All in all, it was just kind of generic, but neat.
“Thanks,” Frank said, carefully shutting the door behind me. “Matt and I can’t really agree on the living room, so we just kind of leave it this way.”
“Trouble in paradise, huh?”
We stooped in the mudroom, took our shoes off, and put them to the side.
He smiled as he led me into the living room. “If you live and work in the service long enough, you learn to not let yourself get too tied down to one place. Most guys, they decorate their barracks with stuff from home as a way to remind themselves, you know?”
“Don’t want to be reminded of it much, do you?”
He just stopped in the middle of the living room and ran a hand back through his hair as he looked at me. “That wasn’t where I was going with that, but yeah, that’s kinda spot on.”
The bone-deep weariness of an exhausting day had begun to set in as soon as I stepped through those front doors. Whether it was a ritzy penthouse suite, a warm cabin deep in the dark woods, or a flophouse on Skid Row, I didn’t care at this point. I tried to stifle a yawn, but failed.
“Bedroom,” he said. “Right.” He went around the couch and took me the short distance to his bedroom and flicked on the light.
A king sized bed took up the center of the room, with a handmade quilt over the top as a bedspread. Across the floor beneath it was an unexpected Persian rug. A large flag hung on one wall, like a bird of prey looming over everything with its wings spread, weirdly like a falcon I’d once seen in a biology text book years before. Tucked away in one corner was a large black box with a lock on the front and handles on the sides.
I walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “I think this’ll work.”
Arms folded, he leaned against the doorframe, looking me over.
“What?” I asked when he kept looking.
“You holding up? After that meeting with my boss, I mean?”
I nodded slowly. “I think so. This is just…” I trailed off.
“It’s a lot. I know.”
“On the one hand, I can’t believe my father would do something like this. On the other, I’m just surprised he hid it for so long.”
“Reckon he really did it, then?”
I flickered a stray lock of hair behind my shoulder. “I don’t know what to think.” I smiled. “Or reckon.”
He smiled back. “Well, the guys should be showing up soon. You’ll always have someone awake in the living room, and one of us asleep. Another one of us will be outside watching. If anybody tries anything, we’ll be here to prevent it.”
I nodded. “This is all just so surreal.”
He shrugged. “Don’t feel bad. Ain’t nothing wrong with feeling the way you’re feeling. Hell, this is more excitement than we’ve seen in months, too. And it’s our jobs to do this kind of crap.”
“That doesn’t help much, Frank. I think you need to work on your bedside manners.”
“Must’ve failed that back in bodyguard school.”
“Alright,” I said with a smile, “if you stay here making small talk, I’ll never get any sleep.”
“Gotcha. You need anything, darlin’, you just holler, okay?”
I nodded my thanks, and he backed out of the room, closing the door gently behind him as he left. I pulled open the backpack Lacy had given me and began to sort through it: pads, tampons, makeup removal pads, skin cleansers, lotions, travel-sized toothpaste, a toothbrush, brand new panties sealed in some kind of plastic, spare socks, and pajama bottoms.
I frowned when I got through all the contents. No shirt. I checked through the bag again. Must’ve just been left out.
I got up and went into the living room. “Frank?”
He looked up from the kitchen table, where he was sitting in front of his deconstructed pistol, a set of tools and small bottles in front of him. “Ashley?”
“Um, I didn’t see a spare shirt to sleep in in the bag. Do you have one I can borrow?”
“Uh, yeah,” he said, rising from the small table. “Let’s see what I’ve got.”
I followed him back into his room and he found a couple of old flannels.
“That work?” he asked as he handed me a faded red, yellow, and blue one.
I nodded as I looked it over. It was thick, but surprisingly lightweight, and the cotton had softened over the years of wear. “Perfect. And, uh, shower?”
“Yeah, sorry. Didn't even think about it.” After I gathered up my change of clothes, he showed me into the little bathroom off the living room, pointed out the clean towels. “Gotta give the water a minute to heat up,” he said just before turning to leave.
“Thanks,” I said, shutting the door behind him as he left. I turned on the water and, as I let it warm, I stripped out of my clothes and unsnapped my bra, groaning as I let my breasts free. There’s just something satisfying about finally letting them go after a long day, whether it’s flying cross-country, going to school all day, or running from cartel assassins. I stripped the rest of the way and climbed in, not surprised in the slightest by the fact that there was only a cheap bar of soap and even cheaper shampoo to go along with it.
I cleaned up, not bothering to even wash my hair. Not in a million years would that stuff ever touch my follicles. No ma'am.
I turned off the shower and climbed out, wrapped the big towel around me and began to dry off. I pulled on the pair of plain cotton panties that had been in the bag, followed by the pajama pants. I slipped into his shirt, savoring the feel of the soft fabric on my skin as it fell down to mid-thigh, inhaling Frank’s smell as it surrounded me. I sighed. Here I was, all alone in the bathroom of some guy who wouldn’t ever care about a woman like me. He could give me all the compliments in the world, but deep down, I knew I wasn’t his type.
I took another deep breath of his flannel, my nose tucked down just inside the collar, and smiled a little. I could imagine snuggling up against his side, my face pressed into the nook where his neck met his shoulder, just breathing in and letting his manly fragrance wash over me.
It was okay to dream, right?
Frank didn't even look up as I passed through form the bathroom to his bedroom, just kept his attention completed focused on his work in front him. Carefully, I shut the door behind me, sighed as I went over to his bed.
As I sat down on the bed again, just trying to relax for another moment, I heard a set of feet come up the walkway. My heart froze.
“Just me, Frank,” said a voice I didn’t recognize.
“Gimme a sec,” my bodyguard replied from the kitchen table, and I heard the chair slide back and his footsteps reach the door as he let the visitor in.
“She in the room?”
“Yep. Just finished showering.”
“You taking first shift?”
Finally, I relaxed a little. It wasn’t a killer at the door. I shook my head. Why would it be? Frank and his people, they were protecting me. I could trust them, seemingly unlike anyone else in my life right now.
“Might as well. Figure that’ll give me four hours of sleep. Still have that interview with Peak in the morning.”
“You know that was a test, right?”
“Shit. Gimme a break, I’m exhausted.”
“Exactly. I already talked to Pete, and he wants you on a half-shift.”
“Well, he is an ornery bastard.”
“You get some rest, and Jake and I’ll cover the rest. We’ll wake you up when it’s time.”
“Fine, fine. Gimme a minute, and I’ll hit the sack, alright?”
“Got it.”
I heard the sound of metal snapping into place, followed by the clack of springs. Heavy footsteps walked through the living room, and the balcony door opened and shut.
I got up from the bed without thinking and walked out into the living room, leaving the bedroom door open wide behind me.
A tall, powerfully built man with a shock of blonde hair on his head looked up at me from his phone, t
he blue light of screen illuminating his square jaw and full lips. “Still awake, Ms. Maxwell?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Still awake.”
“Long days are like that,” he said, standing from the couch. “I’m Richard Murdoch, by the way. You texted my fiancée for the recommendation on our company?”
“It’s nice to meet you. How is Jessica?”
“Good. Just work and the dogs, and, of course, planning the wedding.”
Richard caught me as I glanced at the balcony door.
“Frank’s outside if you needed to speak to him, Ms. Maxwell.”
“Ashley, please. And, if you’ll excuse me.”
I went over to the balcony and stepped outside. Frank was leaning against the wrought iron railing, staring out into the empty fullness of the Colorado night. No people out there, only animals and stars, and the breath of the cool wind as it passed over everything. A little bite of the approaching winter was in the air, and I shivered despite my borrowed flannel.
I stepped up and leaned against the railing right next to him, my arm just touching his. “It’s beautiful out here,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb the darkness or his thoughts.
He nodded, and shifted a little so his arm leaned into mine, giving me warmth. “Yep.”
I wet my dry lips. “Frank, I just wanted to say thank you.”
He glanced down at me, a small smile on his face.
“For everything you did for me today,” I continued.
“Ain’t no thing, Ashley. Don’t worry about it.”
I sighed. “I just—I’ve never met a man like you before. Every other man in my life, they’re just not who I thought they were. But, you…you’re different.”
“Believe me,” he said, “you’ve no idea.”
“Don’t interrupt,” I said in mock irritation. “I’m trying to tell you thank you here.”
He chuckled. “Sorry. Continue.”
I shivered a little as a cool wind blew through the mountains. Subconsciously, I pressed closer into his side, trying to absorb some more of his warmth. “You’re different, Frank. I wanted to let you know that…you’re different.”
Another shiver passed through me as another gust of wind blew through the balcony.
He slipped his arm around me. “That better?”
I nodded and, without thinking, put my arm around his waist and snuggled in closer. His musky smell was stronger here, curled up against him this way. “I’m scared, Frank,” I whispered.
He squeezed my shoulders. “Don’t be. Told you before, we’re gonna look out for you.”
“But my dad’s accounts are frozen. How am I even going to pay you guys for all this?”
He pulled me into a hug, soothing the hair at the back of my head. “Don’t worry about it, okay? You’ve got your meeting with the sheriff tomorrow morning, and we’ll move from there.”
I relaxed into him, not feeling the cold wind as it blew another time. “Oh, Frank. What am I going to do? I’m going to have to get a job or something, aren’t I?”
He chuckled, the sound deep and resonant through his chest as he shook around me.
“I’m serious,” I protested. “I don’t have a place to live, I don’t even have a car that I own. Everything belongs to my father, and that might all be taken away if this investigation keeps going.”
“Could always join the military,” he suggested with a chuckle.
I pulled back a little and slapped his chest.
“What? I think you’d look cute in a uniform.”
A little thrill went through my body he complimented me. Something told me those compliments were few and far between, that Frank wasn’t a man to waste empty words like that. Sure, I’d felt his eyes on me when we were cleaning the cabin and I’d been flattered, but this little word seemed different. He’d called me cute. I looked up at him, a little smile on my lips.
His hand was still at my waist, the other on my shoulder. His eyes flickered away from mine, down to my lips. His fingers kneaded my skin and squeezed me lightly.
I glanced up at his mouth, to his strong chin, to his full lower lip. I stepped forward, went up on my bare tip-toes. Then, without another thought, I kissed him. A small jolt of something inexplicable coursed through my body for a fraction of a moment. I wrapped both arms around him and pulled myself closer.
He groaned into my mouth, his lips soft against mine as they parted.
Our tongues met, another little jolt going through me as he pulled me closer.
I’d never felt this close to a man before. Even in all the relationships I’d had, the boyfriends I’d slept with, they’d never been like this. It was like two puzzle pieces fitting together with a satisfying click.
And then it stopped. He pulled his lips away and stepped back from me. “Ashley, I’m sorry,” he said, sounding out of breath, “I can’t. This—this isn’t going to lead anywhere good.”
It was like having a glass of water slapped from your hands after you’ve been walking barefoot through the desert all your life. “What are you…?” I trailed off, and tried to step closer to pull him back into my arms.
He swallowed hard and held firm, though, keeping me away with his outstretched arms. “No, Ashley. I can’t. We can’t.”
I looked up into his eyes, and that was when the realization set in. I’d been right. He wouldn’t ever want a woman like me. We were too different, too much from the other side of the railroad tracks. Even though I might be dirt poor by the end of all this, I was just some spoiled rich girl to him. I came from money, and that meant I wasn’t worth anything by myself. And, if I’d learned anything in life, it was that you couldn’t ever change someone else’s opinion by just arguing with them. So why try?
I took a step back. “Fine. You know what? That’s fine. Just fine. If that’s how you feel, I can’t do anything about it.”
He looked at me, his eyes full of something. Hurt? Sadness? “Ashley, it’s just–”
What did he have to be sad about, anyways? He wasn’t the one who’d just been rejected. “Nope,” I said quietly as I shook my head. I turned and headed back inside.
Richard glanced up at me as I passed through the living room. If he was wondering what had just happened, he didn’t bother asking.
And, you know what? That was fine, too.
Screw Frank.
Chapter Twenty-nine – Frank
My hands gripped the railing so hard I was worried the bones of my fingers would snap like dry twigs. That, or I’d end up ripping the metal straight out of the concrete moorings that kept it squarely in place.
“Fucking moron,” I growled at myself as I shook the railing one time for good measure. “Fucking idiot.”
Richard came out onto the balcony. He didn’t say a word.
“What?” I growled.
“Nothing, brother. Nothing at all. Just taking in the air.”
“Can’t go out front and do that?”
“That’d be against Peter’s orders, now, wouldn’t it?”
I ground my teeth together and shook the rail again.
“If you do that much harder, you’re going to need a new one of those.”
“Shut it, Murdoch.”
“Just trying to keep the structural integrity of your condo in mind. But it’s your place, right? Do what you want, I guess. Big as you are, Lord knows I can’t do much to stop you.”
I gazed out over the tops of the trees, out onto the quiet buildings. Enchanted Rock was a kind of place that rolled up the sidewalk at ten o’clock, even during ski season. People were just too damned exhausted after skiing or hunting to do much of anything late at night. Only the dive bars were open this late. Matt and I would go down to one close by—The Stag was within walking distance of our place and we liked to play pool and throw darts. Suddenly, a beer sounded good right about now. Maybe with a shot of whiskey to wash it down with a nice burn.
But I was on a job.
“It hurts, doesn’t it?�
� Richard asked after a while.
I snorted. I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“We can all see it plain as day, too, you know. Your having found her.”
I tightened my grip on the railing. “Funny thing is,” I said after a while, “I didn’t even like her from the get-go.”
He snorted a little. “Exact opposite with me and Jessica. I knew from the moment I smelled her.”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head forward.
“You know, things can still turn out alright.”
“Not while I’m on a job, they can’t. Peter even asked me about it, thought I was getting too close.”
“Listen, what happened in your past, man, you weren’t even on the job when that went down. If it had been a normal day, they never would’ve gotten close.”
“Think I don’t know that?” I shook my head, knowing I’d just snapped at my nominal boss.
He took a breath, and crossed his arms and leaned on the rail next to me. “Look, I’m not here as someone you work with. I’m here as someone from your pack. As your friend, Frank. I just wanna talk.”
“Funny thing is,” I began, “if I’d known I was going to have feelings like this for her, I would’ve turned down the job and had Jake or you handle it, let you guys run point while I played backup.”
He laughed.
I shot him a look.
“Think that’s true? I mean do you really, truly believe that slop coming out of your mouth?”
“No,” I replied, hanging my head, “not really.”
“So you didn’t know from the beginning?”
I straightened up. “Honestly, I had no clue. I mean, hell, I thought she was good-looking and all–”
“That she is.”
“–but nothing to really set any alarm bells off, not like this. This is something else. Something else, man. Nothing like I felt with Meredith. That wasn’t even close to this. How the fuck did you handle it with Jessica?”
He shrugged. “Tried to hold myself back for as long as I could. I dunno, just thought about the mission. Stayed on track that way.”
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