by Erin Bevan
“Yeah.” Her voice cracked and she kept her head down. “I was just waiting…waiting to say goodbye.”
All because of a letter? She couldn’t leave. He had to explain. “What do you mean goodbye? Where are you going?”
She raised her head, her eyes glossing with tears as she slowly stepped toward him. “I can’t stay here anymore, Tyler. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I do, but after seeing this letter, I’ve realized that maybe I’m jumping into something… Well, I’m not really sure what I’ve realized. I’m just not sure it’s a good idea for me to be here anymore. With you.” She handed him the envelope.
He stared at the scribbled writing, the words Correctional Facility practically screamed from the top of the letter. His past always seemed to tear him apart when he felt the least bit of joy.
“Annie.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “I can only imagine what you’re thinking, but I’m not a criminal.”
“I know you aren’t, Tyler. In my heart, I knew when I saw this letter, and Father told me about the background check.” She turned and paced. “But there is something going on here, something you aren’t telling me, and I’m not sure what it is or what to think. I’m not even sure I know how I feel about anything right now. I’m so confused.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I think it’s best I find somewhere else to go.”
Go? Leave? She couldn’t. Not with Duke still on a hunt to find her.
“Annie.” He moved closer. “Please, sit down and let me explain.”
She stared at him long and hard, her green eyes bright against the gloss of her tears. Her chest rose in a deep, long rise as she lowered her gaze and glanced at the floor.
He did this. He made her cry. Without even trying, he’d hurt her. He’d obviously been reading their connection wrong. Their night on the couch, him waking up to her snuggled in his arms, the excitement, the joy, it was all one sided. Still, one sided or not, he cared too much for her to see her put herself in danger.
“Annie, please don’t cry. Stay. What I have to say, it’s important.”
Just when he thought she would say no and turn to leave, she sat down. “Okay.” She sighed, her eyes softer as she wiped a tear away.
He breathed a small exhalation of relief, and sat beside her. “It’s Duke. I overheard him at the diner. He’s telling people you guys are getting married in the fall. He’s not giving up, and I believe he’s still searching for you. Please, it’s not safe for you to leave. Stay here. With me,” Tank begged. Something he hadn’t done in twenty years. The notion sent a shiver through him, but for her, he would relive the fear.
She stood, and ran a shaking hand through her hair again as she paced. “All the more reason I need to leave. If Duke is still searching that means I’m still putting you in danger. I don’t know much about you Tyler. That’s become more obvious with this letter.” She pointed to the envelope. “But I know you are a good person, and…well…I feel several emotions toward you. It’s all so scary and complicated. I can’t stay here knowing I’m putting you in danger.”
If her leaving was her way of protecting him, the feelings weren’t one sided. But he agreed to protect her, not the other way around.
He couldn’t let her go. Not yet.
“Annie.” He stood and gripped her shaking hand. “I can’t consciously let you leave knowing you will be putting yourself in danger. This letter.” He wafted the envelope in the air. “This is a part of my past I never want to relive. This means nothing.” Ripping the letter in half, he tossed the paper in the air. “Please, believe me.” He gripped her hand again. “Stay. Here. With me. Just for a little while longer. Let me protect you.”
“I’m sorry, Tyler, but I don’t believe you.”
He let go of her hand. How could he make her see he cared? He’d given her a safe haven. What more could he do?
“What can I do to make you believe I want you to stay?”
“I’m not talking about staying, I’m talking about the letter.” She pointed to the shreds of paper on the ground. “That letter means something, or else you would tell me. I’m tired of secrets, Tyler. I’m tired of hiding. I want to live my life again, like a normal person. I want to go back to work. I’ll get a restraining order if I have to, but I don’t want to live in fear or in the dark, and if living with you means living in secrets, I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”
“Annie…” He shook his head, desperate to make her understand.
Secrets. Hiding. He understood her emotions, even felt them at one time, but telling her about him, all of him, he couldn’t, and he couldn’t hold her hostage. But if he let her leave, and walk out of his life, she’d be taking a piece of him with her. A part he thought his father had taken from him.
“Please, just give me some time.” He ran a hand over the back of his head. “And if you really want to start back to work, there is nothing I can do to prevent you. I’ll even go with you to file the restraining order, even though I think—and you know—it’s a terrible idea. But, before you go back to work, before we go to the police, go on the ride with me. Let’s get out of here. Get some fresh air.”
“The ride?”
“Saturday. The Blue Guardians are camping out for the Fourth of July. We’ll dress you in a black outfit, black helmet, and you can pull your hair up. No one will know it’s you as we drive out of town. Please?” He gripped her hand again. “Come with me. I promise, I’ll keep you safe.”
She squeezed his hand. “I believe you, Tyler. But what happened in your past? Why won’t you tell me? You know my secrets. Why won’t you share yours with me?”
“Annie…” He shook his head again.
“Does this have something to do with what you started to tell me in the truck?”
The break in. When he’d nearly revealed it all.
“Yes.” He nodded. “I’m not ready. Not yet. But I promise, in time, when I’m ready, I’ll tell you. Just know, I’m not a criminal and I don’t keep in contact with criminals, but I’m broken. Very broken.”
She stared at him, her eyes full of concern as another tear threatened to fall. She seemed overflowing with care, and fear, and he could relate to her on so many levels, it frightened him.
“So am I, Tyler.”
He caressed her cheek. “No. You’ll never be broken to me.”
Tank leaned in, moved his hands to her waist, and gently pulled her body closer to his, her breasts pressed firmly against his chest. In a slow, steady motion, he inched closer, his lips nearly on hers, giving her ample time to move away.
Instead, she rose, placing her soft, supple mouth to his.
Fire charged through his center. Her salty tear fell to his lips and mingled with the taste of his desires. Slow, steady, she pushed her moist, warm tongue against his. His grip on her firmed as his body hardened.
Don’t mess this up, Wilde.
Fearing his need too intense, he eased the pressure of his mouth on hers. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, her hand gripping the back of his shirt.
Emotion ricocheted in his gut like a boomerang. She deserved more than him.
He placed his hands, soft and gentle on her cheeks, and pulled back. Her ragged breaths matched his. Wiping away her moist tears with the pad of his thumb, he focused on slowing his breathing and the throbbing in his body.
“If we don’t slow down, there may be no going back for me.” He pressed his forehead against hers.
“You’re right. We should slow down.” Her gaze glowed in the aftermath of their kiss. “But Tyler, after that kiss, do you think it’s such a good idea I stay here with you? My feelings for you were one of the main reasons why the letter frightened me so much. We haven’t known each other that long, and we both have pasts. What if we’re rushing into this?”
“I won’t make you stay.” He leaned back, so he could see her face. “But I don’t want you anywhere else. We can go slow.”
She reached for his hand. “Good, b
ecause there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. Sleep with me tonight? Just sleep. You think you can do that?”
Inwardly, he groaned. Was he capable of just sleeping in the same space as her? He’d done it once before, but he didn’t want to push his luck. What if he had a nightmare?
Old images flooded his mind, carpet fibers under his bed, his fingers trembling in front of him as he stared at the ground, praying, wishing his dad wouldn’t find him. The same nightmare he repeatedly had over and over.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
She stepped closer, and pressed against him. “Please.”
The firmer she pushed her body to his, the more he tightened to try and block out any sensations. The fear of his past was replaced with the thrill of his future.
“If you keep doing that, then I know I won’t be able to just sleep.”
She let out a soft giggle that hardened his body all over again.
“Fine, we’ll let Alfred sleep in the middle.”
At the mention of his name, his dog trotted next to her and stared at him, his tongue lobbing to the side. Sleeping in the same space with Annie had just as much to do with his willpower as it did his nightmares. In the throws of one, he could thrash around and hurt her. He wasn’t ready to talk about them. Not yet, but he couldn’t sleep with her without warning her.
Her green stare intoxicated him, and her lips pointed up at him, swollen with his kiss. In her gaze he saw heaven. A heaven he had searched for amidst his own personal hell. Screw his past.
Who needs sleep anyway?
“And let this hairy rascal snuggle with you? To hell with that. Let’s go.” He pulled her hand and headed for the bedroom, praying he could keep Little Tank in his pants and his nightmares away.
Chapter Twenty
Tank loaded a cooler and two tents in the back of his truck, along with his motorcycle. Annie walked out of the house, her black jeans tight against her skin, her hair up in a loose bun, and her overnight bag thrown over her shoulder. He stared at the beauty as she strolled toward him, and let out a low whistle.
“Flirt,” she joked. “I didn’t have anything black to wear up top. Clean anyway.” She tucked her locket inside her button-down shirt. Smart.
“That’s okay. I have something better.” He hopped out of the back of his truck, reached inside the pickup, and pulled out a helmet and a leather jacket.
“For me?”
“Yes, ma’am. Just for you. I hope it fits. JoJo helped me pick it out.”
Beauty dropped her shoulder bag, turned, and held her arms out as he helped her in the leather. “How does it look?” She spun around, modeling the jacket for him.
Damn sexy. He bit back the words. He’d be paying for this bounty for the next few months, but Annie was worth it. Every penny.
“Uh…good. Here.” He raised the helmet up. “Let’s see how it fits.” He put the fiberglass cover over her head. “Now, you look like a true biker, all decked in black.”
She flipped the eye cover up. “Just call me JoJo Junior.”
JoJo had turned into a good friend, but not a nickname he wanted for Annie. When he thought of JoJo, his body didn’t burn with desire. Irritation maybe, but not lust. He and Annie hadn’t kissed since the other night, but his need for her grew with each passing day. While he ached to do more than touch her, he wouldn’t rush her. But he sure as hell wouldn’t call her JoJo Junior in the meantime.
“How about Moonlight? It sort of flows with your hair…it’s so blonde, and your jacket is so black. And your tattoo with the moon and stars.”
“Oh, I like that.” She shimmied her head out of the helmet. “But I have to admit, this jacket is a little hot out here in the July heat.”
“I know, but you don’t have to wear it long.” He reached back into the truck for a black ball cap. “Here, put this on while we head in to town.” He flipped up the collar on her leather to further hide her face. “Once we arrive at the meeting spot, you can put on your helmet. I’ll take mostly back roads there, so hopefully, we won’t run into anyone.”
“Because wearing a helmet in a truck might look a little suspicious.” She placed the cap over her hair.
“Yeah, and a little stupid.” He winked and grabbed her bag from the ground. “Ready?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Alfred, let’s go,” he hollered for his dog. The big lab bound in the truck and plopped right in the passenger seat, his head hanging out of the window. “Al, move over buddy. That’s Annie’s spot.”
His dog stared at him.
“Alfred. Move.”
“It’s okay. Really.” She laughed. “This might be better. If I’m in the middle, maybe it’ll be harder for people to see me with both side windows being covered by you and Alfred.”
Yeah, and easier for us to accidently touch. Or maybe, not-so-accidently.
“You sure?” Tank scratched his head.
“Positive.” She shimmied around him and slid in the truck.
He hopped in behind her and placed her bag on the floorboard. He’d cleaned the junk off the floorboards the day before when he fixed the broken taillight. Last thing he wanted was another run-in with Duke.
He pulled back, and his arm grazed her thigh.
Damn it.
“Sorry about that.” Not really. He gripped his steering wheel and cranked the truck.
She gave him a little shrug. “It’s okay. Not like we haven’t touched before.”
She smiled and his insides quivered.
Rein it in, jackass.
Alfred turned in his seat and bumped Annie with his backside, causing her to lean in closer to him. He got a big whiff of her flowery perfume. The same perfume that seemed to soak into the fibers of his home. Christ almighty. Every time he walked in the door, all he could smell was her. If he had such a hard time sitting next to her now, what the hell was he going to do in thirty minutes when she straddled the back of his bike all the way to Jasper?
God help me.
“We’re here.” Tank put the truck in Park and hopped out. He cracked his neck and took a big sniff of the muggy, hot air. At least it didn’t smell like Annie. All that sweetness made him dizzy with need. Thankfully, he’d have on a helmet in a few minutes to help block the glorious smell.
“Hey.” Steele slapped him on the back. “Right on time. We’re leaving in about twenty minutes. I’ll help you get your stuff loaded.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Morning, beautiful.” The firefighter nodded toward Annie and winked.
Flirt.
“Hey, Steele.” She slid out of the truck and held her bike helmet in her hands.
Annie kept a cool smile on her face, but her cheeks didn’t blush, nor did she wink back. His heart gave a slight bounce.
“You think I need to go ahead and put this on?” She darted her gaze back to him.
He glanced around the grounds. Besides the group of Guardians, the land seemed pretty deserted. “I think you’re okay for now.”
“Hey, sweetie.” Sandi walked to her and gave her a hug.
“Sandi.” Annie’s eyes misted right before she tossed her arms around the woman. “I’ve missed you.”
“We’ve missed you around the diner, that’s for sure.” The older lady hugged her back. “You have a job whenever it’s safe to come back.”
“Thank you.” Beauty wiped a tear from her eye.
“I tell you what.” The diner owner pulled Annie in a side hug. “How about you come sit in the SUV with me. We’ll turn on the AC and wait while these guys finish loading their gear.”
“That’ll be great, thank you.”
Sandi pointed to Alfred as his dog jumped out of the truck. “Who’s this, and more importantly, why is this here?”
“That’s Alfred. Father said he could ride with you.”
“He did now?” She cocked her head toward the leader. “Mentioning it to me would have been nice, Jack.”
“Sorry
, babe.” Father pecked her on the cheek. “I thought you might want a companion on the way.”
“Yeah? You’re going to pay for this.” She shook a skinny finger at the leader.
“Can’t wait.” The horny bastard winked and skirted off to help Steele load supplies.
“What am I supposed to do with him when we stop to eat?” Sandi asked.
“Either leave him in the car with the windows down, or let him out,” Tank offered.
“He won’t run off?” The woman stared at Alfred. The pup licked her hand.
“Naw. He stays close by.”
“All right.” Sandi let out a little huff. “Come on, babe.” The mother figure pulled Annie’s hand. “We’ve got some catching up to do.”
Beauty gave him a little wave as her employer pulled her away, Al hot on her heels.
Damn dog. The minute Annie walked into their lives it was like he didn’t even exist anymore.
“I think you lost your companion.” Steele held Tank’s tents in his hands.
“Yeah. I think you’re right.”
“What the hell are these for?”
“Sleeping quarters.” Tank pointed to each. “One for Annie. One for me.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Steele cocked a sly grin as a smug look took over his face.
“What the hell is that look for? There is nothing going on between me and Annie.” Not anything this flirt needed to be concerned with at least.
“Nothing, man.” Steele shook his head. “No reason. Whatever you say.” His friend sauntered off toward Sandi’s truck, still shaking his head, his boots shuffling on the gravel beneath.
Nosy bastard.
“Everyone about ready?” Father yelled to the group. “We head out in five minutes.”
JoJo pulled up on her black sewing machine and parked beside the leader.
“Nice of you to join us.” Father tossed her a glance.
The woman whipped her helmet off. “I’m not late.”
“Yeah, well, you damn sure ain’t early. Get loaded, let’s go.” The leader pointed to the SUV.
Tank marched around to the back of his truck. “Morning, JoJo.”
