by Katie Knight
Her gut clenched and her shoulders tightened. She gave an ironic snort. Funny, but she’d spent so many years trying not to end up like her parents and here she was, one company closure away from being right back where she started. Desperate and alone. Just like her parents.
They’d turned to a life of crime to get what they needed.
She refused to do the same.
Old fears burned the back of her throat, but she swallowed hard and continued typing the new information on her work for the Shepperton Foundation into the resume template on her computer. Considering there could be huge fallout once Devon’s illicit activities were made public, job hunting became a top priority. The last thing she needed with everything else going on was for her career prospects to get caught in the crossfire.
Without thinking, Lake placed a hand on her tummy again as she typed one-handed. She needed to look out for herself now. Herself and the twins. They’d be on their own soon enough and she needed to make sure she had a plan to keep them all safe and secure.
Drake was running. Literally and figuratively.
Anxious to burn off some excess energy and give himself time to clear his head, he’d left the office shortly after his phone call with Jameson about the FBI meeting on Friday and had headed down to the company gym in the basement. Lifting weights and kickboxing had done little to sweeten his sour mood, however, so he’d abandoned the indoors and headed across the parking lot to the outdoor track running through the local park instead.
The weather was nice enough, with sunshine and blue skies above, and soon he’d worked up a good sweat as he completed his eighth lap around the half-mile track. The steady pound of his heart matched the rhythm of his footfalls on the pavement and helped ground his mind. By the time he ran four more laps, his lungs burned and blood pounded in his ears, but the same old conflict tore him up inside.
Man, this whole thing had him torn and twisted like never before, and it wasn’t just the stuff with Devon either. His yearning for Lake had become a physical ache inside him, urging him to do something stupid like rush back to her office and beg on his hands and knees for her to take him back.
Which was ridiculous. Her aloofness today had proven that she’d put him and their affair behind her, and he needed to do the same. The sooner the better. Now if only he could get his heart on board with that plan, he’d be all set.
He slowed to a walk, then stopped near the bench where he’d set his towel and water bottle. He’d just finished wiping off his face and draining half his water in one long gulp, when the crack of a bat hitting a ball echoed from somewhere nearby. Drake scrubbed away the sweat stinging his eyes with the towel, then moved back a few steps to peer around the fence toward a baseball diamond across the field from the track. He’d been so preoccupied earlier, he hadn’t even noticed it was there. A guy was over there with his son, helping him practice his hits.
Drake stood there for a minute or so, watching them while he caught his breath, loneliness pinching his chest. When he’d been young, he’d have given anything to have his dad take him out to play ball like that. But his father had always been too busy working to spend time with his kids. Or at least, to spend time with Drake, doing any of the things that interested him. Their dad had plenty of time to spend with Devon, taking him to the office and showing him how things worked in the company. At first he’d wanted to take Drake too, but business had never been his thing. Not then. Not now either.
Taking a deep breath, he turned away and walked back over to grab his towel, then head back to the office to shower and change. He still had a stack of paperwork to get through and spreadsheets to make for his meeting with Baron Bexler the following week. He barely made it two steps, though, before someone yelled his name.
“Drake? Is that you? Drake Shepperton?”
Halting, he turned back, frowning as the dad from the baseball diamond jogged toward him.
As the man neared, recognition dawned and Drake’s crappy day got a little bit shittier.
Billy Martin. His old friend. The one whose dad had gotten hurt on the job at Shepperton, Inc., then screwed over by Drake’s father and the system. Perfect. He hadn’t seen the guy in years and would have tried to avoid a reunion this time too, but fate obviously had other ideas.
With a sense of dread, Drake waited while man and his little boy approached, feeling even worse about all the horrible things his family had done in the name of profit, if that were possible.
“Drake?” Billy said as he neared, his smiled widening. “It is you. I thought so. It’s Billy. How you been, man?”
“Good. Thanks,” Drake said, shaking the guy’s hand.
“Sorry to hear about your brother,” Billy said, crouching next to the little boy from the ball diamond. He looked maybe six or seven. “This is my son, Hal.”
Drake smiled down at the kid. He looked just like Billy had at that age, scruffy blond hair and freckles. “Hi, Hal.”
“This is Drake. He and I used to be friends when we were your age.”
The kid blinked up at Drake, then shrugged and pointed at the vending machine nearby. “Can I get a soda, dad?”
Billy straightened and pulled some money out of his wallet. “Here. But don’t tell your mom, okay?”
“Okay.” Hal ran off toward the vending machine, leaving the two men alone.
“So, you’re back in town to deal with your brother’s estate, huh?” Billy asked, squinting at Drake in the sunshine.
“Yep.” He frowned down at his water bottle, waiting for the attack that didn’t seem to be coming. The way they’d left things between him and Billy back in the day hadn’t been good. Billy had been angry on his father’s behalf and Drake couldn’t blame him one bit. He wouldn’t have blamed Billy for still being angry now—but strangely enough, it seemed that he wasn’t. The anger that had simmered between them back then seemed to have dissipated over time. If there was a way Drake could go back and fix things, he would, but it was all water under the bridge now. Same as so many things these days. When Billy didn’t say anything more, Drake hazarded a glance up at his old friend. “How are you these days?”
“Good. Good.” Billy kept an eye on his son, who’d grabbed a bottle of grape soda from the machine and was cracking open the lid. “Working for the local auto plant. Coaching my son’s little league team at night and on the weekends. Married twelve years now. Can’t complain.”
“That’s great.” Drake was happy for his friend. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”
“Me too,” Billy said, and Drake’s breath caught in his chest. Uh oh. Maybe not water under the bridge after all. But then his old friend clapped him on the shoulder. “Listen, I’ve been meaning to tell you for years, I’m sorry for how things got left between us. I was a pissed-off teenager who didn’t know any better. I wanted to blame someone for what happened to my dad and you were an easy scapegoat. I owe you an apology for that. I know you had nothing to do with it. There was nothing you could’ve done.”
“Maybe not.” Drake stared off into the distance and shook his head. “But it didn’t make me feel any better about what happened, either. My dad and his company screwed over your family. No two ways about it. And there’s nothing for you to apologize about. I should be the one telling you I’m sorry. Because I am.” He took a deep breath. “That whole thing was why I left town. I couldn’t stand to be around them anymore, knowing how they treated your dad. Made me sick. I wanted no part of them or their business. Would’ve stayed gone too, except with my parents gone and then Devon’s accident, there was no one else to settle things here so…”
“So, the prodigal son returns home at last.” Billy chuckled and hiked his chin toward the track. “Though still running, I see.”
Drake snorted. “Yeah.”
“Yeah.” Another kid from the baseball diamond came over and he and Hal sat on the bench nearby with his friend while Billy and Drake talked.
“I’m selling Shepperton, Inc.,” Drake said after d
owning another swig of water.
“Really?” Billy narrowed his gaze again. “Why?”
“Because I want no part of it. That life was never me. Never.”
“Hmm.” Billy crossed his arms and nudged a stone with the toe of his sneaker. “I suppose it is easier to hand things over than to put in the work to fix them and build them back up the right way.”
Drake frowned. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” Billy looked away. “Just I remember when we were young, and you used to talk about all the things you’d do if you were in charge of the company. Things to make the community better. Things to help the workers. Can’t do any of that if the place is closed, or if it belongs to someone else. We could really use a company with its priorities straight around here these days too.”
“I can’t.” Drake exhaled slow and lowered his head. “Even if I wanted to stay, I’ve got other obligations. I’m up for another re-enlistment with my SEAL team and there’s no reason for me to turn that down now. Besides, I’ve got a potential buyer lined up for a meeting next week. I don’t know anything about running a business. That was always Devon’s thing. Not mine.”
“Sure. I get that. We’ve all got stuff going on.” Billy cocked his head. “Doesn’t mean we need to abandon our old dreams though. Sometimes we just need to find a new path to happy.”
“Hey, dad, I gotta pee,” Hal said, hopping down off the bench and walking back over to them.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Billy said. He took his son’s hand. “Well, it was great to see you again, man. If you have time before you leave town, give me a call. We can grab a beer or something.” He rattled off his number and Drake typed it into his phone. “See you around.”
“See you,” Drake said, watching Billy and Hal walk away and feeling more confused than ever. As he gathered up his towel and headed back across the street toward the Shepperton offices, he couldn’t seem to get his old friend’s words out of his head.
Sometimes we just need to find a new path to happy.
Drake would love to regain the happiness he’d lost, but it all seemed impossible at the moment. He had too much going on, too much to deal with, too many wrongs to make right. There was no time to stop and think and plan what he wanted for the future. He had meetings and sales to make and a SEAL team who were waiting for him to re-up for four more years. Maybe after that, he could take a break, reassess, regroup. For now, though, his needs needed to take a back seat to his obligations to the company and the workers and Lake and the twins. Once those were settled, then he’d be on the first plane out of town and back to his old life again. Because that what he wanted.
Isn’t it?
Twenty-One
By the time Drake got back to his office, it was well after five. He finished up some paperwork at his desk, then shut down for the night before heading next door to see if Lake was ready to leave. Even though her tires had been replaced, they were still riding together to and from work despite the issues between them. Whatever their relationship might be, he was still committed to keeping her as safe as possible, and that meant making sure she wasn’t vulnerable to another attack.
She was just ending a call when he peeked inside her open doorway and she held up a finger for him to wait. “Yes, Ms. Adams. Thank you for your understanding. You can still make a donation directly to that charity by contacting the website I gave you. Thank you so much.”
After she hung up, Lake sat back and yawned, looking about as tired as he felt. For a moment, he nearly walked over to massage her tense shoulders, maybe bend down and nuzzle her neck. Kiss away those slight frown lines at the corners of her mouth. Then he remembered things weren’t like that between them anymore, by his own decision, and he dug his heels into the carpet to lock himself in place. It had been a long couple of days for both of them. He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe and glanced down the hall. The rest of the place was quiet since the staff had cleared out a while ago.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes. Sorry.” She stood, her polite, professional mask quickly replacing the fatigue on her face. She was shutting him out again and it was just as well. Neither of them could afford to be vulnerable at this point. She logged off her computer and gathered her things, then joined him at the door, carefully avoiding his gaze. “Ready when you are.”
“Great.” The word sounded less than enthusiastic, but damn. He was doing his best here. To try and alleviate a bit of the awkward silence between them, he stuck to what he hoped were safer subjects. “How are the donors taking the news?”
Lake shrugged and stared straight ahead at the metal doors of the elevator as they descended toward the first floor. Her flat stare tugged at his heart and he longed to see her sunny smile and fiery spirt again, no matter how dangerous they might be to his future plans. “About as well as can be expected,” she said, her tone crisp. “The majority of people involved with the Shepperton Foundation are honest individuals who are truly devoted to making positive changes in the world. It’s really horrible that a few bad actors ruined it all for everyone. My real concern, though, is for those who needed the grant money from our organization. I just hope other foundations will step in to fill the need we’ve left behind.”
“I’m sure they will,” Drake said, holding the elevator open for her to exit first once they reached the lobby. “I can make a couple of phone calls as well tomorrow to see if I can urge some support, too.”
“Thank you. That would be helpful.” They walked out into the warm late spring evening and headed for his vehicle. There were only a couple of cars in the lot now, though it had been packed this morning when they’d arrived. He’d had to park at the end of the row, near a copse of bushes that lined the side of the building. He hit the button on his key fob and the headlights on the SUV flickered on and off. Lake avoided his gaze as they walked side by side, their arms occasionally brushing, sending sparks of awareness through his system despite his vows to steer clear of the connection still sizzling between them.
“Why is your hair damp?” Lake asked, after a glance in his direction.
“What?” The swift one-eighty in subjects knocked him off course for a second. “Oh.” He reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “I went for a run earlier, then had a shower in the locker room.”
“Oh.” Now it was her turn to frown. “I didn’t know you jogged.”
“I don’t. Not usually.” He stopped near the front of the SUV. “I mean, I do when I’m away on missions, but not when I’m home on leave. I just needed to get out and clear my head, you know?”
Her eyes held his for a moment before darting away again. “Yeah, I know.”
The breeze stirred around them, rustling the leaves on the bushes nearby. Her sweet scent surrounded him, drawing him forward like a magnet and before Drake could think better of it, he took a step toward her, his focus solely on Lake at that moment. “Listen, I know what I said the other night, but…”
“Please.” She held up a hand to stop him, her gaze lowered. “Let’s not do this here, okay?”
“Okay, but—” He inched closer, vaguely aware of the rustling nearby getting louder even though the wind had died down, but the urgency inside was too strong to ignore. “Lake, I think maybe I was wrong.”
That got her attention at last. Her brown eyes flew to meet his, then widened with a combination of shock and fear. “Drake! Look out!”
Everything happened so fast, he had zero time to react. There was a sharp sudden pain on the back of his head and his knees gave way. Next thing Drake knew, he was on the ground, the asphalt beneath his cheek biting into his skin and a warm stickiness slowly dripping down his face from a spot near his temple. His brain felt sluggish and his thoughts were fuzzy. His body didn’t want to cooperate with the voice bellowing in his head for him to get up. Get up and protect Lake.
She was screaming. He tried to lift his arms, tried to reach out to her, but his muscles r
efused to move. Darkness crept in from the corners of his vision, but he fought hard to stay awake even though his eyelids felt leaden.
Words. People were talking, but what were they saying? What was happening?
Danger! Danger!
For a second, reality shifted and he was back on the battlefield, bombs and bullets exploding all around him, adrenaline and anxiety making the blood rush through his head. He’d been hit, wounded. That’s why he was on the ground. Had he been shot? No. The only pain he had was in his head. They’d struck him on the head.
Must help my team. Must get up. Must save…
His consciousness wavered again and he was back on the rough pavement. Over the pound of his pulse, he strained to make sense of the conversations around him. It was all a blur until one sound stood out above the others, one he recognized all too well. The snick of a gun being cocked.
“No!” Lake said, her clear voice cutting through the growing fog in his head. “Don’t shoot him. You can’t. We…we need him.”
Drake’s heart tripped.
What the—
No. He refused to believe she was involved in this mess. He’d had her checked out. He’d trusted her.
“There is no ‘we’, lady,” a gruffer male voice said.
Lake’s sharp laugh grated on Drake’s already overtaxed nervous system. He tried to lift his head, to see who their attackers were, but it felt like it weighed a ton. He managed to grunt, though, and earned a kick to the gut for his trouble.