by Debra Kayn
"You know, you're pretty fit for an older guy." She giggled. "I think I'll keep you."
"A night of fucking and you think you're an expert?" He rolled his head, facing her.
Seeing the amusement on his face, she slapped his leg and inhaled swiftly before rolling to her side. "Are we even going to be able to walk up the steps to the office?"
"Yeah." He yawned loudly. "I'm getting up now."
He stayed beside her. After a full minute, she laid her head on his chest. The change in him after knowing him intimately was a pleasant surprise. She wasn't ready for the more relaxed Mark to go away at her father's arrival.
The snap of the condom coming off and the shift of his body as he dumped the used protection in the wastebasket beside the bed had her tightening her arms around his stomach, preventing him from getting up.
His body tightened underneath her cheek. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Instead of telling him the truth, she fibbed to save his mood a little bit longer. "I need to get up and shower."
He kissed the top of her head. "Go ahead and take a nap. No rush to come upstairs."
"I can't let you work alone." She pushed herself off his chest.
He used that opportunity to roll out of bed. "I'll start the shower and go in first. Enjoy the bed for a few more minutes."
She laid back down. Her muscles sighing in pleasure. "Okay."
MARK SENT JOSH TO PICK up Chinese food from the deli in the back of the small grocery store in Federal. He was starving and knew Carly must be hungry, too.
Kyle stuck his head inside the office. "I'm going to take off with the group."
He waved him away. "Ride safely and make sure they mind the pack it in - pack it out rule. I found some litter last time I took a group out on the trail."
Excess energy grabbed ahold of him again. Tomorrow, they'd finally be able to take down Michael Jaster.
The only weakness in the plan was Evie and Carly. He and the others had a lifetime of experience together. They knew how each one of them would react under pressure and when they had a gun pointed at them.
They just couldn't trust the mother/daughter duo when it came to Jaster.
He gathered the contract papers and put them in the drawer of the desk. Tomorrow, above all else, he would protect Carly and her mom. There would be no room for emotions and Carly had proven that her whole existence was based on empathy.
He often noticed how much Carly put her mother's comfort before her own. That same tendency spread to how she treated him. She bent over backward to please him, even catering to his moods. The only time he received a hint of selfishness in her came in the form of physical contact.
The girl enjoyed sex, and she wasn't shy about taking what made her body feel good.
Below the house, a door shut. He swiveled in the chair and faced the hallway.
Carly came running into the room and stopped when her gaze found him. His chest swelled at the sight of her frazzled moment. It wasn't lost on him how special she was.
"You let me fall back asleep." She walked toward him.
He patted his thigh and spread his arms. "You needed the rest."
She sat on his lap and leaned her upper body against him. He tilted back the chair and cuddled her close. Her warm body soothed him.
Tomorrow would test her strength, and he wanted her strong, dependable, and able to survive with him or without him.
Because no matter if he died trying, he planned to kill Jaster.
Her stomach rumbled. She kissed the side of his neck. "I'll go down and make some sandwiches. Do you think Josh and Kyle would like one, too?"
"I've sent Josh to pick up Chinese food if you can wait forty-five minutes to eat." He cupped her breast.
She hummed in pleasure. "That sounds wonderful."
"You need to eat, and your mom's coming over. She'll be staying here tonight."
"What?" She pushed off his chest. "Why is she coming here?"
"Because that's the plan." He patted her hip to settle her down. "She'll come over and spend the night in the bunker and tomorrow, she'll hang out with you. I can show her the business and keep her busy, so she doesn't sit around and think about Jaster showing up."
She stood and rubbed her forehead. He leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees.
"You're baiting my father." She glared. "With my mom."
Carly was smart. She figured out what he was doing.
"With her permission," he said.
"When did you plan to tell me?"
"I talked with Quint and Anders yesterday." He lowered his voice. "Anders discussed it with your mom afterward, and she's agreed. We'll make sure nothing happens to her or you."
"You were on the phone before we..." Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "You were distracting me last night with all the sex, all the way until this morning when we had more sex. You knew I was wondering what was going on."
"Carly—"
"Don't, Carly, me." She planted her hands on her hips. "You knew I wouldn't allow you to use my mom."
He stood and approached her. Reaching for her face to soften her mood, she slapped his hands away.
"Let's talk about this," he said.
"There's nothing to say. It's bad enough that you involved my mom. But you never included me in your decision." She closed her mouth and swallowed. "You know I'm willing to do anything to stop my dad and give my mom the freedom she deserves."
"I don't understand why you're upset." He ran his hand down his face. "Jaster isn't scheduled to be here until tomorrow. We have time to talk this through. Your mom will be here soon, and you can ask her yourself if she wants to participate or not."
She groaned and paced in front of him. "You don't understand."
The hair on the back of his neck stood. He tilted his head. The tone of her voice dripped with resignation.
His chest tightened. He wanted to go to her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to bring back the strength that dwelled inside of her, despite the circumstances.
But there was no room for oversights. If she knew something that would fuck up catching Jaster, he needed to know about it.
"Help me understand," he said.
She opened her mouth and then closed her lips. The agony in her eyes called him to her. She could fight and claw to keep him away, but he wasn't going anywhere.
Taking her in his arms, he held her, smoothing her hair down her back and finally cupping her head.
"Tell me," he whispered.
She tilted her chin and looked up at him. "Mom still loves him. After every sick and evil thing he's done to her and to others, my mom is scared of leaving my dad because somewhere deep inside of her, she loves him. He's manipulated her into believing she needs him. Why do you think it's taken me eight years since finding out he kidnapped her, murdered people, to convince her she needed to leave him?"
He inhaled deeply, not expecting that information. It made him second guess their ability to use Evie to capture Jaster.
Chapter 32
Carly escorted her mom downstairs into the bunker. Mark turned to Anders, his patience completely gone.
"Did you know Evie believes she loves Jaster?" He clenched his teeth together.
"The fuck?" muttered Anders. "Who said that?"
"Carly." Mark kicked the chair and sent it rolling across the floor. "Think about it. We questioned them about why they never left when Evie found the files. She claimed it was because Jaster threatened to take Carly away from her."
"Yeah...Iliana said a mother would do anything for their child." Anders shrugged. "I don't know shit about what mothers will do or not do."
Mark nodded, in the same motherless status his whole life. "But, then, Carly found the file when she was sixteen years old. Scared and desperate, she reached out to her mom and tried to convince her to leave. Evie wouldn't do it, even though Carly was more than old enough to understand why her parents split up and would know to protect herself if he tried to harm them.
"
Anders shook his head. "Maybe Evie knew how dangerous it would be."
"No." Mark lowered his voice. "Her mom tried to convince Carly that nothing would happen to them if they stayed. That Jaster, in his own way, loved them. Carly stayed to make sure nothing happened to her mom but has been trying to get her away from him for eight fucking years."
Anders stared at the floor. Mark walked halfway down the hallway to check that the door to the bunker remained shut and returned to the office.
"What's going to happen when Evie goes around, acting like normal, and Jaster makes contact, now that we know that information?" Mark latched his hands behind his head, his skull pounded with a headache that'd come on the moment Evie had arrived. "Instead of helping, she could get us all killed."
"Hang on." Anders walked back and forth. "Let me think."
"We need to call Quint."
Anders lifted his hand. "Will you give me a damn minute?"
Mark walked away and sat on the edge of the desk. They were close. For the first time, they had Jaster's schedule. They knew when he was on the mountain. It'd be easier if he traveled to Missoula and met the damn plane by himself. He'd go to prison for the rest of his life, but at least Michael Jaster would be buried six feet deep and not capable of hurting another person.
Carly would be safe.
He rubbed his neck, hoping the Tylenol he took earlier would kick in. The pain from his headache wouldn't allow him to think straight.
"I'd agree with you that not knowing about Evie and Jaster's relationship beforehand could get us killed, but Carly gave us that info. We're aware of it and can prepare ourselves for her being a weak link." Anders inhaled deeply. "I'll run the information past Quint, but I think we have no choice but to move forward. If we don't, we're going to have to wait until the next time he comes to the mountain, and since he hasn't scheduled anything on his calendar, there's a chance he could change his password, and we'd lose the ability to stay one step ahead of him."
Mark hooked his hand around the back of his neck. "We'll need to be ready for anything. We're fucked if we think it'll go according to plan."
Anders looked at him. "That's what we always do."
That was true. They lived each day expecting to be ambushed. Unfortunately, they'd lost Two-crow and Will when they believed they were prepared. Some loopholes and weaknesses showed up in their lives while trying to keep their businesses going and hiding their personal life.
"Are you doing okay?" Anders frowned.
He lowered his hand. "Headache."
"Better take care of that." Anders slapped him on the shoulder. "I need to get back to Iliana."
Mark stood and walked him to the door. "What time are you and Quint bringing the women tomorrow?"
They'd decided ahead of time to let Iliana and Katelynn spend the day in the bunker. That way they were safe, and if needed, Quint and Anders would be right outside the door.
"Jaster's plane comes in at eight-forty. It's possible he could be here an hour later, so probably around nine o'clock. That way we can get everyone settled and calm Carly and Evie down to play this right."
"Okay." He opened the door. "See you tomorrow."
Locking the door out of habit, he headed for the bunker. He could keep an eye on Josh and Kyle through the security monitor until it was time to close.
He took the stairs. Each step pounded his skull. Hopefully, getting some food in his stomach would take his headache away.
The women were fixing their plates at the counter in the bunker. He turned on the monitor.
"Did you want me to make you a plate?" asked Carly.
He met her eyes. After their spat earlier and her confession about her mom, she'd barely said two words to him.
She usually brought him food without asking. Maybe because her mom was around, she wanted to distance herself from him. Maybe that was for the best.
"I'll get my own." He walked toward her, catching the twitch in her brows before she turned away from him.
He'd hurt her.
Grabbing the bottle of Motrin off the shelf, he popped two in his mouth. He hadn't had a migraine in months. It was a bad time to feel less than stellar.
"Didn't you take two pills for your headache already?" Carly set her plate down.
"I took Tylenol earlier. I need something more." He poured a glass of water and downed half the liquid. "I'm sure the food will help."
Evie moved away from the counter. Carly stepped closer, studying him.
He let her assess him without saying a word. There wasn't anything to say. The information she gave him on Evie put him in an odd position.
His compassion for the woman took a backseat to worrying about her screwing up tomorrow. He wasn't a psychiatrist. Stockholm syndrome was something he couldn't relate to.
"There's shrimp." Carly pointed to a white container, eyeing him. "Rice might help, too."
He silently filled his plate, knowing he needed food. More than eating though, he needed to know how Evie was doing and how she was feeling about tomorrow.
"Has your mom said anything?" he asked quietly.
Carly shook her head. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to blow up," she whispered. "I hate this."
"It's important that I know everything. It could make the difference between living and being killed." He grabbed a fork. "You haven't seen the results of your father being here, and you're going to have to trust me that what you read in the files happened, and Two-crow and Will...they didn't have an easy death."
Carly set down her plate and grabbed his arm. "Can I talk to you? Upstairs? Now?"
He put his food down and walked with her out of the bunker, leaving Evie below. Upstairs, he stopped her from walking into the office. He needed to know what she had to say and he wanted a few minutes to tackle the headache in case Josh and Kyle needed him.
"Does this have to do with your mom?" he asked.
"She's calm." Carly raised her hand and straightened her fingers. "Look at me. I'm shaking. The second she came here, it hit me that everyone is counting on my dad walking up to my mom or me, and then what?"
"Then, Quint, Anders, and I will make sure he's not able to hurt another person." He took her hand and massaged her fingers. "You've known that the whole time."
"You're going to kill him," she said.
"If that's what we have to do."
"Just say it." She pulled her hand away. "This whole time, you won't come straight out and admit it. You're either trying to protect me, or you're just as calculating as he is."
"I'm not going to admit a thing because I have no idea what will happen tomorrow. It could be me who gets killed—"
"Stop it." She covered her ears and then lowered her arms. "This is ridiculous. Don't you see? I don't understand why we can't go to the police. Let's stop this insane attempt to catch him. Why put you or anyone else in danger? My mom doesn't need to see him again. Nobody needs to die."
"You go to the police with allegations about your dad, and I go to prison. Anders goes to prison. Quint goes to prison." He flinched as darkness invaded the outside of his vision. "And, your dad could go free. Do you want that?"
"No," she mouthed.
"I need to go eat. My head is killing me." He motioned for her to move, and followed her down into the bunker.
His worries piled up.
Chapter 33
Three customers rode rental ATVs out of the parking lot. Carly sat down beside her mom in front of the house.
"The chairs are a nice touch." Carly patted the armrest.
Evie inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "It's going to be a warm day."
Earlier, Mark had set lawn chairs out in front of the house with a cooler filled with ice and every kind of drink imaginable between them. The sunshine at their back warmed the air perfectly.
They were all supposed to pretend it was an ordinary day for relaxing on the Bitterroot Mountains.
She gazed over to the front of the garage. Quint c
urrently worked outside while Anders and Mark were out of sight. They each set out to tinker with the ATVs while biding their time until her father showed himself.
Mark had given Josh and Kyle the day off but left Discover the Bitterroot open for those who wanted to rent an ATV and go on the trails without a guide. He wanted it to appear that everything was business as usual. It was everything but normal for her.
"Did Mark's headache go away?" asked her mom.
"Yeah, he was better this morning." She'd spent almost an hour last night rubbing the back of his neck until he'd gone to sleep. Too tired afterward, she'd fallen asleep on the couch with Mark instead of sleeping in the bed with her mother.
Evie opened her eyes. "Listen."
Carly scanned the road that ran in front of the business. A truck with a trailer holding a side-by-side drove by.
"They're going to the trailhead up the road." She pulled the edges of her shorts up higher on her thigh. "It seems like forever since I sat out in the sun. I'll probably burn."
"Remember when you were little, you used to run around with your little bathing suits on all summer? You were so tan by the time school started." Her mom sighed with a smile. "I used to love watching you out the kitchen window as you played on your swing-set, singing the silliest songs. I miss those days."
Carly watched her mom, taken in by the pleasure that obviously came from the memory. Little had she known that her mom stayed in the house because her dad hadn't wanted her around the workers in the barn. How could she not see how mentally abusive her father was?
"I miss those days, too," she whispered.
It was true. When she was younger, she was oblivious to the truth about her parents. She soaked in the love her mother gave her and the attention her father put on her. That was back before her world crumbled and she came to terms with how dysfunctional—in the most extreme way—her family was.
Mark walked out of the garage carrying a can of gas and looked over at Carly. Her fingers wrapped around the arm of the chair. He was focused. The quietness coming from him that morning and his lack of talking reminded her of how he'd acted when she'd first met him, and he hadn't wanted to rent her an ATV.
