by Stacey Wilk
She dropped her fork. It clanked against the plate. The room closed in on her. She had to take a deep breath to keep from vomiting.
Chase shot her a look then said, “was the man someone who worked at the school?”
“I don’t know. He was on the outside of the fence. He didn’t have his ID around his neck like most teachers do. But he did have a coat on, so maybe I didn’t see it.”
“Did this man tell you his name?” Chase went back to eating his food.
“No, he just asked me how I liked school.”
“What did you say?” She’d found her voice, but it had become strangled. Chase placed a hand on her knee and gave a squeeze. The touch was as startling as Landon’s declaration of a strange man speaking to him. She pushed his hand away.
“I told him it was okay, but then I said I’m not allowed to talk to strangers. If he needed to know something I could get a teacher for him.”
“Smart.” Chase ruffled Landon’s hair. “Would you recognize him if you saw him again?”
“I think so.”
“I’ll call the school in the morning and let them know.” She would need the school to be on the alert because she couldn’t watch Landon all day. More eyes the better. Still, she didn’t feel any safer. Maybe their time in Silent Water was up. Maybe in the middle of the night, or when Chase left for work, she should take Landon and go.
“Next time if you see him standing outside the fence, and not in the school yard get a teacher or another adult right away, okay?” Chase twirled his pasta around his fork as if this conversation was typical of any other.
“Okay.” Landon gobbled up his food without another thought. He changed the subject to tell Chase about a video game he’d played.
The normalcy of the three of them eating at her table was too much to bear. Her life was anything, but normal. She would spend her entire life worrying that Matt or one of his men would come around every corner. New Jersey wasn’t far enough away. The other side of the moon wouldn’t be far enough away. She should’ve faked their deaths. Maybe, just maybe Matt wouldn’t come looking for them then, but the way she’d run, and the fact she’d sent him on a wild goose chase would only make him madder. How stupid she’d been to think she could get away with this plan. What if that man today was looking for Landon? What if Matt had found them already?
“You aren’t touching your food.” Chase’s voice dragged her away from the thoughts spiraling out of control.
“I’m…I’m not as hungry as I thought.” She grabbed her plate and dumped the food she barely touched into the garbage. Her hands trembled.
“Mom, can I be excused? I have to finish my homework.”
“Sure, buddy. Bring your plate over.” She kept her gaze on the garbage can.
“Chase, do you like to play basketball? I don’t have a hoop here, but I used to play on the rec team. And are you staying for dessert? Mom lets me have hot chocolate with whipped cream, but you know that.”
Her heart lodged in her throat. Landon needed a man in his life, and she’d yanked him away from his father. Would he forgive her someday? Maybe, after she told him the truth. Landon needed a real male role model. Not one that hid behind shady deals and pushed drugs into the hands of innocent people too desperate to know what they were doing. And not a father who would kill if someone didn’t follow his rules.
“You bet, kiddo. I brought some cookies. How about I help your mom clean up and then we’ll call you in for some treats?”
They high fived. “I’ll be in my room.”
“You’re very good with him. Do you have children?” Wouldn’t she have seen them if he did? Why would this man live alone in this small town, and work as a cook in a hole in the wall restaurant if he had a family some place?
“I have a daughter, but she’s grown. Eighteen. She lives with her mom.” He brought the rest of the plates over.
“Do you get to see her much?”
“Not really. You know kids, they grow up and leave the nest. Are you ready to tell me who you’re running from yet?”
“I told you, no one.”
He placed the dishes in the sink and closed the space between them. She was pinned between the counter and his closeness. He kept his hands at his sides, but a part of her wanted him to touch her.
“You weren’t exactly subtle when Landon mentioned the guy at school. Who are you worried about? I might be able to help you.”
She placed a hand on his chest to push him away, to get some air or to feel his muscles under the pads of her fingers she wasn’t sure which, but he gripped her hand in his and held it against his chest. Her core heated up from his touch. She didn’t want to let go, and she didn’t want to stay put. His bright blue gaze held her in place. “Chase, I don’t know what to say.” Her words were a whisper.
“Do you want my help?”
She thought she did, but if she accepted his help she’d be putting him in danger. Not only him, but Jim and Mandy too. “You can’t help me.”
He released her and she regretted her choice instantly. “Okay. How about that dessert? You make the hot cocoa and I’ll get the cookies.”
His change in subject gave her whiplash. She busied herself with mugs, warming milk, and locating the marshmallows. The whole time she debated whether or not to ask him for help. She knew nothing about him, what if he had the skills she needed or what if he was just some good looking guy who could install security cameras?
Landon returned with his old hand-held gaming system and showed Chase a few of the games he played. They sat with their heads together staring at the screen. Landon wanted Chase to tuck him in, which the man did without question. Her heart nearly broke out of her chest.
A door closed down the hallway, and Chase returned to her leaning against the kitchen counter. “It’s probably warmer by the fire,” he said.
“I’m fine. Thank you for what you just did. Landon has taken some liking to you.” She’d better make sure not too much of a liking. If they did have to escape in the middle of the night, Landon would only be hurt by losing Chase too.
“He’s a great kid.” He grabbed his coat. “Well, I’d better be going. Thank you for dinner. I usually eat alone, so this was nice.”
“Were you ever married?” She didn’t want him to leave and needed a reason to keep him around a little longer.
“I was.” A darkness passed across his eyes.
“It didn’t work out?”
“That’s a story for another time. Good night, Raine.” He didn’t wait for a response or for her to walk him to the door. He slipped out into the night closing the door behind him and leaving her alone.
Which should be exactly what she wanted, but for some crazy reason she didn’t.
Chapter Nine
Chase checked the security camera feed on the property for the third time. Raine’s house was dark. Nothing but deer, raccoons, and possum running around. Exactly how he liked it.
Sleep wouldn’t come so he paced the loft with a beer in his hand. Could the man at the school be the same guy at the General today? He couldn’t be certain the man at the school was a stranger. He could’ve been Fred the homeless guy that wandered around town from time to time. Fred was harmless and lonely.
Even though it was late, he grabbed the phone.
“Hello?” Deke’s voice scratched across the line.
“Sorry to wake you, man, but I need a favor.”
“Hang on.”
Rustling came through the receiver. “Okay, I splashed some water on my face. Something must be wrong for you to call me asking for a favor.”
“I just need you to check something for me.” He no longer had access to the databases that Deke had. Even though Grey Holden fought his resignation, he had blocked his entry to the programs needing clearance.
“I’m at the computer. What do you need?”
“Don’t you want to ask what this is about first? You might be about to get into some serious trouble.”
“I don’t need to ask when the request comes from you. Fuck the regulations, man. You’re my brother.”
“If you get fired, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“If I get fired, I’m bunking with you in that big house and taking your dumb cook job.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re all talk. Here’s what I need. Can you run a check to see if a report on a missing woman, late thirties and a child, male, about nine, went missing in the last month? I don’t know where they might be missing from so you’ll have to do a country-wide search.”
“Country-wide? That’ll take a while.”
“Just get it to me when you can.”
“Does this mean you’re ready to come back to work?”
“Not a chance. I’m just following up on a hunch.”
“Take the security detail for the birthday party. It’s good money. Better than those tips you make slinging hash.”
He wiped a hand over his face. “Deke, you don’t want me on security.”
“Stop being a prick. You made one mistake. An honest one. That could’ve been anyone of us. What would you be saying to me right now if I had been the one and not you?”
“You’ve always been a better ops guy than me. I’d be telling you to stay.”
“Yeah, well, feelings are mutual. Just think about it. I’ll call you later when I know something. And I’ll see you Friday. Max and I are leaving in the morning.”
“Thanks.” He ended the call. He wanted to see his friends. He’d missed them. And he’d be lying if he said the adrenaline wasn’t pumping when he called about the search. He missed his work too, but he couldn’t be trusted. Well, he didn’t trust himself and that put his team at risk. He’d never risk those men’s lives.
Raine wasn’t telling him the truth, and he couldn’t walk away. If she was going to live next door to him then he wanted to know what he was dealing with. She was putting his life at risk too just by his being nearby. He wanted to know if he should have a shotgun or a forty-four Magnum ready.
He padded down the steps to the dark living room and dropped into the recliner. The day was weighing on him. Sleep might not be far off. His pretty neighbor had him thinking thoughts he’d buried someplace.
When he gripped her hand earlier, he wanted to pull her close and taste her lips. He wanted to curl his fingers into her hair and hear her say his name as he kissed her neck, her shoulders, and lower. She had him wanting her in a way he hadn’t wanted a woman before. Maybe it was her feisty attitude, or the determination in her eyes to take care of her son. Whatever she was running from she wasn’t afraid of. She didn’t need him, had told him as much, and still he wanted to protect her which scared the life out of him because until she’d showed up he was happy keeping to himself.
The phone rang. “Hello?”
“Can you meet me outside?” Raine’s sweet voice came over the line. She didn’t need to ask twice.
“Give me two minutes.”
He shoved his feet into boots, yanked his coat off the hook, and was outside in the biting cold air in two strides. She waited for him wrapped in a blanket at the bottom of her porch.
“Is everything okay?” He stopped short of grabbing her and pulling her to him.
She tugged the blanket closer. “Yes, I’m sorry. I…I…God, I must sound ridiculous. I wanted to ask you something, but I didn’t want to leave the house in case Landon woke and didn’t find me.”
“You could’ve asked on the phone.”
She met his gaze with a tilt of her chin. “I realize that.”
“But you wanted to see me?” Had she felt the charge between them too or was he wishful thinking?
“I guess I did. I called.”
She wasn’t exactly throwing herself at him. He’d have to settle for I guess.
“Do you know how to shoot a gun?” She didn’t let her gaze waver.
“Do you have a gun?” Did she only want him as a bodyguard? And why did disappointment twist his stomach into a rope at the thought she didn’t want him for more?
“Do you always answer a question with a question?” The blanket dropped around her shoulders revealing a zip-up sweatshirt opened to her cleavage.
“Do you?” He wanted to find out what her creamy skin felt like under his touch.
She growled under her breath, and he laughed. “You can be so frustrating. Yes or No. Do you know how to shoot a gun?”
“I do.” He liked teasing her.
“Will you teach me?”
“That depends.”
“On what?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“On if you’ll want me to teach you after I do this.”
He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers expecting her to smack him across the face, which he probably deserved, but at the moment didn’t care about. Her lips were soft, and sweet, but she stiffened. He was about to lean back and save them both from further embarrassment because she was probably still in love with the guy she was running from when she gripped his coat and pulled him to her.
The blanket fell away, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her mouth opened to him, and he took her lead from there. She tasted like heaven and he wanted to drink her in. He laced his fingers into her long, blonde hair, and tugged her closer. She let out a little moan, and he was a goner. She pressed her curves against him fitting into his angles and setting his skin on fire. His desire for her pulsed against his jeans, making him breathless and hungry for her. She must be able to feel how hard he was against her belly.
She fumbled with the zipper of his jacket, then snaked her arms around his waist and ran her hands up his back. It was his turn to moan. He needed to get his head about him, or he’d have this woman on the front porch, in the cold, and in plain sight of raccoons, possum, deer, and worse her son, should he happen to wake for a glass of water.
He eased back not wanting the kiss to end. “Raine, I don’t know what got into me.”
She gnawed on her bottom lip. “That was nice. Unless it wasn’t for you.”
“Oh, no, that was very nice, and I’d like more, but I don’t think this is the time or place. You came out here to ask me for help, and I acted like a raging hormone.” Because he couldn’t remember the last time he was with a woman who had him this excited, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.
“I wanted you to kiss me. I’ve wanted that since you showed up in my house with flowers, and you tucked my son into bed. I may have asked you to come out here so I could kiss you because I thought I’d be waiting forever for you to make the first move.”
“I give you that impression.”
“Only a little.”
“Are you married? I shouldn’t be kissing a woman who has a husband.”
She eased out of his embrace and picked the blanket up off the ground. “Landon’s father and I aren’t married anymore. We haven’t been for a while now.”
“Is he the man you’re hiding from?” He zipped his coat up.
“The less you know the better. Can you show me how to shoot a gun?”
He should walk away from this woman and never look back. He couldn’t get messed up in something that might be illegal, or at the very least dangerous. He couldn’t trust himself to react properly in the heat of a dangerous situation. He’d been through the required therapy, but he hadn’t been back in action since the incident. Raine was telling him something would go down, and he’d likely be in the crossfire. He didn’t need that or want that. But she had a child, and this time if he could protect a child he would. Even if he showed Raine how to shoot she wouldn’t be prepared when the shit hit the fan. No one was ever prepared. Not even those well trained.
“I’ll show you how to use a gun. There’s a firing range not far from here.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She stepped near him and wrapped her hands around his neck pulling him closer.
She showed him how much she appreciated his help, and he kissed her right back.
****
Rain
e lied. What was one more lie in a million? But now she’d added Chase to the list of people she lied to, and she liked him. Technically, she and Matt were married. She had never officially filed for divorce, and she wasn’t exactly lying in a morgue. But they hadn’t had sex in three years. Once she found out he was cheating on her, she refused to go to bed with him. He hadn’t cared, was relieved in fact. He’d demanded that they stay married, and act like the perfect couple. When she tried to leave he bashed her head into the wall and promised Landon would grow up without a mother. That was the moment she formed her plan to leave him.
What had she been thinking kissing Chase like that last night? She couldn’t seem to stop herself. He tasted minty, and a little like beer. His hands were strong, and that little tug in her hair. It wasn’t the same as the way Matt handled her, rough and mean and ugly as if she was his property and not his wife.
Her insides had lit up like fireworks from Chase’s touch. He had been intense like his stare, and sure of himself which only heated her core more. She wanted all of him, but he had been right. The front porch wasn’t the place.
“Landon, you’re going to be late for school.” She needed to get her thoughts on a less erotic subject.
The man at the school had her worried. When she dropped Landon off, she’d go inside and tell the principal. She should think about getting Landon a disposable phone just in case the worst thing occurred. Her stomach clenched at the thought of anything happening to him. Chase had promised to show her how to use a gun. That would be a help. But how would she buy a gun? Could he get her one? How much was she willing to ask of this man? Would she really put him at risk?
They piled into the car and she headed down the drive sneaking a peek at Chase’s place. His truck was gone. Probably at work. She’d see him in an hour and wiggled a little in her seat. She’d have to find an excuse to get him into the walk-in for a quick kiss.
“Mom, when are we seeing Chase again?” Landon broke through her steamy thoughts.