewhere. I don’t know if it was at work or
at home, I’m not sure…”

  “Why are you here? Why aren’t you at home? Where is your friend?”

  “Can we go inside? I’ll explain everything to you then.”

  I’m a bit flabbergasted, but so glad that she’s here I don’t question anymore. I unlock the door and take her inside. I lead her straight into my living room where she can sit comfortably on the couch while we go through all of this. Clearly, something has happened today, and I want to know what. Especially if it’s dangerous.

  “Are you okay? Do you want anything? Can I get you a drink of anything?”

  “Water,” she rasps desperately. “I would like a glass of water, please.”

  I rush into the kitchen and pour a glass quickly, my heart racing hard. Poor Raelyn, she really has been through the wringer recently. I want to do whatever I can to make her feel better about this. Unfortunately, that’s out of my control. There isn’t really anything that I can do about it right now. Not that I can work out anyway.

  I hand her the glass and watch her glug it back like she’s been stranded in the desert for years.

  “I’m sorry that you’re in such a bad shape, Raelyn. This is just dreadful.”

  “My friend took me to the police station today,” she gushes. “She said that we need to speak to them. But I didn’t go in. I couldn’t. I saw him outside, Carter. He was waiting for me. To threaten me.”

  “Who was?” I ask cautiously, wondering what on earth is going on.

  “The killer. The man who killed that other guy last night. He was there to threaten me.”

  Holy fuck. My heart balls up in my throat. This is worse than I ever could have imagined. I had my suspicions that things were going to get complicated, I thought it might have to do with the organized criminals, but having it confirmed in this terrible way is the most horrifying thing in the world.

  “So, what happened? Did you go inside? Did he get to you?”

  “I argued with Abbi.” The tears stream down her cheeks. “She wanted me to go in. She told me that I was just being paranoid and that it wasn’t him, but it was. I’m sure of it. She fought me, telling me that I needed to go in, but I didn’t. I was too scared, so in the end I made her drive away.”

  “Did she bring you here right away?”

  Raelyn shakes her head. “No, we went back to mine for a while. We argued about it some more. She really doesn’t understand why I can’t speak to the police, but it doesn’t feel like the right thing to do. Not when I’m under threat.” She looks up at me pleadingly. “It was him, Carter, I’m sure of it. It was him.”

  I believe her from the depth of my soul. I think that I would know if I saw him as well. “I understand. I get it.”

  “You do? Because I keep thinking that I’ve been doing the wrong thing.”

  I blame myself for this. I really do. I know that it wasn’t me who committed the murder, but I still feel like I need to sort it out. “You did the right thing. We don’t want to make this any worse than it is.”

  “So, what do we do? How do we make sure this doesn’t happen again?”

  I hold her head to my chest and let her cry against me while my mind rolls over and over trying to find a solution. If these guys are really watching the police station, making sure that we don’t go inside, then that’s out of the question. So is doing nothing. I’m going to have to take action somehow.

  Lee. He’s the only person who can really help me with this. My private investigator with skills beyond belief. This is way out of the usual caliber of things that I ask him to do, but I’m sure he can do it. I hate to drag him in to this, it’s a big old mess, but I’ll pay him well for it. I’ll make sure it’s okay.

  “I’m going to sort this,” I promise Raelyn. “I’m going to make some calls right now.”

  “Calls to whom?” she asks me curiously. “The police?”

  “People I know who can sort this out for us.” I remain tight lipped; I don’t want to give her more than she needs to know. “Or at least give me some information. We can work it out from there.”

  “Information… right. Okay. I see. And you know someone who can help us?”

  I nod. I’m not going to tell her that he researched her in the beginning. That might piss her off. I only did it to protect my own interests at the time, not that it worked out in the end since I didn’t want to work with a woman, but there’s no point in complicating it further. I need Lee right now, we both do.

  “Yes, I will call him now. Sort this out. We can’t just do nothing anymore.”

  She leans back in the couch as I step away from her, pulling out my cell phone. I don’t know how much she trusts me but I hope that it’s enough. If I can solve this, it will really help us.

  I step into the kitchen, wanting to do this in private. I dial Lee’s number and listen to the incessant ringing which irritates the living hell out of me. He usually answers much quicker than this.

  “Hello?” he answers, flooding me with relief. “Carter, is everything okay?”

  “No, Lee, I really need your help. And with something that isn’t typical.”

  He doesn’t answer me for a beat too long. “Something that isn’t typical?” He doesn’t sound too impressed by these words, and I can hardly blame him. I don’t feel good about it myself. I would much rather not stretch this mess out any further, but it’s gotten to the point where I really don’t have any choice in the matter.

  “Yes. I… I had a situation last night. I saw something, and now I need to sort it out.”

  “This sounds bad. It sounds dangerous, Carter. Do I need to be concerned?”

  “I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “Possibly. I saw a crime committed last night.”

  “A crime?” Lee’s tone is filled with concern. “What sort of crime?”

  “A murder. And I’m concerned it might have to do with the serious criminals around here. You know, the organized crime groups that you’ve been telling me about. I don’t know who else would do this.”

  “It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s anything to do with them…”

  “I know. I do know that anyone can murder, but the fear that it’s them has stopped me from reporting it. I already know from everything that you’ve told me that I could be in danger for grassing. But I need to somehow put a stop to anyone coming after me. I think the guy saw me, and Raelyn as well.”

  “Raelyn?” He jumps on that. “As in Raelyn Owens? You were with her?”

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not about to get into that right now. This has to take priority.”

  “Okay, tell me everything. I need all the details if I’m going to help you… but we will get back to that as soon as we can. As soon as all of this is over, I want to know what’s going on with Raelyn.”

  Okay, so he hasn’t immediately shut me down, that’s a good thing. Lee is willing to help me out which is perfect. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him. I rub my forehead hard and try to remember everything in order. I reel off all that I can remember about the night, about the crime, about the man who committed it. I don’t know if it’s going to be enough, but it will have to do for now. I hope Lee can use it.

  I even let him know that Raelyn is pretty sure that she saw him hanging around the police station today, because that might be a great way to find him. Especially if all else fails.

  “Right okay,” Lee concludes. “I’m not going to make any promises, but I will see what I can find out about that. If I can discover the identity of the killer and everything there is to know about him, then we can make a plan from there. For now, I suggest you just stay under the radar and play it safe.”

  He hasn’t told me to go straight to the police either, which just confirms that Raelyn and I have done the right thing. “Thanks, Lee, I really appreciate it, which obviously payment will show.”

  “I’ll speak to you soon, Carter. As soon as I have anything for you.”

  I blow out a breath of relieved air, nodding to myself. This is good, really g
ood. I feel much better letting Lee in on this secret to get his assistance. He’s far more capable than anyone else I know.

  “I have someone on the case,” I tell Raelyn quietly as I head back in to the living room. “Someone who knows what they are doing. He will find everything out, and we can go from there.”

  “What does your friend think that we should do for now?”

  “Just wait it out. Don’t do anything rash. Don’t go to the police yet.”

  “Wait here then. Hide out until further notice.”

  “Pretty much.” I love the smile on her face as I say that. “I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather be stuck indoors with.” I sit beside her on the couch. “We can make the best of a bad situation, right?”

  “You have plenty of security?” I nod. “Okay, then let’s do it.”

  I flick the television on and find a movie for us to watch. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t think Raelyn is too bothered either. We sit together and snuggle in, trying our hardest to forget about what’s going on. As her head nestles against me, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to us when all of this is over. It’s pushed us together, probably much quicker than we would have normally.

  I hope we don’t end up pushed apart at the end of it.

  28

  Raelyn

  It’s sorted. A warm glow surrounds me as I take that in. Not sorted forever, but for now.

  I know this will come back around, I’m very aware that we’re going to end up in trouble once more, but it’s nice to know that we have a night off. I’ve been worried and stressed all day. I almost reached the peak of my stress when I thought that Abbi wasn’t going to take me away from the police station. I was so scared that she was going to force me right into the lion’s mouth, but thankfully she ended up respecting my decision.