“I don’t like it,” I said, setting myself up for Karli’s next zinger.
“You don’t have to like it. You’re not his father.”
I opened my mouth, and Blake intervened, “We appreciate that you gave us this opportunity Judge Morrow, and we will be a phone call away if you need us. All of you just make sure that you’re aware of your surroundings at all times, and if I may offer you a piece of advice about the boy?” He looked at Karli. She tipped her chin up a little higher, almost ready for battle. It’s me she’s angry with. I hated to see Hunter suffer for it.
“Yes,” she told him.
“Make sure the school understands that there are concerns so that they won’t be lax in their security at all. Tell them who will be picking him up and make sure they don’t give out any information about him to anyone other than his family.”
I saw a subtle change in her eyes as she asked Blake, “Do you really think they’d go after him?”
“Like Leif said, there’s no way to know what these people would do. I wish I had a crystal ball, but I don’t. If you folks are tired of having people in your house and following you around and you want your privacy back, that’s your decision to make. All I can do is warn you to be careful. Leif and I will get out of your way now, but like I said, you have my number.”
“Blake…”
“We’re leaving, Leif. Now.” His tone left no room for argument. I gave Karli one last look, and then with a quick nod at the judge and his wife, I headed for the door. I was almost there when I heard a little voice behind me.
“You’re leaving? I thought we were going to play ball after dinner.” I looked down and saw Hunter standing there, holding his bat and glove.
I walked over toward him and said, “I’m sorry, buddy. I have another job I have to go do, but just know that I’d much rather be here playing ball with you.”
“Can you come back and play when you’re not busy?” Blake was walking through the foyer as Hunter said that. I had no idea what to say to the little boy.
I looked at Blake, and he simply said, “I’ll meet you outside.”
I nodded and turned back to Hunter. “I’d like that, buddy, but I’m not sure your mama would think it was such a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Well, my friend and I were just here to do a job—and now the job is over…”
“Oh, you just worked here. We’re not friends.”
“No, Hunter, I consider you a friend. One of the best actually. But sometimes it gets complicated when a grown-up and a kid are friends. Your mama and your grandparents have to have the last say in who you spend your time with. They have to always be sure that you’re safe.”
“Do they think I’m not safe with you?”
Jesus, who knew kids were so complicated? “No, Hunter.” Karli’s voice caused me to jump. “We think you’re safe when you’re with Leif. But he is a grown-up, baby, and he was here to do a job. He has other things he has to do now. We can call Mikey and see if he wants to come over when we get home, okay?”
“Mikey doesn’t know how to play ball any better than me; he doesn’t have a dad either.” He stood up and Karli said his name just before he turned and ran up the stairs. We both watched him disappear into the second story. Without looking at me, Karli started up after him. With a weighted sigh, I made my way to the door and once again out of their lives.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
BLAKE
I sat straight up in bed with a strangled cry that probably woke the neighbors up…again. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and my body trembled. I was drenched in sweat, and I sat there and tried to slow my breathing. Slowly, I lowered myself back down onto the soaked sheets and closed my eyes. I wondered just how loud I’d gotten this time. I didn’t have to wonder for long before there was a knock on the door.
“Blake!” It was my new neighbor, Jules. She’d moved in a little over three weeks ago. I hadn’t intended on even meeting her, but she was one of those people that went out of their way to get to know the entire neighborhood. She’d shown up on my doorstep with a chocolate cake one day and insisted we cut it and share a piece. She was really easy on the eyes, so I’d given in a lot easier than I would have normally. Something about her actually made me feel calm and got me talking. Talking wasn’t something I really enjoyed doing any longer, but with Jules I did. It had been a long time since I cared what anyone thought of me, but before she left that day, I started thinking about how close our bedrooms were with the way the townhouses were set up. I didn’t want her to think I was some kind of freak, and I didn’t want to scare her, so I’d told her about the nightmares and PTSD. I hadn’t told her just how bad they were, but I did let her know if she heard me yelling not to worry, I’d get past it quickly and she could go back to sleep.
“Blake!” Another sharp knock on the door got me up out of bed. I pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and went out into the living room.
I didn’t even consider what I must look like as I pulled open the door, but as soon as I saw her face, it dawned on me. “Blake, are you okay?”
I nodded. My eyesight was still adjusting to the moisture in my eyes and the leftover sleep. “I’m okay,” I told her in a raspy voice.
“I’m sorry to disturb you but you were screaming…for a long time.”
Shit. “I’m sorry, Jules. Did I wake you up?” I glanced at the clock over the mantle. It was almost three in the morning. Jules was dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt. She had her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, and her face looked fresh-scrubbed. She didn’t look like she’d been sleeping.
“No, I was up.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “At three a.m.? Why?”
She laughed. “You’re not the only one with trouble sleeping. Anyways, I’m sorry to bang on your door like that. I was just worried.”
I smiled at her. I found myself doing that a lot more around her, too. “I appreciate it,” I told her. “And I’m the one who’s sorry for disturbing you.” I looked down at myself then. My tattoo- and scar-covered body was still bathed in sweat, and shorts were all I was wearing. I could only imagine what my hair looked like. I usually kept it so short that it wouldn’t stick up if I wanted it to, but lately with Judge Morrow’s case and five others going on simultaneously, I just hadn’t had the time. “And I’m sorry you had to see me like this,” I added.
Jules smiled up at me. “I don’t see anything at all wrong with how you look,” she said with a wink. That look on her gorgeous face caused my core to light on fire just that quickly. She cleared her throat then and blushed slightly and said, “I can’t believe I just said that out loud. I should go and let you get some more rest.”
“I’m not going back to bed,” I told her. “How about I jump in the shower and buy you a cup of coffee.”
She giggled. “Buy me one? How about I just make a fresh pot. I’m not sure anything open at three in the morning is a place we want to be.”
I smiled again. “Deal. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be over.”
“The coffee will be ready, and better than anything you could buy.” She winked again and turned toward her own door. I was looking at the view from behind when she suddenly turned back around and caught me. I felt my face go hot, and she grinned and said, “You better get on that shower.”
I was the one who cleared my throat that time. “Yeah, I’m going to do that right now.” When I closed the door, my heart was racing again. It had been a long time since any woman affected me like that. Of course, I don’t spend much time with women. They always want to take things a lot further than I do. I’m not the live-in boyfriend or husband type—and I don’t want to lead anyone on. But it seemed different with Jules. She made me want to do normal things like have coffee and just talk. I was going to have to be careful, or I’d be the one expecting too much and getting attached—and I really, really didn’t want to go there.
I took my shower and dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt
. I grabbed my wallet and phone on my way out the door—and just as I closed it behind me, the damned phone started to ring. I looked down at it and didn’t recognize the number. I let it ring two more times before I finally answered it. As soon as I said a curt, “Hello?” Jules pulled open her door.
“Hi Blake.” It was a woman’s voice, but one that I didn’t recognize.
“Hello, who is this?”
“My name isn’t important. I just wanted you to know that I’m watching you.”
“And why would you want to do that?” Is this the girl I’ve been trying to track down? Is this Dawson’s sister?”
“Well, for one thing you’re a very handsome man. I honestly would have never guessed, only knowing what I knew about you when I first came to town.”
“What do you want?”
“Nothing. I just wanted you to know I’m watching…and listening. You might want to close the blinds when you make it over to your new girlfriend’s place, for some reason she doesn’t close them, not even at night.”
“Listen you—!” The call was disconnected. Shit!
Jules had her brows drawn together in the middle. “Is everything okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah, it’s fine. That was just business. I’m sorry though; I’m going to have to pass on coffee.”
She looked disappointed, and I felt bad. Another new feeling for me. Since I’d come home four years ago, empathy was a hard feeling for me to muster. “Oh, it’s okay. Another time?”
“I’d like that; I’m really sorry.”
She smiled then. “Don’t be, I understand.”
“Thank you.” I started to turn to leave, and I said, “Hey Jules?”
“Yeah?”
“You might want to lock your door and close your blinds.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Are you sure that call was business, and there isn’t something I should be worried about?”
“I’m sure. I’ll see you later.” She didn’t look convinced, but she closed the door and I heard the lock engage. As I backed out of the driveway, I looked up toward her townhouse. The blinds were closed.
********
An hour later, I was at the office surrounded by Abrahem, Leif, and Ryder. Ryder just finished his job with the actress the day before—and from the looks of him—he hadn’t gotten much sleep in between. Abrahem’s plane had landed at Louis Armstrong only a few hours before, so he was bleary-eyed, unshaven, and disheveled, definitely a far cry from his normally perfectly groomed look. Leif was the only one who looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but he also seemed distracted. I had a suspicion on what that was about, but I left it alone for a few minutes and got to the point of why I’d dragged them all in so early. Pouring myself a second cup of coffee, I said, “It looks like Tyler didn’t get the message, so I’m going to get started.”
The door burst inward and a huge, burly biker with a beard that touched his chest, wearing a dirty leather vest and jeans, rushed in. “Sorry I’m late, boss.” Tyler looked like a completely different person. If I was his mother and passed him on the street, I don’t think I’d recognize him.
“Oh look! A Hell’s Angel ate Tyler,” Leif said, straddling his chair backwards and taking a seat. Tyler grinned at him and flipped him off simultaneously. He grabbed one of the donuts that Ryder bought on his way in and poured himself a cup of coffee. After he said hello to everyone, he took a seat, too.
“Okay. So I got a phone call this morning from a woman.”
“You called us here to brag? Because I left my own woman at home in bed…”
“Shut up, Ryder.” Ryder grinned but stayed silent as I went on, “This woman told me that she was watching me. She wouldn’t say why or who she was, and her voice didn’t sound familiar. She did have some information however that she shouldn’t have, or couldn’t have, if she wasn’t telling the truth.”
“Any ideas on who it might be, boss?” Tyler asked with his mouth full of a maple bar.
“Is this about Dawson or Dana Stanton?” Ryder asked. Ryder was the only one who knew about Dawson and his sister, but since a lot of things had been happening that none of them knew about, I figured it was time to come clean.
Without going into detail about what happened in the Helmund Province, I told the guys this had all started over there. “This young enlisted man, Dawson Stanton was killed, and since I got home I’ve been trying to find his twin sister and talk to her. I’m not sure why it was so important to me, I guess just because I knew how important she was to him. His parents spoke with me, and neither of them seemed to blame me for anything, but I get the feeling Dana does.”
“So you think she’s your stalker, boss?” Abrahem spoke for the first time.
“I have no idea. But I do know that a lot of strange things have been happening—and they all started about the time I got close to finding Dana. First, this place was broken into and more than once either Ryder or I have seen a blue mustang with dark tinted windows either parked across the street or driving by slowly. One day I think I saw a flash, like maybe she was taking photos…or he, I didn’t see who was in the car.”
“You want me to try and trace the cell phone number, boss?” Abrahem asked me.
I nodded. “I doubt you’ll find out anything other than it’s a burner phone, but it’s worth a shot. My main reason for telling you all is that—because of this—I’m going to be a lot busier the next few weeks or so. I know that we’re already short-staffed, so I apologize, but Ryder since you’re finished with your assignment…and Abrahem, since you’re back now maybe the two of you would be able to pick up any new clients that come in.” They both nodded, and I told Tyler, “You keep doing what you’re doing? Any sign of the boy yet?”
“Not yet, but I have confirmed he was there at least for a while. He convinced Lee to let him prospect and he rode with them for a few weeks before he suddenly went missing again.” Lee is the president of the motorcycle club that Tyler had infiltrated. The kid that’s missing is a nineteen-year-old named Brayden Farr. He became fascinated with joining an MC club since he watched his first “Sons of Anarchy” episode at the age of thirteen. When his college roommate reported him missing, his mother told the police she believed he found a club to join. The police gave it a cursory investigation, but since he was technically an adult and the MC club wasn’t technically illegal, their hands were tied. That’s when the parents came to us. Tyler is a natural on a motorcycle, and the rest of the guys are not, so by default, he got the job.
“So what’s your next move?”
“I’ve been making friends. There’s a couple of new prospects, young kids, eighteen or so named Moose and Gargoyle. Moose comes from a biker family, so he’s pretty closed off about things, but I get the feeling there’s something Gargoyle is terrified of, and I’m hoping it has to do with the kid.”
“Okay, good work,” I told him. “You can go ahead and get back to work.” I handed Abrahem the phone number from the call I received earlier and said, “You get some sleep first. There’s no real big hurry on that. Ryder, Lucy was working on getting the keys to the empty house across the street from me if you can check with her and see where she’s at on that?”
“Sure.”
He pulled his lanky frame up out of the chair and I said, “You need more sleep, too?”
“Nah, I’m not a sissy like Abrahem.” Abe flipped him off with a completely straight face.
“Good, once we get that key, you and I will have a look at that house.” Ryder and Abrahem took off. Tyler and Leif were in the back of the room talking. They stopped when I walked up. I wasn’t insulted by it. I knew they looked at me differently than they did each other. They’d always have my back, but I was their boss and not necessarily their friend.
“Okay, boss, I’m taking off.”
“You might wanna comb that beard for bugs,” I told him. He only grinned. I wondered what his pretty wife thought of the beard and the beginnings of a beer belly. She probably hated me by
now. I watched him go, and Leif stood up and yawned and stretched. “So where were you when I called you all in this morning?”
I’m not sure how he ever pulled off lying to Karli for so long. He was about the worst liar I’d ever met. A guilty look crossed his face before he opened his mouth. When he did he said, “Um…I couldn’t sleep so I went out for a walk…”
“Anywhere near Karli’s house?”
He swallowed hard. “Maybe…”
“Damn it, Leif! I thought you were going to leave that alone.”
“It’s not what you think. This is not about my obsession with her. I’m over that…” I raised an eyebrow and he said, “Okay, not over it, but I’ve accepted the way things are. But the idea of her and that little boy being out there alone like sitting ducks when Jaime Guzman has hundreds of thugs at his disposal is eating me up, boss.”
“Does she know you’re watching her?”
His eyes widened. “No way! If she did, there’d probably be a restraining order in place.”
“She doesn’t want a bodyguard, Leif. You need to leave it alone before she does file one on you.”
“Okay, but then maybe you can tell me how I’m supposed to live with it when something happens to her?”
I have the same kind of gut feeling about this whole thing that Leif does. I also have a personal stake in things. Frank Morrow doesn’t remember me, but when I was a junior in high school, my father was arrested for stealing money from the company he was working for. When he went in front of the judge, my dad broke down and told him his story. He had been working for a roofing company for ten years at a very low salary. He fell off of a roof, and while he was off recuperating, we lost our house because he couldn’t pay the mortgage. Mom was working at the time as a teacher’s aide, but she didn’t make anywhere near enough for us to live off of. I tried to get a job, but Dad wouldn’t let me. He thought I’d end up with a football scholarship and he wanted me to concentrate on my game. We lived without running water and electricity for several months in a house the sheriff finally came and kicked us out of. We didn’t have enough money to even get a motel room, but my dad was too proud to ask for help. We camped out near the swamps for a while, and as things got worse and worse, my dad got more and more depressed.
LEIF (Blake Security Book 3) Page 9
