A Safe Place To Fall (The Fall Book 1)

by Jessica Kile

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out he saw it was his dad. On the way to the hospital, he had asked his dad to get him all the information he possibly could on the wreck. Something was not right.

  Excusing himself, he stepped out into the hall to answer the phone. “What's up?”

  “I had our mechanic check out Lana's car,” the older man informed him. “The brake lines were cut.”

  Anger chilled his veins. Lana could've been killed. If she had been going any faster she and the person she hit would not have survived. The other person was in critical condition as it was.

  “Are you guys finally going to do something about this bullshit?” he asked angrily. “He could have killed her tonight!”

  “I know,” his father admitted. “I've been trying like hell all evening to get Shawn in for questioning, but he hasn't been found yet.”

  “Damn it,” Drew all but shouted into the phone. “I just want her to be safe, Dad.”

  “I'm working on enough evidence to get a restraining order against this Shawn,” his dad informed him. “Without finger prints, and the messages being traced back to a burner phone, it has proven to be difficult. You're just lucky the phone company keeps a record of that kind of thing.”

  “This is on a whole different level,” he said. “As soon as she's out of my sight he tries something else.”

  “Do you know what I would do if this were happening to Charlene?”

  Charlene was the new wife his dad married as soon as the ink was dry on his parents' divorce papers. Drew tried to hate the new wife but she refused to allow it to happen. That, however, did not mean he had to get along with his dad.

  Up until Lana's car had been keyed it had been six months since he had spoken to his dad. He could have forgiven his dad if he had just told his mom he wanted a divorce. Unfortunately, it had not gone down that way. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't overlook the fact that his mother had walked in on his dad in bed with the other woman.

  “I would take her away,” his dad went on. “Take Lana up to the cabin for a few days. Maybe by then, I'll be able to get enough on this jackass.”

  The cabin.

  Drew hadn't been up there in five years since his parent's marriage fell apart. Once upon a time his family had been close. Every vacation and a few weekends had been spent at that cabin. Adam had tried to get him to go up there for a fishing trip the past summer, but he had refused.

  The last thing he wanted to do was take Lana to the cabin. The place had become tainted the moment his dad had allowed Charlene to step inside the door, but it was secluded. The only way Shawn would be able to get to her up there was if he followed her. If it meant Lana would be safe, he would pack her up and go there.

  “You still have a key?” asked his dad.

  He nodded and immediately realized his dad couldn't see him. “Yeah, I've got the key.”

  “Take her there,” his dad demanded, “and don't come back until I've gotten the restraining order, or he's behind bars.”

  Drew looked around the doorway at Lana dozing in the bed. How would she handle going away for a while? They would both have to miss classes and work. Working for his mother's company allowed him some flexibility. Something told him the coffee shop wouldn't prove to be as flexible.

  “I'll keep you updated,” his dad said.

  Drew pressed end on the screen of his phone. His dad wasn't known for saying goodbye. He couldn't even remember the last time his dad had told him that he loved him. Sometimes he thought the cold heart was a consequence of being a cop.

  He took a calming breath before walking back into the hospital room.

  *********************************************

  The doctor released Lana into the care of Drew with a promise that he would wake her up every hour--standard protocol for concussions. She fully expected to go straight to the apartment, instead there were two overnight bags and food in the seat of his truck.

  “What's all of this?” she asked, eyeing the pile through the window.

  “I had Chris bring some stuff over,” he informed her, as he transferred the luggage to the the tool box in the bed of the truck. “We're going away for a while.”

  She climbed into the front seat shutting the door behind her. “We can't just take off. I have school and work.”

  “We can, and we are,” he told her, climbing behind the steering wheel. “I made all of the arrangements while you were asleep. Your boss could only give you a week off but that should be enough time to get the restraining order.”

  Getting out of the hospital parking lot proved to be a slow process. The nighttime traffic in Morgantown was bumper to bumper. Maybe she could get him to see how bad this idea was before they got out of town.

  “We can't go away for a week,” she told him. “I can't afford to be off work or miss classes for that long.”

  He passed the turn off to their apartment building. “I cleared it with all of our professors. Under the circumstances they were willing to allow us to submit our work online.”

  “Where exactly are we going?”

  “My dad owns a small cabin in Doddridge County,” he informed her, speeding up to beat a red light. “This was all his idea. He wants you out of sight until he can get you a restraining order against Shawn, and I agree with him.” Drew glanced over at her. “Yeah, I know, hell has probably frozen over.”

  Lana relaxed back against the truck seat. His dad wanting him to take her into hiding only confirmed her fears. Shawn had cut her brake lines. He wanted her dead now.

  “How exactly are we going to email our work if we are in the middle of the woods?” She was curious.

  He flashed her a smile. “Hotspot, honey, we have perfect cell service up on the hill.”

  There was no arguing with him; he had all of the answers. It looked as if she was going to have a small vacation.

  “Don't worry there's running water, electric and TV.”

  That was a relief. She had not even thought about living conditions at the cabin. There was no way she would be cool with using an out house.

  When they made it as far as Clarksburg, Drew pulled into the parking lot of McDonald's. While she ran to the restroom he ordered their food and drinks. Lana used the time to try to calm her nerves.

  They had been sleeping in the same bed for a couple of weeks now. There was no need to be nervous. Things would stay the same between them. Drew did not expect her to have sex with him. He understood why she could not go that far.

  But he wants it, her thoughts screamed inside her head.

  As she washed her hands she examined herself in the mirror and grimaced. No wonder people had been staring as they left the hospital and when they walked in here. Along with the bandage above her eye, she sported a black eye. Probably from where she hit her head on the edge of the dashboard. Seat belt rash marred the skin from her neck down diagonally on her chest, which was also bruised.

  Why was she even worried about Drew trying to get her pants off anytime in the near future? There was no way he could possibly be attracted to her as long as she looked like this. She looked hideous!

  Once they were back on the road Lana tore into her Big Mac, fries, and the sweet tea. McDonald's had the best sweet tea.

  “It won't take too much longer,” Drew promised, after swallowing a drink of his soda.

  Chapter 18

  The cabin was up some back road, if you could call it that, on top of a hill. They were surrounded by trees. Crickets and the occasional coyote were the only sounds to be heard. He had brought her to the middle of nowhere.

  Lana shivered and wrapped her arms around her middle. November had brought in cooler weather,even if it was warm for the time of the year. Not having a jacket on was not helping her cause.

  She eyed the structure from her position by the truck. It looked like it had to be at least a couple hundred years old. Surprisingly enough every piece of wood looked sturdy. There was no signs of rot or termite
s. A closer look revealed that the boards had not been nailed together. Instead someone had taken the time to chink the wood so that the boards would kind of connect together.

  She ran her hands up the banister as she ascended the steps admiring the beauty. The history these walls contained was probably remarkable. Had it housed moonshiners while they worked vigorously on their supply for the season? Or, survived the Civil War?

  “My Dad had this relocated when I was in second grade,” Drew informed her. “He wanted a retreat for the family. I haven't been up here in years.”

  Lana followed him in through the door. There was no real need to lock the place up because you had to unlock a gate just to get to the place.

  She sighed at the beauty. In the center of the living room ceiling hung an antler light fixture with globes that were designed to look as if they contained candles instead of light bulbs. Looking around, she saw that all of the furniture was set in the era the cabin had been built. If it weren't for the flat screen hanging on the wall she could have convinced herself that they had traveled back in time.

  The kitchen was small, but had all of the modern conveniences minus the dishwasher. A small kitchen table sat by the window. The view from the window would be amazing in the fall. She could picture all of the colorful leaves if she closed her eyes. At this time of year the trees were already bare allowing an unobstructed view across the valley below.

  Drew led the way to the one room in the place that could cause her heart rate to speed up. The bedroom. In the center of the room sat a queen sized mattress on a wooden frame. For heat, it had an old-school fire place. Stretched out on the floor in front of that was a bear-skinned rug.

  Her breath caught in her chest as her mind traveled to a dirty place for a minute. Visions of her laying beneath him completely bared with him braced above her on his arms held her attention. His muscles would be tight with strength as he moved them both to completion.

  “The master bath is kind of old school,” Drew admitted bringing her out of her fantasy, “but the tub is really nice.”

  More visions came flooding into her mind. Her leaning back against his wet chest. Masculine hands scorching a trail from her throat to another heated part of her body. Those hands doing amazing things pushing her to the edge of bliss.

  “I'm sure you want to get cleaned up,” Drew said as he pulled a towel and washcloth out of a cabinet. “Just don't fall asleep.”

  A blush spread across Lana's face at being caught in her x-rated thoughts.

  He turned to look at her, a slow grin breaking out on his face. “What's going on in that pretty head of yours?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  Strong hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him. “Should I tell you what I was thinking then?”

  Her hands rested against his chest. “Do I even want to know?”

  Drew's hands slid into the back pockets of her jeans. “Oh, I think you would like it.”

  “Oh, really?” Her hands slide up his chest to link behind his neck.

  “Oh, definitely,” he insisted, using his hands on her ass to pull her tighter against his body. “I was picturing using that wash cloth on every inch of you.”

  Her body warmed in response to his words. Nobody had ever got her going with just words. Now that she thought about it--nobody had ever tried to get her going before. Pressed against the evidence of his arousal she knew that she would not be able to tell him no if he wanted to take things to the next level.

  Drew lightly kissed her forehead before he backed away from her. “Tonight is not the night.”

  Suddenly, Lana found herself standing in the bathroom alone and completely turned on.

  *********************************

  Drew sat in the living room cursing himself for letting her know exactly what had been on his mind. With everything going on the last couple of months, the last thing Lana needed was to know he pictured her naked in a million different scenarios. It would serve him right if she made him sleep on the couch tonight.

  A quick phone call to his father informed him Shawn was still no where to be found. Damn it! The guy was trying to kill Lana, but nobody could find him. Drew just wanted this nightmare to be over. He did not know what he would do if something happened to her.

  His strong feelings for Lana still took him by surprise. They had only known each other since September, but in that short amount of time she had become his world. Everything he did was to make sure she was happy and safe.

  Without a doubt he knew she would be his future. He just needed to keep Shawn away from her.

  The bedroom door opening directed his attention to the doorway. His breath caught in his chest. Lana was standing there in one of his t shirts-- and a pair of panties. Holy mother of all that is good! Blood surged south of the boarder as his eyes ate up the vision of her. Was she trying to kill him?

  Drew concentrated on breathing as she made her way across the room to him. Then he forgot about breathing all together when she straddled his lap and sat down. The good part in him said to not reach out to touch her. Unfortunately, the cave-man in him was demanding he tear her clothes off.

  Hell, even he had to admit there was more devil in him than angel.

  The devil was to blame for his hands reaching out to cup her breasts. Drew had nothing to do with his mouth covering hers in a searing kiss. It was not the angel who kissed and nibbled his way down her throat. His hands were not in the process of pulling that baggy shirt over her head.

  Her breathy moans propelled him up and to the bedroom with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. All intentions of being the good boy while he had her here fled his mind. Who could blame him for giving into temptation with her sweet, and willing body pressed so close to his.

  ************************

  Lana's heart pounded as she looked up at Drew. She knew she could slam the brakes on this ride at any point, and he would stop. He would not force her to do anything that she was not willing to do. The pressure building between her legs told her she was more than willing to ride this ride until it was over.

  This was happening!

  “Take this off,” she demanded with a shaky voice, tugging at his shirt.

  Without hesitation Drew tore his shirt over his head and tossed it over the side of the bed. His lips sought hers immediately. The kiss could only be described as ravaging.

  Her hands found their way to his hair as she returned his kiss just as hungrily. Her hips arched to move against his arousal trying to relieve some of the pressure that was building.

  Drew stared down at her his lower half rubbing against hers'. “Are you sure?” He cupped her cheek with his hand. “I don't want to do anything you're not ready for.”

  “I'm sure,” was all she could manage to say.

  In a matter of seconds he had both of them completely exposed. A condom was located in the bedside stand. She blocked out the thoughts of where that had more than likely come from. There was no room for thoughts of anything else right now.

  For a split second Shawn popped into her mind when she felt the tip of Drew's erection pressing against her opening. His lips on her chin, cheek, and finally lips chased all of those images away. This was Drew, and there was nothing more she wanted than to be right here in this bed with him.

  Her breath caught as he slowly eased into her stretching her until he completely filled her. He stilled above her to allow her to adjust. When she wrapped her legs around his waist he began moving slowly. Gradually he increased the speed and she greedily took every bit he gave her.

  Then the magic moment happened. Lana cried out as the world fell out from under her. Drew grunted as he filled her completely one final time as he followed her over.

  The following days found them falling into a routine. Each day they would both sit down to do their assignments, and submit them to their professors. If the weather allowed they would always take a walk around the property. Then at night they would go
to bed and show just how much they were beginning to care for one another.

  There were times when Lana could almost forget Shawn was somewhere out there. When Drew had first taken his hand gun out of his overnight bag she freaked out a little. She had known he had one at the apartment, but he always kept it hidden. Having it out in the open took some time getting used to.

  Two days before they were supposed to head back to Morgantown they decided to grill a couple of steaks and baked potatoes out on the deck.

  Lana curled up on the glider with a blanket and watched Drew as he flipped a steak. He was hers'. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact she now had someone to call her own. Just a few months ago when she ran to Morgantown, she had not even considered getting into a relationship.

  “I wish we didn't have to leave,” she admitted, enjoying the view of his back and perfect behind.

  “We could always stay a little longer,” he told her.

  She took a drink of her soda and shook her head. “I need to get back to work.”

  Drew put a steak and potato on a plate and brought it to her. “I would rather keep you locked up here for at least a month.”

  Lana smiled at the image his words brought to her mind. So many possibilities to waste a month here in the middle of no where. If she thought he just wanted her to himself she would have been tempted to stay. However, she knew he just wanted her somewhere Shawn could not get to her.

  She refused to spend her life hiding.

  “Have they found Shawn yet?” she asked, cutting into the slightly pink steak.

  “Dad said his roommate hasn't seen him since that day,” Drew informed her, sitting down at the patio table. “Looks like he cut your lines and ran.”

  Lana closed her eyes as a vision of her car slamming into the side of another vehicle flashed through her mind. She would never forget the fear she had felt when her breaks would not work. Only one person's image had flashed through her mind. Drew.