Mark’s face flashed in her mind and Hope had the sudden urge to run. Instead, she reached into her purse and pulled out the Glock Thea had made her buy from a pawnshop. Scanning the area, she didn’t find anything out of place. How had he tracked her down? She’d been so careful.
It must be my new employment status. Thea had been paying her under the table, but the clinic received government funds, and in the long run, it could have hurt Thea’s clinic. So, Hope had made things right and her official paperwork was turned in.
Turning back to go inside, Hope noticed a note tucked inside the lip of her door. She pulled it out and flipped the card open.
I’ll give you to the count of three to come back home to me.
ONE.
2
Abel
Abel dropped his keys in the ceramic bowl on the counter, along with the half-empty meat lover’s pizza box and empty bottle of beer. His cell rang the moment he kicked out of his pants and headed to the bathroom. Pausing, he listened as the ringer sounded, then came to a stop.
Hot, tired, and dirty, Abel ignored the missed call and sauntered into the bathroom. With a grimy hand, he adjusted the cold and hot water until a lukewarm stream sprayed from the nozzle. The water pressure in this old motel sucked, but who was he to complain when he was living rent free in a by-the-hour motel? All he’d wanted was clean sheets, and a cheap place to lay his head.
He’d found it a few miles outside of Blackwater. Blackwater had become a forgotten town, laid to waste by the shifts in the economy, yet Abel was still unable to find a place he could afford to live. And truth was, he could afford zero dollars a month. But he was steadily looking for stable work.
Removing the rest of his clothes, he leaned in under the warm spray, while contemplating a move from Blackwater. Problem was, he was broke, so a bus ticket was out of the question; and he didn’t want to use his rainy-day money to flee Blackwater. How far could he get hitchhiking? He was a good-looking, fit male, so there was the possibility of hitching a ride with a woman and heading wherever the hell she was going. That thought crashed all to hell when Abel remembered he’d been paroled after serving eighteen months of his original two-year sentence. He wasn’t going to be leaving this state for some time without permission from his PO, and even then, he’d have to come back.
Then there was his friend, Lex. But he’d recently gotten engaged, and had plans to elope with his new fiancée. So, Abel had decided to stay far away from his buddy for a while, as he started his new life, but he couldn’t help the pang of jealousy.
Squirting some soap in his hands, Abel lathered the oily appendages up as best he could and rinsed them under the water. His phone let out a cry for attention, this one a text. If someone had tried to get ahold of him twice, chances were it was some sort of emergency. Adding some speed to his routine, Abel cleaned himself up, exited the shower, and wrapped a towel around his dripping body.
On his way out to the room, he stopped and pulled a bottle of beer from the small fridge. Opening it up, he guzzled half of it down before making his way to the phone. He’d missed two calls, received two voicemails, and a text. He started with the text.
Lex: Call me ASAP.
Grunting, he muttered, “Speak of the devil.” Shuffling his way to the bed, he plopped down on it and pressed the call button.
“Long time, no talk,” his friend greeted. “News spreads fast about fools when they return to Blackwater on the low.”
Abel laughed. “I ain’t in Blackwater.” He took another swig of beer before adding, “And who would bother gossiping about my ass?” He couldn’t think of a soul. Besides Lex, who’d give a damn about his return? His momma was dead, and the man who’d came in her all those years ago, left not long after the act.
“You know how it is around here,” Lex explained. “Trouble makers coming home lends an ear to gossip.”
“Guess so. You calling to say hi?” Abel joked. “Or am I being asked to be the best man at the wedding?” He knew that was not the case and didn’t blame Lex. Abel had always been trouble. And though he’d turned his life around, most people wouldn’t give him credit for the act, since it’d happened in jail during his youth.
Lex sighed. “Nah, man, Thea and I are eloping. But we’ve run into a problem, and hell . . . I guess it was fate that brought your ugly ass back home.”
Abel nearly choked on his beer. “Fate? The fuck you been drinking?” He glanced at his bottle and added, “It’s probably in the water. That’s why I don’t drink that shit.” When Lex didn’t join in his laughter, Abel sat up, concern growing. “Ah hell, man. Did something happen to your woman?”
“Nah, but I need you for a job. That’s if you’re willing to come to Blackwater and stay for a while.”
Abel took in the half-unpacked garbage bag of his beer and clothes, the stained floor beneath it, and thought back to the shitty shower he’d just taken. “What’s going on?”
“We just found out the son-of-a-bitch beat her ass, and tried to kill her a few times.”
“Who? Your woman?” Abel shot off the bed and straight to his bag. Holding the phone between his face and his shoulder, he used one hand to shove his clothes in the bag, while the other reached under the TV stand to get his gun.
“No, man, no. One of Thea’s employees. Her best friend,” Lex clarified.
Still, after hearing this woman had been beaten and an attempt had been made on her life, Abel knew he was headed into Blackwater. Though, taking the job would no doubt piss his PO off something fierce, as he’d just been released from prison.
“Fill me in, quickly.” He only needed a few details for now. Lex could give him the rest once he got into town.
“She came from New York to get away from him, sold all her stuff, works at the clinic, and he found her. Oh, and she won’t call the cops on him.”
“Can you fucking blame her? Our Sherriff Dowd and his family are as corrupt as they come. They wouldn’t give a damn about this woman.” Abel shoved his weapon into his waistband. He had more, but would need to get to his storage unit to get them. That could wait for now.
“Which is why I’m calling you. Well, part of the reason, anyway.”
Abel paused at the hesitance in Lex’s voice. “What’s the whole reason?”
“I need you here as a bodyguard. We planned to elope and go on our honeymoon before all this shit hit the fan, and now I can’t get Thea to budge. As long as there is no one here to keep an eye on her friend, we will not be going anywhere.”
Abel threw the bag over his shoulder. “I see.”
“I know why you were in jail, and I know this could get you in trouble. So, you don’t have to do this.”
Without thinking, Abel said, “Yes, I do.” He wouldn’t bring up the fact that it would most likely have his ass breaking all sorts of laws, but he wasn’t the sort to leave friends hanging.
“I figured you’d say that.” He laughed. “Hope’s a stubborn one. She refuses to stay at our place while we are gone, and plans to keep working, even after the note she received from him, letting her know he’d found her.”
“Damn.” Abel took a final glance around, making sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind. When his eyes met the pizza box, he bounded over and snatched up a slice. “I’m on my way.” Turning, he headed to the door. Did he need to check out, since he wasn’t paying? Nah, he’d be fine leaving a note behind. “You still have to give me a bit more information to go on.”
He listened to Lex, as he found a pen and paper to write a quick thank you note.
“Thea opened up a clinic in Blackwater and called Hope to come help. What we didn’t know was that she was running from her abusive ex-husband, or rather, husband, since he won’t sign the divorce papers. Hope thinks he won’t sign, so he can get her back up to New York and in court. If that happens, he’ll know where she is and he’ll come for her.”
Abel threw his note on the desk and left the room. Cool air greeted his skin as he opened the do
or to his motel. “Doesn’t he already know where she is?” He planned to walk to Blackwater, which would get him there in a few hours. Making fast work of finishing the slice of pizza, he hefted the bag over his shoulder and got to walking.
“That’s what I said, but apparently, his father is a cop and she’s scared he’ll pull some dirty cop shit to help out his son.”
“Got it. So, you’re hiring me to watch over her while you’re gone.” Abel had worked for Double Ace “A2” security, years before his arrest caused him to lose his job. Luckily, his boss had stored his equipment for him while he served time in jail. “I can do it, I just need to get my shit and head over.”
“Where are you?” Lex asked. “Wait, is that you?”
Confused, Abel glanced up into a pair of headlights. The vehicle veered to the left and slowed in front of him. Lex, with a cheesy grin on his face, leaned over and unlocked the passenger side door.
Abel chuckled and threw his pack in the backseat before hopping inside. “What’s up, man?” He buckled himself in, and his hands went straight for the radio. Turning the loud, blaring rock music down, he leaned into a half hug, half handshake with his old buddy.
“Next time, when you see a pair of headlights barreling straight at you, get the fuck out of the way, you big idiot!”
Abel released a bout of laughter. “Hell, man, I figured it was probably you. Whenever you need a favor, you always pull up ten seconds later.” And it was true, too.
“Some things never change,” Lex muttered.
“I guess not,” Abel agreed. And that was what was good about having friends you could depend on. When you needed them, come hell or high water, they showed up. “Hey, I’m sorry to hear about Earl’s passing.” Abel had never needed Earl’s help the way Lex had, but he’d visited him on many occasions. The man had been a rock in the community, and Abel was sure he was sorely missed.
“Thanks, man.”
Abel nodded and propped an elbow on the window sill. They didn’t want to speak anymore on the subject, because the last thing they needed was to be driving down a dirt road, getting all emotional over shit. “I still need to know a little more about Hope and her situation. Let me start with a few prelim questions.”
“I’ll answer what I can, but there’s not much she’ll tell me. I’m thinking there are parts that are too personal.” Lex reached out and turned the radio completely off. “She’s got . . .” He paused, face reddening in what looked like barely veiled anger.
“She’s got what, man?” Abel’s chest tightened. Was there a kid involved? Because that sure as hell complicated things. If this woman was on the run with her kid, against a judge’s orders, shit could get ugly and illegal, real fast. Normally, Abel wouldn’t worry about bending the law to keep his ward safe, but since his prison release, he’d need to be more cautious.
Lex gave him a quick glance. “Scars. She’s got scars. A hell of a lot of them. All over her body. It’s hot as hell here, and I tell you, she only wears long-sleeved shirts.”
If Lex had expected Abel to be shocked by this news, he would be sadly mistaken. In his line of work, this was the norm. But most times, the open wounds weren’t visible to the naked eye, and those always took the longest to heal.
3
Hope
Hope watched Thea move around her small home like a caged animal waiting for its release. Her friend peeked out the window for the tenth time, and Hope had had enough. She stood and stretched—her body ached from sitting in the same position for the past hour. Making her way to the small kitchenette, she set her small, antique kettle on the burner.
“Really, you don’t need to stay. That biker guy is out there, and I’m sure I will be fine. Plus, you need to go home and start packing. Don’t you?" This was the third time she’d appealed to her friend, to no avail. If Thea and Lex were to make their flight, they needed to get home in the next day or so to pack. While Hope appreciated the companionship and the safe feeling their company provided, she felt like shit for possibly ruining their honeymoon.
Her friend moved from the window and sat on Hope’s threadbare sofa. “There’s no way I’m leaving you here alone.” Thea’s solemn eyes met hers.
And that was exactly what Hope wanted to avoid—the pity. Because how could a woman, such as herself, allow a man to force her into hiding?
Hope’s hand flew to her neck, a choking sensation overcoming her. She’d always thought of herself as a resilient woman, but Mark’s hands around her neck, choking the life from her, had ushered in a new person. A person who would hide in the closet during his drunken tirades. A person who would cry herself to sleep at night after being raped by the very man who’d promised to love and cherish her forever.
Her fingers slid down her neck to the scar Mark had left the night she’d forgotten to make mashed potatoes without the skin. He’d held the knife to her throat and made her promise, over and over, that she would never again forget. And she hadn’t. She’d never forgotten the malicious look in his eyes, or the way he pushed his arousal against her stomach. Finally, he’d sliced her neck deep enough that blood flowed down her chest.
Hope closed her eyes, the stinging sensation of tears building behind her lids until she could take it no longer. The loud whistle of the tea kettle snatched her from the past and made her jump so hard, she scared Thea. Thea made to stand, but Hope motioned for her to sit back down.
“Sugar or honey?” she asked, glad her back was to her friend. It gave her time to gather herself, as she reached to the cabinet above and pulled down the honey.
“However you take yours,” Thea muttered.
Hope threw a quick glance over her shoulder to see that Thea was at the window again. She’d pulled the curtain open just as a flash of lightning brightened the sky. Soon after, a booming clap of thunder rattled the house.
Storms had a way of soothing Hope’s nerves. There was something about the chaos of the storm that chased away her fear.
Hope made two cups of tea and took them to her wobbly coffee table. Placing Thea’s cup down, she made her way to the ratty, but unbelievably comfortable, leather wingback chair. Tucking her feet up underneath her, she settled back into the seat and pulled an afghan over her knees. The cold front that had caused a storm, mercifully cooled the oppressive heat outside, yet somehow, her old AC unit hadn’t seemed to get the memo to turn off.
“Tell me about this Abel character,” she said.
When Lex had suggested they hire her a bodyguard, Hope had reservations. The first being, she couldn’t afford such an expense. The second being, it’d be safer for everyone if she just picked up and left town. But Thea had reminded her that her funds were too low to allow her to run again. On top of which, she was one of the best employees she had. While Hope thought Thea was exaggerating, her insides had warmed at the compliment.
“Honestly, I’ve only met him a few times, and that was when we were younger. He worked for a security company for a while, and from what Lex tells me, he was going to start his own company before he was arrested.”
Hope nodded. Lex had filled her in on what’d sent Abel to jail. A bar fight with a man who’d harassed a woman, along with the shitty sheriff of Blackwater. While Hope understood Abel’s actions that night, he wasn’t completely irreproachable. He’d shattered the man’s face and punctured his lung.
It later turned out that Abel had shown extreme force during the fight, and had to be pulled away several times by a group of men. Hope thought she’d want to steer clear of a man with such anger issues, but Lex had explained Abel’s need to protect those who were unable to do it themselves. She found it noble of him, and secretly hoped that if Mark did find her, this Abel would be there.
A knock at the door startled Thea and Hope.
Then a dark voice called from the other side of the door, “Your men are here and I’m heading out.” Gator’s heavy-booted feet could be heard thundering down the stairs.
Hope stood, placing the still steaming
cup of tea on the table, and made her way to the picture window.
Lex’s old truck sat in the drive, surrounded by four men. Three she noticed as Lex, sharp-toothed Gator, and a man named Blu—his now blue Mohawk no longer spiked skyward, but plastered to his head from rain—who was to take up the second watch for the night. And then there was Abel. Hope couldn’t see well from the window, especially since her glasses currently served as a bookmark in a mystery novel she’d been reading.
The men, uncaring of the rain pouring down on them, stood around the truck. Abel glanced around, then pointed to the woods behind her place. She was surrounded by woods, however, the front of her garage apartment stuck out far enough that it could be seen from the dirt road along her place.
Gator said a few words, then Abel took off running toward the clearing. Hope’s hand flew to the window, supporting her weight as she pressed her face against the pane to watch him disappear into the woods, only to emerge seconds later. She surmised there wasn’t a threat, since the other men didn’t take off after him. Then, he made his way in a light jog to the base of the stairs leading to her place and took off again in the same direction.
Thea sidled up beside her, hands on her hips, watching the scene unfold.
“What the hell are they doing?” Hope asked, as Abel ran from different spots in the yard, always ending up at the opening of the woods.
Thea leaned forward and squinted. “It looks like they’re timing how long it would take to get to that opening.” She pointed. “Where does it lead to?”
“It leads to a glade and a lake.” Hope had gone back there a few times and explored. She’d even taken a book and sat by a tiny stream to read.
Open Wounds: Abel and Hope: Love Against the Odds Page 2
