by Lucy Rinaldi
Table of Contents
Epilogue
Greg 3
Dani 7
Greg 12
Dani 16
Greg 20
Dani 24
Greg 30
Dani 34
Greg 40
Dani 44
Greg 48
Dani 52
Greg 56
Greg 61
Dani 64
Greg 71
Greg 76
Dani 79
Greg 86
Kory 90
Greg 94
Dani 96
Hudson 99
Dani 105
Greg 110
Dani 115
Greg 119
Dani 123
Epilogue 125
Sneak Peek 128
Available and Coming Soon Books By Lucy Rinaldi 133
About The Author 135
Crossed
Oak Springs, 6
Greg & Danika
Copyright © 2017 Lucy Rinaldi
The contents of this novel are pure fiction.
All names, places and events are in no way associated with any persons dead or alive.
Places and events are used for fictional purposes only.
Any similarity's to real life events, places or persons are pure coincidence.
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Greg 3
Dani 7
Greg 12
Dani 16
Greg 20
Dani 24
Greg 30
Dani 34
Greg 40
Dani 44
Greg 48
Dani 52
Greg 56
Greg 61
Dani 64
Greg 71
Greg 76
Dani 79
Greg 86
Kory 90
Greg 94
Dani 96
Hudson 99
Dani 105
Greg 110
Dani 115
Greg 119
Dani 123
Epilogue 125
Sneak Peek 128
Available and Coming Soon Books By Lucy Rinaldi 133
About The Author 135
Greg
“Get up!” Hands grab me, pulling me toward the edge of the bed I've been lying in for the past week. I grip the sheets, yanking myself away from those big hands. “I'm not kidding, Greg, get the fuck up!”
“Leave me alone, Kory.” There's no conviction in my words. There never is these days.
“You can't keep doing this, Greg. You need to get up, take a shower, eat something, get the hell out of this house for a while.”
I pull the sheet up to my chin and stare at the wall in front of me.
There are no imperfections on that green wall, trust me, I've scanned it like crazy just to make sure.
I can't see my big brother, he's standing behind me.
I can't face him.
I can't face anyone.
It's been months since it happened, months, where I acted like nothing, had happened.
Months of burying myself in work just so that I didn't have to think about it.
Months where I tried to pretend like I didn't care, like it hadn't affected me the way I knew deep down it had.
How the hell could it not, I lost everything!
It wasn't until Kory came to Seattle and forced me into this stupid vacation time, brought me back to Oak Springs, my childhood hometown, that I finally let it all sink in.
With nothing to occupy my mind, everything that had happened came crashing down on me. I couldn't cope. I can't cope.
I don't know who the hell I am right now.
“Greg, please. Just get up, shower, eat something. I don't know, go for a walk along the front. Anything but this. Everyone is so worried about you, man. You can't go on like this.”
He's right, I can't. What's done is done, nothing that happens now will change that. I've been burned, but I'm not dead. I've had my heart torn apart, but it's still there. I've had every ounce of faith crushed, but I'm still breathing.
And I will go on breathing and living. I will fix my life and move on from the mess that was my life. I'll move on and make the future brighter.
Jesus Christ, I sound like a damn storybook!
I take a deep breath in through my nose. “I'll be up in ten.”
I sense my brother's smile. “Good man. I'll meet you in the kitchen.” He leaves the room.
I drag my sorry ass out of bed and into the shower. Once I'm done, I shave the damn beard that's grown over the past week. I scrub my teeth three times and spit.
I look at myself in the mirror. I look awful, I've lost a little weight from the stress. I scrub my hands over my face and sigh. I need to eat something and get to the gym, or at least, jog along the waterfront.
Yeah, that's what I'll do. I'll work my way up to the gym. I need to sort my damn self out. I will sort myself out. My life isn't over because of one woman. I won't allow what she did ruin me. Yes, I loved her. Yes, I would have done anything for her. But we drifted apart long before I found out the truth.
She was never mine, to begin with, I was never hers. Why I married her, I don't know. Why she said yes is an even bigger mystery.
But it's done now. I'll grieve the little boy I loved more than life itself. I'll grieve for the times we'll never have, for the times we did. I'll grieve for the fact I'll never see him smiling at me, laughing as he runs to me while calling me daddy.
I'll grieve for the football games I'll never take him to, for the ice cream we'll never eat. For the teenager, I'll never know, or the advice about girls he would have asked me.
She stole it all from me and all I can do now is move on with my life.
I pull on a pair of light gray sweats, a wife beater – ironic name – and my sneakers. I'm ready to run this poison out of me. I strip my bed, the sheets need a wash after me sweating in them for a week. I know it's disgusting but I've been out of it. But I'm back now.
I drop the sheets by the washing machine in the laundry room and then follow the sound of toddler laughter to the kitchen. My sister-in-law and brother are sitting at the table obviously waiting for me so they can start breakfast. My little niece, Echo, is showing her parents her ballet dancing. I don't know if at two years of age she even knows what ballet dancing is.
But there she is spinning around in her little pink Tutu, her blonde hair up in a tight bun, giggling her head off as her parents clap their hands in appreciation. That baby is everything to Kory and Aimee. Literally everything. They go out of their way to make her happy, no matter what she wants to do, they'll sit and watch and listen to her with smiles on their faces, pride in their hearts.
All of my siblings love their children, all of them amazing parents in their own right, but it's my brother whom I admire right now. I never thought he'd have any kids, but Echo came along and Kory changed so much.
Echo was born just weeks before Roya gave birth to her daughter, Ella. Beautiful little girl who looks just like Echo, same color hair, same color eyes. She's the image of Roya, who is the image of Kory. Both little girls often get mistaken for sisters. Little best friends and they are so loved.
I know what it's like to love your child more than anything in this world. I also know what it's like to lose that child. Don't worry, my son didn't die. He just turned out not to be mine. And trust me, losing my boy was like losing him to death. The pain I've felt since the day I found out he wasn't mine, has been like grieving for a dead child.
I don't even think at this point that it will never not feel this way. I think about him all the time. I wonder if he misses me at all. I was his father for three years of his life
, surely he wouldn't forget me right away?
Maybe it's better if he does, I can't bear the thought of that little boy crying for me, asking when I'm coming back. Even though Maya made sure he knew I was never his father.
I stand in the doorway and clap my hands. Baby girl spins on the spot, sees me, laughs, and runs into my arms. Of all my nieces and nephews, and I have a lot of late, Echo is the one who loves her uncle Greg the most. It might have something to do with the fact I'm hardly ever around so I don't see much of the others. Or, I didn't until I came home.
But Kory usually brings Echo and Aimee with him when he comes to Seattle, so I see a lot of this beautiful little girl the image of her daddy. We have a special bond.
“Morning, Greg. It's nice to see up and showered.” Aimee smirks at me. “Come sit down, I'll serve breakfast.”
I nod and sit Echo in her chair and sit beside her. Aimee hands out plates of eggs and bacon with toast, and I eat like I haven't eaten in a week. Wait... I haven't.
I eat heartily, my hunger seems to have come at me with a vengeance. It's not like I can't afford to put the weight back on that I've lost. Plus, my sister-in-law makes a mean breakfast.
Jesus, I really have let myself go if I think bacon and eggs is a damn feast.
After breakfast, I make my way to town on foot and sign up at the gym owned by my brother-in-law, Bryton, my youngest sisters husband. While I'm there, I work out for two hours straight. God, did I ever need that. Weights, treadmill, cardio, you name it, I did it. I've even run along the waterfront. I swear I feel ten times better, my head is clearer. Things don't seem so hopeless anymore. I'll get through this, I know I will.
I'm walking past the firehouse, two paramedics are standing beside their ambulance talking, laughing. I recognize one of them, Enzo Ryker, married to my sister Della's best friend, her husband's little sister, Paige.
The woman beside him, I don't recognize. She's stunning even in her uniform. Long wavy brown hair tied up in a messy bun, blue eyes like I've never seen in my life before. They're so pale it's almost unreal. Her lightly olive tanned skin is flawless. She may be wearing her regulated paramedic uniform but it's not hard to see that she has the body type I cannot resist on a woman. Pert breasts, slim waist, full hips, and thick thighs. Christ, I've never seen a woman that beautiful, yes, beautiful, in my entire life. And I've known beautiful women.
I haven't seen her around here before. I know I've been away for a few years, but this is a small town, I grew up here, I know everyone.
Who the hell doesn't?
But this girl must be new in town.
I have no idea why my feet are carrying me toward her, but I can't seem to stop myself. I don't know what it is about her, she's not even looking at me, but she draws me to her.
I've been drawn to many women in my life, my ex-wife included. I'm a lover of women. A playboy once upon a time. But none ever captivated me the way this paramedic has. My heart is beating too fast, I'm sweating from the heat outside and the fact this woman, just looking at her, is churning me up inside.
What the fuck is the deal with this shit?
“Afternoon, Enzo.”
Enzo turns with a smile on his face, his hand held out to me. I take it and shake. “Nice to see you up and about, man.”
“Thanks.” I haven't taken my eyes off the exotic beauty staring at me, smile on her face.
“Greg, this is my partner, Danika Ashford. Dani this is Greg Harper.”
“Nice to meet you, Greg Harper.” She smirks as I take her outstretched hand. The electric that flows through me is instant. By the gasp and the look on her face, I'd say the feeling was mutual.
“Nice to meet you too, Danika Ashford.”
She swallows hard and tells me, “Call me Dani, everyone else does.”
“Dani.” I smile.
She pulls her hand out of mine and turns to Enzo. “We need to get going.”
“We do?” He looks confused standing there with his arms around his chest. They haven't been sent on a call, she just wants to get away from me. She felt that spark as much as I did.
But she's right to get away from me, I'm no good for any woman. And Dani doesn't strike me as the kind of girl interested in one night. She doesn't seem like the kind of girl a man would be satisfied spending only one night with either.
“Yes. We do.” I chuckle under my breath at the sight of her wide eyes and the tip of her head toward the ambulance. She so wants to get away from me.
I'm not sure if I should be offended or not, I've only said a handful of words to her.
“Yeah. I guess we need to go. Good to see you, Greg.”
“You too.”
I watch them jump in their ambulance, the engine starts before I turn and jog away. There's something about that girl. I can't put my finger on what. I won't use her to forget the past, but that's not to say I wouldn't like to get to know her.
We'll see.
Dani
“What was that all about?”
“Nothing.” I keep my eyes on the clipboard in my hand, pretending to read the stock sheet. I already know everything is as it should be. And no, we don't have anywhere to be until a call comes in. But I'm all a fluster right now.
What the hell was that all about?
I was fine until he shook my hand, then I felt like I'd been electrocuted. I felt it from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair. Yes, it was that powerful. I can still feel it zinging through me.
“Nothing? Dani, you practically ran away from him.”
“No, I didn't. I don't know him, what was I supposed to say?”
“My brother-in-law is married to Greg's sister, your friend.”
“Greg is Della's sister?”
Enzo nods in my direction.
Great. That means he'll probably be around a lot, I don't know that I can handle that.
I've never had that kind of reaction to a man before, I don't understand it. I'm not a nun, of course, I'm not, I'm twenty-six years old. But men and me don't go well together. I've never found one that doesn't want to change me, rule me, own me. I'm fiercely independent and I won't change for anyone.
Besides, I didn't move to this town to fall for anyone. I came here to get away from my ex-husband and his crazy behavior. Starting something with anyone would be stupid. Especially when I won't be staying here all that long. I never stay in one place very long. It's safer if I don't.
Even if this is the longest place I've stayed in the past four years. Hell, I've even gotten myself a job that I love, a job that I'm good at and proud of. I just wonder how much longer I'll be able to stay here before I have to move on.
Every day that I'm here, I thank God that it's been a good day, that Joel Scott hasn't found me this time. It's been eight months, maybe he's gotten bored with following me around and ruining my life. Pigs might fly, but a girl can hope.
Then again, I've been patiently waiting while someone close to me is working hard to find out where he is. I need to know so I can find my son. The son he stole from me. The son I don't even know is alive anymore.
Unless you've lost your child, had it stolen from you, you can't possibly know what it does to a mother to never know what happened to that child. Mine literally vanished off the face of the earth, no trace anyone took him. No trace he's even alive.
There was no CCTV footage of my son other than when he was with me hours before he went missing. I told the cops Joel had taken him, but they didn't believe me. As Joel wasn't his father – it's a long story – and he had shown no interest in my baby before he went missing, even though it was well documented that Joel had been stalking me, wanting to bring me back to him for his sick little games, and that's why I'd been put in witness protection, they didn't investigate.
I know Joel took my son. He'd found me, beat me, stolen my son. Only one person believed my story. One person, who even though I'd been taken out of witness protection because the cops believed I no longer needed it, keeps moving me around
the country in order to protect me. A man who promised he wouldn't stop protecting me until the day he no longer needs to. A man who swore he would find my son, and he won't give up until the day I have my baby back.
It hurts so much to think about him, to wish he was with me every day. But I know I have to keep going, to act as normal as I can until the day all of this is over.
Right now, I'm a firefighter/paramedic and I'm damn good at the job I do. A job I fought hard to get even through all of what happened to me. My name might be different, but my dreams never changed. Plus, I want to be able to give my son a good life when I get him back.
I say when because I will never give up hope of finding my baby. Never.
“Unit 4, respond to address one-eight-one Sycomore Street. Suspected heart attack.”
“Roger, base.” I slot the radio back into its slot and fasten my seatbelt. It's needed with the way Enzo drives. I swear he thinks he's a race car driver half the time.
We're at the specified address in three minutes. I grab my jump bag, slinging it over my shoulder before racing to the front door.
Enzo has his medical equipment strapped to him. He's a good-looking guy for a man in his mid-thirties. Tall, dark and handsome. An ex-cage fight. He's super fit, seriously strong in every way. And I wonder why he still does this job. I get the firefighting, it's immensely gratifying, so is being a paramedic, but I thought a man who owned so much would want to kick his heels back and live the life of leisure.
That isn't Enzo, though. Enzo is a powerful man who likes helping people. His wife is a nurse, and they're both well-loved in this town. Enzo has saved many lives over the years he's been doing this, and no one understands why he isn't lieutenant of the fire department yet. The man could do the job standing on his head.
But according to Enzo, he'd rather leave that job to someone else. He likes being in the field doing the job he's always done. Lieutenant isn't his dream. I think he's mental. If the chance to become lieutenant came up for me, I'd jump at it. But that's just me.
Besides, I have a few years before anything like that would happen to me, I've only been doing this job for a few short months. Not that anyone here knows that fact. As far as the people of this town know, I've been doing this job for five years. And this town has a lieutenant, the same one it's had for the past six years after old man Jones retired. Lysander Cadell is nice enough. Forty-two years old, built like a bear, much like Enzo. Everyone's friend. Although he's not a pushover by any means.
