Absolutely charming.
“I had to make sure you weren’t dangerous.” He stepped forward and picked up my knife. After he examined it, he slid it into the back of his jeans.
“Right, because I’m the one who broke into your apartment.” I gritted my teeth.
He laughed and held up a key. “I didn’t break in, I had this.”
“Where did you get that?” I stared at the key he held up as my stomach filled with lead.
“I asked that old wind-bag all nice-like and she just handed it over to me.”
By ‘old wind-bag,’ I assumed he was talking about the landlady, Mrs. Triton. She was a sweet little lady in her early sixties that made wonderful hot chocolate. I closed my eyes and remembered how she’d looked the last time I’d seen her.
Dread worked its way up my spine. “Please don’t tell me you did something to Ms. Triton.”
Rodney didn’t answer. Instead, he got defensive. “You wouldn’t be so uptight if you just got laid once in a while.”
I was planning a real zinger of a reply when something bizarre happened. My body went on autopilot in answer to the call.
‘Duck, knee, hit, kick, grab, aim, pull.’
My limbs responded on their own, and suddenly I was standing over Rodney with his smoking gun in my trembling hands.
So I did what any brave, in control woman would do …
* * *
My eyes popped open just in time to aim away from Ashley as I retched until my stomach muscles were sore. The dream ended just like it always did: with me in the fetal position, sick to my stomach, and feeling like I was about to pass out. Tears streamed down my face, but they couldn’t erase what I’d done.
Rodney had been my first kill.
I begged to forget, but I never could.
I remembered everything.
The first month, it was too risky to leave my apartment for any reason. I ate what I had in the house, rationing out my meals. Then Rodney made his guest appearance. After I killed him, I stuffed everything I couldn’t live without into my ten-year-old Honda Civic. Abandoning my apartment in Vancouver, I drove north on Highway 30, away from civilization. When my fuel light came on, I veered off on a gravel side street and found a safe spot to park.
Mother Nature welcomed me to her bosom for the better part of two months. I lived off the land and slept in my car. It was lonely, but I never felt completely alone in the woods. I stayed until I felt the call tell me to leave again.
I’ve never had any delusions about my mental and physical capabilities. Only flesh and blood; fallible and mortal. These calls, they were not from me. Though I’d never told anyone, God had always been in my head, leading me, warning me, and keeping me sane. So when He tugged on me to go north, I went, concluding that He was calling me to Canada, where I could find sanctuary and Michelle.
CHAPTER NINE
CONNOR AWAKENED BEFORE the girls. He rolled up his sleeping bag and stretched. The morning was brisk, so he slid on his jacket and sat down, waiting for Liberty and Ashley to wake. The girls were so peaceful in their sleep that it gave him time to reflect on the previous evening. There had been tears and change and Connor wasn’t anxious to step into a brave new morning where Liberty looked at him with pity and Ashley cried. Deciding he needed some time alone, he scribbled out a note that he’d catch up to them and took off for a jog.
His mind was heavy, but at least his feet were still light. He jumped over a bush and remembered Ashley’s scowl. Well, at least she’s not ignoring me anymore. And more important than that, she’d finally heard him out. In less than a week Liberty had accomplished what Connor had been attempting for two months. He was thankful, but at the same time annoyed by her success.
He pushed away his irritation and focused on the scenery. A layer of dew covered the ground and his shoes were not waterproof. Dampness seeped into his toes, cooling him as he ran. The morning felt crisp and clean; fresh and pure. A more optimistic man would use some cliché metaphor about a new beginning, but Connor was not that man. So instead of trying to compare his life to a Hallmark card, he relaxed and enjoyed the beauty around him.
The girls were already awake and on the move when he circled back around. Staying to the south of them, he followed as they crossed the highway, railroad tracks, and made it to White River before noon. Looking around, Connor marveled at the Washington scenery. Nestled between two small hills packed with evergreens, White River flowed, bringing life to the green countryside. Mount Rainier to the southeast, and the Cascades to the east, shaped a breathtaking skyline. The cool, glacier water flowed quickly, enchanting the air with its melodies. He inhaled deeply, intending to savor the moment, but smelled smoke coming from the direction the girls had gone. Shaking his head in disbelief, he went to investigate.
Sure enough, Liberty and Ashley had started a fire. By the time Connor reached them, Liberty was holding her deadly skillet over flames while Ashley poured a white, gooey mess from a plastic bag into the pan.
“Seriously?” Ashley asked as she tilted the baggie up. “This will make pancakes?”
What does she think she’s doing? Connor wondered, his fists clenching as he approached.
“Good morning Sunshine,” Liberty said with a Cheshire grin.
Sunshine? Connor scowled. What stupid game is she playing now?
“Hey, Déjà vu,” he replied. “The only thing we’re missing is your creepy boyfriend. Did he miss the cue or is he coming later?”
Her smile only widened. “He couldn’t make today’s performance.” She jiggled the handle of the pan. “Care to take his place?”
Connor felt heat rush to his face as his temper flared. “Just giving you a friendly reminder of what happened the last time you made a fire. So … suicidal or stupid? Are you intentionally endangering the life of my niece? Or are you so thick-skulled you didn’t even realize that’s what you’re doing?”
Her smile turned into a teeth-bearing snarl and her eyes sparked a warning as they narrowed. Her knuckles turned white around the handle of the frying pan, and Connor took a step back, just to be safe.
“Ash, take this.” Liberty passed the handle to the girl and shuffled through her pack, pulling out a large spoon. She haphazardly flipped the pancake, getting little specks of batter all over the place. “Oh, thank goodness you found us in time!” She gasped. “What on earth would we do without The Incredible Connor Dunstan to take care of us?”
Ashley giggled.
Connor could feel his teeth grinding against each other. He consciously forced them apart and said, “This is foolish. Your immaturity is a danger to us all.”
“How dare you! I have been watching my own back now for the full ten years of my adult life. I don’t need your protection, I don’t need your manipulation, and I don’t need you.”
He blinked. Last night her gaze had been heavy with understanding and tainted by pity. Now she was freaking out on him because he was trying to keep them safe? Multiple personalities? Bipolar?
She calmly removed the pancake from the frying pan, placed it on a cleaned, flat rock, and dumped more batter into the pan. The cakes were a little thin, but the fragrance infected Connor’s brain and tickled his taste buds. His stomach rumbled, but Liberty was too busy growling to notice. When did I last have pancakes?
“You are not in command of this expedition. I will not take orders from you, and you do not have the right to pull my strings, Geppetto.” She stood directly in front of his face, with her index finger digging into his chest. “We are always in peril. We hide in shadows, sleep in bushes, and are on the move constantly. Should we give up everything that makes us happy in order to survive? If that’s your idea of survival, I don’t want it. I’d rather be happily dead.” She went back to preparing the food. “Right now, the promise of pancakes makes me pretty happy.”
Connor watched her. To him, the risk of discovery and death seemed like a hefty price to pay for a meal. But he and Ashley had never starved. Their sup
plies had held out and he had always been able to find whatever they needed. It occurred to him that he knew almost nothing about Liberty. She could have been starving in the sewers or running for her life before he met her. Still, she needed to understand the danger.
“You could have been killed,” he said, knowing there was no way she could have held off the man from the previous day if he’d attacked her. “Or worse.”
“I had a plan and I was taking care of it!” Her voice was one decibel shy of yelling. “Did you not see the skillet to the head?” She took a deep breath, but it didn’t stop her temper from coloring her cheeks. “I’ve taken care of men like that before.”
Connor chuckled. His gaze drifted to her chest and lingered there. Starvation hadn’t robbed her of all her curves and he took a moment to appreciate that fact. “Oh, I bet you have.” Wonder if I can get her angry enough to self-destruct?
Her arms started to cross in front of her, but she stopped and lowered her clenched fists to her sides. “First off, that is none of your business. Secondly, if you think I’d have allowed that shaggy, putrid, revolting excuse for a human being to have his way with me, you know nothing about me! I’d have put my knee through his genitals, or died trying.”
Connor’s mouth twitched. Unsure of the exact moment when his anger morphed into amusement, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. She was exactly the type of person he’d enjoyed getting on the stand; just blow a little smoke in her direction and she goes up like bonfire.
“If you didn’t trust me to keep Ashley safe, you shouldn’t have manipulated me into taking her.”
Connor’s eyebrows rose. She figured it out? Didn’t see that one coming.
“And what should I have done?” he asked, glancing at Ashley and wondering if she’d figured it out as well. “She needed to get out of there, and she wouldn’t have willingly come with me.
Liberty raised an eyebrow. “So you left her locked in a safe with a perfect stranger, and now you’re getting on my case because you think I’m putting her life in danger?”
“Let me get this straight.” Connor tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully. “You’re screeching at me because I trusted you with Ashley?”
“Screeching?” Her voice raised another octave.
“You can be as self-righteous as you want, but I did the right thing! I knew what I was doing, and I can’t believe you’re really arguing with me about this. You’re so determined not to trust me, that you can’t possibly accept that I trusted you.”
She sighed, and a vast amount of anger seemed to escape with her breath. “You could have asked, you know.”
“Right.” He snickered. “Before or after you threatened to rename me ‘Stubby’?”
“You … you … are so infuriating.”
She sounded more frustrated and confused than angry. He couldn’t blame her, but he also couldn’t shed light on something he didn’t even understand. He’d always been able to read people and his career had just enhanced the ability. But how could he explain that to some crazed woman? Instead he squared his chin and looked her into her eyes. “I will not ever apologize for doing what I felt was right for Ashley. Don’t ask me to.”
* * *
After the pancake batter was depleted, Liberty dumped maple flavor into the pan. Then she added water and sugar, and stirred the mixture while it heated. Eventually the contents of the pan thickened into a runny maple syrup. Connor smothered the fire and the trio sat around the pan, dipping the pancakes in the syrupy mix, and stuffing them into their faces. Connor closed his eyes and savored the quiet, flavorful moment.
When they were done eating, Ashley slipped behind a tree and left Liberty and Connor alone. His anger had dissipated, and hers appeared to have as well, sated by the hot meal. But the woman’s stubbornness knew no bounds. She took the pan and spoon to the water and washed them, throwing occasional glances over her shoulder.
Connor leaned back, resting on his elbows in the grass. A few fluffy clouds raced across the sky as birds chattered in the trees. It was a calm, peaceful background noise and for a moment he rested his eyes. Then he heard Liberty zip her pack.
“The pancakes were delicious. Thanks,” Connor said, pushing himself off the ground.
Liberty’s brow furrowed as she slung her pack over her arm and approached him. “You’re welcome.” She cleared her throat and came to a stop directly in front of him. “Now here’s the deal. Right now you have a clean slate, but if we’re gonna do this, you have to be honest with me. We work together, or not at all. Do not lie to me and don’t you dare manipulate me again.”
Connor watched her. So … unpredictable, he thought. Just ten minutes ago she was screaming at him and now … Ground rules for a partnership?
She held out her hand, interrupting his thoughts. “Deal?”
CHAPTER TEN
CONNOR STARED AT my open hand while I wondered what was going through his mind. His expression shifted. The indifferent face of a practiced attorney stared back at me for a moment. Then the sides of his lips turned up into a grin that made me feel like guppy swimming dangerously close to a shark. But it was too late to recall the offer.
“Deal.” He grasped my hand and firmly shook it.
Not to be outdone, I squeezed his hand as hard as I could.
He chuckled.
I pulled my hand away and resisted the urge to wipe it on my pants.
* * *
We headed north again, and this time Connor walked beside us. The river led us for four more days. Often we’d stop early to fish, taking advantage of the proximity of the water. The abundant catches were a blessing, and we rarely had to dip into our meager provisions.
By the time the sun reached its zenith on the fifth day, it was hidden behind angry, dark clouds. Lightning lit up the sky, accompanied by the foreboding background music of thunder. The temperature dropped quickly, and then the clouds split open and dumped their contents on our heads in a sudden downpour.
Connor and I each grabbed one of Ashley’s hands and ran for cover toward the nearest group of trees. We huddled together and searched the area for shelter. Multiple dark houses lined both sides of our new discovery: a golf course. We set our sights on the closest house and ran for it.
The windows were busted, but ironically, the front door was locked. Connor slipped through the broken window and let us in. The home smelled faintly of mold and dust, but that was all. Ashley and I dripped on the hardwood floor while Connor drew his knife, motioned for us to stay put, and disappeared.
The house was impressive. Vaulted ceilings, professionally painted and textured walls, classy light fixtures, and a gorgeous, brick fireplace were just a few of the features that made it so appealing. Our shoes crunched on the shattered glass from the window as we admired the custom moldings of the living room.
Now that we were shielded from the pounding rain, I couldn’t hear Ashley’s teeth chattering. “Come on. You need to get out of those wet clothes.” I grabbed her hand and headed for the stairs, almost running into Connor.
“Upstairs is clear.” He scooted around us.
“Oh Ash, he’s like our own, personal guard dog.” I tried to pat him on the head, but he moved away from me.
Ashley giggled as I towed her up the stairs.
Both the smaller bedrooms had obviously belonged to boys, but the resident of the farthest room had been about Ashley’s size. She grabbed sweatpants and a sweatshirt while I searched the top drawers for socks.
“Here you go.” I held up a pair of the boy’s underwear.
She scrunched up her face. “I don’t think so.”
I attempted to hand them to her, but she backed away. “Afraid they might bite you?” I laughed.
“Very funny. I don’t need underclothes that bad.”
I was not nearly as picky. In fact, the discovery of a clean sports bra in the master bedroom threw me into a victory dance. Finding pants was a bit trickier. My jeans used to be size twelve. I’
d worked out religiously and made every attempt to diet, but try as I might; there was no squeezing my ample derrière into anything smaller. But now, I had trouble finding pants the right length. Like usual, everything I found in the woman’s dresser fit around the waist with no problems, but only came to the middle of my calf. Definitely not ideal for trudging through the forest. Sighing, I pulled on a pair of men’s sweatpants—at least six sizes too big—and tugged on the string until the fabric doubled over.
So much for thin.
* * *
After we were dry and dressed we found Connor in the garage, surrounded by a dark cloud of smoke. A small barbeque was pushed against the open external door.
Ashley coughed and swatted at the smoke with her hand.
“We haven’t even been here an hour and you’re already trying to burn the house down?” I asked. “What is it with boys and fire?”
“Hah. Very funny.” He lifted up the lid of the barbie, peeked inside and closed it. “Now get out of here and let me cook.”
“Cook?” I plugged my nose. “It doesn’t smell like food.”
He chased us out with a spatula.
Temporarily banned from the garage and left to our own devices, Ashley and I raided the kitchen for pots and pans to use for collecting rainwater.
“I’m cold already,” Ashley complained. “What if I freeze to death because you’re making me get clean?” She stacked another pot on the counter, following my lead.
Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1 Page 7
