Evan thought about his step-son, Tim, who he’d helped bring up until he was nine-years-old. Tim was now fifteen, and a brainiac. He lived for science and all things geekery. Right now, he was in Italy with his father, Bodhi, and his step-mother Sailor – who he called Mom now - and their two children, four-year-old Soleil, and the new-born Adamo. They were Evan’s family now; their warm inclusivity had been something he had leaned into when it was offered without hesitation.
He snagged his cell phone. It would be late in Italy, but he knew Bodhi stayed up sometimes. He texted a message to him, and sure enough, it came back.
Hey, dude! We miss you already, especially for the diaper changes. Sailor sends her love – yes, she’s still awake. Woman doesn’t stop. How’s Portland?
Evan grinned. On a case, staying in tiny town on Columbia River. It’s beautiful here. Say, back in your old haunt, L.A., did you ever come across an agent called Maurice Winston?
His cell phone rang almost immediately, and Bodhi was on the other end. They greeted each other warmly then Bodhi’s voice hardened. “Hell yes, I know Maurice Winston. He was my agent once, and Sailor used to work for him. It’s how we met.”
“I take it it didn’t end well?”
“I should have added, Sailor and I met when I stopped Winston from raping her.”
Evan sat up. “What?”
“Yup. The man is a sleazy creep. Has he finally been caught out? Please tell me he has.”
“I don’t know, but you may have just given me a lead. Thanks, man.”
“You’re welcome. Now, tell me more about this little town.”
A half-hour later, Evan got off the phone. Bodhi had told him more about the machinations of Maurice Winston’s career, and Evan’s instincts were pinging. He would ask Lukia more about her relationship with her agent, that was for sure.
“Hey there, how are you doing?”
Evan looked up and smiled. The town’s sheriff was smiling at him; they had met earlier when Evan went to ask if he could camp out in their office for a while. Teddy Vale was in his late seventies, but Evan could see great knowledge and wisdom in the old blue eyes. A completely white beard and hair made Teddy look as soft as snow, but Evan got the feeling that no-one messed with the sheriff and came out on top. He asked the sheriff to join in and caught the eye of the waitress. “Would you like something to eat, Teddy?”
Teddy took the menu and ordered exactly the same as Evan. The waitress brought them some more beers and Teddy tapped his glass to Evan’s. “Welcome to town. Shame about the circumstances.”
“Indeed. Have you known the Fleming family long?”
Teddy nodded. “All my life. I knew Lu’s grandfather and great-grandfather. Her dad was Simon Fleming.”
The name came to Evan suddenly. “The writer?”
“Yup. He was a strange bird sometimes. Withdrawn, unsociable. Molly, his wife, could not have been more different. She had spirit and kindness. Not that Simon wasn’t kind, he was just quieter than regular folk. He adored Molly and those kids. Very sad, what happened.”
“Road accident.”
Teddy hesitated and then nodded. “That’s the official story, yes.”
Evan’s eyebrows shot up. “The official story?”
Teddy leaned in. “Folks say they saw Molly and Simon arguing about Lukia, the day they died. Simon was upset, Molly got in the car with him to try and calm him down. Whether Simon drove them off the road intentionally? I don’t know.”
Evan chewed this over. “And so, Billy was Lukia’s guardian afterward?”
“Yeah. The kid was distraught, but he stepped up and took care of the girl. He’s a good man.”
Their food arrived then, and they moved onto less serious topics, Teddy telling Evan about the good fishing, Evan telling him about the serial murders in Portland. Over coffee, Evan returned to Lukia Fleming. “Lukia seems…different. Not starry at all.”
Teddy shrugged. “She’s always been a solitary child – must take after her father. You won’t find anyone saying a bad word about her; we’re all very proud.”
“Any idea who would want to hurt her?”
“Crazy fan, I expect. Damn shame what happened but I warned those kids before. They should have got some security a long time ago. You put your face out there in the public and some crazy’s gonna come after you.”
“Hey, boo.” Billy stuck his head into Lukia’s bedroom. “I’m turning in. You okay?”
“I’m good. See you in the morning.”
The house was so quiet that Lukia lay on her bed, listening to every small creak and groan. Stop it, she told herself, try and sleep.
But the nightmares wouldn’t stop, and she forced herself awake just after two a.m. shivering and crying. She slipped down to the kitchen and made herself some hot milk, hoping it would soothe her. She missed having someone to hug, to comfort her. Her mother had been dead for sixteen years now and it never ever stopped hurting. I need you, Mom, so bad, right now. Lukia fought back the urge to call Evan Teal. Don’t be ridiculous, you barely know him. But he’d had the same warmth about him that her mom had had. Lukia closed his eyes and conjured Evan up in her mind. Those sleepy, kind hazel eyes, the short brown curls she wanted to tangle her fingers in. She imagined him smiling down at her, then leaning in to brush her lips with his…
What the hell? Lukia’s eyes flew open. No, this is utterly ridiculous. You don’t get a crush on an F.B.I. Agent because he was kind to you…
But it wasn’t just his kindness, was it? It was that hard body, that perfectly symmetrical face, that boyish smile.
“Shut. Up.” She told herself through gritted teeth. She wasn’t that pathetic that she would fall for someone because they were kind.
…was she?
At the sheriff’s department, Deputy Damon Jones dropped his paperwork back into the files back into the cabinet. Nothing in them had registered, though, all his thoughts with the beautiful brunette across town. He checked the clock, knowing Lukia always came into town at this time of day for coffee. He went to the window in time to see her truck pull up outside the coffee house across Main Street from the sheriff’s office. He grinned as she jumped down from it and dropped her bag, scrabbling to pick it and immediately tripping over the strap. He watched as she laughed at herself, brushing the dirt from her blue jeans.
“Goofball.” He said softly then started slightly as someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned. Teddy was standing at the door.
“This a good time?”
Damon grinned at his boss. “For you, chief, always.” He motioned for Teddy to sit, offered him some coffee. When they had their drinks, Damon perched on the desk.
“So, what’s up?”
Teddy took a moment, studied him. “Lukia Fleming.”
Damon nodded, couldn’t help but grin. “I knew this was coming.”
Teddy didn’t return his smile. “I’m not joking around. I want to know – “
“What my intentions are?” Damon tried to lighten the atmosphere but quelled under the older man’s stare. “Okay. Serious.” He sat down opposite Teddy. “I love her. Man, you know this. I’ve always loved her. What happened back in college…that was just a young dumbass who fucked up. Not this time.”
“Last time, you weren’t married.” Teddy’s face was set.
Damon blew out a tense breath. “I know it’s not ideal but when Lukia’s ready…”
“This is where I have a problem,” Teddy got up and paced around the room. “The pressure on her. You’re making her responsible for your decision to divorce your wife. I don’t like that.”
“No, “Damon was on his feet now too, his voice pleading, “No, I swear that’s not what I’m doing. I’m leaving Marianne anyway. I should never have married her, she…” His shoulders slumped. “Look I know, I know, how badly I’ve messed things up. When Lukia turned me down the first time, I admit, I married Marianne out of spite. Jesus.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what h
e was saying.
Teddy was silent for a few moments. “Damon, I’m concerned. She’s fragile right now. She doesn’t need the extra pressure from you.”
Damon leaned forward, his face earnest. “Teddy, she’s alone, and all I want to do is look after her, care for her, love her. She’s all I think about.”
Teddy shifted, moved to the door. “That’s all I want for her too. I know you love her, but Lukia may not feel the same way. I need you to think about that, that’s all I’m saying for now.” Teddy tugged his cap on, nodded to Damon. “I’ll see you later.”
Evan heard Teddy leave. From the backroom, he’d heard their conversation, stayed hidden, hadn’t wanted to intrude, he told himself. The truth was, since day one, he’d had a feeling about Damon Jones. Guy was…Evan couldn’t conjure the word. He slipped silently passed the door to the office where Damon was and out onto the street. He stood at the corner of the block considering for a moment, chewing over the hunch he had, deciding that the old police chief was holding out on him. He saw him along Main Street, going into his home. Evan followed him, glancing over to the coffeehouse where he could see Lukia sitting, reading a book. He hoped she would stay there for a while – he needed to talk to her.
It was starting to rain as he knocked at Teddy’s door. Teddy greeted him as he pulled open the door for him.
“Hey, buddy, come on in. Want some coffee?”
Evan stepped in, brushing the raindrops from his hair. “No, no, I just wanted to talk. About Damon Jones.”
Teddy stopped, nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I thought this was coming.”
“He’s in love with Lukia Fleming?”
“Obviously. So, the quiet’s getting to you, you’re bored, and you’re fixating on Damon Jones for something to do.”
Evan choked on his drink. “Man, you don’t pull your punches.”
“I understand. Damon is complicated. Emotional. He’s a good man – not a great cop – but essentially a good man. He’s easily distracted – and he’s preoccupied with Lukia Fleming.”
Evan looked him steadily. “And you’re concerned. I heard your conversation earlier.”
Teddy sighed. “Yes. Damon’s messing with her head right now and I want him to back off.”
“What’s the story there?”
Teddy scratched his head. “They went to the same high school. They dated briefly, went to prom together, were named Homecoming King and Queen. Then Lukia went to college and broke it off -I don’t think she really took the relationship seriously. Damon was heartbroken and got married to Marianne really quickly. Marianne makes artisanal cupcakes flavored with pure bile.”
Evan choked on his coffee at that, wiping his mouth as he laughed. “There’s an image.”
“So, a couple of years ago, when Lukia came back to town after college, Damon started making “friends” with her. Lately, he's ratcheting up his expectations. I don’t think Lukia’s interested.”
“No-one mentioned this to me,” Evan said evenly. “I would think it bears looking into.”
Teddy grinned. “Son, Damon Jones is no more capable of hurting Lukia than I am. He’s all talk.”
“Still.”
Teddy sighed. “Well, I’m not going to stop you talking to him.”
Evan sensed the older man’s hesitation. “You protecting him?”
“Hey, I like the kid. He’s just got to learn when no means no.”
Which is the very definition of sexual assault, Evan thought but kept it to himself.
Evan greeted Lukia as he entered the coffee shop. She smiled at him, and for a second, he couldn’t breathe. Her face had lit up when she saw him; he couldn’t remember a time when a woman smiled at him like that.
Remember you’re here to do a job, man. He politely refused Lukia’s offer of coffee. “Actually, I wondered, do you hike?”
She nodded. “I do, but lately, I’ve felt like I couldn’t hike on my own, you know? Even before…”
Evan nodded, understanding. “Feel like walking with me? I find the best ideas come from exercise and talking.”
Lukia got up. “That actually sounds fantastic. Mind if we stop at mine so I can change shoes?”
“Let’s do it.”
An hour later, they were starting out along the Columbia River Gorge trail. Evan tried not to notice that Lukia’s t-shirt clung to her curves or that the brisk air of the mountains brought a flush to her cheeks.
“How are you doing, Lukia?” He asked, genuinely wanting to know the answer. He hated the haunted look in this woman’s eyes, but she smiled at him now.
“Better, thanks. I actually slept for a couple of hours last night. I think I have you to thank for that; in a few hours, you made me feel much more secure so thank you.”
Evan frowned. “What about your brother? Surely he’s there for you?”
Lukia nodded. “Oh, he is, but he’s also stuck in the recording studio as well, trying to get his new album done before the deadline. Billy is good at some things, but meeting deadlines isn’t one of them. He always leaves things until the last minute.”
“Gotcha.” Privately, Evan would have said “Screw the deadline, my sister needs me, ” but Lukia nudged his shoulder with her, guessing his thoughts.
“I know what you’re thinking, but it was my idea. I’m not going to let this thing encroach any more on our lives than it has to.”
Evan nodded and changed the subject. “So, tell me about Damon Jones.”
Lukia chuckled but rolled her eyes. “Damon is a friend. Yes, I know he’d like to be more, but I have made it clear to him that’s never going to happen.”
Evan looked at her closely. “How clear have you made it?”
“Not clear enough, it seems.” Lukia shook her head. “Listen, Damon lives in a dream world, sometimes, where if I even have a conversation with him then it’s true love. I have told him, repeatedly, that I’m not interested in him like that. He says he’s going to get a divorce anyway.”
“Hmm.”
Lukia studied him, stopping to catch her breath. “Evan, Damon couldn’t attack me, it isn’t in him. He’s a crazy romantic, yes, but not a criminal.”
“I have to look at everyone.”
Lukia sighed. “I know.” And they started walking again.
“One thing I wanted to ask you…you’ve chosen to keep it out of the press. Why is that?”
Lukia hesitated before answering. “Because I don’t want the publicity, the sympathy which quickly turns to people on the internet turning nasty. You might have noticed, I don’t have Twitter or Instagram. I value my privacy too much. I would feel humiliated.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but still…”
Evan stopped her with a touch on her arm. “What is it, Lukia? What’s your darkness? It’s more than just what happened at the weekend, isn’t it?”
He watched her eyes fill with tears, and she looked away from him. “Please don’t ask me that, Evan. Please.”
“It might help me find out who…”
“It wouldn’t. Please…” Her voice broke, and she looked so distressed that Evan forgot his job and wrapped his arms around her as she silently wept. Lukia’s arms were tight around him, and they stood for several minutes like that as she sobbed everything out. When her sobs came to a shuddering stop, she looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“It’s okay, lovely girl,” Evan said softly. He couldn’t look away from her, and when she pressed her lips to his, he didn’t resist at first, then gently moved away.
“Lukia, we can’t.”
She nodded sadly. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Evan couldn’t resist stroking her cheek. “If I lost focus and something happened to you? I won’t let that happen.”
Lukia nodded and stepped away from him, smiling a little. “I know. Sorry, it’s just…it seemed the most natural thing to do.”
Evan nodded. “I felt it too. I just can�
��t…while I’m protecting you.”
Lukia nodded towards the trail. “I know,” she repeated, “let’s keep walking.”
Later, back at the sheriff’s office, Evan typed up his notes, trying not to think about that kiss. He hadn’t been so attracted to a woman since…god, he couldn’t remember, but he was a professional, and as he told Lukia, if he was distracted, she could end up dead. The thought filled him with horror.
He had three leads to follow now, two were obvious – Maurice Winston and Damon Jones - but the third would require him to tread very, very carefully.
Billy Cyprian. Lukia’s brother.
It was nothing more than gut instinct at this point, but Evan wanted to know more about his relationship with his sister. His career had been affected by his parent’s death, and Evan had already discovered he went through a drink-and-drugs phase – luckily after Lukia had turned eighteen. He wondered if Billy harbored resentment towards his sister for being the cause of the argument which led to the fatal car crash that killed his parents. It was tentative, but it could happen.
He put a call in the Portland field office and his assistant back there, Roscoe, who had been checking into Lukia’s fans, and possible stalkers. Roscoe told him nothing had pinged.
“Oh, there’s the usual people on the internet professing their love, making Tumblr pages dedicated to Lukia Fleming, but nothing that struck us a disturbing.”
Evan thanked Roscoe and hung up, feeling relieved. If Lukia’s attacker were someone close to her, it would make his job easier.
Rockstar Untamed: A Single Dad Virgin Romance Page 134
