Instantly, she felt the weight of his gaze.
"In fact," he said before reaching into his back pocket. "Once I give you these, I hope that you won't forget who you really are."
He flipped open his wallet and pulled out a driver’s license, passport, social security card, and a couple of credit cards.
The name on each piece of identification read: Gabriella Wintersmith.
"How did you…" Her eyes narrowed as she figured it out.
"The older man back at the diner." She reached for the ID cards.
"Very observant." Cole nodded his head in approval.
"I learned from Tristan," she sighed heavily and turned away from his gaze.
Cole leaned towards her and caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry," he said.
She closed her eyes for a moment and relished in his touch.
"You learned a lot from him, so I don’t have to tell you not to carry all of these items together, right?"
Madison nodded her head. "No, you don’t have to tell me that. Don’t worry. I know to keep everything in separate areas. Good thing I brought along a few pairs of cargo shorts. I need the pockets." She grinned.
"Gabriella Wintersmith?" The questioning look made him smile.
"Hey," he said and threw up his hands in surrender.
"It was the only name available on such short notice Miss Wintersmith." He smirked at her.
Madison shook her head and playfully punched him in the arm.
"Thank you for doing this for me." She gave him a bright smile.
The small dining area was suddenly full of raw, sexual energy. Cole moved closer to her. "Anything for you Madison." His eyes told her what he wanted and she wasn't yet prepared to give him what he wanted. No matter how much she'd wanted the same thing.
She avoided his glance, staring at the red liquid in her glass instead.
"Dinner was wonderful," she said, quickly changing the subject. When she reached for their empty plates, he caught her hand and set the plates back on the table.
His thumb stroked the back of her hand while he spoke. "It's okay to want this." His eyes held hers and a gentle smile played at his lips.
"You know he would want you to be happy."
It took her a while to respond.
"You know that right?" He asked, lacing his fingers through hers.
She couldn’t muster up the words. She lowered her head and slowly nodded.
Genuine concern settled on his face. "Madison, look at me." He lifted her chin with his hand.
She sniffled back tears. "Cole, it's been a year since I lost him, and I still don’t know whether I'm coming or going. I thought I had everything together, you know? I thought that while Zoe and her grandparents went away on their trip, I would come and spend some time with Hank and Donna. Well, we all know what happened when I tried to do that now don’t we?
And now look at where I am." She said spreading her hands out. "I'm here in West Virginia with you because there's another hit out on me. None of this makes sense. I'm just trying to wrap my head around everything and being here, alone, with you is not helping."
Cole leaned back in his chair and ran a finger across his lips in seductive contemplation.
"If nothing had happened, would you have come out here with me?"
The mood was no longer light and Madison began to wring her hands in nervousness.
Cole was being persistent. He wanted an answer and wasn’t going to be happy until he got one. He placed his hand on top of hers, instantly calming her.
"Well, are you going to answer my question or disregard it all together? It's just me and you here Madison. No one else. Now answer the question."
Needing to avoid his glare, she got up from the table and made her way into the living room where she stared out into the night. He followed right behind her and she felt the warmth coming from his body.
"Madison, I know what the answer is, but I need to hear the words come out of your mouth. Tristan is gone and nothing is going to change that. You need to stop punishing yourself and live your life." He turned her around, his blue eyes darkened as they locked with hers. "You don’t have to be afraid."
"I'm not afraid!" She barked and pulled away from his grasp.
"Then what is it?"
"I'm tired Cole. I'm going to bed."
"Madison, I really think that we should…" The sharp snap of a branch outside snatched their attention away from one another.
Cole reached for his weapon and quickly led Madison towards the bedroom. "Madison, get in there and lock the door behind me."
"No. I'm coming with you," she said and turned around.
"I don’t have time for your games Madison. Now go into the bedroom, please!"
His tone was demanding, but she didn’t budge.
"What if it's a trap Cole? What if the plan is to take you out so that they can come in here and kill me? No. I'm not taking that chance, and I would think that you wouldn’t want to either."
The muscles in his jaw clenched and Madison could see that he was contemplating.
"I don’t suppose you know how to use a gun, do you?" He expected to hear the word no. But when she nodded her head, he was surprised.
"Tristan taught me tactical shooting," she whispered. "I can shoot whatever you give me," she said and held out her hand.
"Stay here," he said and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.
She heard the snapping sound again, and this time the sound was closer.
"Here." Cole returned from the kitchen and handed her a gun.
"Stay behind me," he said and opened the door.
Madison nodded and gripped the butt of the gun. Her mind flashed to the time when her husband had told her that, if you are going to use a gun, then you need to know how to use it the correct way. The bad guys might have a gun just to scare you, but it makes no sense at all for you to try the same thing with them.
Doing that could get you killed. When you pull out a gun, it raises the stakes in the game. It means that you are ready to shoot them to defend yourself. And you most definitely don’t want to send that signal if you can’t do that.
The moonlight was faint and gave off a slightly eerie feeling. The adrenalin was coursing through her body like the rush of a rapid stream as she stayed close to Cole. Even though the gun felt heavy in her hands, she knew that she would not hesitate to use it.
As they neared the corner of the cabin, Cole whipped around and shoved her behind him. "What is it?" She whispered to him.
Cole kept quiet and swiveled his head towards the forest behind them. From the corner of his eye he spotted movement. "Don’t move from this spot!" He said and darted towards the direction of the sound.
Madison leaned against the cabin and let out an exasperated breath. The gun she'd been holding steady now shook in her hands.
Several minutes went by and her nervousness grew. "Cole?" Her voice cracked in the darkness.
When he didn’t answer, she made a move towards the clearing that was awash in the paleness of the moon, and stopped in shadow, just before the tree line of the forest.
A loud rustling sound made her jump, gripping the gun tighter.
"It's me," he said as he came out into the clearing.
"I think I found the culprit." He turned and motioned towards a family of deer.
"It's been a long time since you've been out in the woods hasn’t it?" She chuckled.
Cole nodded his head. "I suppose I got so used to being around human animals that I'd forgotten all about the woodland ones. Come on, let's get you back inside." After taking a quick glance around, the two walked back inside.
"I don’t suppose that you'd like to finish our conversation."
She felt the heavy weight of his gaze and she stepped back, out of his reach.
"It's been a long day. I'm exhausted, and I know that you must be too. Plus, you've got a big day tomorrow. Dinner was delicious. Good night," she said and made her way into the bedroom.
As she laid her head down on the pillow, Madison grew afraid. Things were heating up between she and Cole. Things were heating up just like they had three years ago, except there was one difference, one huge difference. Three years ago, Cole was a married man. That had been the colossal barrier that forced her to keep her distance. But now, he was divorced and she was a widower.
She wanted him. There was no denying it. But she was afraid to say the words aloud. Afraid to think it. Her guilt-ridden desires rippled around in her head, like the swirls of a puddle, right after it's been stepped in. Part of her still felt like she was cheating on her husband. But the more time she spent with Cole, the more the ripples seemed to build up, overflowing into a guilt free, remorseless river.
Chapter Eighteen
After driving all night, Castillo and his crew finally reached Summerbridge. Manny turned around, reached out his hand, and gently nudged Castillo awake.
"We're here boss, what now?"
Castillo opened his eyes and glanced out the window. "Pathetic," he mumbled. "Just pathetic. But being in a place like this will make it easy to find her."
"Not if she's off hiking or living out in those mountains it's not." Manny peered out the window and pointed towards the woods.
Castillo smacked him in the back of his head. "Mountains, woods, or a fucking convent. No matter where she is, we are going to find her and when we do, she'll wish she never opened her fucking mouth. Now find us some place secluded. I need to rest before we go hunting." He said, before closing his eyes.
****
After making a few phone calls, they were able to secure a cabin rental. Someone had canceled last minute, the clerk told Manny. "You're very lucky," she said and smiled warmly at him. It wasn’t until the rest of the group walked into the rental office that a cold chill ran down her spine.
"Where are y'all from?" She asked. Her hand shook nervously as she reached for the identification that Manny produced.
Manny turned and looked at his boss who stood near the door. He was flanked by Carlos and Reggie. He knew why the old woman had gotten spooked. The three of them looked like a bunch of gang bangers.
"Sorry about that," Manny retrieved his license. "We're from the city. I told them not to dress like that." There must have been something about Manny's smile, because the old woman smiled back and handed him the key.
"Now you all will be staying in a cabin at the far end of the lake, the other side is private property, residential homes. There are no other cabins around and the office closes at 3 p.m.
I suggest that you stop in town and load up on supplies before you head out there.
You'll find clean linens on all the beds and wood for the fireplace if you need it. Although I don’t imagine that you'll be needing a fire in this heat. But, you never know. Oh and one last thing, the place is sparkling clean and I expect it to be that way when you leave." She peered over Manny's shoulder and eyed Castillo.
"Of course ma'am," Castillo said and rolled his eyes.
"Good. Well then, welcome to Summerbridge and enjoy your stay."
"Old bat! She's lucky I didn’t shoot her. Now come on, let's get those supplies."
****
He wasn’t sure if it was nerves, or the restless night sleeping on the sofa that he'd had, but Cole was awake before the sun crested over the horizon. After he made coffee, he went over to the bedroom to find Madison still asleep. Her face was contorted, giving the appearance of hurt and pain.
She was having a nightmare and he went to her, whispering her name and wrapping his arms around her.
"Madison." His tone was gentle and soothing.
Her mouth opened up to silent screams and her head thrashed about wildly.
"Baby, wake up. It's just a dream, a very bad dream," he said and brought her closer to him.
A single scream managed to escape her mouth and her eyes sprang open.
"It was just a dream," he repeatedly told her until her breathing slowed down.
She pressed her head to his bare chest and quietly sobbed.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"I've been having the same dream for over a year. There's this man and he's trying to kill me. He has his hands wrapped around my neck and no matter how hard I try; I can't get him off of me.
He's squeezing so hard and it hurts so much." She let out a shaky breath.
More tears slid down her cheek and his heart ached at the sight of her in tears.
He held her tight until her tears were spent and her body no longer trembled.
Gently, he raised her chin. "Have you recently had this dream?"
"No." She shook her head.
"The last time I had it was the day that Tristan was killed. Do you know that very morning, after he woke me from the nightmare, he was so worried that he thought about staying home? But I told him not to. If I had agreed, he would still be alive and I wouldn’t be here, having nightmares and holding you back from your life."
The last thing that Cole wanted to do was bring another man into his bedroom, but there was no avoiding it.
"What happened to Tristan was not your fault Madison. He loved what he did and he loved his family. He's gone, but he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself, not for a second."
He pulled back, looked into her eyes and said, "And you are not holding me back from my life. I want you in my life and the sooner you realize that, the better off we'll both be."
His gaze was warm and gentle, as he caressed her cheek.
"I made coffee. Do you still want to come into town with me, or would you like to stay in and rest?"
"Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek.
"I can be ready in half an hour." She smiled and got out of bed.
****
The morning sun brought with it a slight haze and high humidity.
"It's going to be a hot one today. Perfect day to go down to the lake for a swim," Cole said as they walked to the car.
"Sounds like fun."
Madison smiled and noticed an older gentleman and his dog, walking towards them.
Cole stepped in front of her and the man nodded his head in kindness.
He extended one of his hands and held onto the dogs leash with the other.
"You must be the new sergeant. I wanted the job, but some folks around here seem to think that I'm too old." The man's voice was very matter- of-fact, making Cole shift uncomfortably.
"May I?" Madison interrupted and held out her hand for the large, black lab to smell.
"Go right ahead pretty lady. I've had Anubis here, since he was a pup. And he is a sucker for a pretty lady, always has been."
Cole exchanged glances with Madison and smiled at the man. "Word travels fast. I haven’t even gone into town yet and already people know that I'm here. Cole Harding by the way. Nice to meet you Mr…"
"Tanner. William Tanner." The two men shook hands.
"Well it's nice to meet you Mr. Tanner. And you too Anubis." He smiled down at the dog and petted him heartily on the back.
"Oh, look at that tail go. He likes the two of you." William said and gave the dog a pat.
"She your wife?" The man nudged his head towards Madison.
Before Cole had a chance to answer, Madison stopped petting the dog and stood up to introduce herself.
"No. Just a friend." She eyed Cole before continuing. "My name is Gabriella sir. It's very nice to meet you." Madison reached for the man's hand and gave it a strong, confident shake.
"Tell me William, do you live around here?"
"Yes I do." The man pointed to a heavily wooded path.
"Just over yonder. Not too close to be a bother, but not so far as to be inconvenient to get to, should you or your wife ever need anything."
Madison thought about correcting the man again, but saw no point to it. Something told her that William Tanner was going to think what he was going to think. No matter how many times she corrected him.
William continued talking.
"The
re aren’t many year- round residents around these parts and Anubis and I like it that way." He pointed towards the other side of the Lake and told them that the cabins over there were all rentals.
"Nothing but tourists on that side of the Lake. But they know that this side is private property. Anyone gets caught trespassing over here; they get the privilege of meeting my two best friends, Anubis and Bessie. There's nothing we hate more than trespassers and some of them don’t know that West Virginia is a stand your ground state. Ain't that right?" The old man patted Anubis on the head.
Cole folded his arms and leaned up against his truck.
"I take it you have a permit for Bessie?" He cocked an eyebrow.
William nodded his head. "Course I do. Got all the necessary paperwork for all of my weapons."
"Sounds like you've got yourself an arsenal Mr. Tanner. Expecting something big to happen?" Madison asked.
"I've seen enough in my lifetime to always expect the unexpected and that's all I'm gonna say about that." The man nodded his head in politeness, ending that part of the conversation.
"Since you haven’t been in town yet Mr. Harding, I should warn you. There are some quirky people here in Summerbridge. Most keep to themselves, but there are a few who eat, sleep, and drink on what everybody else is doing. Nosy busybodies are what I call 'em. That's why I make it a point to stay away from town. I go in for supplies once a month and to take 'ole Anubis here to the vet. Other than that, I stay away."
"Nothing wrong with that," Cole said. "Mr. Tanner, It was a pleasure meeting you and thanks for the heads up."
"Nice meeting you, both." Madison smiled warmly and patted Anubis once more before saying goodbye.
Witness Protection: Hide and Seek Page 11
