by Jenna Jacob
“Yeah, Cole and Brad. Ozzy hired them for me, but right now you need them far worse than I do. Trust me, Caris, they’ll keep you safe.”
Struggling to process everything that was happening at the speed of light, I shook my head. “Why are you going to all this time, trouble, and expense for me?”
“Because I’ll do anything to keep Zattman from hurting you again, and because you’re someone special to a member of our musical family.”
Syd.
It suddenly dawned on me that Mia and Reed hadn’t hatched this plot; she was simply the messenger delivering the details. She didn’t come up with this plan to scoop me from my home and drop me in the middle of Texas. No, this was Syd’s creation. Clearly, the man thought I was weak, helpless, and totally incapable of taking care of myself.
As suspicion marched through my brain, flickers of anger ignited low in my belly.
“How did you find me?”
“What?”
“How did you get my address? How did you find me, Mia?”
“Oh, I didn’t. Cole did. He’s a savant when it comes to computers. I gave him your name, and three minutes later, he had your address.”
“Really?” I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes. “Are you sure Syd didn’t tell you where to find me?”
She shook her head, but guilt was written all over her face.
“Who else is out in that limo waiting for us, Mia?”
She opened her mouth and snapped it shut without saying a word.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
I had no clue how to protect myself against Zattman’s murderous plans, but I would find a way. I hated being lied to by Mia, but I couldn’t blame her for trying to help Syd pull the wool over my eyes. They were, as she said, a musical family.
And while every cell in my body wanted to race out the door and fall into Syd’s arms, I couldn’t allow him to rescue me yet again. Not because of my pride but because I didn’t know if I possessed the strength to walk away from him a second time.
Heart breaking all over again, I lifted my chin and drew in a deep breath.
“It’s time for you to leave,” I firmly announced, pointing toward the door.
Chapter 9
Syd
I felt like a pussy sitting in the limo while Mia knocked on Caris’s door. But since the odds were high she’d take one look at me and slam the fucker in my face, I clenched my jaw and bided my time. Convincing Caris to leave Diamond City and hide out at the lodge was far more important than the dent in my ego…or so I tried to convince myself.
I glanced over at Cole and Brad, former SEALs and stone-cold killers. They’d taken out several terrorist leaders during their tours in Afghanistan. When Ozzy first decided to hire Mia personal protection, Darren suggested the agency Quinn used after a media frenzy nearly spooked Tori away. While Cole and Brad were both new to the agency, they were proficient and professional. Neither man had any qualms about traveling to each venue we played and sticking to Mia like glue.
When we’d heard about Zattman’s threats at the ass-crack of dawn this morning, Ozzy immediately fired the two men so I could rehire them to protect Caris. It clawed my guts that I could only stay at the ranch a couple days to help guard her. But our tour was in full swing, and we had another five months of concerts lined up.
Fuck. It might as well be five years.
From behind the tinted windows, I watched as Caris opened the door. While I couldn’t see surprise light up her face when she discovered Mia on the porch, I did see the look of amazement as she stared at the limo. My heart leapt to my throat. It took all the willpower I possessed—and the rolling reminder that she didn’t want me anymore—to keep from bolting out the door and sweeping her into my arms.
Tapping my thumb against my thigh, I was climbing out of my skin while we waited and waited and waited for the two women to exit the house.
“Chill, man,” Ozzy murmured from beside me. “They’ll be out soon.”
“Mia’s been in there for—”
“Fifteen minutes. That’s barely enough time to tell Caris what’s happening and not near enough time for her to pack.”
He was right, but it didn’t lessen my anxiety. I was growing edgier by the second. And the way Cole and Brad kept scanning the landscape only wound me up tighter.
“Something’s off,” Cole murmured, sliding a sidelong glance Brad’s way.
“I know. The hair on the back of my neck’s been standing on end for the past ten minutes,” Brad stated as they continued probing the forest surrounding Caris’s house. “Too many trees, too many places to hide.”
As Cole grunted in agreement, the hairs on the back of my neck lifted, and I started looking out over the trees, as well.
Ozzy growled and reached for handle of the door. “I’m going in to get them out.”
As fast as a striking cobra, Brad gripped the keyboard player’s wrist and shook his head. “No one is going anywhere. We’re going to sit here until they come out, then we’re hauling ass back to the airstrip.”
Tuning out Ozzy’s complaints, I watched as the front door finally opened.
“They’re coming,” I barked.
Ozzy sucked in a shallow breath as Mia stormed off the porch and marched toward the limo wearing a scowl. As I watched the front door close behind her, my blood turned to fire.
“Why isn’t Caris with her?” I knew the answer before the words fell off my tongue but couldn’t stop them. “Fucking stubborn woman.”
When Mia opened the door and climbed in, Ozzy all but suffocated her beneath a desperate hug.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“Your girl’s a smart cookie,” Mia said, squeezing Ozzy tightly, then untangling herself from his limbs. “She figured out our plan.”
“How?”
“Caris saw right through my story about Cole finding her address.”
“But he did. All I gave him was her name and city.”
“I know, but she point-blank asked if you were in the limo.”
“Sorry, man. Mia can’t lie worth a shit.” Ozzy cringed.
“Now you tell me.” I exhaled a heavy sigh and rolled my eyes. “We’re not leaving without her.”
“You can’t very well kidnap her,” Brad warned.
“The hell I can’t,” I snarled, throwing open the door and vaulting out of the limo.
After storming up the sidewalk, I bounded onto the porch and began pounding on the front door.
“Go away, Mia. I’ll be fine.”
I didn’t say a word, simply pounded harder.
When I heard the snick of the lock disengage and saw the knob begin to turn, I pressed my other palm to the cold wood, poised to push my way inside. This wasn’t about winning Caris back. That doomed ship had sailed long ago and was never coming back. It was about keeping her alive.
“For the love of…” Caris’s angry words died the instant our eyes connected.
The irrefutable fear glistening in her beautiful brown pools was like a kick to the balls and reinforced my determination to get her someplace safe.
I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes, already anticipating her next move. Caris didn’t disappoint. The second she lifted her chin I shoved the door open and stepped inside. Struggling to block the onslaught of her scent permeating the air, I wrapped an arm around her waist, hauled her away from the door, and kicked it shut.
“Let go of me,” she growled, wiggling like a hellcat.
Ignoring the string of obscenities sliding off her tongue, the bite of her fingernails clawing my forearm, and the sting of her heels kicking my shins, I stole a quick glance over her tiny living space. The décor, an eclectic mix of everyday items arranged in simplistic elegance, screamed Caris.
“Dammit, Syd. I’m not playing around. Put me down, now, or I’m going to kick you in the balls.”
“Angel, you can’t reach my balls. But you could if I put you down. You’re doing fine right where you are, f
or now,” I assured as I spotted the short, narrow hallway.
Bedroom’s gotta be that way.
The image of Caris splayed out on her bed, on any bed, had my cock lengthening and hardening.
Not now, fucker, I inwardly scolded my eager appendage.
“Fine, I won’t kick you. I’ll murder you, instead,” she viscously spat.
“Is that what you want? You want to leave this world together?” I taunted, passing a small bathroom on my right before pausing at the doorway on my left. Rumpled ivory sheets lay strewn across the big brass bed.
Entering the room, I unceremoniously tossed Caris onto the mattress and followed her down. Straddling her slender hips, I pinned her arms above her head. I couldn’t ignore her silky robe falling open, exposing her milky, smooth skin, or the tempting heat of her pussy nestled against my traitorous cock, now throbbing and weeping.
“Is that what you want, angel?” I scolded. The fiery anger blazing in her eyes was all but singeing me to ash. “If so, I’ll be happy to stick around until Zattman shows up. He can kill us both if you want. Because that’s exactly what will happen if you don’t pack your bags and march your stubborn sexy ass out to the limo.”
“I don’t need you to rescue me again, Syd.”
“No, what you need is your ass spanked so long and hard you can’t sit down for a fucking month.”
A flicker of arousal skittered across her face before Caris narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth. “Fuck you.”
“Sorry, angel, I can’t accept your invitation right now. Sadly, we don’t have time for the dirty things I want to do to your wicked body.” Caris trembled softly beneath me. It was the first glimmer of hope I’d felt in weeks. Casting my sarcasm aside, I sent her a beseeching stare and lowered my voice to a whisper. “Zattman is coming. He’s coming to kill you. I can’t and won’t let that happen.”
When her bottom lip began to quiver, Caris clenched her jaw and closed her eyes.
“I know you don’t want to hear that. Fuck, angel, it’s tearing me apart that he’s got you in his sights. I know you hate me.” Caris’s eyes flew wide as her jaw fell open. Yes, angel, I know how badly I fucked up. I lost the only thing that’s ever mattered in my life…you. “I also know you’re never going to forgive me for leaving you to pay the price of my sins. But this time is different. I won’t fail you again, Caris. I swear I won’t.”
“Syd, you don’t—”
“I’ll do anything and everything to keep that cocksucking motherfucker from finding and hurting you.” I watched as resignation slowly slid through Caris’s mind, heart, and body.
“How long do I have to stay at the ranch?”
Tiny worry lines appeared along her forehead. Cautiously releasing one of her wrists, I brushed my thumb over her furrowed flesh.
“I don’t know. However long it takes for them to lock up that crazy sack of shit and throw away the key.”
Caris slowly lifted her arm, drew her hand to my cheek, then lowered it to the bed. “That could take years, Syd. You can’t be responsible for me that long. It’s not right. We have our own lives to live.”
“I know.” And I desperately wanted to mesh them into one big, happy life. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you alive to live yours.”
I watched and waited as she slowly digested my words. Waited until the fear and anger bled from her system. Waited until she softened beneath me. Dismissing the demand thrumming through me, I brushed a feather-soft kiss over her forehead, then forced myself from her sinful body and eased off the bed. It was only then that I noticed fresh bandages covering one of her legs.
“What happened?” I nodded at the gauze near her ankle.
“I accidently dropped a pot of coffee at work this morning. It’s just a couple of cuts and burns. I’ll be fine.”
“Do you still have the medicine the doctor in LA gave you?” Caris nodded. “Good. Make sure you pack it, all right?”
“What am I supposed to do with my things?”
“What things?”
“My furniture, my clothes, dishes…my stuff.”
“You’re not leaving for good.” Though I’d give my left nut if you were and moved in with me. “Just pack some of your clothes, toiletries, and whatever you need for a few weeks or months.”
“Syd, this is crazy. I can’t just hop a jet to Texas for god knows how many weeks or months. If I don’t work, I can’t pay rent. If I don’t pay rent, my landlord is going to toss my stuff to the curb and let someone else move in.”
I knew if I offered to pay the rent for her, Caris would shut me down faster than a health inspector visiting a rat-infested restaurant.
“When we get to the ranch, we’ll figure it out.”
“You’re going with me?”
“For a few days, yeah. Then Ozzy, Mia, and I have to fly out and join the others for our next show in—”
“Jackson, Mississippi.”
The fact that Caris cared enough to keep track of the cities we played filled me with elation. Any other time, I’d tease her about it, but her situation was no laughing matter. Or maybe it was the perfect time. I didn’t know anymore. I was walking on fucking eggshells now and hated it. It felt awkward and uncomfortable and made me long for the old days when we shared nearly everything without reservation.
“Yeah, good ol’ Mississippi,” I drawled. “So, you ready to start packing?”
Caris nodded pensively and rolled off the bed. As she plucked a novel off the nightstand, the photo sitting there caught my eye. A bittersweet smile tugged Caris’s lips as she picked up the frame and handed it to me.
The image of Caris and me, laughing hysterically on Emma Halloran’s porch sucked me back in time, like soda through a straw.
“Stop acting like Caris has cooties, Sydney,” Emma scolded. “Put your arm around her. You think I haven’t watched you two swap bubble gum by the barn every chance you get?”
“You watch us kiss?” Caris gasped.
“Damn right I do. And if I think you’re doing more than kissing, I’m gonna take a switch to both your behinds. You two got no business bringing a baby into this world at your age. Now smile for the camera, dammit. Price Is Right is fixin’ to start, and I ain’t missing my show to stand out here playing photographer.”
We’d both burst out laughing as Emma snapped the photo.
The old woman never knew that while she sat watching her game show, Caris and I were busy doing a whole lot more than kissing in that barn.
“Wow,” I murmured, tracing a finger over our young faces. “I remember the day Emma took this.”
“Me, too.” Caris’s eyes filled with sadness. “She gave it to me a couple weeks before she d-died.”
“We had some fun times, didn’t we?” Until I fucked everything up.
“Yeah.” She took the photo from my hands and started to set it back on the nightstand.
“Pack it up and take it with you, angel,” I whispered, moving in close behind her. “To help remember happier times.”
Caris nodded and clutched the photo to her chest, then drew in a deep breath and retrieved a small suitcase from her closet. While she filled it to the brim with clothes, I whipped off a text to Ozzy, informing him that Caris was indeed packing and to sit tight. He replied with a cryptic message to hurry and be careful. Obviously, Cole and Brad were still scanning the trees for trouble.
Caris returned from the bathroom, dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved sweater. She was carrying a duffle bag bulging with toiletries.
“Anything else you want to grab before we go?”
“I don’t think so. I just hope I packed everything I’m going to need,” she lamented as I carried her luggage down the hall.
“If not, we can order off the internet and have it delivered.”
The uncertainty lining her face was killing me. Setting her suitcase and duffle on the well-worn linoleum by the door, I cupped her chin and forced her gaze. “It’s going to be okay. I’ve g
ot your back this time, angel. I’m never going to turn and run away again.”
“Syd,” she began, then quickly pinched her lips together.
“What?” I coaxed, praying this might be the start of bridging the chasm between us.
“Just thank you. Thank you for doing all this for me.”
A slow smile tugged my mouth. “Giving me a sliver of trust to keep you safe is all the thanks I need.”
I brushed a soft kiss across her lips, then gathered up her suitcases and stepped outside. I waited on the porch, squinting against the bright sunlight, while Caris closed and locked the door.
As I followed her off the stoop, she spun around and grabbed my arm.
Senses revving to high alert, I scanned the trees again. “What’s wrong?”
“I need to grab the extra house key I have hidden. I don’t want anyone finding it and trashing the place while I’m gone.”
“Good idea. Is it under the mat?” I asked, glancing behind me.
“Nope. It’s right here.” She pointed to a gray rock next to the porch.
As Caris squatted to retrieve the key, a loud crack like I hadn’t heard since living on the streets of Detroit split the air.
Gunshot!
Panic exploded in my veins and her luggage slid from my fingers. As I lunged to cover her with my body, a bullet punched into me, lifting me off the ground and sending me sailing into the air. Crying out as the white-hot pain careered over my shoulder, arm, and chest, I landed on the cold hard earth with a bone-jarring thud and crack of my skull.
I was dazed with fear and confusion, and sparks exploded behind my eyes. Pressure, hot and searing, engulfed my body. Caris was screaming at the top of her lungs, but I couldn’t move…couldn’t get up and save her.
No. Oh, god, please don’t let Zattman have her.
Panic and failure stole what breath was left in my lungs. I heard car doors slamming and Cole and Brad barking out orders. I didn’t understand why they weren’t shooting back at the bastard who’d clipped me. I didn’t understand the strange blurry shadows creeping across my eyes and eating up the sun, either. But before I could try and come up with an answer, darkness swallowed me whole.
