Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3)

by Kahlen Aymes

  I cleared my throat in an attempt to void the emotion. “I didn’t see him after. I’m so sorry.”

  Her eyes narrowed menacingly. “How did you manage to get out without a scratch?”

  I wanted to tell her I wasn’t unscathed, but the fading bruises on my face and my cracked ribs weren’t from the fire. Only the bandaged knees. “I was hurt, but I managed to get out. I was closer to the door than Carter was. The bays were all closed because he was working after hours.”

  “You didn’t try to save him?” Her hand squeezed mine painfully, and I pulled it back with a jerk.

  I could feel my skin start to burn on my face and neck. I was sure I was turning bright red. I shook my head. “Unfortunately, his clothes caught on fire right away. I ran to get help, but my car was close to the flame. I had to run—” Like I wanted to run, right now. Tears started in my eyes, more because I feared for my safety than any sadness over Carter. He’d been a monster to me those last months.

  “What was the—?”

  “Ma, leave her alone,” Apollo stated from across the room. “What’s done is done.”

  The woman’s head snapped around in the direction of his voice, then a few seconds later she turned her attention back to me.

  “It was your uncle’s shop, eh?” she wanted to know.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well,” Her disposition suddenly shifted, and she pushed out of the old, upholstered chair she’d been sitting in. It was an old style and appeared to be a faded cream and red floral pattern, but now was yellowed and filthy. “I need a new dress for tomorrow as do Apollo’s girlfriend and my daughters. My son needs a new suit, too, so we’re going to the mall, and you’re buying.”

  I gasped, completely taken by surprise. “Mrs. Stanton, I’m not rich. I don’t have a lot of money.”

  “Bullshit. You have that business, don’t cha?”

  “It hasn’t been doing well the past few months since my uncle passed,” I replied honestly.

  “Well, don’t tell me there isn’t insurance money from the fire, and you know… maybe we oughta get it.” Her eyes narrowed menacingly. “My son died!”

  Didn’t her son mean anything to her? Was his death and my presence here, only about getting a pay day?

  “I-I don’t have any of the insurance money yet,” I stammered. “The fire department is still investigating the cause of the fire, but I’m sure if there is a payout, there could be something for Carter. I can call them on Monday to ask, but I’m sure nothing will be paid until the investigation is completed. I don’t have any money right now.” I could literally feal the waver in my voice.

  This was new for me, too, but my business degree and experience with it in the past dictated that insurance policies typically had some sort of liability coverage on accident victims. The issue would be that the blaze was Carter’s fault. He was the one drinking; it was his asinine decision to keep working by lantern in a greasy shop.

  “My daughter Googled you, and the fire my son died in. You have all that land.”

  I felt sick that I was being subjected to this interrogation, surrounded by what seemed to me to be a bunch of delinquents and criminals. “It’s not liquid.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” The woman scowled and sucked on her cigarette. Surely her voice and leathery skin had been destroyed from years of smoking.

  “Having land is not the same as having cash,” I tried to explain without giving too much away. Did she or her daughter know how to look up the land value from the Teton County Assessor? I’d have to borrow against the land, wait for the insurance settlement, or sell it in order to get money for her now, which will still take weeks or months.

  She seemed to consider this for a minute. “I lost my son! I deserve to be paid!”

  I felt they could kill me, and I was positive that there was someone in this room that would be capable of doing just that. I sucked in my breath. I had to get the hell out of here and fast. All thoughts of attending the funeral vanished. I just had to get home.

  “I agree, but I beg for your patience. I can’t get anything significant right away.” I glanced at Apollo who was leaning up against the wall with his beefy, tattooed arms crossed over his chest, a stoic expression plastered on his face.

  “Give Sierra your credit card,” Carter’s mother demanded. I didn’t know what to call her, even in my mind. My mouth fell open in astonishment. This was bad. I was in serious trouble.

  “Hey, Ma,” Apollo said, moving closer. He put his head down and whispered something in her ear. When he moved away, he kept speaking. “Know what I mean? Stolen plastic will only draw attention to the family. We need to be patient. The insurance payout is where the big money is. She wasn’t married to Carter, so it will come to you. Chill out for now.”

  “Right. I can make sure the investigation goes as planned and then follow-up with my insurance company.” I could hear the tremor in my voice and tried to quell it.

  “How much do you think it will be?” Apollo demanded.

  My sheltered life in Wyoming had not prepared me to deal with any of this, but I had to keep my wits about me, or I could end up dead, or worse. “A hundred thousand, maybe. I’m not sure. It depends on the policy, but I’ll look into it.”

  My response seemed to placate her, and the old woman nodded. “Right,” she agreed. “But I still need a new dress for Carter’s service, and you’re gonna buy it for me.”

  I nodded, scared out of my wits. “Okay, I can probably afford a few dresses for you and Sierra and, I’m sorry, I don’t know Apollo’s girlfriend’s name.” I was careful not to say something to set him or his mother off.

  “Greta,” a voluptuous woman, sitting on the arm of the shabby sofa, spoke up.

  “Greta,” I nodded. “I’d love to get to know all of you better and it will be fun to all go shopping together. I’d like a new outfit, too,” I lied. A public place was the safest place to be and maybe I could find a police officer or a mall security guard who could help me.

  “What about Apollo’s suit? And my grandkids? They need something cute for their uncle’s service.”

  “What about us?” one of the other men asked.

  “You, too,” the old lady agreed.

  I tried to remember how much open credit I had on my one credit card, but hopefully I wouldn’t need it. “I think I can do that.” Another lie, but anything to get out of this house. “Then later, maybe the kids can come and swim at the hotel pool.” I tried to smile, but the attempt was pathetic. “Sound good?” I could almost feel the lie screaming from my face. I knew I had to look terrified.

  “Come on, girls. You and the kids ride with the other guys and me and Carter’s girl will go with Apollo”. The women and two of the men rose to do as the old woman requested, but as they gathered the kids and left the house, many nasty looks were cast in my direction. This was a nightmare.

  When Mrs. Stanton came out of her bedroom, she had put on a pair of sandals on her bare feet, though little else had changed. She was drunk and probably high.

  “Come on,” she grumbled, moving slowly with a slight limp on her right leg. I stood to follow her, glancing at my bag sitting by the door. When I got close to it, I bent to pick it up, when Apollo grabbed my arm. “Don’t do anything stupid,” Apollo stated. “We’ll be watching your every move. You better not run or call the cops.”

  I met his eyes steadily. My bravado was all an act, but I was scared for my life. “How is this going to work with the insurance money if you keep threatening me? I agree your family deserves some compensation, but stealing my credit card, or hurting me will only put your family under suspicion. If something happens to me, do you think they won’t look here first? If I don’t make it home in two days as planned, my friends will call the police. How does that help you get the insurance? I just wanted to get my bag. I thought we were going to take the kids swimming after shopping.”

  He glared at me warily and grabbed my arm painfully as
I passed. “We have a way of getting what we want, princess,” he threatened. “See all these dudes?” He pointed around the room to the men who were staying behind. “They and my bro-in-laws are my crew. They got my back. Understand?”

  “Yes. I’m trying to buy your mom a dress and help you get the money you’re after.”

  Everything inside me was quaking. Once they had the insurance money what would they want then? Would they keep threatening me until I sold the ranch and handed over the proceeds? I was more scared and vulnerable than I’d ever been in my life… My heart cried for my Uncle Leonard. My heart cried for… Ben.

  MARIN

  The Mall of America was huge.

  I’d never seen anything like it in my life. It was crawling with people, especially in the center courtyard where there was a full-blown amusement park in the center atrium.

  “Ma, the kids want to play on the rides.” The woman who had been pointed out as Sierra was speaking.

  I knew I looked out of place among Carter’s family. The women all wore tight clothes full of spandex and had unusually long, fake fingernails. They had the figures to carry it off, and clearly, this was the look their men liked judging by the way they were hovering over them and touching them in what seemed very inappropriate for a public place.

  My eyes were scanning the mall for the uniform of someone in authority.

  “Sure, baby,” her mother answered her daughter than looked at me. “Got any cash for my grandkids?”

  Given the events of the day I shouldn’t have been shocked by the woman’s request. “Sure,” I pulled out my wallet and handed over the only cash I had. A one-hundred-dollar bill, which was promptly conveyed from her to one of the men.

  “Come on, kids,” one of them mumbled and then the group of them turned away to disappear into the crowd in the direction of the ticket booth.

  The kids were all rambunctious until the other man barked at them, loud enough to carry through the throng. “Quiet! If you don’t behave, you’ll get nothing but my hand on your ass!”

  Nice way to speak to children, I thought. I shouldn’t be surprised, given what I’d already witnessed. They were all out of control, adults included.

  “Apollo, you come with us. We don’t want our princess getting any ideas.”

  I decided if Carter’s mother didn’t trust me, I’d never get the hell away from her, or Apollo, who was the real threat. “Look, Mrs. Stanton, can we please make the best of this? I lost Carter, too. Can’t we just shop and try to respect each other? You don’t need anyone to watch me every second.”

  She looked a little taken aback that I would challenge her, but I needed them to relax so I could get away and was trying to be as convincing as I could be. The look on her weathered face said she was leery, but I had to get her to relax.

  “What is your favorite store?” I asked with a lift of my eyebrows. I saw the big box stores in the background. There was a Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, plus an Express and Marshalls. I prayed they’d pick something less expensive.

  “Sears,” she answered. “They usually got stuff I like.”

  “Ma,” Sierra moaned. “I wanna go to Express!”

  I nodded. “Why don’t you and Greta go look there and when we have your mom taken care of, I can meet you there in time to pay? I’d like to look there, too.” I smiled in the hope she was buying my act.

  “Yeah, Ma,” Greta chimed in. “I can’t stand that old lady store.”

  “Great!” Sierra said, beginning to tug her sister by the arm away from us. “Greta, come on!”

  “I guess that’s the plan, Ma,” Apollo said.

  We found Sears on the directory and located it on the Northeast side of the food court, and I knew this was my chance. I quickly shoved my phone into the back pocket of my shorts and turned to Apollo. “I’d like to use the bathroom, please. I didn’t get a chance to go at the airport. I can meet you in Sears when I’m finished.”

  Luckily the Sears’ ladies’ department was on that level and Carter’s mother had walked just inside and was already looking through one of the racks.

  “Nope, ain’t gonna happen.” He shook his head.

  “Should I just pee my pants, then?” I gave him my best impression of being pissed off. I couldn’t let him know I was terrified.

  I was starting to think of him as a modern gangster. He was a bully and undoubtedly a violent criminal. He wore gold chains and big chunky rings, while the family lived in squalor and, from the looks of it, didn’t have a lot of money. His girlfriend and sister dressed sort of sleazy, both of their bodies were poured into atrocious, overly tight clothes, their flesh spilling out of their low-cut shirts and above their waistbands of their micro-shorts.

  “I’ll come with you.” He turned to his mother. “Ma, I’m going with her to the john.” His words got louder so his mother inside the store could hear.

  “Son,” the woman said, as she rummaged through some dresses on a rack. “Get her purse and give it here.”

  He nodded. “Good idea.” He held out his hand and motioned for me to hand it over. Reluctantly, I placed the small black leather handbag in his palm and watched in horror as he handed it to his mother.

  “Even Carter let me pee by myself,” I protested. Apollo grabbed my arm painfully and turned me away from his mother. I yanked my arm away then stormed off in the direction he’d indicated.

  My suitcase was still in Apollo’s car so it, and its contents, would have to be a loss if I had the opportunity to run away. I had to think this through, though. If I ran or called the police, would Carter’s family show up at the ranch or burn it down in my sleep a week from now? These people were sinister, and it would be in my best interest to try to get an insurance payout and be rid of them. My blood ran cold, I had a sick feeling inside, and my heart was thumping uncomfortably hard inside my chest. What was I going to do? My ribs were still painful from Carter’s last round of abuse, and it wasn’t likely I’d be able to outrun Apollo.

  “I’ll be here, Princess! Don’t keep me waiting too long.” Apollo called after me as I disappeared into the bathroom. There was no door, but rather a short hallway, that led into the facilities that would ensure privacy of those inside, yet still allow for an easy flow of patrons. I longed for a door. “There ain’t no back door to the john, so don’t get any big ideas.”

  “Jesus, please help me,” I said softly under my breath, grateful I’d had the foresight to keep my phone out of my purse and in the back pocket of my shorts. I went into a stall and locked the door. In seconds I had my phone out and was holding it in my shaking hands. There was a text from Gina asking if I’d arrived safely, and one from Ben showing up on the screen in the moment.

  I quickly opened his message. There was a video clip that I could tell from the still was of Gem, but I didn’t have time to watch it. I felt like hell reaching out to him again, but who else did I have? He was too far away to help me himself, but would this band of goons show up in Jackson? If I got them arrested, it might only cause them to retaliate harder. I sat down on the toilet and pondered my next move, knowing I had little time to decide. I considered that money might get them to leave me alone, but my uncle’s voice in my head convinced me otherwise. “You can’t reason with a bully.”

  I needed advice, and I hoped Ben would be off of his shift by now. Sucking in a deep breath, I began to type out a text.

  Ben, I’m in trouble. Carter’s family is like the mafia and I can’t get away from them. His brother is waiting for me outside the bathroom in the food court of the Mall of America. I thought about calling the police, but I’m afraid if I don’t play along, they’ll show up in Wyoming and do something horrible to me, the ranch, or the horses. Maybe it’s best to go to the funeral as planned and try to leave tomorrow? I’m sorry to bother you with this, but I really don’t have anyone else I trust.

  Within seconds my phone rang, and my nervous hands fumbled to answer. I almost dropped the phone but thankfully caught it just before
it hit the hard tile floor.

  “Ben!”

  “You need to call the police, right now, Marin!” he barked.

  “Carter’s family is terrifying! They took my purse and my cash!” I knew the pitch in my voice was elevated and it was starting to break as I whispered frantically into the phone. “Even if the police get me out of here, there are more who could come after me. The police can’t protect me all night.”

  “I know you’re scared, but you need to call the police. When they arrive ask them if you can stay at the station, or if they will escort you to a hotel; one with the doors to the rooms inside the building. I’ll come get you.”

  “Can they just take me to the airport? I can catch the first flight back.” As scared as I was, my heart seized a little at how he was so willing to drive twelve hundred miles to help me. Was this guy for real?

  “How, without your purse or credit cards?” Ben asked shortly; anger lacing his voice.

  “That’s true, but it will be the same story for the hotel. I have no money.”

  “Don’t argue. I’ll leave now. Call me from the hotel lobby—”

  My mouth fell open in shock at Ben’s willingness to do so much for me. “But it’s so far…”

  “Marin, stop fucking around and call the police!” He commanded. “Please.” His voice changed to more coaxing and comforting. “When you’re safe, call me back, and we’ll figure out the hotel.”

  Blood and adrenaline were rushing like thunder through my veins; the sound thundering in my ears. “Okay.”

  “Call them, right when you hang up. I mean it!” He ended the call without waiting for a reply, and instantly I dialed 9-1-1.

  “9-1-1. What is your emergency?”

  “Someone is holding me against my will.”

  “Are you saying you’ve been kidnapped?”

  “Yes. I mean, I guess. I’m in town for a funeral and the family of the deceased took me to Mall of America to buy them new clothes. They won’t let me leave and I’m frightened. They’ve stolen my purse.”

  “How many suspects are there?”