All the blood drained from Alexis’ face. She assumed that these clothes were from the clearance rack or from several seasons ago. Alexis never expected to receive something so current. This dress cost more than the apartment she rented.
“Don’t you dare try to give me back those clothes either,” the business shark before her argued. “You’re the perfect sample size. The only difference is that you have lean muscle on your frame. You wear the dress beautifully. Now, I do believe we have a few people waiting for you, and a certain man that we’re driving a bit stir crazy.”
Cassidy gripped Alexis’ free arm with unexpected strength. Together they ventured into the living room, Alexis held her breath the entire time. She hadn’t seen these people in over two years and she was worried about how they would react at her bringing danger their way.
The chatter in the living room quieted the moment she trailed behind Cassidy into the room.
She wasn’t sure how to react. If she should smile, cringe, run and hide. At the moment, all of those seemed like a better plan than the blank, deer in the headlights look she was sure showed on her face.
“Um. . .hello everyone,” she murmured with a vulnerability Alexis hadn’t felt in years.
In unison, the group began speaking all at once. Some tossing questions her way, others offering their sympathies, it was almost a bit too much for Alexis to handle. She’d been on her fair share of interrogations, mostly on the delivery end. This was the first time she’d been the one receiving.
Her head swung back and forth, not sure who to respond to first, confident she was going to get whiplash at the speed she moved from question to question.
A gentle hand landed on her lower back offering Alexis a solace she didn’t realize that she needed. Since walking into the room, she caught her breath for the first time. The relief was instantaneous and welcoming.
“Let’s get you some food, okay? Their questions can wait.”
“That sounds good. Thank you.”
Cliff guided her toward a small table fit for two that she hadn’t noticed this morning during her exploration.
“I thought I smelled pancakes,” she mentioned as the group started chatting amongst themselves again.
“You would be correct,” Cliff said as he strutted toward the kitchen, quickly returning with a stack of fluffy pancakes.
“Wow, I’m not sure I can eat all of this.” Alexis’ eyes widened at the amount of carb-filled goodness laid before her.
“Take it slow. You don’t have much in your stomach and I don’t want you to overdo it.” Cliff sat across from her, his weighted stare penetrating through every ounce of her skin.
Alexis only made it through a quarter of the stack, the three pancakes settling her hunger. Cliff cleaned her mess despite her arguments to do it herself. She wasn’t used to being waited on hand and foot, but she couldn’t deny that she could get used to it.
Cliff loomed over her at the table, his deep brown eyes roaming over her body. He was, by far, the most attractive man that she ever met. A few strands of his dark brown hair fell over his eyes and Alexis lifted her hand to swipe it back into place. She gasped at the contact as the back of her finger touched his forehead. Their eyes locked and the sounds in the next room fell away. It was just the two of them.
But Alexis wondered if she and Cliff were attracted by convenience. Would things be different for them if she wasn’t being chased by the cartel and needed his help?
Cliff reached up and gripped her wrist, tugging her hand close to his mouth. He pressed a gentle kiss on the palm of her hand and Alexis’ lips parted, wishing that his lips were settling against hers.
“Sorry we’re late, guys,” a delicate voice called out from the front door, adding to the large gathering. “We needed to drop the kids off with Poppy,” the new guest added, mentioning the Connelly’s youngest son’s wife.
“Now that Logan and Avery are here, we can’t keep them waiting much longer,” Cliff pointed out, breaking their moment.
The mood of the room shifted as Cliff pulled Alexis into the room, Mama Connelly moved from her seat on the couch and offered it to Alexis. Though she didn’t know many of the group that well, it warmed her heart to see Amy perch herself on the knee of her husband, Joseph. They were all there for her, to help protect her and catch her father.
She still struggled to come to terms with the fact that her father was the man she and her team have been tracking for years. The man that used to sing her lullabies as a baby and taught her how to tie her shoes before starting kindergarten.
“So,” Dylan addressed the group and they collectively turned their attention to him. “I’m sure by now you all know the gist of what happened and why Alexis is here. Because the mission is ongoing, I can’t divulge the background. But I will let Alexis tell you what she knows, and then we’ll devise a plan to keep her safe. But make no mistake, these men are notorious for tying up loose ends, they will come to find her. The question is when.”
Squaring her shoulders, Alexis adjusted herself in the seat, sitting straighter than a moment ago. But what gave her strength was the feeling of Cliff’s hands resting on her shoulders.
“Thanks, everyone, for dealing with all of this trouble I’ve caused,” Alexis began, then delved into what happened during the mission. She explained how she had to outrun some of the cartel’s henchmen, getting shot in the process. Had it not been for Heath, she would have died out in the field.
“How did you know that it was your father? Could you possibly have confused him with someone that merely resembled him? It seems like it has been a while since you have seen him.”
Instinctively Alexis reached toward her neck, mindlessly trying to grasp her locket which was missing.
“My locket,” she murmured, turning her attention toward Logan and Dylan, both leaning against the wall. “Did you find my locket when I arrived? It is um. . .important to me.”
Reaching into his pocket Logan stepped toward the couch, clasping the thin gold chain and heart in his hand.”
“I found it on the ground outside of Cliff’s shop. I assumed it was yours, so I held onto it.”
The heart dangled in front of Alexis’ face swinging back and forth like a pendulum. With a shaking hand, she clasped the delicate piece and held it close.
“Thank you,” she told him, unable to meet his eyes.
“How are you feeling?” Logan whispered.
“Good, tired.”
“As expected. If it is okay with you, I’d like to check the wounds before we leave.”
Before she had a chance to answer, Alexis felt Cliff’s hold on her good shoulder tighten in a supportive squeeze.
“Yeah, um. . .that would be fine.”
Logan nodded and moved back beside his wife then wrapped a protective arm around her waist. Alexis’ heart squeezed in her chest as she watched their exchange. It was not something she ever saw for herself, always thinking that she wasn’t good enough for that kind of love and affection. If her parents were so willing to toss her aside, how could she imagine that a man wouldn’t do the same? Though she had known Cliff for two years, it was always at a distance. Now that they seem to share a mutual attraction, she was afraid that he was still too closed off to pursue a relationship.
Not that she was in the right frame of mind to begin anything with anyone. Despite the cartel coming after her, she hadn’t been intimate with anyone since college. The FBI made sure that her life revolved around them and them alone.
Joseph, the patriarch of the Connelly family, leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His knowing eyes pinned to her, but regardless of the sense of authority permeating from him, his gaze reflected a sheer kindness in them.
To her, Joseph was the perfect father figure. She knew that he had fathered Avery while he and Amy had been separated, but that didn’t change her opinion of him. If anything, it strengthened it. Not many men were willing to acknowledge and accept their mistake.
“Can you tell us why this locket seems so important to you?” he asked. Anyone else that would have asked that question would have had Alexis on defense, but not Joseph. He was inquisitive about why she’s white-knuckling the jewelry.
“Oh, it was the last thing I have from my parents before they sent me away. It’s the only piece left of them.” Joseph and the rest of the group nodded in understanding, but their eyes widened as she further explained, “It is also how I know that the man I saw was my father.”
Using her chipped thumbnail, Alexis opened the locket in half, a smile immediately spreading across her lips as she stared down at a miniature picture of her mother and father. Regardless of them giving her up, she still loved them. Which made the knowledge of her father’s hobby difficult to fathom.
Alexis held up the locket for the room to see, pointing out the image of her father. Besides gray patches around his temples, he looked exactly the same as he had in the portrait.
She extended her hand, letting the chain and locket dangle from her fingers.
“The man I saw in the bunker is the same man in this picture.”
Dylan was the first to move closer, narrowing his gaze as he took in the man’s image.
“Shit,” he bellowed as he quickly moved out of the room and down the hall with his phone pressed to his ear. The others in the room all leaned in and looked at the tiny picture.
“If it is okay with you, Alexis, I’d like to make a copy of the picture and share it with the residents in town so that we can have everyone on alert,” Joseph said.
“Okay, that seems like a good idea.”
“We need to get Preston involved too. The police need to be notified so they can monitor the town and surrounding counties.”
Collectively the group agreed and for the first time, Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. These people really were going to help her. She had thought it was a silly notion at first, but now she could see that they would do anything to keep her safe.
From behind her, a voice bellowed, the sound dark and deep in its command. “Hand me the locket.” Alexis wanted to object, never one to be told what to do. She and authority never meshed well together. How she had been able to last so long in the FBI, she would never know.
As she turned in her seat, her gaze met the angry stare of Cliff’s. But as her eyes flicked back and forth, she could see that he was looking at the necklace, not at her.
She placed the heart in his hand and dropped the thin chain from her fingers. Around her, the group quieted as Cliff inspected the piece. His shrewd eyes took in every detail.
“You’ve had this a while?” he asked as he brought the small trinket closer to his eyes.
“Yes.”
“And it has always been with you?”
“Well, yes. I never take it off, and it must have fallen off outside your shop considering the circumstances.”
Cliff nodded and turned to step out of the room, his heavy stomps leading toward his kitchen. Confusion blossomed as she stared at his retreating back, even through his tight T-shirt she could see his muscles hunched around his shoulders.
Something nagged at the back of her mind, some other occasion that she went without the necklace. As a child in a group home, she learned quickly that if you wanted to keep any of your personal belongings, you kept them on your person at all times. Then you reduced the risk of another child stealing or breaking them. Or worse, the adult taking it and sometimes selling the item. Alexis saw so many beautiful heirlooms taken from the younger ones and pawned for a quick buck.
Finally, a memory popped into her mind and Alexis found herself jumping from her seat, as fast as someone injured could.
“Cliff!” she called out as she hobbled back toward the hallway, only to collide with a broad chest as she made it around the couch without her crutches. She had been using every available surface to keep herself balanced.
“I remember something. For my high school graduation, the guardian of the group home I was in took the locket to get it cleaned for me. She was one of the nicer ones and I trusted her.”
Nodding at her recollection, Cliff glided his hand down her arm until he clasped Alexis’ hand. Tugging it toward him, he flipped it over, her palm faced upward toward the ceiling.
“You shouldn’t have,” he explained and she gasped in horror as he placed her locket on her palm with the back removed. A small black object attached to the inside of the backing caught her eye.
“What’s th-” she began, but Cliff continued. “My guess is your father had been tracking you. In the group home and because of social services he could always keep an eye on where you were, even manipulating your location if he wanted. When you graduated high school, which is a rarity in the system, I might add, he knew if he wanted to continue knowing where you were at all times, then he had to do something drastic.
“I’m sure it didn’t take much convincing to get his hands on the necklace and place the tracking system inside. It’s one I’ve seen before, very popular in the late nineteen nineties.”
What little strength Alexis possessed at the moment immediately dissipates into the air. Her shoulders drooped toward the floor as she hung her head. Betrayal – that’s what she felt. Complete and utter betrayal.
“So, he’s always known where I’ve been?”
Cliff’s hand pressed onto her shoulder, his attention doing little to brighten her mood.
“Yes, which means he knew you were arriving at his bunker,” Cliff seethed, his voice sounding pained to Alexis’ ears. She pulled her gaze from the jewelry resting on her palm to the man standing before her.
“That explains why the women were moved.”
“It also means that he set you up and knowingly had his men shoot at you. I’m not sure what he’s up to because he’s had ample time to take you out since you’ve been here.”
Her face blanched, all warmth drained from her skin as she took in his words. Her father was truly a heartless bastard. It almost made her sick to her stomach knowing that she was related to him, that they shared DNA.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” she explained, her gut churning.
“That’s not the worst of our problems. I need to run it through my scanner, but if your father is who I think he is – we’re going to have more than just a few men on our tails.”
From behind her, a voice called out from the hallway, “What do we need to do?” She recognized it as Dylan.
“We need to take this thing as far away as possible.”
She really hoped that he was referring to the necklace, because for the first time, Alexis was tired of running. For once, she wanted to stay.
Chapter Five
Cliff hated that he had to leave Alexis just after she learned that her father had been tracking her for all these years. He knew that she was strong, but she still mourned the loss of her family, and knowing that her father had ample opportunities to reconnect was a bit more than he thought Alexis could handle right now. Not three or four days ago, she watched her entire team get shot down and killed at the hand of her father.
“So, explain to me again what we’re doing,” Preston asked.
Cliff turned away from looking out the passenger window and focused on the town sheriff, Preston. He didn’t know much about the man except what was in his file, but Cliff was impressed when he learned of the man’s years of undercover work. Cliff also knew that Preston had deceived and lied to Sydney and Dylan at one point. The sheriff was still working to get in the Connelly’s good graces.
“We need to make it look like Alexis skipped town. Bide ourselves more time before her father descends onto Carson. And he would come here looking for her.”
“And you thought a five-hour trip one way to Raleigh was a good idea?”
“Yes. There is a major airport and it is big enough that it will appear that Alexis is trying to hide out with a larger crowd. I found an abandoned warehouse; we can take the locket before I place it in my transmission blocker.”
When Cliff had remembered the heavy black box in his closet, elation had spiraled through him. After finding the tracking system in Alexis’ locket, the gathering in his living room had instantly quiet. The room was filled with fear and anger. But he was glad he was able to put some of them at ease. It only took a few minutes for him and Dylan to concoct a plan to deter the cartel chasing after Alexis. He was surprised when Alexis agreed to stay with Dylan while Cliff went off to complete the task.
“And you needed me to use my authority to get us there faster,” Preston clarified.
“Bingo.”
Leaning toward the driver’s side, Cliff smiled as he read the speedometer at almost one hundred miles per hour. He had drowned out the sounds of the sirens nearly two hours into their trip.
The GPS guided them to their destination, and together, the men carried the locket toward an upper floor of the abandoned warehouse, appearing to be inhabited by the homeless at some point recently based on the urine smell permeating in the space.
As they traveled back toward Carson, the necklace now safe in the blocking box, Cliff texted Dylan to meet him at his studio office. After prying the picture of her parents from the inside of the locket, Cliff wanted to run them through his government-issued scanner to see if it picked up on anyone.
He also wanted to rest his eyes on the woman he’s sworn to protect. He could only assume that she was feeling a bit lost and confused at what she learned this morning. So, when he arrived at his studio, Preston followed him out of the car. Cliff was surprised to find a determined Alexis sitting on his steps with Dylan.
The corner of his lips tilted upward in a smirk. He should have known that she would want to be a part of figuring out what they’re up against and devising a plan.
Wordlessly he bent down and lifted her into his arms, being mindful of the dress she wore, and carried her up the steps. Alexis buried her head against his shoulder and Cliff released a deep sigh that had been bottled up since this morning. He wanted nothing more than to place his lips against hers, strip her bare, and finally feel her wrapped around him. But as he set her on her feet as they reached the landing at the top of the stairs, he settled for a quick peck against her mouth.
Behind the Lens (Home in Carson Book 1) Page 9
