Impossible Promise

by Sybil Bartel

  His hands cupping my face, his leg between mine, Buck pulled back infinitesimally. “This is wrong,” he whispered against my lips.

  Before I could say I didn’t care, he slammed his lips back down and took possession of my mouth. His hands skimmed my sides and his thumbs brushed under my breasts. I groaned and he gripped my hips, plunging his tongue deeper as he thrust his hips against mine.

  My legs instantly went around his waist and my arms locked around his neck. He pulled back and rocked forward, hard.

  My back came off the mattress and I cried out. “Buck.”

  His teeth and his tongue hit the sensitive flesh of my neck and I shuddered. His huge hand threaded through my hair and twisted. A swift, tight pull and I was caught in his grip. When I gasped in shock, Buck growled low in his throat.

  Without warning, the crushing blow of his earlier rejection roared up like a tsunami and I shoved at his chest.

  Buck fell back against the pillows. I heard his breathing, as heavy as mine, and for three long heartbeats he said nothing.

  “Talk to me,” he said quietly.

  “I’m sorry.” I never should’ve started something.

  Buck didn’t say anything. His fingers found mine in the dark and he picked my hand up and brought it to his chest.

  “I didn’t mean to say what I said,” I whispered awkwardly.

  Buck ran his thumb across my knuckles, his chest gently rose and fell under our hands. Slowly, he turned on his side to face me.

  “I came home over a week ago. I knew my mother wouldn’t make it through this time. I’d heard what the doctors said but I knew without them telling me. I could see it in her eyes, she was tired of fighting. I can’t blame her, she fought longer than I would have.” Buck ran his free hand across his face.

  “She gave me a list. What to do with her things, what she wanted to go where. The sort of shit that you have to clean up after a life is gone. None of it mattered to me. I did what she asked because I didn’t want to upset her, but I knew it was pointless. None of the stuff mattered. I know life is supposed to matter but I was only going through the motions. I called the people she wanted called, gave away the shit she wanted gone, and the whole time I wished I could say I was numb but I wasn’t. I wasn’t sad or mad or numb, I was nothing. I didn’t feel a thing.

  “The first time I was in combat, I didn’t know a person could feel that kind of terror. Then I survived the first rounds, adrenaline kicked in and I fought. Sure, I fought to save my own life but I also fought to save the lives of the men fighting beside me because I knew they’d come to rely on me. I was dead without them and they’d die without me, so I fought.”

  I wanted to reach for him but I didn’t.

  “I could say the Marines taught me how to fight but it’s more than that. I’ve seen enough trained men lose it to know there’s something different in me. I don’t think I ever learned how to fight, I think I was born to do it. Fear, emotion, it shuts down and I do what I need to do. I can see a path and I check out of everything else.” Buck’s voice dropped to a strained whisper.

  “Except after my first deployment, I couldn’t check back in. I didn’t have any feelings. I remembered I had them but I didn’t remember what they felt like...until two nights ago. I saw you in church and something clicked. I felt mad as hell and protective and fucking turned on. I was happy when you smiled, I wanted to kill something when you cried and when I got you in my arms I wanted to take you. For the first time since I enlisted, I felt like something besides combat was real.”

  “Buck...” My voice broke.

  “Can you understand now why I shouldn’t touch you?”

  I opened my mouth to protest but his fingers landed on my lips.

  “I’m looking at a beautiful woman who single-handedly fought a battle most men would’ve caved under, yet she still wears her heart on her sleeve. That makes her more of a warrior than I’ll ever be. I’m just a marine.” He squeezed my hand. “But this marine made that beautiful woman a promise and goddamn it—” his voice dropped to a fierce growl, “—I’m going to keep that promise.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I sat on the couch, staring at the blackness beyond Talon’s windows. We’d come home from work and he’d gone straight to his bedroom without saying a word. I knew something was wrong. The clock in the kitchen ticked. The refrigerator quietly hummed. Two minutes before eight. I waited.

  Three minutes later I walked to the window. Was Miami out there? Why hadn’t Buck called today? I glanced at the kitchen. Did my father really steal eighteen million dollars? I should make dinner. Fuck. Wringing my hands, I went back to the couch.

  Seven minutes later Talon flew out of his bedroom and down the stairs.

  I jumped up and followed.

  Talon hit the driveway just as Buck pulled around the bend. When my feet crunched on the gravel, Talon spun around.

  “Get back inside,” he ordered.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Inside.” He pointed.

  Shit. Shit shit shit. I went back in and scrambled up the stairs to one of the windows facing the driveway. Carefully, I undid the lock and slid the glass up a couple of inches.

  “You check for a tail?” Talon was on Buck before he even got out of the rental.

  “It’s handled,” Buck said with no intonation.

  “Hope so because we’re fucked,” Talon bit out angrily.

  “Then call André.”

  “So his ass can get messed up in this shit? That’s a fuckin’ great plan.”

  “Personal protection is his business.”

  I peeked over the ledge.

  Talon stood with his back to me, hands on his hips. “Not even he’d be stupid enough to take this on.”

  Buck ran a hand over his head and stared off into the distance. “Look, we don’t know for sure who’s behind this.”

  “Three options that go from bad to worse. Don’t know ’bout you but my life expectancy ain’t twenty-fuckin’-five.”

  “It was a hell of a lot less downrange,” Buck snapped.

  “No shit. That’s why I got out.”

  They glared at each other and my stomach tensed into knots.

  Then Buck dropped his gaze. “What’d your girl come back with?”

  “She’s guessin’ indictment or state’s witness, both would’ve been a death sentence.”

  “So that’s why the offshore account?”

  Talon threw his hands up. “No fuckin’ clue. I told you she needed to call that piece of shit, Westcott. Who knows when her dear ole dad set that shit up.”

  “Alright, alright,” Buck placated.

  “No, it’s not alright.” Talon seethed. “There’s a big fuckin’ difference between a couple mil grease money disappearin’ and stealing eighteen goddamn million from the Colombians! Make the fuckin’ call.”

  Buck pushed past Talon and strode toward the front door. Shaking, I shoved the window shut and rushed back to the couch. I grabbed the newspaper on the coffee table and stared at it like my life depended on it.

  “Hey,” Buck said quietly.

  Talon walked past and slammed the door to his bedroom.

  I fought the urge to jump. “Hi,” I said weakly.

  Buck took in the paper in my lap and scanned my face. “You heard.”

  “No.” Fuck. Shit. “I mean, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Buck sat down and took the paper from my hands. “Most people don’t read upside down.”

  “Damn it.” I breathed out.

  “Do you have an after-hours number for Westcott?”

  “Yeah.” He’d given it to me after my parents died. He told me to use it if I ever had an emergency, but he was always such a condescending asshole to me, I’d never bothered.

  “You need to call him.”

  I stared at my hands. “Okay.” I didn’t want to call him. I hated Westcott and everything he’d withheld from me.

  “Now,” Buck said
gently.

  “What do I say?”

  “We need to know when the account was opened and with how much.”

  “Can’t Talon find that out?”

  “No.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  Buck handed me his phone.

  Reluctantly, I took it, dialed, and put it to my ear.

  Buck pulled the phone away from my face and pushed the speaker button.

  One ring.

  Talon walked into the living room.

  Two rings.

  Three.

  My knees knocked together.

  “Westcott. This’d better be good,” he barked.

  “Oh, ah, hi, Mr. Westcott, it’s—” I cleared my throat, “Jennifer Dellis.”

  “What number are you calling from?” he demanded.

  I glanced at Buck and he shook his head. “My cell phone.”

  “Why did you change the number?”

  “I, um.” Shit. I looked desperately at Buck.

  Westcott didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m calling you back on your home number.”

  “Wait,” I squeaked. “I’m not at home.”

  Buck squeezed my thigh, hard.

  Westcott’s voice turned suspicious. “Then where are you?”

  Talon thrust his phone in my face. A number was displayed across the screen.

  “You can call me back at this number.” I rattled off the digits.

  “Are you in some kind of danger?” Westcott asked.

  I didn’t know what to say so I avoided the question. “Call me back.” And I hung up.

  Talon plucked his house phone off the kitchen counter. “Now he’s worried ’bout danger? Fuckin’ prick.”

  “Does he know anything about the past three years?” Buck asked.

  “No, not as far as I know.”

  Talon crossed his arms. “How come you never went to him for help?”

  “What was he going to do? Call the same police who couldn’t solve my parents’ murder?”

  “Spend a shitload on security, for one.”

  “I didn’t know I had a shitload to spend.” I was tired of defending myself to Talon.

  “You did what you had to,” Buck reassured.

  Talon smirked and the phone rang. He hit the speaker button and handed it to me.

  “Hello?”

  “Who’s Barrier Island Boards? Why is a residential number listed under a business? Where are you?” Westcott was pissed.

  And it made me pissed. “When were you going to tell me about the Canadian bank account?”

  Silence.

  “Or the six zeros behind that eighteen? That’s a lot of money to withhold from me, Mr. Westcott. You’ve had years to tell me about that account and you never said a word. When did my father open that account? What was the opening balance? Did he make regular deposits? Why was it in my name? Did he know his life was in danger? I want answers.” I was practically yelling.

  “That’s what this is about? You need money?” he bit back angrily.

  “I need answers!”

  “You run around for three years doing nothing with your life except working dead-end jobs. You can’t even manage to go to college and now you want answers?”

  “Watch it,” I warned.

  “No, you watch it. Who do you think you’re speaking to, young lady? Your parents did not raise you to be disrespectful. This is exactly why I kept this information from you. You were too immature not to blow through all the money your mother worked her ass off to protect for you.”

  Shock made me go stock still. “My mother?”

  Talon and Buck looked at each other.

  “You think your father could’ve flown to Austria to make deposits? How do you think that would’ve looked to his constituents?”

  “When did she open the account?”

  “Two years before your father took office,” he snapped. “Are you in trouble?”

  “No,” I lied. “Where did the money come from?”

  Westcott sighed. “Come in to the office tomorrow, we’ll talk.”

  “We’ll talk now.” The force behind my own voice surprised me.

  Silence.

  “Mr. Westcott,” I warned.

  “Your father was a good man,” he said authoritatively.

  I refrained from comment. “The money?”

  Westcott sighed. “She was slowly liquidating everything your father earned.”

  What? “Why?”

  “She said she was concerned.”

  I looked at Buck but his face was an expressionless mask.

  “Did my father know about this?”

  “She said he did,” he said defensively.

  “Where did she get the money?”

  “The initial balance was from the sale of the house in Coral Gables, an account she had from her parents and the money from the sale of your grandfather’s business. She also liquidated their retirement account.”

  Jesus. “How much was that?”

  “Twelve million, give or take. Jennifer, how did you find out about all of this?”

  I glanced at Talon and he narrowed his eyes at me. “I found some paperwork in her belongings,” I lied.

  Westcott swore. “I have to get back to my dinner party. Give me a week then come to the office. I’ll have the paperwork to remove me from custodianship so it’s ready to go when you turn twenty in a few months. But I must warn you, young lady, that money is not an excuse to squander your life away.”

  “Right,” I murmured noncommittally before hanging up the phone.

  Talon looked at Buck. “Only six million stolen. Narrows the playin’ field.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I handed the phone to Talon. “I’m going to bed.” I stood and both men stared at me. “Long day,” I mumbled, stepping over Buck.

  “Layna,” Buck called.

  I didn’t look up. I walked to the stairs. “You got what you needed.” I felt dirty. Everything felt dirty. Neither of them stopped me so I went downstairs and crawled into bed.

  I was still awake an hour later when Buck came in. He showered then climbed into bed in nothing except his fitted boxers. Pulling me to his chest, he settled my head on his shoulder.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Peachy.”

  “Don’t want to talk?”

  “Nope.” I wanted to go to sleep and wake up as someone else.

  “Okay.”

  A few minutes passed.

  “What’s your favorite flower?” His voice was tired.

  “Peonies. You should get some sleep.”

  He ignored me. “What’s your favorite memory of your mother?”

  Inhaling, the sting of grief was fresh all over again. My mother was beautiful and gracious and kind. And apparently privy to my father’s dealings. “The way she used to look at my father.” I appreciated what Buck was trying to do but I didn’t have the stomach for it, not tonight.

  “I’m sorry they were taken from you.” Buck’s hand hovered over my arm then he dropped it. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  “Okay.” I lay awake for hours, wondering what my mother knew.

  * * *

  Buck was gone before dawn. I got up an hour later and made my way upstairs. Talon was arguing with someone on the phone and when I entered the kitchen, he immediately ended the call.

  “Problem?” I asked dryly.

  “Coffee’s ready.” He ignored my question.

  I reached for a cup. “So, how did you find out about the account?”

  Talon tipped a mug to his mouth, drank then put it in the sink. “Hacked some old bank records then followed the money,” he said casually.

  “That sounds illegal.”

  “So’s takin’ bribes, but people still do it.”

  Bastard. “Ouch,” I said sarcastically.

  “Don’t know what you’re hurtin’ about. Wasn’t you fuckin’ with tax payer’s dollars.”

  I stared at him.

  “What?” he
asked, like he had no clue that he’d just insulted me.

  “Are you trying to be an asshole?”

  The smile was lazy and practiced. “Statin’ facts is all, darlin’, but if the shoe fits.” He shrugged and winked.

  His mood was almost friendly and I went for it. “What were you talking about when you said indictment or state’s witness?”

  Talon’s head cocked to the side then he burst out laughing. “I shoulda known you were listenin’.”

  I didn’t deny it. Nor did I waver. I stared at him, waiting.

  “Nothin’ doin’, nothin’ doin’, Sugar. Just chasin’ some leads is all. You ready to make a buck?” He chuckled at his now daily joke.

  “I’m ready to know what you’re not telling me.”

  “Let’s go,” Talon said dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Anyone ever tell you you’re cranky before coffee?”

  * * *

  Buck came back late that night. Talon cooked, we ate then I cleaned up. Talon went out, Buck and I filtered downstairs, and minutes after his shower, he was asleep.

  The routine continued and days turned into a week. When Sunday rolled around, Talon announced we weren’t working. He had a girl come in on occasion to cover for us when we went to the grocery store or ran errands. Her name was Kendall and she was the only female I’d met who didn’t throw herself at Talon. In fact, she seemed to despise him. He laughed off her bad attitude and did nothing but sweet talk her when she was around. She’d throw daggers at him with her eyes when they weren’t rolling and scowl at everything else. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she liked him—in a grade-school, spit-on-the-kid-you-like sort of way.

  Talon said Kendall was watching the shop and we were going surfing. It was cold as shit and I wasn’t down with being shark bait on a Sunday morning. Regardless, Talon dragged me out of bed and threw a wetsuit at me the second Buck left.

  I scoffed and pushed my bed head hair out of my eyes. “Are you out of your mind? I’m not pouring myself into that sausage casing.” He could pound sand if he thought I was putting that cat suit on. Hell no.

  “Damn, you’re an addict.” Talon thrust one of those insulated coffee mug with a lid thingies at me. “Drink up, you need an attitude adjustment.”