by L A Cotton
“I’m thinking of dropping out,” she blurted out, and I widened my eyes. “What? Why?”
Cara shrugged, her gaze settling on the wall past me. “It’s just not where my heart is anymore. Not since everything.”
“And where is your heart?”
Her mouth curved into a smile. “Well, now that is the million-dollar question. I’m twenty-one, and I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. How pathetic.”
“Does h—” I gulped, forcing myself to say his name. “Does Braiden know how you feel?”
Something flashed over her face, but Cara was quick to school her features. “No. Can you imagine? He’d march me to class every day.”
“You’re not wrong.” I managed a strained laugh. “But you’ve come so far.”
~ CARA ~
I eased back into the chair and stared out the big window across the room. Braiden’s comments about getting me pregnant had thrown me for a loop. I wasn’t ready to be a parent; I was barely an adult myself. Yet in some ways, I felt like school was holding me back and tethering me to a life I no longer wanted. It was crazy, but I could picture him. The fair-haired little boy with ice blue eyes. My little boy Blue.
“Cara?” Ana’s voice perforated my daydream, and the little boy evaporated in front of my eyes.
I turned to her. “What was it like when you took the test?”
“Huh?” She stared back at me blankly.
“The pregnancy test.”
“Oh.” A bright smile lifted her whole face. “I’d been feeling a little strange. Tired. My boobs weighed a ton, and I couldn’t stand the smell of milk, of all things.”
“Was Jackson with you?”
She shook her head. “No. I didn’t know how he’d take it.”
“What? Why?”
“We hadn’t talked about starting a family. Believe it or not, it’s taken us a long time to get to this point in our lives.”
I knew that. They’d been through a lot. We all had.
“But he was excited?” Knowing Jackson now, I couldn’t imagine him being anything but over the moon. His love for Ana seeped out of him, affecting everyone around them. You felt this kind of love; experienced it through the two people sharing it. Next to Ana and Jackson, Braiden and I were like a couple of horny teenagers in that annoying can’t-get-enough-of-each-other phase. Maybe that was all we’d ever be.
“He was ecstatic. I stood there a quivering mess with the test in my hand, but with one look in his eyes, I knew I had nothing to worry about.”
“And she’s almost here.”
Ana patted her bump. “Hopefully not for a few more weeks yet,” she said, turning her attention back to me. “Cara, is there something you want to tell me?”
I shook my head, a sudden rush of tears pooling in my eyes. Swallowing them down, I forced a weak smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
~ ANA ~
Pressing my lips tight, I buried the words on the tip of my tongue. Something weighed heavy on her heart; I saw it on her face, in her eyes, and in the way she held herself on the chair. I’d been that girl, carrying the weight of the world, but if she didn’t want to confide in me, I wouldn’t push. She had no one else, except for Braiden, and I knew how intense guys could be with their sullen moods and the inability to share their feelings. Even though I could see a change in Braiden, I still found it hard to accept that he was kinder. Softer. He hadn’t been any of those things when I’d known him in Chastity Falls. Cruel, cold, calculating—I’d use those words to describe him. And even they didn’t do justice to the living hell he’d made my life. But he loved Cara; that much I knew. I guess, in some ways, their story was like Jackson’s and mine, which was why I felt so close to her. Why I tried to forget that the guy she loved had tried to keep me from the guy I loved.
“If you ever need to talk, Cara, about anything, I’m here.”
She didn’t meet my eyes as she replied. “I know, thank you.”
Chapter 6
~ BRAIDEN ~
Anything?
Nothing. I typed back. Keep my girl safe.
After two hours of staking out the apartment, I had nothing. I didn’t know what I expected to happen, but Jackson was right. I had no leads, no contacts, and no informants. I was walking around in the dark. The only clues I had were the mirror message and the fact that whoever it was knew where I lived. And since they’d waited until the place was empty, I hoped they might double back.
I was wrong.
Parked in my car across the street under cover of darkness, I watched. There was a chance whoever it was had been watching me for a while. They could be watching me right now. Fuck. This was a dead-end plan. I didn’t even have a starting point.
Movement caught my eye, and I sat straighter, watching the unfamiliar guy approach the building. At average height, he wore blue overalls and didn’t ring any alarm bells, but he didn’t press the buzzer. Not that there was much point, the door was unlocked most of the time thanks to a faulty connection. He paced the front of the building a couple of times. I couldn’t be sure what he was looking at, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say he was casing the joint. And then my eyes landed on his van, and I shrugged back into my seat, letting out a frustrated breath. He wasn’t anyone, just the maintenance man.
I slid my fingers over my cell phone and brought up Cara’s number. It hadn’t even been a few hours, and I already missed her. But texting her would only result in another argument, so I dropped it into the cup holder and gunned the engine.
~
“Good to see you, man. Usual?” Monty flung the towel over his shoulder and motioned to the stool in front of him. I dropped into it and nodded.
He slammed the beer down and said, “What brings you out here today? Don’t usually see you until the weekend.”
“Needed to get away.”
“I know that feeling, my friend. This one’s on the house.”
“Thanks,” I grumbled, lifting the bottle to my mouth and taking a long pull. It was one reason I liked the place. Monty, the owner, welcomed you, no questions asked. He knew when to make small talk, and he knew when to stay away. And right now, I wasn’t in the mood to talk.
Glancing over my shoulder, I cased the room. There was nothing suspect, no one out of place, but since finding the warning, I couldn’t help but feel like someone was on my tail. Hanging back in the distance. I would have preferred them to show themselves so we could get to the point. If they knew me—really knew me—they had to know I didn’t run from my mistakes. So what was the hold up?
Frustration bubbled in my blood. The uncertainty, the lack of power I had to fix it was not a good combination, and I was a ticking time bomb with nowhere to detonate. But sitting in some dive bar drinking away my sorrows was not the answer. Downing the rest of the beer, I rose off the stool and threw five dollars on the bar.
“Keep the change, Monty,” I yelled over as he worked.
“It was on the house.”
“I know. Have one on me.” I didn’t like to be in anyone’s debt because you never knew when they might collect. Lifting my chin in goodbye, I started for the door when his words stopped me in my tracks.
“Did your friend find you?”
~ JACKSON ~
“Did he get a look at the guy?”
I shook my head. “Nothing that helps. It could be the description of a hundred guys I’ve had a beef with over the years.”
“What does your gut say?”
“My gut says it’s either Doyle or someone out of Oregon State. I had a run-in with a couple of guys who would pull this kind of stunt.”
I sighed down the line. “We need to call him.”
“You said forty-eight hours,” Braiden hissed.
“I also expected you to realize you had nowhere to go and come crawling back with your tail between your legs.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he grumbled.
“There are too many variables. I d
on’t like it.” We had nothing to work with. Whoever was behind it had been brazen enough to break into Braiden’s apartment when he was out, which screamed calculated. Someone with patience. And sometimes, that was worse than an unpredictable opponent.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I repeated, expecting more of a fight from Braiden.
“Make the call.”
“Okay. What should I tell him?”
“The truth.” He sighed. “Just tell him the truth.”
~
“So what did he say?” Cara kicked her legs up on the stool. She hadn’t even been at our place a day, and she was already making herself at home.
“He said he wants your bags packed by tonight, and he’s sending someone to get you.”
Her mouth dropped, and her eyes went wide. “H- he wouldn’t.”
I held my expression for another couple of seconds and then smirked. “He’s that bad, huh?”
“Jesus, don’t do that to me again.” She let out a long breath and dropped her head. “And yes, he really is that bad.”
“He’s looking into it. He wants you to stay here until he checks back in.” Her head whipped up, and I added, “Both of you.”
“But Ana—”
“Doesn’t need to know.”
I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the pressure. Lying to Ana was something I vowed never to do again, but this was different. This was for her protection, her health … for our unborn child. Or at least, that was what I kept telling myself.
“She’d understand.” Cara’s voice was quiet as if she could read my thoughts.
“I’m not sure she would.”
“Jackson, she loves you. In the end, nothing you do or say is going to change that.”
Maybe so, but I didn’t want to find out. I just wanted her safe and away from this thing with Braiden. Maybe I could ask Dr. Benns to keep her in the hospital for a few extra days.
“Here he is.”
Cara was out of the chair and running to the door. Braiden didn’t bother to knock; he just walked right in like he owned the place and caught Cara midair. I didn’t stick around to see the rest. I knew how that one went. I’d been there before. Too many times.
I lingered in the kitchen, waiting for him. Braiden appeared a couple of minutes later, his expression speaking a thousand words. “So?”
“He’s looking into it.”
“And we’re supposed to do what exactly while we wait?”
“Pack your shit; you’re moving in.”
“Jack—” he began to protest, but I cut him off.
“Don’t argue. It’s done.”
Braiden grimaced, running a brisk hand over his head. “Fine. But I’m going to stake out the place as much as I can. He’ll show up again. I feel it in my bones.”
“And when he does?”
“I’ll deal with it.”
I knew Braiden’s way of dealing with things—and it wouldn’t end well for anyone.
“You have too much to risk now. Besides, we’re not teenagers anymore, and we’re not untouchable. Your actions will have consequences, and this time, you might not be able to come back from them.”
He held my glare, weighing my words. Braiden knew I was right. And I knew he knew it. We were at an impasse.
“Fine.”
“Fine.” I nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Now? I just got here.”
There was no point in wasting time. The sooner we had them moved in here, the sooner I could get back to Ana.
“Come on. I need sleep, and I want to be at the hospital first thing. You and Cara hang out here and play house. Just keep it to the guest room, yeah?” I shot him a pointed look, the burden of what I was about to do weighing heavily on my heart.
I only hoped Cara was right—that Ana would forgive me.
~ ANA ~
“What aren’t you telling me?” I grazed Jackson’s arm, willing him back. He’d been so preoccupied since he arrived, and it had me on edge.
Jackson turned slowly, his head rested on my hand. “Nothing. I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep; our bed is not the same without you.”
That earned him a smile. “You didn’t sleep? How do you think I managed with all the poking and prodding?”
Sleep hadn’t come easy for me either. I didn’t like being here alone. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, my dreams had been a jumbled mess. It was as if they were trying to tell me something, trying to help me see the truth of what was going on. Or maybe, I was just losing my damn mind.
I gave Jackson a pointed look, but my expression softened when he entwined our fingers. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Does Cara seem okay to you? She was really skittish when she stopped by yesterday.”
I thought I saw a flash of recognition, but it was gone before I had a chance to latch onto it.
“She hasn’t said anything to me, but then we don’t make a habit of confiding all our secrets to one another.” His lips quirked up, and I batted him away, annoyed he was making light of it.
“Something was definitely off with her. She’s thinking of quitting school.”
“She is?” Jackson sat up. Stretching his arms behind his head, he kicked his legs out in front of him and crossed them at his ankles. “What will she do?”
“I have no idea. She’s in a new city with no friends or family ...” My voice trailed off.
“Hey.” Jackson interlinked our fingers. “It was the same for us, and we survived. She just needs time to figure stuff out. They both do.”
An edge to his voice pricked at my senses. I usually blanched at the mention of Braiden because he was the last person I wanted to talk about, but this felt different. Like Jackson was keeping something from me.
“Jackson?” I waited.
“Yeah?”
“Is everything okay?”
“It will be when I get my girls home. Has Dr. Benns said when you might be able to come home yet?”
I pressed back into the pillows and closed my eyes. “He thinks a few more days.”
“Good.” Jackson pulled our hands to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” My eyes met his, and I smiled, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. “Hey, did you get work figured out? The thing with Max?”
His eyes sparked with something. “Yeah. It was nothing urgent.”
“Good, that’s good.”
Except nothing felt good. Everything felt like it was closing in around me. But I couldn’t let myself stress. Not now. Not with everything. So I clutched Jackson’s hands, closed my eyes, and prayed.
~ JACKSON ~
I slipped out of Ana’s room while she slept peacefully. She’d fallen asleep with her hand curled around mine as if she refused to let me go.
“Yeah?”
“We have a problem.”
“What do you mean we have a problem?” I hissed down the line, throwing the nurses at the nurse station a reassuring smile as I made my way toward the elevator.
“He left another note.”
“And?”
“It was tucked under the wiper. My car was outside your house.”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
“Pierce? You there?”
“I’m here.”
“There was no sign of anyone. No damage. Nothing.”
But now the fucker knew where I lived. Where Ana lived.
“Things just changed.”
“I know.” Braiden sighed heavily down the line, and I could almost feel the regret pouring out of him. “I’ll pack m—”
“Where are you now?” I cut him off.
“I drove Cara to school and asked her to spend the day on campus.”
“Okay, good. I’ll come and get you. Meet me on the edge of Fredrick Street, okay?”
“I’ll be there.”
When Braiden showed up on my doorstep four months ago, I’d hoped that things would be different—that we’d get a shot at burying the past and
laying our demons to rest. When all was said and done, he would always be family. I couldn’t just turn my back on him. But as I doubled back to the nurses’ station and asked them to let Ana know I had to go to work, I couldn’t help but think that nothing had changed. That all these years later, I was still cleaning up Braiden’s mess. That maybe our relationship was just destined to be like this.
Chapter 7
~ JACKSON ~
I stared at the note, the angry scrawl barely legible. Either it was someone else’s handwriting or the person responsible was losing it. I didn’t know which scenario was the better for us.
“Does it mean anything to you?”
Braiden’s lips pursed as he shook his head once. “Beware the fury of a patient man. What the fuck does that even mean?”
“It’s Dryden,” I stated.
“Excuse me?”
“John Dryden. He was an English poet.”
His eyebrow cocked. “How do you know this shit?”
“Unlike you, I actually paid attention in school.”
“So you’re telling me the guy leaving the notes is some brainbox I pissed off back in school?”
I choked out a laugh. It wasn’t funny, not really, but when he put it like that … “No, dickhead, I’m saying whoever is behind this clearly wants to send a message.”
“He’s angry; well, bring it,” Braiden raised his voice, and a couple of kids looked over, alarm shining in their eyes. “At least, I can deal with anger. I don’t like this, the waiting, the notes. The not fucking knowing who we’re dealing with.”
He wasn’t the only one. I glanced around again. He could be out there, watching us. “We should get out of here. You’re sure Cara is safe?”
Braiden dragged his hand over his face. “It’s got to be the safest place for her, right? I told her to stick to class and public areas, and I’ll drive by later and get her when we have a plan.”
Guilt had eaten away a little more of my soul with each step out of the hospital—away from Ana—but for now, all I could think was at least she was safe. But was it enough?
