Beyond the Past (A Paranormal Military Romance)

by Fall, Carly

  “Man, that’s so cold!”

  “I know. I didn’t know how else to do it, though.”

  “Did you at least leave a note?”

  “Yeah, I did. I told her the marriage wasn’t working out for me, and I wasn’t happy. Gave her the old, ‘it’s not you, it’s me,’ line.”

  “You’re probably right,” Garrett said, shaking his head. “Gabby may be better off without you, especially after that bullshit stunt.”

  Lucas nodded, awed by the beauty of his surroundings and trying not to think about Gabby’s face, hair, and smile. He’d been on the streets for six months and hadn’t seen anything pretty. It felt good to be in the fresh air working his body and talking to his friend. “I miss her, and it kills me to think she’s moved on, but she needs . . . “

  He couldn’t think of the right word.

  “Normal,” Garrett said. “She needs someone normal. Not some guy who sees people getting offed.”

  “Yeah, that’s the word I was looking for.” He paused. “Normal.”

  Garrett checked his watch. “We should probably head back.”

  Lucas groaned as he thought about the trek back to the cabin. He didn’t know how far they’d walked, but getting back just might do him in. Put him in the baby or old person category and call it good, because he was going to need a nap.

  They walked a few yards and Garrett broke in to a jog. “Pick it up, Lucas,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Nah. I’m done. You go ahead.”

  Garrett stopped and waited for him to pass, and Lucas continued down the hill. After a few moments, he turned around and gasped. A large black bear walked a few paces behind him. He looked around and didn’t see Garrett. Then, he smiled. “You scared the ever-loving crap out of me, Honey! But damn, that’s some cool shit you have going on there.”

  The bear stopped and looked at him, its honey-colored gaze on Lucas. A knot of worry curled in Lucas’s stomach as he realized he didn’t know how his friend would act in his bear form. Did he turn into a bear mentally as well as physically, or was Garrett still in there, almost like he wore a costume?

  After a brief stare down, the bear stood up on his hind legs and roared, its dagger-like claws pawing the air in front of Lucas’s face. It had to be at least seven feet tall.

  “Jesus!” he yelled and turned to run as best he could through the knee-high snow. The bear lumbered a few feet behind him. Lucas looked back again, and the black behemoth snarled and snapped at him.

  After what seemed like a small eternity, the cabin came into sight, and Lucas put it into high gear. He scrambled up the steps and went inside, slamming the front door. Gasping for breath, he looked out the large picture window to see Garrett walking toward the house, naked as the day he was born.

  Lucas opened the door. “What the fuck was that about?” he screamed.

  Garrett chuckled. “I told you to pick up the pace.” He pushed his way past Lucas into the living room. “Maybe next time, you’ll listen to me.”

  Chapter 13

  “Rise and shine, you big fucking baby.”

  Lucas moaned and turned over, doing his best to ignore Garrett and return to the place of blissful rest where his body didn’t feel as if it had been run over by a bulldozer a few dozen times.

  “Come on, man,” Garrett said. “Joe’s here, and Thomas cooked up some grub. You need to get up.”

  Sitting up, Lucas rubbed his face. It felt like he just lay down, but glancing at the clock, he saw he’d been sleeping for five hours.

  Garrett kicked the bed, making it shake. “Let’s go.”

  “All right, Garrett! I’m awake! Just give me a minute.”

  Garrett left the room grumbling something about not being appreciated, shutting the door behind him.

  Lucas stood and went to the bathroom. After using the toilet, he met his reflection in the mirror. Decision time. “Do I stay or do I go?” he whispered.

  The thought of going back to the streets didn’t sit well. He gazed over at the big bed, then ran his fingers through his clean hair. His stomach growled, and it felt nice to know a meal waited just a few minutes away.

  Joe had assured him he’d be safe from the government, because once they knew he’d gone, they had to have started hunting him. How Joe would guarantee that, he didn’t know, but he’d definitely ask.

  It really seemed like a no-brainer, but there still lingered a niggling of doubt. “You’re just going to have to listen to what he has to say, and then make the final decision,” he whispered to his reflection.

  His cheeks had caught more sun today, a red glow emanating from them. Despite his small frame, he looked healthier than he’d felt in months. His stomach growled again, and he decided the time had come to see what the very strange Joe Smith had to say.

  He greeted Joe as he entered the kitchen, the man’s sharp gaze raking over his frame.

  “How are you feeling today, Mr. Tate?” Joe asked.

  “Better. I feel like I could outrun a black bear,” he quipped as Garrett snickered.

  “I’m sure that’s quite an amusing tale, but I don’t have a lot of time this evening to swap stories, so I’ll get right to the point. Have you thought any more about my offer?”

  Lucas slid into the bench seat, craving rum for the first time since he’d arrived. After taking a deep breath, he said, “Yeah, I have, but I do have some questions.”

  Joe smiled. “And what would those be?”

  He sat forward and rested his elbows on the table, interlacing his hands. “Well, first, I’d like to know where I’d be stationed.”

  “I can’t answer this right now, Mr. Tate, simply because I don’t know yet. I can, however, promise you that it will be somewhere safe, and a place where you would like to be.”

  Lucas nodded, figuring as much. “And how do I go about doing this disappearing act you talked about?”

  “You leave that to me,” Joe said. “I prefer not to divulge my way of doing things as sometimes it’s not entirely legal. However, I can assure you that you will no longer exist as far as any database or government entity is concerned.”

  That sounded good. He liked the idea of being completely dead, yet living on his own terms. That’s what he’d been trying to do while homeless, but obviously, he’d done an awful job. He’d only succeeded in slowly killing himself.

  “And I do have one request,” he said.

  “I don’t usually take requests, but please, go ahead.” Joe smirked.

  “I’d like you to watch over my wife.”

  Joe sat back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Lucas. “Thomas, Garrett, can you please give us a moment?”

  Thomas removed a pan from the stove, and Garrett slid out of the chair. Neither said anything as they slipped out the back door and firmly shut it.

  “Mr. Tate, shouldn’t you refer to the very pretty Gabrielle, Gabby for short, Tate as your ex-wife since you walked out on her, without ever intending to see her again?”

  Lucas’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger, but what he’d done at the time had seemed like the right thing to do, and he’d done it to protect the woman he loved. He wondered if she’d filed divorce papers and he didn’t know about it, but he reminded himself he couldn’t think about it. She was better off without him.

  “Okay, then, my ex-wife. Can you watch over her and make sure the government doesn’t come looking for her?”

  “Oh, they already have, Mr. Tate,” Joe said. “They’ve spoken to her a few times.”

  His gut clenched. “And what happened?” His throat closed up.

  “She told them the truth. If I remember correctly, the exact terminology she used to describe you was, ‘the no-good, rat bastard asshole’ who walked out on her. That’s what the report stated, anyway.”

  The words both hurt and caused pride to swell within him. That was Gabby—never at a loss for words. When she became angry, she had the mouth of a well-traveled sailor.

  “Has . . . has she
filed for divorce?” he asked, bracing for a blow.

  “Not that I’m aware of,” Joe answered. “However, I can monitor that for you.”

  He nodded and looked out the window. Gabby would love a place like this, nestled in the middle of nature. She’d enjoyed hiking in the forests of North Carolina during the summer and spring, always up for a good snowball fight during the winter. If he accepted this job, he would never see her again. However, that had been his plan to begin with, and Joe would simply be making sure that both he and Gabby were safe.

  He didn’t see a way that he could lose on this one.

  “Okay, I’m in.”

  Joe smiled. “I’m very happy to hear that, Mr. Tate. Of course, I won’t give you your first assignment until you are more physically capable, so I suggest you work hard and bring back your military physique and sharpen your mind.” Joe rolled back from the table. “Thomas!” he called, and Thomas walked in through the back door with Garrett on his heels. “We need to take our leave now. Mr. Tate, and Garrett will be joining us. He has some business to attend to for me. Please pack your bags, Garrett.”

  Garrett walked down the hallway without another word and Lucas heard the rustling of him throwing his belongings into a duffel bag.

  “You’re leaving me here all on my lonesome?” Lucas asked, actually hoping for it. He longed for the solitude he’d become accustomed while living on the streets.

  “Yes, I am,” Joe said. “We brought groceries for you and Thomas put them away while you slept. We will return in a week, but I’ve left a satellite phone in case of emergency. I expect to see results in you when I return, Mr. Tate.”

  Joe wheeled himself over to the door, and Thomas walked out in front of him.

  Lucas felt as if he were being reborn, his life beginning anew. It struck him as exhilarating, yet, depression tugged at him as he knew this represented his final break from Gabby. The last string had been cut, and from now on, she would have to be nothing but a distant memory.

  He followed them out the door, and Garrett came out shortly afterward. He stopped in front of Lucas and stuck out his hand.

  “Goodbye, my friend,” he said.

  “Later, but not too much later.” Lucas took Garrett’s hand and pulled him in close for a brotherly hug. “Thanks for everything, man. I owe you.”

  Garrett wrapped his big arms around Lucas and squeezed. “You keep running like you’re being chased by a bear, and you’ll be in shape in no time.”

  Gasping for breath, Lucas whispered, “And you give a whole new damn meaning to ‘bear hug,’ dude.”

  Garrett let him go and let out a huge laugh. Lucas stared into his honey-colored gaze.

  “Take care of yourself, my brother,” Garrett whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”

  He nodded as Garrett moved down the deck to the van. He climbed in and shut the door, and the vehicle took off.

  Lucas stared into the darkness for a while, the faint moonlight shining off the now trodden snow, the stars above twinkling in the clear sky. The nighttime air bit into his skin, and his nose began to run as goose bumps traveled up his arms and down his spine. The silence comforted him and unnerved him all at the same time. In the distance, a coyote howled, and another answered back.

  Shaking off the stillness, he went back inside and glanced at the fireplace. He could have sworn he’d cut enough wood for a couple of days, but apparently not. Kneeling down, he tossed the last log into the flames, and under it sat a white piece of paper.

  I tossed the wood. You need the upper-body strength. Love you, my brother.

  He sat back on his heels and laughed. Yes, he was pissed Garrett had thrown away his hard work, but at the same time, he understood why he had. Lucas needed to get into shape, and there was no better way for this than fending for himself, his very life depending on how hard he worked his body.

  He gazed at the fire; the flames wouldn’t last more than a few hours. As darkness fully descended, he decided it best to get the wood chopping done sooner rather than later.

  “Being chased by a bear is one thing, but a pack of coyotes is playing on a whole different ball field,” he mumbled as he slipped on his coat and headed around the back of the cabin.

  Chapter 14

  Gabby sat at the kitchen counter printing off the MLS listings she’d found for Jerrod. A few of them looked promising, and she waited for him to call her back with a good time for him to see them. Then, she could call the other agents and let them know when she would show the homes.

  She glanced at the microwave; it read three-thirty p.m. The day had flown by, and she doubted they would have time to see the houses today.

  Her cell phone rang, and she looked at the number, not recognizing it. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Gabby, this is Jerrod.”

  His voice sounded warm and smooth, sending a little chill down her spine.

  “Hi, Jerrod. I was just thinking about you.” Oh, that came out wrong. “I mean, I was looking at houses for you and wondering when you were going to return my phone call.”

  He chuckled. “I got a little tied up today, so I apologize for not returning your call sooner. Although, I do have to admit, I like the idea of you thinking about me.”

  Her cheeks warmed and she shut her eyes, unsure of what to say.

  “Gabby?”

  “I’m here,” she murmured.

  “I’m sorry if I offended you or upset you. It wasn’t my intention.”

  “That’s okay. You did neither.” She hadn’t been offended or upset, but a little rush of that excitement had swelled through her and her heart burned with shame again. She had nothing to feel guilty about—Lucas had left her. At some point, she would need to move on, but she just didn’t feel ready right now.

  “I’m glad,” he said.

  A beat of awkward silence followed, and then she cleared her throat and said, “When did you want to look at these houses? I have four of them I’d like you to see.”

  “Wow, that’s awesome!” He sounded enthused. “I can’t today, but how about tomorrow?”

  “Sure, that sounds fine. I can email the listings to you and you can look them over and let me know if any of them really stand out to you or if there are any you don’t like.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Okay, well . . . um, I’ll send them over and you—“

  “Gabby, would you meet me for an early cocktail?”

  Her heart raced at the thought, and she almost said yes, but then, the guilt washed over her again. She just wasn’t ready. “I’m sorry. I can’t tonight, but thank you for the invitation.”

  “That’s too bad. It’s hard being in a city where you don’t know anyone.”

  “Yes, I know,” she replied, thinking about her first few months before she met Rachel.

  “Well, then, I guess I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll send this over right away.”

  “Perfect.”

  Gabby laid her phone down on the table. Maybe she should have gone out with him. Maybe if she had, it would help her get over all these conflicting feelings. Jerrod was good looking and nice, and he did spark something within her that both scared her and excited her. She picked up the phone again and almost called him back, but then decided against it.

  Looking around her apartment, the rain pattering on the rooftop reminded her of a song her mother used to sing to her about crying angels. Despite her mother Loretta’s clean living and hippie lifestyle in the commune where Gabby had grown up, Loretta had still succumbed to cancer five years ago. Gabby never knew her father. Her mother had said it could have been one of four men she’d slept with as she traveled from Kentucky to the commune in Montana, just outside of Butte, where she finally settled down. Loretta couldn’t offer any names or address of Gabby’s potential fathers. “They were all just flings,” her mother had said when Gabby questioned her at age thirteen.

  Now, she wished more than ever she knew his identity. With Lu
cas gone, she felt so alone. She would have loved to be able to pick up the phone and call a parent, just to say hello and catch up on each other’s lives.

  As a tear slid down her cheek, she realized she was in for another night of isolation and loneliness.

  Chapter 15

  Lucas lay in bed and gazed out the window, noticing the sunlight wasn’t able to penetrate the grey clouds hovering above. He stood, feeling as though the muscles in his legs would snap in half. He longed to take a couple of Motrin and go back to bed, but the only way the muscles were going to limber up would be through use.

  He gingerly walked to the kitchen and started the coffee pot. As it hissed and dripped, he looked out the kitchen window. The solitude felt wonderful, but now that his head had cleared from the booze—which surprisingly, he did not miss—his mind held him hostage with thoughts of Gabby.

  The sun finally peeked through the clouds. A few birds chirped, breaking the silence. He once again thought of how much Gabby would love the cabin. She would thrive on the peace and solitude, and he could picture her curled up on the couch, cuddled under a blanket, reading a book while sipping a glass of Merlot or some of her favorite chamomile and vanilla tea. He imagined walking over to her and sitting on the opposite end of the couch. She would smile at him, his heart would warm, and she’d push her feet in his direction. Lovingly, he would slowly massage them as she set down her book. They’d talk in quiet tones about nothing, and eventually, he’d scoot over on the couch so her legs laid over his lap, and he’d massage them all they way up to her hips. He’d lean down to kiss her and gently rub between her legs. She’d wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down flush on top of her, and she’d spread her thighs as his body covered hers.