Secret Maneuvers

by Jessie Lane

  “Then I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Your dad died seven years ago. He was driving home drunk and wrapped himself around a tree. They didn’t find the wreck or his body for at least a week after it happened and my parents told me that the Medical Examiner was quoted in the papers as saying he’d bled to death from his injuries. My parents sat outside of the cemetery waiting to see if you showed up so they could be there for you.”

  Her eyes widened, her fingers gripped the edge of her table, and she sat there in shock for a few minutes. After staring sightlessly at the table, she whispered, “He can’t hurt me anymore.”

  I knew she wasn’t necessarily talking to me, but I whispered back anyway, “No, baby, he can’t hurt you anymore.”

  She looked back up at me, nodded her head, then picked up her sandwich and took a bite. We sat quietly eating the rest of our food, paid for our meals, and then headed back to the hotel. I knew why she was speechless. I’d just dropped the mother-load of an emotional bomb on her and she needed time to absorb all of that. I could give her time for that. It was when she was trying to push me away and shut me out that I refused to give in.

  As Belle stopped the truck at the front entrance, she turned in her seat to face me. “Lunch was nice, Ace. Thanks for the talk, as well as the apology. There’s something else we need to talk about real soon, but after hearing about my dad, I need some time to myself today. Before I go, though, I’ve got to be honest with you. I’ve got someone in my life that makes it impossible for us to patch things up. I’m sorry. We can move on to being friends, though—if you want—when all of this is over.”

  I hung my head as a wave of pain ripped through my chest. Friends? She wanted to be fucking friends? All because she had a man in her life? Where was this someone in her life yesterday morning when I’d been so deep inside her that I wasn’t sure where she begun and I ended? I’d be damned if I was going to let her ignore what we had and try to categorize me as a friend. Without thinking, I reached over to snag the back of her neck, bringing her closer to me. Before Belle could protest, I slammed my lips down onto hers, kissing her senseless.

  She gasped in surprise and I took the opportunity to thrust my tongue into her mouth. I put all of my love, frustration, pain and desire into that kiss. Sliding my tongue against hers, causing her to moan at the touch. My brain felt fried as a burning sensation traveled through my entire body at the simple touch. Sparks ignited behind my eyelids and I knew, without a doubt, that no one had, or ever would, feel like this to me again. Belle’s hands fisted the fabric of my shirt. When my head was swimming from lack of oxygen, I finally pulled back enough to break our kiss. Foreheads still touching, lips hovering over hers, breathe sawing harshly in and out of my chest.

  “Friends don’t kiss like that, baby. You can’t tell me that this is something you really want to walk away from. No man will ever love you like I do.”

  She was silent for a second, but when her voice came out, it was hoarse with a slightly choked sound. “You can’t know that, Ace. Someone may come along for you in time and, whoever it is, she’ll make you happy. You’ll move on.”

  Shaking my head in denial, I rasped, “No, Belle, you’re wrong. No one will ever make me feel the way I do with you. I know this with the certainty that the sun will set today and rise again tomorrow. The kind of certainty that when the moon rises and the stars blink in the sky that they’ll all still look way too dim to me. They’ll always look too dim because you are the brightest star in my life and, without you, everything else seems cloudy. I only seem to see things clearly when you’re around and I know all of that because you are my soul.”

  Not giving Belle time to make another reply, I hopped out of the passenger side, slamming the door before stalking towards the hotel. Looking back over my shoulder, I watched her rev up the truck and shoot out of the parking lot like hell was hot on her heels. A throat cleared in front of me. Turning to face the sound, I found Agent Boyd watching me closely.

  “That was some kiss there, Baker. You guys patch things up?”

  I hung my head at the fresh onslaught of pain threatening to tear what was left of my heart and soul into pieces. “No, we didn’t. She says it’s time for me to move on and that there’s a man in her life that makes it impossible for us to try.”

  Boyd’s eyebrows shot to his hairline seconds before his look of surprise turned into a look of anger, complete with a face flushed so red I was tempted to check his blood pressure. He scoffed, “A man, huh? I tell you what, Baker. You want to know what’s keeping Annabelle from you?”

  My body coiled tight. I barely resisted the urge to grab Boyd and shake him silly while demanding answers to all of his questions. “Hell, yeah, I do. What do you know that I don’t, Boyd?”

  “Be sure, Baker. I mean it. Be damn sure about this because once you know, you can’t go back.”

  “What the fuck, Boyd? Yes! I want to know.” Pounding a fist on my chest, I declared, “Belle means everything to me. The damn woman is just too stubborn to give me another chance.”

  “Alright. You got anybody on this little team of yours that you’re close to? Anyone who’s a good friend?”

  “We’re all like brothers, so, yeah. Why?” I was doing my damnedest to figure out where the hell Boyd was going with all of this.

  “Look,” Boyd ran his hand through his hair in agitation, “just grab someone you trust to have your back and meet me here at seven-thirty. You’ve got to follow me. Don’t ask any questions until we get to our destination, okay?”

  I looked at Belle’s partner like he’d lost his damn mind. That was like asking a soldier to go into a mission with a blindfold on. A sense of unease skirted down my spine, but no matter the strong sense of unease, hope sprang deep inside of me. “This will explain why Belle’s holding back on me?”

  Boyd nodded. “Yeah. That and a lot more. Just meet me at seven-thirty and, whatever you do, don’t tell Belle about this if you talk to her. She’d kick your ass. Then, she’d kick mine. My wife doesn’t like it when Belle kicks my ass, either, because she leaves bruises, literally.”

  He stormed out of the hotel lobby before I could ask any more questions. Whatever. Boyd had promised an in to Belle’s unwillingness to fix what was between us. I would take all the help I could get. Even if the small voice in the back of my head told me that this was going to end badly.

  Chapter Nine

  Bobby

  Had a day ever passed by so excruciatingly slow before? Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I ran my hand through my hair for possibly the hundredth time, cursing the clock for not moving faster.

  “Hey, man, chill out. You’re going to make me nervous, watching you pace around this lobby like a tiger trapped in a cage.”

  Looking back at Declan I was about to pop off a smart-ass comment, but before I could open my mouth to say anything, a car horn honked from out front. Boyd was sitting in front of the hotel in his Jeep. Walking out the front doors with Declan, Boyd rolled his window down at our approach.

  “Get in your SUV and follow me.” With that short command, he rolled his window back up and waited for us to comply.

  We drove in the opposite direction of San Antonio; heading further into the small town of Poteet, Texas that Belle now called home. After what felt like forever, Boyd finally led us to a place that I certainly hadn’t expected to stop. A high school. Parking in the back of a packed out lot, we exited our vehicle to meet with Boyd.

  He seemed on edge as he walked up to me. “Tonight’s the high school’s homecoming football game. Belle is here. It should be about half time now. I’m going to walk you to the far end of the bleachers, then we’ll make our way towards where she is. I’m going to tell you now, man, don’t let this get ugly. Belle is already going to kick my ass for bringing you here, so do not make it any worse for me than it already is. No matter what you see, be cool.”

  After that eyebrow raising statement, Boyd turned around and started walk
ing towards the stadium. Declan and I exchanged dubious expressions before following him. I didn’t think much on why Belle would be at a high school football game because Belle had always loved to watch football. She preferred the local games over watching the professional ones on television. Stuffing her face with hot dogs and dancing to the marching band were some of her favorite things to do. The only suspicious thing going on was Boyd’s comments so far. Maybe whoever Belle’s ‘man’ was, presumably the mysterious Seth, would be here with her. Maybe he worked for the high school.

  If Boyd didn’t want me to react to having to face the man who was keeping the love of my life from coming back to me, then Boyd had another thing coming. I wouldn’t start a fight or anything. No, but I would do my damnedest to show the guy that Belle couldn’t keep her eyes off me. Do whatever I could to prove that I still affected her in all the ways that mattered. That would sting for any guy’s ego.

  As Boyd had promised, the game was in half time. The marching band was on the field, playing loud tunes with the crowd hooting and hollering their approval. Boyd led us to the far end of the field on the home team side. Staying close to the front of the bleachers that were over-flowing with locals, we slowly started to make our way towards the center.

  I was scanning the crowd, looking for Belle, when Boyd suddenly stopped in front of me. Looking over his shoulder, I saw her standing next to the coaches in a huddle with the football team. Confused, yet intrigued as to why she would be out there, I stood as still as a statue, watching her talk to the coaches and players before the huddle broke apart. Was this ‘Seth’ one of the coaches? Maybe the tall, blonde-haired wimp wearing the baggy polo? A snort of disbelief escaped me. No way was Belle going to pass over me for that loser. My sudden desire to beat the guy to a bloody pulp didn’t mean I was jealous, either. Not at all.

  Okay, so maybe I was a little jealous.

  Walking over to the end of the bench where the players sat, Belle leaned against the fence, propping her elbows up on either side of her. I was just about to ask Boyd what this was all about when a player broke away from a group and jogged over in her direction. As the boy stopped right in front of her, I felt all the air seize in my chest.

  Breathing suddenly seemed impossible.

  He stood about three inches taller than Belle, making him about five-nine. His chestnut brown hair was cut almost military short, but liberally covered in bright blonde, natural highlights. His build was leanly muscled and sported a tan much deeper than Belle’s creamy pale skin. The kid looked around as if he was searching for someone when his head turned in my direction and I instantly knew. If his build or hair hadn’t been enough to tip me off, then his face sure as shit did. The boy was practically the spitting image of me, except for his mother’s moss green eyes.

  Behind me, Declan swore loudly, “Holy shit. Tell me I’m not seeing what the fuck I think I’m seeing, man.”

  My heart started to pound so hard I could actually hear the blood whooshing in my ears. Unable to move my feet, I watched as Belle and the boy turned in the opposite direction of where I stood to watch Sheriff Jenkins approach them. Jenkins reached the pair, leaning over the fence to give Belle a hug and a kiss on her forehead before reaching out to playfully slap the kid on his back. They stood there, talking and laughing, as my feet finally found motivation and started moving forward on automatic pilot like a robot.

  I was vaguely aware of Boyd grabbing my arm to stop me. Declan was saying something behind me. None of it really registered. I was suffering from tunnel vision and all I saw were the three people I was quickly baring down on, acting like some perfect little family that the caveman in me knew should be mine. Wasn’t that a funny concept since I hadn’t even known I’d had a family to begin with? Something in me was trying very hard to see through the haze of anger threatening to overwhelm me so that I could sort the facts and information that was being thrown at me like a freight train going off its tracks. It was chaotic, horrifying to watch, and when it all finally hit me, it was going to crush me to an emotional death.

  Before I could get very far, Sheriff Jenkins looked up and saw me. His face paled before lines of tension formed around his lips as they became a disapproving frown. Dropping a hand on Belle’s shoulder, he nodded his head in my direction. She spun around to face me as Boyd finally hauled me to a stop with the help of Declan grabbing my other arm.

  Her face flashed shock seconds before she noticed Boyd standing somewhere behind me. A split second later, she transformed into the familiar spit-fire I’d known, all too well, years ago in high school. She rushed out of the small gate a few feet away from her, stalking towards us. The Sheriff was hot on her heels, as he apparently saw disaster in the making. I couldn’t remember feeling more stunned, or lividly pissed, in my entire life. I braced myself for the anger that was so obvious on her face, but frankly didn’t give a fuck what she thought she had a right to be mad over. Whatever she was feeling was nothing compared to the raw rage I had coursing through my body. The woman I’d been pining over for years had kept my own goddamned son from me!

  The moment she got within feet of me, she pointed her finger at my chest. “You need to leave, Bobby. Now is not the time or place for this and it sure as hell isn’t how I intended to tell you.”

  Brushing past me, she stomped right up to Boyd before Sheriff Jenkins could catch her. “And you! You son of a bitch! You had no right!” Her fist pulled back and, before anyone could stop her, she punched Boyd square in the face. A loud crack ripped through the air as Boyd fell backwards to the ground, clutching his nose. Blood poured between his fingers and down his chin. The Sheriff now had Belle restrained with both of her arms pulled firmly behind her back so that she couldn’t do anything else. “Dammit, Boyd, you had no right!”

  Declan’s hand was still clutching my arm firmly. As if he was afraid I might flip my shit on someone. Staring coldly at Belle’s furious face, the kid in question ran up to grab her arm, hauling her backwards.

  “Mom! MOM! What are you doing? Come on, you know what coach said. If you get in anymore fights they’re going to ban you for the rest of the season. You promised not to get in any more fights. What’s going on here?” He was shaking Belle gently to get her attention.

  Suddenly panicked, Belle started to push the boy backwards towards his team. “Seth, go back to the bench, please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make a scene. I swear, but I need you to go back to the bench now.”

  Seth planted his feet, effectively stopping Belle from pushing him any further. Giving her a stern look, he stood there, waiting for an explanation.

  “Not now, Seth! Later, I promise. Just go back to your game. We’ll talk about this later. Tell Coach I’m sorry and I promise to behave.” Giving him a push she yelled, “GO!”

  Seth started walking backwards, warily watching his mother, before glancing at the rest of the group with confused eyes. Shaking his head, he turned and headed back to his team, who had subsequently been staring at the whole scenario that just took place. Belle turned back to face me, tears now streaming out of her eyes. Sheriff Jenkins was still at her back, looking at me with a steely expression on his face.

  “I’m asking you to leave, Bobby.” More tears fell, her lip began to tremble and she pleaded, “Please.”

  My voice came out low and rough, “How old is he, Belle?”

  “I’m begging you, Bobby. Please don’t do this here. Leave now, we can talk about—”

  “HOW OLD IS HE, BELLE?” I bellowed.

  The rise and fall of her chest was rapid now. It was apparent to anyone who looked at her that she was trying desperately to keep herself together emotionally. That would have been something that tore me to pieces before, the thought of hurting her like that, seeing her that way. Now, I couldn’t scrape enough heart to care if her web of secrets and lies had finally caught her. She should have thought about that crap before intentionally keeping my son away from me. At this point, she would be lucky if I didn’t wrap
my hands around her throat and squeezed. Without answering me, she twisted her body to face Sheriff Jenkins.

  “Charlie, will you look at Boyd’s nose for me? I need to go have a talk with Bobby.”

  Jenkins obviously didn’t like that request. He speared me with a look that promised retribution if I did anything he might consider out of line and then reached over to grab Boyd, helping him off the ground. Belle stepped forward, grabbed my hand tightly in hers, and started pulling me back towards the far end of the field.

  There was a time when I would have done anything, absolutely anything, to have her grab my hand again. Crawl on my hands and knees over broken glass. Beg. Sacrifice a limb. Sell my soul to the devil. Whatever it would have taken to feel her smaller hand gripping mine with the kind of strong, desperate hold she had on it now. No more.

  Wrenching my hand out of hers, I caused her to stumble sideways in shock from my violent reaction, I walked past her as something inside me died. I didn’t want her holding my hand. Right now, I didn’t even want her breathing my fucking air. I only wanted two things from her right now; an explanation and my son.

  Declan broke off from us to sit on the end of the bleachers as I led Belle to a patch of grass behind one of the football goals. I stood there for a minute, staring down at her as my body shook with an assault of emotions, refusing to take my eyes off her for even a second. Afraid that if I did, she might disappear on me again. Or I might miss a clue to whatever might tell me what was going through that twisted head of hers.

  The crowds around us cheered as the football teams took the field to start the third quarter, totally oblivious to the fact that my world was crashing down around me. Never before had I been tempted to raise a hand in violence towards a woman, but right now, I was fighting back the urge to reach out, grab her shoulders and shake the shit out of her until she gave me what I needed. Words. A sincere apology. Her heart and a big shiny knife for me to stab it with on a silver platter. Something to give me an indication that she wasn’t the heartless person that my rage was starting to see her as.