“And how the hell did she find that out?”
“She answered your phone this morning while we were getting Kristy squared away.”
“Shit.” He muttered.
“Yeah. Honest to god, I was going to tell her. I just had to wait and make sure everything was safe enough for her to know. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, man. I get it. She’s gonna have to understand that there are certain things you have to do in order to do your job correctly. She may not understand it now, but she’ll get it eventually. Cheer up, and go talk to her.” He nudged my arm and my hand slipped from holding my face up, causing me to almost face plant on the counter.
We both started laughing, and it felt good to not have to be so serious and cautious anymore. “Mind if I use your phone real quick?”
“Of course not, man. I’m gonna head out to the barn and tend to the horses for a bit. Give y’all some time to talk.”
“Thanks, Ruger.”
“Sure thing, Wakely.” He tipped his hat in my direction and then made his way outside.
I reached for the receiver on the wall next to me and quickly dialed Tom. If this thing was really over, then I needed to get instructions on how to proceed. I sat there rolling my eyes as his phone rang a million times. Typical Tom, never picking up his phone when he should. I was about to hang up when he finally answered.
“Dunn here.”
“Hey Tom. It’s Wakely.”
“Ah Wakely, as I live and breathe. You boys get Kristy off okay?”
“Yeah, she’s on her way back to headquarters. I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. The first place they are taking her is her father’s office. Ouch!”
“That’s what happens when you try to bat against the home team.”
I never understood his baseball references. They rarely, if ever made any sense in the situation. “So what’s the word?”
“Looks like you and your little lady get to come home. Well I guess I should say, you get to bring her home and then you can go home.” The thought of going back to my place in the city by myself seemed to depress me. “You did your job, Wakely. I thought you’d be ecstatic.”
“Yeah, yeah I am. It just all seems so easy. It’s hard to not question whether or not it is truly safe for her to go home.”
“Wakely, stop overthinking everything. They found their bodies this morning, the case has been dropped, and now there is no threat against her anymore. Do you want to bring her home, or should we have someone else do it?”
I sat there contemplating what he was asking me. As much as I wanted to be the one to watch her face light up when she got to see her family and friends who have thought of her dead, there was still the other part of me that knew that it would only prolong the inevitable. Not to mention that I didn’t quite fit into her ritzy world. Her family has money, they expect her to be with someone who has money also I’m sure, and I just wasn’t that guy. How was I supposed to know that this wasn’t her just slumming it until she got to go back to her normal life? I was beginning to think I was a person of convenience.
“Wakely, you still there?”
“Yeah. You should probably line up someone to take her home.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Alright, I’ll have Ruger take her home. You can leave whenever and head on home. I’ll expect to see you in my office before the weekend so we can wrap this thing up.”
“Sounds good, Tom. I’ll get a hold of you when I get back. Thanks.”
“Sure thing, Wakely. Safe travels.”
I hung up the phone and made my way upstairs to my room. As I passed by Lyndley’s door, I almost stopped and knocked. Instead, I just went straight into my room and began packing. Granted I didn’t have a ton of stuff to pack, but it was enough to keep me busy for a bit. Now if I could just turn my mind off, that would be great.
About an hour later, Lyndley still hadn’t emerged from her room and I couldn’t help but blame myself for all of this. I stood outside her door, bag in hand debating whether or not to even say good-bye. At this point it almost seemed as though it would be easier to just leave her life for good, and let her hate me enough to eventually get over me.
Thirty Five
Lyndley
I swung the bedroom door open to go in search of Ky. I needed to make things right with him before this whole relationship blew up in our face. I was pleasantly surprised to see him standing on the other side of the door. That was until I saw what he was holding in his hand. My eyes instantly began fogging over with unshed tears as they met his.
“Where are we going?” I knew the answer, but the scared little girl inside of me was secretly wishing it wasn’t true.
“We are not going anywhere. I am leaving. The case is over, Lyndley. You get to go back to your life, a life that I don’t fit into.”
“What do you mean, a life you don’t fit into?” Everything inside of me was fighting to keep the overwhelming rush of tears at bay.
“You live a rich lifestyle. I’m not rich by any means. Let’s face it. I was just something to keep you busy while you couldn’t live that kind of life. Never mind, you know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t know what you mean at all. Please enlighten me, Ky. You seem to think you have me all figured out, don’t you? Please tell me how you think I really am.” My irritation with him was now reaching epic proportions.
I stood back, arms folded across my chest, waiting for him to try and explain himself. He had no idea who I really was at all especially if he thought that he was just some sort of fling to me. For the first time in my life, I was head over heels in love and it didn’t matter to me that he wasn’t wealthy or that he had a dangerous job. All that mattered to me was that he loved me for me, and he treated me the way I deserved to be treated.
After minutes had passed without him saying another word, I started to get angry and the tears slowly started to fall. “Say something, Ky. God, say something please.”
He stood there with a somber expression on his long face, looking anywhere but at me.
“Fight for me, Ky. Show me you love me, please.” I was starting to get frantic as he stood there, bag in hand ready to leave me.
“I’m sorry, Lyndley. You deserve better.” He turned to make his way downstairs.
I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Nothing I could think of seemed adequate. After everything we had been through, how could he just leave me? “Were you even going to say good-bye?” I waited for an answer, but continued when he still wouldn’t look back at me. “So if I wouldn’t have been coming out of my room just now, you would’ve just left? No note, no nothing?” I watched as he took in a deep breath and continued to go down the stairs.
“YOU ARE A COWARD, KY WAKELY!” I paused as the tears started to fall like rain. “DO YOU HEAR ME? I HATE YOU!” My voice was so loud that it was echoing throughout the entire house, but I didn’t care. If he was going to continue to walk away from me, then he was going to hear every last word I needed to say. “I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANYBODY ON THIS GOD FORSAKEN PLANET!” I dropped to my knees hysterically crying.
I reached out for him, but he was gone. His tall dark form had disappeared from my line of sight, and I clutched my chest as though I was dying. I thought he would have at least turned around to check on me, but he didn’t, and all I could do was watch him leave. I watched as his black boots disappeared through my cloudy vision, and I let out a loud murderous scream as my heart broke into a million jagged little pieces, each one slicing through my insides and setting them ablaze.
I managed to make my way over to the screen door just in time to see the dust billowing up around the tires of his car as he pulled away. The tears continuously fell as I silently prayed that he would change his mind and turn around. But I was forced to sit there and watch him go. He was who I wanted. The one I had always dreamed of and now, he was gone. All my hopes of a happy life going right along with him.
I was pulled out of my revelry when I heard the screen door screech open. I knew it was Ruger without even looking. I never acknowledged that he was there, but I didn’t have to. He was instantly scooping me up into his arms, holding me tight against his body as he carried me over to the couch. I assumed he would just lay me down and leave me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Ruger held me close to his body as he sat down with me on his lap. I tucked my tear-stained face into the crook of his neck and held onto his shirt for dear life as his hands smoothed my hair down my back in a calming motion. I knew he wanted nothing to do with this drama, but I had to admit that it was nice to have someone care enough to be here for me.
“He really does love you, Lyndley.”
“I find that hard to believe. You don’t just walk away from someone you love like that.” I mumbled.
“Any guy would be lucky to have a girl like you Lyndley. If he’s too stupid to figure out what he has then it’s his loss not yours. I know it’s not something you want to hear right now, but he’s only a guy.”
“He was the guy, Ruger.”
“I see.”
I felt bad for Ruger. I knew I had given him mixed signals since I had arrived, but I never really thought he was honestly interested. Obviously his actions right now, told me a different story all together.
I sat up in Ruger’s arms and wiped away the remaining tears. “I’m so sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I really do like you Ruger, just not in the same way I like Ky.” I was utterly embarrassed and ashamed of myself.
“Lyndley, I know how you feel about Ky. I knew the minute y’all got here. Would I like it if you felt some of that for me? Of course, but it is what it is and I’m okay with that. Can you promise me something though?”
“Anything.” I immediately replied.
“Can we at least be friends? I like havin’ ya around here, and I would love it if you came back to visit every now and again. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to have a friendship, right?”
“Right, and I promise.” I leaned in and wrapped my arms tightly around Ruger’s neck. He was seriously one of the sweetest guys I had ever met, and if I never would’ve fallen for Ky, I’m pretty sure I would have fallen for Ruger. When I pulled back I placed a chaste kiss to Ruger’s cheek and stood. “I’m going to go pack my things. When are we leaving?”
“In about an hour. Sound good?”
I nodded and made my way upstairs. I took one last glance at the room that Ky had been sleeping in and a stray tear fell from the corner of my eye. I was going to miss him more than anybody in this world. I could only hope that one day soon he would change his mind, and that I would still be willing to take him back.
Thirty Six
Ky
Walking away from her was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. Her cries were heart wrenching, and with every step that took me further away from her, my heart broke a little bit more. As much as I didn’t want to face my true feelings for her, I was starting to realize that unless I left, that is exactly what I would have to do.
I ruined everything I touched, and just as my father told me so many times before, I was never going to be worthy of love from someone like Lyndley. As much as it pained me to walk away from her, I had no choice. My eyes stayed glued to the rearview mirror the entire way down the dirt road, just in the off chance that she decided to come after me. I slowed down and almost turned back at least ten times, as her cries echoed through my mind.
When I reached the end of the road, I glanced in both directions trying to decide which way to go. One way would take me back home, but the other would take me to a place that would remind me of nothing but Lyndley. Without even thinking, I began my journey home. I knew I would most likely kick myself in the ass later, but this is what I needed to do.
How could I have ever thought that she would never find out about her friend? In all honesty, I justified it to myself in a way that I was only trying to keep her safe. If I would’ve told her about Reese, I knew that she would need to talk to him or see him, and the guilt of not being able to would have killed her. In my heart of hearts, I really was just trying to protect her.
About three hours later, my phone started ringing from the passenger seat and I instantly reached over and answered, wishing that it would be Lyndley on the other line. “Hello?”
“Wakely, where are you?” Of course it was Tom.
“I’m about three hours away from the ranch, headed home. Why what’s up?”
“I need you to meet me in Richmond as soon as you can get there.” Tom’s tone of voice was off and he rarely if ever sounded flustered, but that’s exactly how he was sounding now.
“Tom, what the hell is going on?” I was starting to get rather impatient.
“I’ll explain to you when you get here. Just move your ass, Wakely.”
“On my way. See you soon.”
A million different scenarios played out in my mind, but each one had the same common denominator, Lyndley. Maybe we were to quick to think that everything was okay, and that it was safe for her to go home. Something was wrong. I could feel it. I pushed the accelerator to the floorboard and hauled ass down every road and highway that I could without getting pulled over.
When I finally hit the state line for Virginia my heart began to race thinking of what was so important that Tom needed to see me so soon. My phone alerted me to a text message and I quickly checked it. There were directions to a diner just a few hours from where I was. I dialed Tom not wanting to wait any longer.
“Dunn here.”
“Tom, seriously this is completely out of the way from where I need to be going. What the hell is going on? Can’t you just tell me over the phone?”
“Wakely, I seriously do not want to have to ream your ass over the phone. Just get to the god damn diner.”
I hung up and tossed my phone across the car. I wanted to call Ruger’s house, just to check and make sure that Lyndley was okay, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. A clean break was going to be the easiest way for both of us to move on from all of this. If I really wanted her to be safe, then I would stick to my decision and disappear from her life for good.
I hesitantly pulled into the diner parking lot looking for anything suspicious going on outside, but came up empty-handed. When I spotted Tom’s car, I breathed a sigh of relief. I quickly emerged from my car and made my way inside, when I felt a strong hand come down on my wrist. I spun around, fist cocked ready to go toe to toe with whomever it was who thought it was okay to touch me.
I watched slowly as Tom’s hands flew to his face. “Seriously, Wakely? Calm the fuck down. Not everybody is trying to kill you.” He laughed and I almost punched him just because.
“Well, I’m here. What do you want?”
“Wow, who pissed in your oatmeal?”
“Seriously Tom, I’m not in the fucking mood.” I vigorously pushed my hands back through my hair as I began pacing across the parking lot.
“Straight to the point it is then. I just got word that someone has been staking out the Caverly’s home. We don’t have an ID on the guy yet, but I’ve got everybody looking into it. Now don’t panic. I sent a unit out to their house to keep a close eye on them, but I really would like it if you could go there and keep an eye on things for me. You’ve been protecting Lyndley and you know the most about her. I need someone I can trust on this one.”
I had stopped mid stride as soon as I heard Lyndley’s name come out of his mouth. I turned in his direction with a scowl. “You said I was done with this case. You said this case was over, did you not?” My anger was starting to reach an all ti
me high.
“I know Ky, and trust me if I didn’t have to I wouldn’t ask this of you.”
“What about Ruger? Isn’t he the one taking her back anyway?” I just knew the minute I got the call from Tom, that something was wrong.
“Ruger has been advised to stay at the ranch for tonight, and then I’ll check in with him in the morning. Ky, I need you to do this for me. Now, I’ve already told her family to expect you, so when you get there make sure you go up to the door and introduce yourself so they don’t freak out. Remember, they still think their daughter is dead, for lack of a better word.”
“Fine, I’m leaving now.” I started making my way to my car all the while thinking about how Lyndley would feel about me going to her childhood home, hanging out with her family, and keeping them safe the way that I should’ve kept her safe. This was one clusterfuck of a situation that had the potential to blow up like a damn atom bomb. But, this was my job and regardless of how I felt about myself, Lyndley’s family deserved for me to do my job to the fullest extent.
Thirty Seven
Lyndley
“You almost ready to go, sweetheart?”
“Yeah, just packing up the last of my stuff.”
“All right, but we need to get on the road.”
“I’m coming.” I shouted.
As I came running down the stairs with a duffel bag on my good arm and a smaller bag I was barely hanging onto with my bad one, I almost tripped and fell down the remaining steps. Luckily Ruger was there to catch me before I fell and possibly killed myself. Which given the day I have had, didn’t seem like such a bad idea. My eyes made their way up Ruger’s face, coming to rest on his gorgeous enchanting hazel eyes. I was at a loss for words for a second, but quickly shook all dirty thoughts of Ruger from my mind.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.” I whispered.
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