by L. Wilder
“Sis?” Billy stepped out of his bedroom wearing a pair of baggy boxers and an old wife beater. It was the first time I’d seen him without his khakis and button-down, and I was shocked to see that the guy was cut. He was muscled up from head to fucking toe, without an inch of fat on him anywhere. His arms were tatted up, and there were several deep scars on each of them that looked to be bullet wounds. Surprise marked his tired face as he stared at his daughter and asked, “Is it really you?”
“Yes, Daddy. It’s really me.” She walked over and wrapped her arms around Billy, hugging him tightly. The ordinarily cold and distant man I’d become accustomed to practically melted in his daughter’s arms as he hugged her back. “But I won’t be here long. I’ve gotta get back to finish up a project I’ve been working on, and it’s looking like I might have a new one coming up on the horizon. I don’t know for sure.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here—even if it’s only for a short visit.” Billy took a step back, and there was no mistaking the love in his eyes as he gazed at his beautiful daughter. “You look well.”
“I am well... very well, actually.” She gave him a warm smile, then turned her attention to Parker and me. “I’ve met your friends.”
“Oh, yes. They’ll be here for just a few more days.”
“Yeah, but we’ll do our best to stay out of your hair,” Parker added. “I know you don’t get to come home often, and we wouldn’t want to get in the way of you enjoying some time with your father.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Kiersten motioned her head towards her father. “If you know my father at all, then you also know he’s usually busy in his office. I just get a few glimpses of him when he comes out for air.”
“I have to work,” Billy replied, sounding wounded.
“I know, Daddy.” Kiersten placed her hand on his shoulder. “You look tired. Why don’t you go take a nap, and I’ll fix dinner tonight.”
“I don’t want you to have to cook. I can—”
“I want to cook,” she argued. “Go get some rest, and we’ll catch up when you’re feeling more rested.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m positive.” She shooed him to leave. “Now, go.”
Billy nodded, then turned and headed back to his room, leaving Parker and me alone with his daughter. I thought she would have something more to say to us, but instead, she walked over to the sofa and grabbed her backpack, then slung it over her shoulder. As Kiersten started out the front door, she turned to Parker and said, “I’m going to town for a bit. You wanna tag along?”
“Oh, that would be great, but...”
I had no doubt that Parker would love to get out of the house, even for a little while, but the fear of being seen had her turning to look at me for affirmation. Billy lived in a small town close to the Kentucky border. I found it doubtful that anyone would recognize her, so I said, “I’m sure it would be fine.”
“Are you sure?” Parker’s brows furrowed with concern. “Maybe I should just stay here like Billy said.”
“If you’re worried, you could hang out in my car. I’m only going to grab a few groceries, so it shouldn’t take long,” Kiersten suggested, making me wonder how much she knew about her father’s line of work. Clearly, she was aware of the secrecy, but I had a feeling it was more than that. When Parker didn’t answer right away, Kiersten leaned over to her and smiled. “I’d really enjoy the company.”
“Okay, I’ll tag along then.”
“Great!” As they headed out the door, Kiersten looked back over to me and announced, “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
After she closed the front door, I stepped over to the window and watched as she and Parker got into her little red Camaro. I stood there until they pulled out of the driveway, then went back over to my laptop and began looking through the week’s surveillance footage. I’d hoped to find some clues that might give me a bit of insight as to what Viper was concerned about but found nothing that seemed out of the norm. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right though, so I took a moment to look over the footage at the clubhouse as well. Again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Since there wasn’t anything more I could do, I tried to put it out of my mind and, instead, did a little digging into Kentucky’s news reports. As I’d hoped, it didn’t take long to come across an automobile accident where a car had driven off a cliff, but there was little information about who was inside. The report said that police were trying to identify the owner of the vehicle and the victim. I hoped it wouldn’t be long before they were able to connect everything to Parker and her apparent suicide so we could both get back to our lives. When I heard Kiersten’s car pull up in the driveway, I quickly closed my laptop and met them at the door. They both had several bags of groceries, so I helped get them all into the kitchen. “Looks like you two bought out the store.”
“No, but we came close.” Kiersten started unpacking the various bags as she said, “I thought I’d make pan-seared shrimp with cheesy grits and homemade cornbread. It’s one of Dad’s favorites.”
“Sounds great to me. Anything I can do to help?”
“No, I’ve got it covered. You two go make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”
Parker didn’t argue. Instead, she simply nodded, then went straight into the bedroom. She seemed a little out of sorts, so I decided to go in and check on her. “Hey, is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just our outing today got me to thinking.”
“About?”
“Billy’s plan and how he made it look like I supposedly committed suicide.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I’m worried how things are going to go down.” She sat on the edge of the bed and continued, “If they really believe it’s me, then it’ll be on the news. They’re gonna talk about how I testified at Rossi’s murder trial and how he’s the reason why I did what I did.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“They might show that video.”
“Yeah, it’s likely that they will.”
“But that’s bad, right?” Before I could respond, she went on, “What happens when we get back home? People are going to know that it was me on the video.”
“We knew that was a possibility. That’s why Billy had you wear a wig and use the filter.” I sat down next to her and slipped my arm around her waist. “And even if they do happen to show the video on the news, no one in Tennessee is going to care about a random chick who testified in a trial for some dude in California. Besides, you work in a strip club, babe. It’s dark with plenty of fucking distractions. No one is going to connect you to the girl on the news.”
“What about Marlowe and the other girls at the club?”
“You don’t have to worry about them, Parker. I told you, when it comes to the MC, we look out for one another—including the girls who work at the club.” I leaned over and kissed her softly, then said, “You don’t have anything to be concerned about, Parker.”
“I don’t know, Jared. I just am.”
“Okay, let’s say someone does happen to recognize you—which I find highly doubtful, and they happen to ask you about it. What are you gonna say?”
“I have no idea!”
“Well, think of something. Maybe you could agree with them and say you noticed the resemblance yourself. Just figure out what feels right and stick to it.”
“You really think that will work?”
“Yeah, as long as you believe it will.” I chuckled as I told her, “It’s been my experience that when you’re confident in what you say, people will buy it, even when it’s total bullshit.”
“Oh, that’s been your experience, huh?” Her eyebrow arched as she pushed, “Do tell.”
“Nothing to tell.” When Parker’s lips curled into a smile, I knew I’d done my job of easing her mind and putting her worries to rest. I lowered her back onto the bed, then hovered over her and teasingly added
, “At least not without divulging sworn secrets.”
“Mm-hmm.” She giggled. “We can’t have that.”
“No, we cannot.”
I lowered my mouth to hers, and the simple touch of her lips set me on fire. I’d never felt such a hunger for a woman like I did with Parker, and from the way she kissed me back, there was no doubt she felt the same. I’d waited a lifetime for her, and now that I’d finally found her, I knew I’d never be able to let her go. She felt too good, too right. The scent of her skin, the warmth of her mouth, the feel of her body so close to mine made me want her even more. My hands made their way past the small of her back down to her perfect ass, where I pulled her even closer. A soft whimper escaped her lips as they parted, allowing me to kiss her deeper. Her arms wound around my neck, and we were both on the verge of losing every bit of restraint until we heard the sounds of pots and pans crashing in the kitchen. Parker quickly broke our embrace and looked to the door. “I should be helping Kiersten with dinner.”
“She said she had it covered.”
I dropped my mouth to her shoulder and began trailing kisses along her collarbone but stopped when she gave me a nudge. “Jared, we can’t be fooling around when she’s out there cooking for us.”
“Okay, okay.” I eased off her and grumbled, “You win.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you later tonight.”
When she got up from the bed and started adjusting her clothes, I asked, “So, what do you think of Kiersten?”
“She seems sweet, but there’s something about her.” Parker shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“Well, she is Billy’s daughter after all.”
“You’ve got a point there.”
She leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “I better go give her a hand.”
“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute.” We both looked down at my throbbing erection, then I said, “Maybe two.”
“I guess I’ll have to make it up to the two of you then.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.”
“I certainly hope so.”
Parker was smiling from ear to ear as she walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. Seeing her happy did something to me—made me feel things I’d never thought I would. I never thought I’d be one of those guys who fell in deep over a woman. Parker had me thinking I might’ve been wrong.
Parker
“Investigators have been working diligently to determine the identity of the remains from Thursday night’s car accident, and with the help of Michael Lowery, a California district attorney, and medical records, authorities have been able to determine that they belong to a young woman by the name of Parker Weston.” I was watching the news with bated breath, anxiously waiting to see which photo they would show during the report of the accident. Relief washed over me when an old picture from my high school yearbook appeared on the screen. Back then, I was a brunette with acne and braces, so it was unlikely that I would be recognized—especially since I was so far away from California. Jared came over and sat down on the sofa next to me, listening quietly as the reporter continued, “Ms. Weston was a key witness in the Lorenzo Rossi trial, which involved the murder of both her parents and her sister. Mr. Rossi’s appeal will begin in a few weeks, and Lowery is pushing for Weston’s previous testimony to be used in court, but it will be up to the judge to decide whether or not the testimony will be permissible.”
“Do you think the judge will allow it?”
“I can’t imagine why not,” Jared answered, sounding unsure. “He’d be a fool not to.”
“I was thinking the same.” I thought back to the reporter’s comments about the remains and became curious about what she was referring to. “What remains?”
“What?”
“The reporter mentioned remains and how they used medical records to determine it was me. How is that possible?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, Parker.” He gave me a stern look and continued, “And trust me, you don’t want the answer to that. Just know that you’re one step closer to getting your life back.”
I wanted to push for a real response, but I could tell from Jared’s tone that I would just be wasting my breath. Besides, what was done was done. I could do nothing to change any of it, so I swept the questions to the back of my mind and tried to focus on the positive. “So, does this mean we can go home?”
“Home? Already?” Kiersten asked from behind us. “I didn’t realize you guys would be heading back so soon.”
“We’ve stayed longer than either of us planned.” Jared stood as he said, “And I’m sure Billy’s ready to get us out of his hair.”
“Actually, I think he’s enjoyed having you both here.”
“I don’t know about that,” I replied as I stood and walked over to her. “But I do know he’s enjoyed having you home for a few days.”
“It’s been good to be here, but like you, it’s time for me to be heading back.”
“What? You’re leaving?” Billy asked, sounding heartbroken.
“Yeah, Dad. I told you about the project I had to finish up. I’ve gotta be getting back if I want to get it done on time, and it looks like that second one is a real possibility. I won’t know for sure until I get back and check things out.”
“I understand. I was just hoping you’d be able to stay till the end of the week.”
“I wish I could, but at least you’ll have the house back to yourself.” Kiersten motioned her hand over to Jared as she announced, “They’re heading out too.”
“I expected as much.” Billy turned to us as he said, “I’m guessing you saw the news this morning.”
“We did,” Jared answered. “We both want to thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
“No problem. I’m glad I was able to help out.”
“I guess we’ll go grab our things and be on our way.”
“Good deal. I have some work to tend to, so I’ll be heading out too.” Billy started towards his office as he said, “Have a safe trip home, and tell Viper I’ll be looking forward to hearing from him soon.”
“Will do.”
Jared and I walked into the bedroom to gather our things, and by the time we came back out, both Kiersten and Billy were gone. Jared walked over to the kitchen to grab his laptop, but a strange expression crossed his face when he reached the table. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just thought...” His brows furrowed as he opened his laptop and studied the screen. He muttered something under his breath, then quickly closed it and said, “It’s nothing. Let’s get out of here.”
Moments later, he and I were in the SUV and headed back to Nashville. I was both anxious and excited as I thought about getting back to the life I’d started there. When I first began working at Stilettos with Marlowe and the other girls, I never dreamed it would be long-term. I was just hoping to make some money and run, but now I was honestly considering a future there—not necessarily at Stilettos but somewhere in Nashville. I’d gone to college and earned my degree. I wanted the ability to use it, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the chance to do so. That thought had me turning to Jared and asking, “So, what name will I be using when we get back?”
“What happened at Billy’s is considered club business. The brothers are the only ones who know what’s really going on with you. As far as everyone else is concerned, you’re Aubrey Cash, and we just took a trip together.”
“Oh.”
“Is there a problem with keeping that alias?”
“No, it’s not that.” After all Jared and his brothers had done, I felt bad even mentioning anything. “I was just hoping I might be able to get a real job, not that working at Stilettos with you isn’t a real job, it’s just—”
“You want more.”
“I know that makes me sound selfish, but yeah, I kind of do.” I shrugged. “I worked hard for my degree, and it ju
st doesn’t seem fair that I can’t use it.”
“Who says you can’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, like you said, you earned the degree. It’s only right that you should be able to put it to use.” He glanced over at me, then said, “Wouldn’t take much to have it added to Aubrey Cash’s background.”
“You could do that?”
“Absolutely. I could give Aubrey a real identity, and it would be a hell of a lot better than the one she has now.”
“Like how real?”
“As real as you want her to be.”
“That would be amazing.” While I was pleased that Jared could bring Aubrey to life and give her name real meaning, it saddened me to think I’d never use the name Parker again. “I guess it’s time for us to put all things Parker behind us.”
“Not all things.” He smiled over at me. “You’re still you. You’re just going by a new name. That’s all.”
“So, you won’t have a problem calling me Aubrey again?”
“It’ll take some getting used to, but I’m sure I can manage.”
I looked at Jared with complete wonder in my eyes. I simply couldn’t believe that he’d not only saved me from Rossi and his men, but he was also giving me a chance at a new life. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“Hate to break it to ya, babe, but I’m the lucky one.”
I had no idea how he could believe that, especially after all I’d put him through, but I could tell by the tone of his voice that he truly believed he was the lucky one. My heart swelled at the thought. There was no doubt about it, I was falling in love with this man, and it scared me. I’d lost everyone who’d ever mattered to me, and for almost two years, I lived in the shadow of death and the fear of losing my own life. I hadn’t thought about the possibility of having something more, but because of Jared, I had a real chance of having that, and I wanted it. I wanted it with him, but I didn’t want to rush anything. Without having to worry about Rossi, I finally had time, and I didn’t want to waste it by rushing anything unnecessarily, including my relationship with Jared.