Come To Me (Dare With Me Series Book 3)

by J. H. Croix

  Her eyes flew wide, her breath hissing with a surprised inhalation. “What? What did he want?”

  “He said something about making sure that you understood it was a serious matter and that they were having trouble getting a hold of you. My gut tells me he’s an asshole.”

  Her arms tightened, and she curled her hands around the sides of her waist and turned away from me. When she looked back in my direction, she looked weary and sad. “I used to play competitive softball in high school. We were a championship team.” Her tone was thoughtful, almost detached. “It all blew up when our coach kissed me and tried to take things a little further. Don’t worry, he didn’t rape me,” she added hurriedly.

  Anger bolted through me hard and fast, but I gritted my teeth and stayed silent.

  “It wasn’t just me. I wasn’t special. Not that I felt special. I didn’t want to feel special, and I didn’t want him to ever look at me again. It happened to some of my teammates who were my friends. They investigated, but then nothing. The school did their own investigation,” she said with air quotes around investigation. “I moved on with my life and actually injured my back at the start of the following season. We were all pretending like it was no big deal. I guess we thought that’s what we were supposed to do since the investigation went nowhere. Fast forward, and he went on to be a championship winning coach for more than one college and now he’s finally facing criminal charges. I wasn’t sure if I was going to testify, but now I am. My brother thinks he’s trying to search out people close to me to scare me out of testifying.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?!” I finally burst out.

  Gemma turned to me, her gaze unsettlingly calm. “Of course not. You just told me he called you too. I have a message in to my brother. He’s an attorney. I’m hoping he can tell the coach’s attorneys to back the fuck off and leave me alone. Because I will be testifying.”

  She fell completely silent for a moment. The thud of my heartbeat echoed in my ears. With her arms still tightly wrapped around her waist, she turned away and walked to the windows at the front of the room. I followed her over, as if she had a string attached to me.

  “So, that’s a fun thing to learn about the girl you only had two dinners with,” she said, her words sharp like pieces of glass.

  “Gemma, I know life’s not all fun. I’m really, really sorry you went through that.”

  My words felt pathetically inadequate.

  She finally let her arms drop free, lifting one hand to rub at the back of her neck before spinning away. “It’s life. We all have shit we go through. I actually need to get going.”

  She hurried into a small room off the main room, returning with her purse and slipping into a lightweight jacket as she stuffed her feet into a pair of tennis shoes. I didn’t know why, but it felt as if she were slipping away from me.

  “Gemma,” I began

  She shook her head. “You can’t fix this, Diego. Please let Harley know I’m sorry that attorney called her. I have no idea how they got your number or hers. I’ll let you know what my brother says.”

  She moved so fast she was already at the front door before I caught up to her. “When can I see you again?” I asked.

  Her eyes lifted to mine, but they were shuttered, closed off to me. “I’m sure I’ll see you when I come out for a yoga class at the resort. I’ll be there tomorrow night.”

  “I’m leaving for a three-day trip over in Katmai, so I won’t see you there.”

  “Then, next week,” she said brightly, her smile almost brittle.

  She was already stepping through the door, holding it for me. I waited while she locked up behind us. “How about this weekend?” I pressed. “I’ll be back by then.”

  “I’m busy,” she said tightly. “Go on your trip, and I’ll see you next week at the resort.”

  She didn’t give me a chance to debate further, lifting her hand in a wave and almost running to her car.

  I stood where I was, watching as she drove away and wondering just how I’d gotten this so wrong.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Diego

  I was cutting it close by the time I arrived at the plane hangar and hustled to get the plane ready for the trip. “Thanks, man,” I called over to Ryan Brooks.

  Ryan was a young guy who was working on getting his pilot’s license and also doing side work as a mechanic. Flynn had been hiring him for small repair jobs. While all of us could handle repairs, we were busy enough as it was. He grinned in my direction. “Anytime. You guys keep me busy and are great references for me.”

  Ryan was the younger brother of Eli Brooks, a friend who owned a local guiding and outdoor shop. Having Ryan work for us was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We sent customers to Eli, and Ryan logged plenty of those flight training hours. Flynn insisted on paying him his full rate for mechanic work, even though Ryan was always trying to give us a discount.

  He did us a solid by squeezing us in on short notice whenever he could as he’d done this morning. Before he’d even driven away, a car pulled up in the parking area, and a family poured out of it. The distraction I needed so desperately was here in the form of two teenage boys who helped me load up the plane. Their parents were patient with them, and the family was beyond excited to go on this trip into the wilderness.

  While they waited to board, I ran into the hangar for a last check to grab my gear bag and make sure I had a fully charged radio and a backup battery. My cell phone buzzed as I was walking out of the restroom. Seeing Harley’s name on the screen, I answered quickly, “What’s up, Sis? I’ve only got a minute because I’m about to fly.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot you’re gone for three days. Well, that attorney called me. Again.” She proceeded to repeat some variation of what the attorney had said to me, but added, “He said Gemma could be in real trouble if she doesn’t get in touch with them.”

  I wanted to scream in frustration. Gemma had given me the rundown, but I didn’t like how Harley was getting caught up in this. My sister who never wanted to be told to back down was going to have to fucking back down.

  “Harley, leave it alone, okay? I talked to Gemma today. She hasn’t done anything wrong. The smartest thing for you to do is not to take those calls. Those people are trying to fuck with her.”

  “Well, maybe if you would let me know what the hell was going on—”

  I cut her off quickly. “Daphne was right. It’s personal, and it’s up to Gemma to tell whoever she wants to tell. You’re my sister, and I love you, but you need to trust me on this.”

  I hung up the phone, hoping and praying Harley would take my words to heart. Unsure what my options were considering that I had a professional obligation and needed to leave, I pulled Gemma’s name up and sent her a quick text.

  Just a heads up. That attorney spoke to Harley again. I didn’t tell her what you shared with me because that’s your call. Maybe you better get a hold of your brother sooner rather than later.

  My thumbs hovered over the screen. They actually itched to type out the words “I love you.” Which was fucking insane. What the hell was I thinking? I was getting way ahead of myself.

  I’ll be back in three days. I’ll be thinking of you. If you need anything from me, call Daphne. Flynn can reach me. Please take care of yourself and please call your brother.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Gemma

  The phone rang in my ear, the sound jangling along the edges of my already frayed nerves. Just when I thought I was going to get my brother’s voicemail, he answered.

  “Hey, Gemma. What’s up?” Neal asked.

  I took a shallow breath, swallowing nervously before I could explain. My pause must’ve dragged too long because Neal prompted, “Gemma?”

  “Hey,” I finally managed, my voice sounding bright and kind of normal. “Look, I need help. Some weird stuff has happened.”

  I quickly explained the situation. As I spoke, I was surprised at how ridiculous the whole thing sou
nded. I couldn’t believe my former coach had hired a law firm that would actually try to interfere in my personal life for the sole purpose of trying to intimidate me from testifying.

  Neal, on the other hand, didn’t seem rattled at all. “It’s par for the course, Gemma. You’ve seen the news. The easiest way to get people to shut up is to make them uncomfortable about it. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. We can file a cease and desist order, and we can also put some pretty heavy pressure on them from the DA. Courts don’t appreciate attempts to interfere with witnesses. I don’t know if this rises to obstruction, but it’s possible. I’m going to guess you’re not the only potential witness they’ve reached out to.”

  “But why call my friends? Not to mention, I just started seeing this guy. It feels like they’re spying on me. It’s really creepy.”

  “That’s the point,” he said dryly. “To make you uncomfortable. I’m guessing they hired a private investigator who somehow figured out you went on a few dates with this guy. Somebody new in your life is easier to influence than someone who’s known you for a long time. This guy didn’t know anything about the case, right?”

  “No! It’s not exactly a great getting-to-know-you topic. So, I get an investigator finding out I’ve gone on a few dates with him and calling him and his sister. That just feels so invasive. I’m mortified.”

  “That’s the exact point. I’ll deal with this. They will back off. I promise,” Neal said firmly. “Have you talked to Mom and Dad about this?”

  “Ugh. No. Why would I want to do that? As it is, I’m already our family’s hot mess. I really prefer not to involve them in everything, Neal. I know you probably don’t understand that.”

  My brother was quiet, and I heard his sigh filter through the phone line. “I do get it, Gemma. You’re not our family’s hot mess, and I wish you wouldn’t describe yourself like that. Mom and Dad just want to be there for you.”

  “I’ll call Mom today. I should also let you know I’ve decided to testify. I have a message in to the DA’s office.”

  “It’s totally your choice. Remember that.”

  “I will.”

  “I’ve got a call coming in, so I need to go. Love you,” Neal said.

  “Love you too.”

  I hung up the phone, wondering what to do next. Feeling betwixt and between with anxiety twisting inside me, I decided to go for a ride. Charlie could use the exercise, and I needed to do something that would help me relax. I was heading out to the resort for my two classes there this evening, and I had plenty of time for a ride before that.

  “Please hold,” the receptionist said politely in my ear.

  The man seemed oblivious to my distress. What was probably a routine for him had my heart pounding in an unsteady beat in my chest and my breath coming short. It wasn’t excitement, it was raw anxiety revving my body’s engine. I managed to take a slow breath, the tension churning inside easing, but just barely.

  “Hello, Gemma?” a woman’s voice said.

  “Yes, this is Gemma.” My words came out fast, bumping into each other.

  “Very good to hear from you. I should let you know, I’ve already spoken to your brother today. I’m very sorry to hear about Mr. Johnson. I don’t know if this will help you feel better, but they’ve done something similar to several witnesses. It’s dirty tricks and it’s not okay. We will be notifying the court. You can be prepared for the defendant to claim he had no idea his attorneys were doing it, but we’ll deal with that.”

  For the first time, my brother’s tendency to be on top of things and always timely sent a whoosh of relief through me. When I was younger, I used to get annoyed with how prompt he was. My struggles with dyslexia had me fumbling in school until we figured out what the problem was. Delaying and avoiding things had been a go-to coping skill of mine when I was younger. That was the very opposite of my brother. I was much better about things now, but still. Sibling relationships were the scaffolding of childhood frustrations even when you loved each other.

  “Now, how can I help you?” the attorney’s question brought me back to the conversation at hand.

  “I’m calling because I’ve decided I’d like to testify. I was getting to that decision anyway, but having that attorney call me and then my friends, pushed me over the edge. I’m angry.”

  Although the DA couldn’t see me, I straightened my shoulders as I stared out over the view through the windows. The mountains stood sentry in the distance, tall and quiet, their commanding presence giving me a dose of strength.

  Although I was weary of the threat of this trauma running through my life, for the first time it felt like I was taking the reins of the narrative. Maybe, just maybe, this would help me finally stop sidestepping it.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” she said warmly. “Obviously, we never want to pressure people to testify. I can only imagine how it felt for you when the original case went absolutely nowhere. You will not be alone in this process, and I hope it might give you some closure. It will certainly bolster our case. I’d like you to know we have a very strong case against the coach. With or without your testimony and that of other supporting witnesses, I think he will finally face genuine legal consequences.”

  “I hope so,” I whispered. “I really hope so.”

  Our conversation shifted into her explanation of the process and how she would set up an interview for me via videoconference with one of her staff to review what my testimony would cover and to support me.

  I hung up a little while later, feeling strong and shaky. I was ready to face this down. But first, I had a life—a life here in Alaska and yoga classes to teach. I left my house, heading out to Walker Adventures, wishing Diego would be there tonight.

  Chapter Thirty

  Diego

  I leaned against the railing on a viewing platform at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, watching the brown bears feed on the salmon that came through the river here every year. It was still awe inspiring even though I’d been here several times a year since I’d moved to Alaska.

  It blew my mind to watch the majestic and decidedly massive bears snatch fresh salmon out of the stream. As nature’s bounty went, this was clearly a prime restaurant in brown bear world. We were on our second day there, and the weather had been fantastic for the family who booked this trip. There were clear skies with fluffy clouds occasionally scudding against the bright blue backdrop. The good weather didn’t negate the mosquitoes though, and one buzzed incessantly near my ear. I swatted futilely at it. Like many things, even the mosquitoes took being Alaskan to heart. They were so large they looked like the insect version of weight lifters.

  “Hey, Diego,” a voice said.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Natalie Taylor approaching. Her dark hair was tucked under a baseball cap, and she waved as she got closer. “Hey,” I replied. “What are you doing here?”

  She grinned when she stopped beside me. “Probably the same thing you are. I might not have flown the plane, but I’m guiding a group on some hikes here. I came up with Lacey’s adventure outfit.”

  I knew Lacey Haynes from Diamond Creek. Natalie lived in Anchorage and picked up outdoor guiding jobs all over Alaska. Lacey and her husband, Quinn, ran a small company that handled outdoor trips all over Alaska. Quinn didn’t do much guiding himself, seeing as he was the primary doctor at a local medical office. Lacey ran a few, but she also hired lots of people seasonally to help when she wasn’t able to do the guiding herself.

  Natalie’s brown eyes twinkled as she looked up at me, and I didn’t miss the teasing glint there. We had had a few encounters, for lack of a better way to describe it. Perhaps occasional friends with occasional benefits was what we were. She wasn’t around enough for me to consider her a close friend.

  “You here for the night?” she asked.

  “I am. We fly out first thing tomorrow. You?”

  “Just got here today. Guess my timing was better than I expected.”

  I shrugged noncommittally, re
lieved when there was a nearby commotion. Glancing over, I saw that a group of younger guests had gotten a little too close for comfort and a bear had lunged in the tall grass nearby. The kids were smart enough to immediately respond and take a few steps away from the railing.

  “Bears are going to be bear,” Natalie said lightly. “So, what’s been going on for you?”

  “Not much new. I fly, and I love my freaking job. It’s our busy season, so I don’t have much downtime. You doing any other trips for Lacey and Quinn this summer?”

  “I signed up to cover three. I should be in Diamond Creek for a few weeks. Maybe after tonight we could actually see each other again.”

  I silently groaned. She had expectations. I couldn’t say I blamed her for them. Now that I contemplated it, the last few times I’d seen her, which had been less than once a year, we had enjoyed each other’s company, intimately speaking.

  While I might not have been certain about my feelings for Gemma before, they became blindingly clear in this moment. I had absolutely zero interest in Natalie, or any other woman. Gemma was the one and only woman I wanted. I figured I might as well face this head-on instead of trying to sidestep the topic. With us being here tonight and not much else going on, I didn’t want to be coy about it.

  “Look,” I began, “I’m seeing someone. It’s great to see you, but—”

  She cut in quickly. “I’ve been officially friend zoned. Got it.” She nodded firmly. “I appreciate you being direct about it.”

  I experienced a twinge of discomfort. “Friend zoned? I didn’t know we were ever more than friends.”

  “We weren’t. You don’t need to explain. But you just explicitly told me we won’t be anything more. I didn’t think we were more than friends, but we did cross the just-friends boundary a few times,” she explained.