by S. E. Rose
They inform us that they will be bugging my cottage and Jack’s house. Great, there goes my privacy. And with that, they ship us back to the hotel around midnight. Agent Banks says he will be in touch and we will be given explicit directions regarding a number of things, such as what we did in London this weekend. At midnight, Agent Banks drops us off at our hotel. Jack is quiet as we pack up our bags. I’m about done with the awkward silence. I sit down on the bed and watch him pack.
“Are we going to speak?” I ask.
He stops and looks at me. “Clearly, you weren’t interested in speaking to me when you planned all of this,” he says dryly as he waves an arm toward the room. I cringe as I know he is hurt.
I put my hands on my hips. “I didn’t tell you because you would have stopped me.”
“Bloody right, I would have stopped you,” he growls with a glare as he chucks a shirt in his bag. He pauses and turns to me. I can see the anger drain from his face as he takes a step in my direction. “Laura, I would never have allowed you to get involved in all of this. It’s too dangerous!”
“I’m not a child, Jack.” I glare at him.
“I am fully aware of that, but you don’t know what you’re getting into. You could get killed or worse.” He whispers the last word.
My eyes start to tear and I do everything in my willpower to stop them. “So could you.”
And with that he closes the space between us and embraces me. He kisses my forehead and pulls his face back so he can gaze down at me. “You’re impossible, you know that?” He wipes a tear that has managed to escape my eye.
“So. Are. You,” I state, emphasizing each word.
He smiles a little at that and leans in to kiss me. “Let’s go to bed.”
I nod and we go to bed, but we do anything but sleep.
Chapter 24
Laura’s Playlist: “By My Side” by INXS
The next day we check out and make the nearly seven-hour journey back to Stonehaven. We plan to stay at Jack’s house after I feed Hagrid. Poor Hagrid. He had missed me and purrs for five solid minutes straight when I arrive. I feed him and give him some much-needed love and then check in with my kids and pack up my bag again. As I walk about the cottage, I realize that my head finally feels clear and my ankle is only mildly sore, but completely tolerable to walk on compared to just a few days ago. I chuck my pain meds back in the cabinet and lock up the cottage. Jack has managed to pull his car out of the woods and is waiting for me.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Are you sure about this, Laura?” he asks, placing his hand over mine. He looks worried. “I just think it’s a bad idea for you to get involved in all of this. This isn’t like one of your novels. This is real and we could get hurt. These men are bad. They—”
“I know. I was at the debriefing too,” I interrupt, crossing my arms at him. Now he’s just annoying me. He hasn’t met “stubborn Laura” yet, but he is going to if he doesn’t cool it.
“I know you were. It’s just…I’ve been around them. I know. It’s all well and good on paper, but, Laura, I don’t know if I can protect you.” He looks at me with a hard stare. His eyes search mine for what, a sense of regret on my part. Well, he won’t be getting that from me.
“Jack,” I say slowly. “This was my idea. This is my doing and I’m seeing it through. I know these men are not kittens and I know I could be killed. But if we don’t do this…” I can’t finish the sentence. I know what could happen to Jack if I don’t help him and I don’t want to think about that right now. I can’t consider losing anyone else. I know my involvement is reckless, a bit, anyhow. But my kids are strong now, they need me, but they’ll make it and they have each other. I’ve watched them grow while I’ve been away these past few weeks and the distance, well, I think it’s actually been good for them. They are standing on their own two feet. Lily has even been taking initiatives and dealing with car insurance issues all on her own. And Nick, he’s been plugging away at his internship and summer classes. And as irrational as it seems, I’m not sure I could withstand losing Jack, losing the man I love again.
“I just have to be sure, before we leave this cottage,” he says and he grips my hands tighter in his and looks into my eyes again. “I love you and I can’t bear to think what would happen if I lost you.”
I put a finger to his lips. “I’m not going anywhere, Jack. Besides, if the universe wanted to take me, it would have. God knows it’s had plenty of chances.”
He smiles and pulls me to him. His lips tenderly feel mine, and for an instant, I’m lost in our world. And then he pulls back, and with one more glance at me, he proceeds to drive to his house.
The next day a car pulls up at his house. I hear it before I see it.
“Jack…,” I say, nudging him as he lies sleeping on the bed. “I think it’s show time.” His eyes pop open and he’s up and dressed in a matter of seconds.
“Stay here,” he says, and I see him place a giant knife in the back waistline of his jeans. I don’t know why, but that seems totally James Bond sexy and I actually have to rub my eyes to stop myself from visualizing things that I need not be thinking about in this moment.
I quietly put on clothes and decide if he’s going to go all Rambo with a knife, then I probably should too. I give myself an internal pep talk as I take a knife that Agent Banks gave me and place it in the back of my pants. It’s actually more comfortable than I thought it would be, of course, that’s not saying much. I’d feel better with a firearm, but Agent Banks said no way. Apparently, they draw the line at informants.
I try to open the door quietly and it squeaks and I stop. Shit…I try to lift it and move it, but it squeaks again. I manage to shimmy out without opening it anymore and I tiptoe down the hall trying to listen. I manage to hear Jack’s voice and another man’s voice near the back door. I slide into the guest room that Jack has turned into a gym. I peek down the stairs and see the dress shoes of a man who appears to be wearing a business suit. I sneak a look out the window and see a black Mercedes with tinted windows. A rather large man stands by the car. I’m not entirely sure what to do. I decide to stay put. For once, I’ll listen to Jack and do what he says.
I listen again. And just as I am about to go against Jack’s advice, I hear a door close and an engine start. He’s gone, whoever, he is.
Suddenly, Jack is standing at the base of the stairs. He looks up at me. I can see the fear in his eyes and I am running down the stairs and into his arms before I can think of what to say. He wraps his arms tightly around me. I can barely breathe, but I stay there.
He finally releases me slightly after a minute. “Who was it?” I ask, looking up into his eyes.
“That was Simon,” he breathes. He sits down on the bench behind him and I sit down on the stairs across from him and we just stare at each other for the longest moment. “He asked why I’ve been avoiding him. So I made up a shit story about a friend who was injured.” He gives a wink and a semi-smile. I can’t help giggling a little.
“Really, an injured friend, whoever could that be?”
“Well, he bought it and then he said we needed to meet and discuss some business he wants to do with me. I told him I’m still not interested and he said that was too bad because his people were interested. So I said I’d meet him and we could discuss it. He seemed pleased enough with that, so off he went.”
“So when do you meet?”
“Day after tomorrow. Sounds like Leo will be up here.”
I let out of breath. “Jack, this is serious. We are officially in it now.”
“No. I’m officially back in it.” He knocks his head against the wall. I can see his fists are balled up and I feel horribly guilty. I crawl into his lap and lean my head against his chest.
“Jesus, Jack, I’m sorry. What have I done?” For the first time since London, the reality of my actions hits me full force. I begin to wonder if I indeed have gotten into something further than I should have.
“Nothing tha
t wouldn’t have happened anyways, baby. I just hope working for the good guys doesn’t get me killed.” He closes his eyes and looks nearly in pain and then opens them. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Laura.”
I realize that we’ve been saying that too much lately and I jump off his lap and stand. “Enough!” I yell. He looks at me in shock.
“Laur—”
“No, wait.” I put my hand up and he stops mid-thought. “We are where we are here. Let’s just put the past behind us and focus on the job at hand, OK? If I think too much about this I will go insane and so will you. So we are not going to overthink this and we are not going to analyze anything beyond what we need to do. Our focus is getting intel on Alexei, evidence that the agents can use.”
He nods. “Right. I think you should bring Hagrid over here. I don’t want you out at the cottage by yourself.”
“No, I rented the cottage and I’m staying there.”
“But—”
“No buts, it’s happening.”
“But they may see me take you there. They’ll start watching you. I’m not sure if Simon knows about you yet.” I give him a look that says “really, did you sit in the same secret agent meeting I did.”
I pull out all the stops and look at him hard before speaking. “Fine. I’ll call Oliver to take me home.” Jack grits his teeth at the mere mention of his brother, but nods. I text Oliver and he’s there within a few minutes.
Jack kisses me goodbye and I slide into Oliver’s car.
“Hello,” he says.
“Hi, Oliver,” I reply.
“So…it’s on then,” he says.
“Yes.”
“Is there anything I can—”
“No,” I cut him off. “Oliver, it’s better you stay out of things. Alright?”
“I’m not sure I agree, but for now, OK.” We drive the rest of the way in silence. He kisses my cheek goodbye.
I have a restless night of sleep and fall in and out of nightmares, some with Jack and some with Sean, but they are all equally awful. At some point, Jack wakes me and I almost scream from the shock of him being there.
“Jack, how in the hell did you get in here?”
“You left the bloody door unlocked again.” He pauses. “But I also have a key.” I roll my eyes, although I’m not sure how well he can see them in the dark twilight of the room.
“But it’s…” I look at my clock. It’s only 3:30 a.m. “It’s very early for a walk.”
“I needed to make sure you were OK.”
I sigh and sit up; it’s a strange twilight outside. There’s no trace of the sun in the sky. Since it never truly set, it’s as though it hides just beyond the horizon. I rub my eyes and look back at Jack. He opens his arms and I crawl into them and turn so my back is against his chest. He holds me tightly with one arm and the other one strokes my hair and my arm. I fall back asleep after a while, a deep sleep with no dreams.
I meet Jack at our usual spot the next morning. It’s the first time I’ve conquered my fear and resumed my place on the rock. Clearly, the sprain wasn’t as bad as the doctors thought. I can see him eyeing me as he approaches.
“Laura, I really don’t…”
“Hush. I’m fine. This is my spot. I will just take better care if it’s been raining, OK?” I glare at him. He nods.
“I’ll see you back at the cottage in a few,” he says as he takes off jogging.
I watch him and admire his physique. I smile a bit. He is damn hot.
Eventually, I carefully climb down from my rock and make my way back to the cottage. Jack has tea ready for me and we eat toast in silence.
“I need to go into town today,” I announce. It’s been a few days and I really need some grocery items.
“OK, I can take you this afternoon,” he says. “We’ll take your car. I have some things to take care of as well.”
I give him a quizzical look and he glances away. Clearly, I am not privy to his errands.
I spend the rest of the morning writing and checking email. I actually get quite a bit done. I have one chapter left to write. I slouch back in my chair as I hit send on an email to my editor. I glance down at my notes which contain about three different ways to end my book. I sigh. Once I finish the last chapter, I will feel so much better.
I throw on some jeans and walk out to find Jack on his phone. He quickly gets off a call and asks if I’m ready to go and then we head out to town. Jack parks a few streets over from my normal spot pointing out that it’s Sunday and the street market means downtown will be busy. He asks where I am going and then says he’ll meet me back by the car in about two hours. I can’t help but think he’s still trying to hide me from Leo and Simon. I push it out of my head. I do my normal shopping and end up at Mal’s. Only someone other than Mal is behind the counter. A younger woman, maybe twenty years old with curly red hair, hazel eyes, and freckles, greets me. I order some cheeses and then ask if Mal is around. She informs me Mal popped out for a bit, but should be back sooner rather than later. Oh well, I think to myself. I’ll catch her another day. Maybe I’ll text her later. I could use a drink with a friend.
It’s Sunday and I consider stopping by the market. I haven’t gone yet and it may be fun. I always used to take my kids to the local farmer’s market at home on Sundays and I miss them for a moment as I ponder my options. I have about an hour and a half left before I need to meet Jack. I decide to get a drink at the pub first and then hit the market. I settle at the bar and my favorite bartender, Danny, comes by and greets me with a Snakebite.
“Cheers,” I say to him and we chitchat for a few minutes before he waits on another customer. I’m not sitting there for two minutes before I feel someone touch my arm and I nearly jump through the roof.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Mal says. “Are you OK? Did I give you a fright?”
“Oh, hi, Mal. Yes. I guess you did.” I try to smile and cover my nervousness.
“Mind if I sit?” she asks. “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Sure, it’s good to see you. Jack and I took a bit of vacation,” I explain. “I see things have changed at the cheese shop in the past week.”
She smiles. “Yep. I hired a part-time girl, although, I’m not completely sold on her yet. She’s OK, mind you, but I’m just not sure.”
“Well, it’s only been a week or so, maybe give it some time,” I offer. “Must mean the cheese business in Stonehaven is booming.”
She laughs. “Something like that.
“Hey, you should come by the house tomorrow night,” she says. “It’s Rose’s birthday and I think Oliver texted Jack already. It’d be good to have you there too and you can meet Rose.”
“Oh, uhhh…sure,” I say. Jack hadn’t mentioned this to me.
“Yeah, we try to come together, the three of us, for Rose each year.” She sighs and looks at the bar. I place a hand on hers.
“That’s really nice,” I say with an encouraging smile. She smiles back although I can tell this is a painful topic for her.
She downs the rest of her drink. “I’d better get back to the shop and make sure Valerie hasn’t burned the place down.”
I nearly choke on my drink. “Did you just say, Valerie? As in Val, as in Mal and Val?” I start giggling and she starts giggling.
“Yep,” she laughs. “I know. What are the odds, right?” I just shake my head and she gives me a hug and peck on my cheek before she’s gone.
I finish my drink and decide to meander in the market. It’s a rather big market that takes up most of the main street through town which is closed to cars for the afternoon. I walk to the far end and begin looking at the various booths as I leisurely make my way back. I check out some fruit stands and decide next week perhaps I’ll buy some fruit here instead of at the grocery store. Then I get into the craft section. I’m about a third of the way down the market when I feel someone watching me. I try to nonchalantly look around and after a few booths, I see a man following me. Shit, double shit! It’s offic
ial, I am the worse informant ever. I don’t even know when someone is following me. How the hell did I miss that? I take a breath and think. If he’s with them, then he isn’t from here. I can use my two months of local knowledge to lose him. I start to weave in and out of the booths and he follows, picking up the pace as I do. I decide evasive actions are needed. I see some scarf and skirt shops ahead and I make a sudden turn into a booth and then squeeze back behind. I bend down low and begin a half run in between the backs of the booths. This section is so dense with hanging clothes that it’s easy to hide, and before long, I think I have lost him. I peek through some scarves and see him coming. Looking around, I realize the market is coming to an end. I look up and say a silent prayer as I am standing by the back door of the pub. I turn the handle and it opens and I slide inside. I peep out of a slit in the door and see him continue on just as someone taps my shoulder.
“Miss, you can’t be back…oh, hey, Laura, uhhhh…sorry, but customers aren’t allowed in the kitchen.” Danny is giving a strange look and as I turn around I see that I am smack dab in the middle of a busy pub kitchen.
“Oh, of course, Danny, I thought this would go into a hall by the loo, my bad.” I shrug apologetically. He gives me a strange look and then ushers me up front and I quickly run into the loo and lock the door behind me. I pretend to use the facilities and then head back outside via the front door and run directly into Jack. His eyes are wide and I can see fear in them.
“Jack, what’s wrong?” I ask, pulling my hands back to my sides as I realize they are pressed against his chest.
“Where were you?” he growls, glaring at me. He taps his watch and I glance at it. Triple shit! I was supposed to meet him at the car fifteen minutes ago.
