Echoes in the Wind

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Echoes in the Wind Page 15

by Debra Jupe


  Eric groaned, slowly raising his head. “You’re back.”

  She tried to avoid staring at him, all cute and groggy from sleep. She swallowed and clutched the suitcase handle tight, using it as a restraint not to charge over and attack him. Mussed hair, his jawline covered with a dark shadow from missing a shave, he managed successfully to appear both roguish and sexy at the same time.

  “There was a huge pileup on the 101. I sat on the road for an hour.” She pulled her bags into the middle of the room. “Did you succeed in getting past the press and inside and out of your house with your stuff?”

  A hint of a smile played on his lips as he sat up. He waved to a stack by the glass door. “We’re experts at sneaking by the paparazzi.”

  She eyed his two small suitcases sitting next to three guitar cases. She turned back to him with raised eyebrows.

  “Priorities, luv.”

  “You managed to get five items out without the tabloids noticing you? You are experts.”

  Eric’s grin developed into a full smile. “You’ll be finding out soon enough.”

  Darla shook her head and ignored the jolt between her thighs. “Save it.” She picked up her bags. “I’m going to go pack. I’ve left my SUV open. Can you move and load your stuff in the back?”

  “I should be able to.”

  “Good. Keep the lights off in the carport. I’ve made sure the interior car lights are out too. Since the house sits on top of a slope, we can be spotted from anywhere in the neighborhood. I don’t want anyone, meaning any reporters, to catch us.” She paused. “Be sure you don’t press any of your stuff against my hanging clothes. I just picked them up from the dry cleaners and would rather not have them wrinkled.”

  He gave her a small salute as he stood. “Aye. M’ finger pads won’t graze a stitch of your fine garments, luv,” he replied, exaggerating his brogue.

  She ignored his smart ass comment and continued, “A cooler is behind the driver’s seat filled with sandwiches and drinks, if you’re hungry. I plan on eating once we get on the road.”

  “I’m not ready for food. I’ll eat when you do.”

  Darla hurried, packed her things, then rolled her suitcases out to her car and placed them beside Eric’s. She’d put the third seat down earlier, so there was plenty of room. Even though he appeared better, he would need to sleep. She threw a spare blanket and pillow in the middle section. Now all that was left for her to load was Eric.

  She strolled back inside. Through the windows she observed him on the deck having a smoke. She opened the door and stepped out, wondering where he’d gotten the nicotine but didn’t ask.

  She pointed to the cigarette. “You’re aware you can’t do that in my car, right?”

  Eric angled away to exhale. “Yes. I believe you’ve made your opinion clear about my bad habit.”

  “It is a filthy addiction, although I realize a hard one to do without. Are you going to be all right? Not smoking for a long time?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “You should quit.”

  “Heard it before.” He flicked a cool gaze at her. “Maybe Raging Impulse was only a teen band, but I did all the rock and roll clichés. I won’t go into the gory details, although there was a short stint where I got hooked on pills. I even went to rehab a couple of times before I was able to kick ’em. When I quit doing drugs, I stopped drinking. I eat healthy. I exercise to keep in shape. So I have one harmful weakness.”

  Darla did her best to digest this confession and not appear surprised. Up to now, he’d been flippant or vague about who he was. His almost allowing her into such a dark place in his past showed he was coming to trust her.

  He gave her a side glance. “I bet if we dove into your personal habits, we’ll find you possess a couple of bad ones too.”

  “I enjoy ice cream. A lot.”

  “See?”

  “Too much ice cream may only hurt me. It doesn’t pollute my surroundings or damage anyone else from second hand effects.” Darla paused and frowned at him. “Wait a minute. You said you don’t drink, but you had one at the party.”

  “Diet soda, luv.” He tossed the butt over the side of the deck, turned to her, and smiled. “I do have one other vice.” He grasped her arm and tugged her to him, bringing her snug against his chest. “I’m more than willing to let you help me with this one.” He nuzzled her hair aside, lightly trailed kisses down her neck.

  Swells waved in the pit of her stomach. She took a long, deep breath and dragged her body away from him, about to remind him they needed to get on the road. But the burning fire in his eyes persuaded her to remain quiet.

  He drew her back to him. After a slight hesitation, he pressed his mouth against hers. One arm curled around her middle, while his other hand sifted through her curls. He hugged her closer into him, fitting the notch of her thighs into the thickened hardness of his erection. A spur of thrills roused and burst between her legs where she grew warmer.

  A growl vibrated in his throat. His body bore into hers, directing her with his weight and drove her into a chaise lounge behind them without breaking their kiss. He lengthened his arm toward the bottom to trigger the chair to fall back flat and maneuvered over her.

  Darla reluctantly pulled away. “We need to go inside and do this.”

  “It’s dark. No one can see us.”

  A vaguely familiar crack whizzed over their heads.

  “Shit,” Eric yelped.

  Instinctively, they rolled off the lounge, clutching one another as they crashed to the boarded surface. Darla landed on top of Eric, who grunted loud as they hit the ground.

  He struggled to catch his breath. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. You?”

  “No new injuries, but the old ones hurt like hell.”

  Darla peeked. “What’s going on?”

  He cupped his hand around the crown of her head to haul her into him. “Keep down.” He covered her with his arms. Darla clung to him, her face buried into his shoulder. Another deep, piercing pop rang out from the night followed by a chink, like metal hitting glass.

  Darla jerked. “Someone is shooting at us.”

  Eric tightened his hold around her, his voice sounding a little more than a rumble. “Texas girl knows the sound of a gun.”

  “Damn straight I do.” She struggled to escape his grip, but even with a bad arm he kept her from moving. “Who’s firing at us?”

  “Not so loud.” He put his lips to her ear. “I can’t get a good look at who’s doing the shooting.”

  “We need some guns too.”

  “Hold on. Don’t go crazy.” He raised his head to do a quick survey. “I don’t hear anything now.”

  Darla stayed motionless as she strained to listen. “They might be moving for a different angle on us.”

  “The car is unlocked. I’d say keep low and get inside. Then make a break for the SUV.”

  “What if they see us? There could be more than one.”

  “I’d rather take a chance and try to survive this, as opposed to us staying put and getting my ass shot off.”

  She didn’t respond but rolled off Eric. She crouched down to crawl into the house with him close behind. Holding hands, they made their way through the darkened rooms and onto the carport. The doors to the vehicle stood open.

  They separated. Darla squinted to gauge out into the night. With the exception of the faint roar of the ocean and the rumble of a motorcycle, the neighborhood sat quiet. Eric’s steps were light as he walked around to the back to quietly latch the SUV’s rear hatch as he and Darla shut the side doors with ease.

  “I left the keys inside,” Darla whispered

  Eric reached for her hand. “You’re not going anywhere by yourself.”

  ****

  He hid his bike and returned to the SUV to view the chaos he’d caused. Standing in the darkness, he watched them disappear into the house. He peeked around the carport’s edge and inside the loaded vehicle. They only thought they were e
scaping him. What a surprise he had in store for them. He chuckled softly. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out their plans. Just took a little attention to detail. Eric and Blaine were turning tail, leaving town with their new girlfriends. Cowards. But this wasn’t news.

  He forced a diversion, and if he hadn’t hit a pot hole and messed up his motorcycle, it’d have been an exciting one. No matter. The distraction gave him the time to set up what he needed. They’d be meeting again in the near future.

  He’d done a lot of work to achieve his goals and had some fun too. Like randomly shooting while Eric was in the throes of making his same old moves.

  He did have a single regret. If he had arrived a few minutes earlier when Eric stood alone outside, he would have taken him out with a solitary shot. Then only one more issue to resolve.

  Yet, he was disappointed Eric behaved so carelessly. Where was the challenge in that? Perhaps the girl had his thoughts in a cloud, or it could be the gash on the head making him think unclearly. No matter. He couldn’t wait until the entire band was gone and that would be soon. Very soon.

  ****

  Darla and Eric hurried in, grabbed the keys, ran back outside, and climbed into their seats. She inserted the key, turned the ignition, threw the automobile in reverse, and backed out. In the street, she put the gear in drive, then hit the gas, screeching the tires hard enough to leave rubber ribbons in the asphalt.

  Darla clutched the steering wheel. Her heart pounded like a loud drum in her ears. They didn’t speak. Both carefully scoured the area as they exited the subdivision. Once on the highway, she stretched to adjust her mirror for a better rear view. “I don’t believe anyone followed us, do you?”

  “Doesn’t look like it.” Eric continued to search the night.

  “Just a wild guess, but this is the same person who shot you before, right?”

  “Probably. I hate to think I have multiple people trying to kill me, though I suppose it’s a possibility.” He burrowed further into the leather seats, still cautiously scanning the neighborhood.

  “I’m surprise the windows at your house didn’t bust when the bullets hit ’em.”

  “They’re bulletproof.”

  He turned to her with a surprised look.

  “I researched the area after I moved in. A drug lord from South America lived in my home about twenty years ago. According to the story, he was paranoid about his safety, so he had shatterproof windows installed. Not that they did him any good. They found his head washed up on the beach, close to where you live. The authorities never discovered his body.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’ve put you in danger. Anyone connected to me isn’t safe. Coming with you was a bad idea.”

  “I can take care of myself. Besides, where would you go? I mean, I know there are other people in your life. Like family members? They may be at risk too if you’re around them or they could be in danger, regardless. You might want to warn them, if you haven’t already.”

  “I haven’t spoken to my family.” Eric squirmed in his seat. “Everybody who’s been hurt lives in the US, not in Scotland. Most of my relatives are either in Aberdeen or London. I’m not worried yet.”

  “You should call them.”

  “I will.”

  Darla’s nerves calmed, and she relaxed her grip on the steering wheel. “How come none of you moved back to Scotland after the band broke up?”

  “I can’t speak for the others. For Blaine and me, staying here seemed like a better opportunity. Besides my parents and I are not on the best of terms, right now.”

  Darla glanced sideways.

  “They’ve never been happy with my decision to join Raging Impulse. They don’t view music as a career choice but more of a hobby.”

  “You proved them wrong.”

  “Didn’t matter. They’re disappointed in me. My mum and dad aren’t poor, although they aren’t well off either. I earned a scholarship to the University of Aberdeen. They were excited because I’m the first to go to college in our immediate family.”

  “To study music?”

  “Actually the degree is in architecture. I met Drake, joined the band, and promised my parents I’d finish school.” He gave her a sad grin. “I was young and had only one goal in mind. In the end, I didn’t keep my word. They’re not pleased with me, so we don’t talk much.”

  “How close were you to graduating?”

  “Two semesters.”

  Her eyes widened. “Eric, complete your education. For no other reason than to honor the agreement. You can go to school online nowadays. Granted, parents should support their kids regardless if they approve of their choices, but find a way to make up with them. Life is too short not to be close to your family. You must get in touch with them. You need them with all of the havoc around you. Besides, I’m sure they’re proud of your accomplishments now.”

  He stared out the window for a long time. “They’ll be less happy when I tell them what’s recently happened.” He exhaled a huge sigh. “Our former manager embezzled most of our money and has disappeared with it. We’re broke.”

  Darla hesitated, not sure how to respond to this confession. “I read your manager wasn’t a very good guy and he didn’t treat the group well. But that’s low.”

  “I’m guessing he thinks it’s a form of payback. He did make us famous. I’m sure after what we did to him, he views us as traitors.”

  “What happened?”

  “Our last performance was crazy. We were on stage. Finn was always a pain in the ass, but that night he was hell-bent on pissing everybody off. He got into my spotlight one too many times. I reared back with a fist and knocked the shit out of him.”

  “You did? You don’t seem like the violent type.”

  “I’m not. But that night he got to me. And plus, I’ve always been the outspoken one, the cynical member of the group. They held me at fault for starting everything, which is true. The one punch turned into an all-out brawl. Dugan and our security team rushed on stage to break us up. I had a bloody lip, so I ducked out and went into the dressing room to stop the bleeding. I discovered Dugan had left his computer on, and he was looking at some disturbing pictures online. Little boys, young men. We knew he was a bad guy, Darla, but this was sick stuff. I showed the rest of band, minus Finn. We decided to call in the authorities right then. Everything else is documented.”

  “So he holds a grudge.”

  Eric nodded. “A big one.”

  “Big enough to want to kill you guys?”

  He turned away and stared out the window.

  “Have you explained the money situation to your parents?”

  “I’ve thought about telling them. But how do I do that? How do I say I was stupid, got involved with a perverted crook, lost everything, and now I don’t have a pence? What will they think of me after they realize I worked my ass off for eight years, only to find out it was nothing but a waste of time?”

  Darla nearly veered off the road from his admission. She clutched the wheel to steady the vehicle. His vulnerability startled her, even scared her a tiny bit. It took him down a notch. It made him seem equal to a regular person who made mistakes like everybody else.

  “They are your family. They love you, no matter what. And turning the guy in was the right thing to do.” Darla briefly dragged her eyes away from the highway to steal a glance at him. “Eric. You can always find a way to earn money. But you’ll never recover lost time.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “My older brother is a lawyer. He works for a prestigious firm in Austin. When we get to Texas, I’ll call him, if you want. I don’t know what he can do to help you personally, but he might give you some direction.”

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “Why not?”

  “That’s really nice of you.” He sat still for long time before he spoke again. “You family must be pleased about you getting your doctoral degree.”

  “They are
. But I also believe they wish I’d hurry up and get out of school.”

  Eric fidgeted and released a soft groan.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I guess I’ve overdone it today.”

  “You think?”

  “Yeah, I’m achy.”

  “I packed the ibuprofen.” She opened the console between them and fetched the bottle. “Maybe you ought to take some. Your meds from the doctor are in my purse behind my seat. Would you rather have those?”

  He took the container from her, popped the tab, and shook out two pills. “No, this will work for now. I’m gonna get a drink. You want one?” Eric extended an arm behind her then jerked his hand away. His gaze snapped to the backseat. “Stop the car.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Pull over and stop the car.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s a body back there.”

  Chapter 16

  Both feet on the brake, Darla jammed the pedal to the floor. A right jerk of the steering wheel had the SUV skidding onto the shoulder for twenty yards before she slid to a bumpy stop well off the highway. She flung the gear into park. Doors flew open as they bolted from the vehicle. Darla ran around to Eric and clutched his arm with both hands. Together they rushed to the front, standing in the headlights glow, and stared at the automobile.

  “This is so not our night,” she panted.

  “More like not our weekend.”

  “Who’s in my car?” Her voice turned shaky.

  “How the hell do I know?”

  Eric had his fill of dead people. The discovery of a second one within twenty-four hours left him a little more than unnerved. He didn’t want to fall apart in front of Darla. Thus far, he’d done his best to keep everything together, but he was on the verge of losing his mind.

  “You’re sure a body is in the backseat?”

  Eric glared at her, frustrated. “I’ve found plenty of ’em lately. I think I’d recognize a dead person when I see one.”

  “Just this one.” Darla let go of him and edged closer to the driver’s side. “Or are you holding out and you’ve discovered more?”

 

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