Protecting Lyndley

by Amanda Bennett

  “Where were ya going?”

  “I just wanted to stretch and look around. I wasn’t going anywhere.” I pushed past him and started making my way up the stairs and in through the front door. When I walked inside, my hands flew up to my mouth. The outside did not do this place justice.

  It was an open floor plan with real wood flooring throughout the entire bottom floor. The kitchen was off to the left in the back, and there was a spiral staircase that lead upstairs. I ran my fingers across the back of the leather couch that sat right below the stairs, as I walked around in awe of the place. I grew up in a pretty big house with nice things, but this, this was on a completely different level.

  “Heads up.”

  I turned just as Wakely shouted at me, catching the small plastic bag from the drug store in my hand.

  “Better get started before we head out to grab some stuff for you.”

  “What?”

  “You have to dye your hair. You should probably cut it too, but I’m going to guess that is out of the question judging by the look on your face.”

  I loved my blonde hair. I never had to dye it my whole life, and now I had to say good-bye to the last bit of me from my past life. I pulled out the boxes in the plastic bag and smiled so he couldn’t see. At least he picked out a good color.

  “Did you pick this out yourself?”

  A small smile spread across his face, and I wanted to smile in return, but found my stubbornness coming out instead. “No, the girl that was working did.”

  I knew he was lying, and that was fine. I would let him have his moment of weakness for me in private. If he didn’t want me to know that he was an actual human being with feelings, then I was bound and determined to ignore him all together.

  Eight

  Ky

  “Your contact will be there shortly, Wakely. His name is Howser. He’s a short and stocky guy with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He will knock three times, then ring the bell.”

  “Thanks, Tom. Talk to ya soon.” I hung up the phone and wandered around the house we would be living in for who knows how long. It was a nice enough place. Nicer than I had ever seen. When you grow up close to dirt poor, you learn to appreciate the finer things in life. This was definitely one of those times.

  I opened the fridge and found that it had been fully stocked for us. Despite there being more food than I could have ever needed, there was also a twelve pack of beer. My boss knew me all too well. I cracked open a bottle and sat my soon to be drunk ass down on one of the couches. Lyndley had disappeared upstairs about twenty minutes ago, and I had yet to see her again.

  If I were a different kind of man I would’ve gone upstairs to check on her, but I wasn’t, so I sat comfortably in my seat and drank my beer in peace. I knew soon enough that she would be back downstairs and rambling my ear off, or being the entitled princess that I knew her to be thus far. I took a long pull on the bottle and almost choked on the cold liquid as she came walking down the stairs.

  The minute her foot hit the bottom step, I had to readjust my position and try not to stare. She had been beautiful as a blonde, but seeing her as a brunette and her striking emerald green eyes that popped now, made me practically want to jump up and claim her as mine. She turned hesitantly towards me, waiting for me to say something to her. The things I wanted to say, I couldn’t. So I kept it short and to the point.

  “Looks good.” There wasn’t much else I could say to her without giving too much away, so I went back to staring at my bottle of beer while I picked at the label.

  She opened her mouth to say something snide I’m sure, but she was cut off by a knock on the door. She quickly looked back and forth between it and me, and I just let out a small laugh as I waited for the two knocks to follow and the doorbell. Once the doorbell made a ding, I stood and made my over to answer it. I looked through the peephole to make sure the guy who stood on the other side matched the description Tom gave me, and sure enough he did.

  I pulled the door open and ushered him inside. “Hi, I’m Wakely.” I held my hand out for him to take.

  “Howser. Nice to meet ya, man.”

  He took my hand and then I pointed in Lyndley’s direction. “This is Ms. Caverly. Sorry, I mean Lyndley.”

  He moved in Lyndley’s direction, holding out his hand as she graciously accepted it. “Ms. Cavelry, it’s a pleasure.”

  “Please, call me Lyndley. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

  “Please take a seat, Howser.” I could see the aggravated look Lyndley was giving me out of the corner of her eye. I knew every time I was pleasant to someone else and curt with her, it drove her insane.

  “Okay, so let’s get down to business.” Howser reached behind him and pulled out a large manila envelope. “Here are your new identities. There are passports, driver licenses, a marriage certificate, bankcards, and about ten thousand dollars. Tom will have more wired into an account in both of y’all’s names.”

  We both watched Lyndley closely as she reached for her new identification. The look on her face was somber, and I knew she was having a hard time dealing with all of this. She put up a good front, letting me think that she was coping well enough, but I knew deep down that being away from her friends and family was killing her.

  “So Lyndley, your new name will be Sarah Parker. Your birthdate and all that information is on your drivers license. Make sure you remember it. I’ve also enclosed a new birth certificate for both of you. Wakely, your name will stay Ky, but you will also be a Parker now that the both of you are married.”

  I quickly glanced over at Lyndley as Howser spoke my real name, but she didn’t flinch. She didn’t even act like she heard a word he said. She was still staring at the paperwork in front of her in a daze. I was going to say something to her, but I figured I would let her be for now.

  “Speaking of marriage, here are your rings.” Howser tossed me a black band and slid a huge diamond ring along with a diamond wedding band in Lyndley’s direction.

  “Lyndley?” My voice startled her when I spoke, and I instantly apologized. “I’m sorry, you okay?”

  “Yeah, yes. I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  I slid the rings in her direction. “These are yours.” She picked them up off of the table carefully, but didn’t look at them. She simply pushed them onto her ring finger and went back to looking at the papers in front of her.

  “Well, I’ll let you fill her in on anything that she missed. Now remember, you are now a banker on Wall Street, and Lyndley you own a small boutique just up the street. Your assistant manager is actually one of our agents. Her name is Kristy and she will be keeping an eye on you while you two aren’t around each other. Do either of you have any questions for me?”

  I glanced over at Lyndley, but she was still unresponsive. “I don’t think so. Thanks, Howser.”

  “Of course. Now if you have any questions whatsoever, or you find yourself in trouble, please use this number.” He handed me a card with his name on it. I stood to walk him out, when Lyndley’s voice broke through the silence.

  “Do we get cell phones or anything?” I could see hope written all over her face, but it was about disappear with everything else.

  “No, Lyndley. I’m sorry. Wakely has his phone to contact the bureau and the Marshal’s office, but that’s about it. Right now, it’s just too dangerous. Take care of each other you two, and good luck.”

  I shut the door quietly behind Howser, and then turned to speak with Lyndley. Unfortunately, she had disappeared. “LYNDLEY?” I shouted up the stairs. When I didn’t hear a response, I let out a loud sigh and went in search of her.

  When I reached the top of the stairs, I heard the faint sound of crying echoing down the hall. I was going to go to her and hold her, make sure she was okay, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. There was no way I was letting myself get attached to her. For all I knew, she didn’t want my comfort and I was okay with that.

  I turned and started making my way downstairs
when I heard another knock at the front door. I stopped halfway down and waited for the “special” knock. When it didn’t happen, I slid my hand under my shirt gripping my gun tight. I walked quietly over to the door and looked out the peephole. There was a tall blonde woman standing on the other side with something in her hands. I couldn’t quite make out what it was, but she looked harmless enough.

  I reached for the doorknob with my left hand and realized I hadn’t put my ring on yet. I ran over to the table where I had left it and slid it on before I finally answered the door.

  “Hi there neighbor. I’m Sheena. My husband and I live next door, and I just wanted to come and introduce myself. Oh, and I also brought y’all a casserole.”

  I reached out for the dish with one hand, and shook hers with the other. “Nice to meet you, Sheena. I’m Ky Parker.”

  “Well that’s an unusual name. It’s so nice to meet you, Ky.” She was now standing tall and practically shoving her double D breasts in my face. “So, is your wife home?”

  I wondered how she knew I was married, but then I remembered the ring. “She’s actually upstairs doing some things at the moment, but I’ll be sure to tell her you stopped by.“

  “Hi, I’m Sarah. What was your name?” Lyndley suddenly appeared at my side, completely pulled together and composed, playing her part as my loving wife. She was a natural. I’d give her that. Her hand slid around my waist as she leaned into me.

  The smell of the conditioner she had used was intoxicating and was turning me on beyond belief. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and tucked her into my side.

  “Oh hello there, Sarah. I’m Sheena. I was just telling your husband here that I live next door, well my husband and I. It’s a pleasure to meet y’all. We’ll have to get together sometime soon.”

  “Sounds great, Sheena. Oh and thanks for the casserole, that was so thoughtful of you.”

  “Of course. Well I’ll let y’all get settled in. See y’all soon, I hope.” Sheena gave a small wave and as she turned to walk down the steps, I watched her small round ass bounce with every step. It was definitely going to be helpful to have that to look at everyday.

  I felt a hand come down hard across my chest as the front door was being slammed in front of me, and the casserole was being ripped from my hand.

  “Seriously, if we have to pretend to be married you could at least pretend to have some respect for me. I know that’s probably hard for you, but could you try?”

  I opened my mouth to argue with her, but she was right. If we were going to pull this off, then I needed to at least treat her like my wife in front of other people. “I’m sorry, Lyndley. I promise I’ll make more of an effort.”

  “Oh my god, he does have a soul.” She chided as she looked back at me and rolled her eyes.

  This was bound to be the longest couple of months I have ever experienced that’s for sure. I guess if there was going to be peace in our household, then I needed to stop being such a prick. Now all I needed was for her to stop being such a bitch.

  Nine

  Lyndley

  I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. I was looking forward to going to work, but most of all, I was looking forward to not having to be around Ky for a while. A small smile crept across my face as his name passed through my thoughts. His name was unusual and interesting, and I kept finding myself wondering where it came from, but I wasn’t about to ask. Not that he would answer anyway.

  I rolled out of bed and started making my way towards the bathroom down the hall. Last night I had fallen asleep in what I could only assume was meant to be a guest room. I didn’t care that it didn’t have a bathroom in it or anything fancy like the master bedroom had, all I cared about was being as far away form Ky as possible.

  I turned to close the door, when I caught a glimpse of his broad exposed chest. I leaned out of the doorway just a bit to get a better look, as I found myself fixated on the sea of flesh in front of me. His tan skin was stretched tight across his big bulging muscles, and that was enough to get me excited.

  He stood and threw his shirt across the bathroom as I caught a glimpse at what was just below his pecs. His well-defined abs stood out as my eyes traced the long lines that led to that amazing ‘v’ that dipped just below the waistband of his boxer briefs. I let my eyes blink rapidly as I drank him all in. His body was in perfect shape and there literally wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. When I was done ogling his body, my eyes made their way back up to his face. His beautiful face, that was now staring right at me.

  I quickly closed the door in embarrassment and jumped in the shower. I tried to wash away every dirty thought I was having of him, but found myself struggling to do so. I was half way through my shower when I heard a small knock on the bathroom door.

  “Yeah.” I half shouted.

  “Hey, I’ve gotta leave soon. How much longer do you think you’ll be?”

  Was he serious right now? I literally had only been in the shower for all of ten minutes. “Maybe another ten minutes.”

  “Do you want me to wait for you?”

  “Well, yeah. I need a ride to work. I have no idea where I’m even going.” I no longer had to worry about any impure thoughts running through my mind, because the minute he spoke, all attraction to him flew out the window. I heard the door crack open and his voice suddenly became too close for comfort. “What are you doing in here?” I shouted.

  “Calm down, princess. It’s not like I’m jumping in the shower with you. It’s just easier than yelling at you through the thick wood door. So, you want me to wait for you then?”

  “Um, yeah. Like I said, I don’t know where I’m going.”

  “Okay, well can you speed it up? I’m supposed to be to the office before eight.”

  “Yeah, Jesus. Just give me a minute.” I could hear him walking towards the door when it dawned on me that I had absolutely zero clean clothes to put on when I got out. “Oh my god, Ky?”

  “Um, yeah?”

  “I don’t have any clean clothes.”

  “Yes you do. There are some clean clothes on your bed for you.”

  “Oh.” The room was silent, and I wasn’t sure if he was still in the bathroom with me. “Thank you.”

  There was a long pause, and I figured he must’ve left. “Sure. Now hurry up.” I heard the door shut loudly behind him and like the immature baby I was being, I stuck my middle finger out the shower curtain in the direction of where he had just walked out. “Dick.” I whispered as I flung the curtain open. My mouth dropped along with my hands, scrambling to cover up my exposed body as he stood leaning against the bathroom counter, arms crossed over his puffed out chest.

  “Tell me how you really feel.” He smirked.

  “GET OUT!” I scooped up my towel off of the toilet seat and quickly wrapped it around my dripping wet body.

  “It’s nothing I haven’t ever seen before.”

  “Well nobody asked you to look. What the hell are you still doing in here?”

  A wicked smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as I stood there beet red while he tried to have a conversation with me. I could hear his voice, but I couldn’t comprehend a single word he was saying while he was looking good enough to eat in his three-piece suit. Every ounce of material emphasized his amazing body, and the pale pink and grey striped tie was beckoning me to straighten it out.

  I hadn’t realized I was staring until he cleared his throat. “Does something about me interest you?” He joked.

  “Not in the least.” I snapped back as I made my way past him and into my room. I turned and gave him a menacing glare as I closed the door behind me.

  I gently fell back against the door as I tried to clear my cluttered mind. I wasn’t sure how much more of this back and forth I was going to be able to take. His devilish good looks were already pushing me past my breaking point, and it had only been two days since I had been around him. What would another couple months do to me?

  I walked over to the bed to inspec
t the outfit he had picked out for me, and I smiled as I realized he had really good taste. In front of me sat a long sleeveless navy blue maxi dress, and a small white and navy striped cardigan to go with it. When I caught sight of the small navy blue thong, I could feel the blush rising up my entire body. How embarrassing to have a complete stranger picking out my panties.

  I pushed my towel to the floor, and quickly slid on my new panties and dress. I was reaching for the cardigan when the sparkle of the diamond on my left hand caught my attention. With everything that had been going on, I hadn’t even stopped for a second yesterday to notice it.

  The ring was absolutely gorgeous. It had to be at least five-carats. And that was just the cushion cut diamond. There were at least fifteen smaller diamonds wrapping around the perimeter of the center diamond. As if that wasn’t enough, the diamond band that sat below it had some of the biggest diamonds I had ever seen in a single band.

  I sat on the edge of the bed mesmerized by how it looked on my hand. I had never really thought about getting married, and especially not to someone like Ky, but the thought of it now, had me intrigued. With everything that was going on, and how my life was turning out, I knew deep down that marriage most likely would never be in the cards for me. Actually, a lot of things didn’t seem to be in the cards for me now.

  I tore my gaze away form the shiny piece of jewelry and finished getting ready for the day. Luckily I always carried an extra bag of makeup in my purse, so I swiped on some mascara, a little bit of eye shadow, and a shimmering lip-gloss. I ran my fingers through my hair and started making my way downstairs.

  I could smell the mouth-watering aroma of coffee assault my senses as I turned the corner into the kitchen. I found Ky leaning against the kitchen counter right next to the coffee pot when I walked in, and he had a shit eatin’ grin plastered on his face.