In the Crossfire

by L. P. Dover

  I waved her over, and patted the seat beside me. “Did you sleep okay?”

  “I did,” she answered. She walked out, dressed in a tiny pink tank top and gray pajama pants with polka dots. Even though she came from a scandalous family, there was still an innocence about her. She sat down and faced me, tucking her legs beneath her. “I got a little nervous when you weren’t in bed.”

  In those greenish-brown eyes of hers, there was a hint of insecurity. I’d always avoided the morning-after scenarios with all the other women I’d been with. It was best to slip out and not see the disappointment when I had no plans of going back to them.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I assured her. “I’ve always been an early riser.”

  A small smile spread across her face, but the look of insecurity was still there. “Usually, I am too, but I was exhausted last night.” Clearing her throat, she shifted her gaze to a string that hung off the side of her pajama pants. “You don’t regret what we did, do you?” I waited for her to look at me before I answered, but she didn’t. Gently, I cupped her cheeks, and after a heavy sigh, she peered into my eyes.

  “No, I don’t,” I replied in all honesty.

  “You’re sure? All I want is honesty, even if it hurts.”

  I wanted to believe her, but I didn’t know if I was ready to test her. “I don’t regret a thing, I promise. Do you?”

  Relief washed over her, and her body relaxed. “Not at all. I wish things could just stay like this.”

  I shook my head. “They won’t, especially when we go back to New York.”

  Her gaze saddened. “Unfortunately, I know. I’ll have to go back to being imprisoned in my own home.”

  I kissed her and let my hands slip from her face. “That’s not much of a life.”

  She lifted her chin, giving me that stubborn glare I’d seen on her face the first night I met her. “No, it’s not. That’s why we can’t go back. I don’t care where we go, or if I have to go out alone.”

  I wasn’t about to let her leave on her own. “What about your family?” I asked.

  Her lips pursed. “They’ll survive without me. Or better yet, I’ll definitely survive without them. Their actions affect me, and from what I can tell, my father doesn’t give a shit about that. He only cares about getting his revenge, no matter the cost.”

  She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, one after the other. It was hard not to stare at her, at the way the sun shone through her golden hair. The woman was absolutely fucking breathtaking. I’d never noticed things like that before, not until her. She opened her eyes and focused on the mountains in the distance.

  “It’s so beautiful here. Everything’s green and colorful.” She looked over at me, and her eyes lit up. “You like to hike, right? Surely, there are some trails around here somewhere.”

  I nodded. “A ton, actually, but we need to stay close by until Micah shows up. However, the owner did tell me about a waterfall on this land. There’s a marked trail just below us that leads out through the woods.” I stood and walked over to the edge of the balcony, and peered down. You could see the trail bath below. “It’s right there,” I pointed out.

  Layla joined me and squealed with excitement when she saw it. “Oh, I can’t wait. Let me cook us some breakfast and change clothes, and then I’ll be ready.”

  “Are you sure you can cook? Francis isn’t here to help you,” I joked.

  She snorted. “Francis may be a better cook, but that’s because he has more experience. Trust me, he’s taught me a lot.” Her smile broadened, and she kissed my cheek before disappearing inside.

  Why did being with her feel so right but then completely wrong at the same time? I wanted to enjoy it, but I couldn’t, not when I had too many secrets. Secrets she wouldn’t be able to forgive. The question was…do I tell her the truth, or do I continue with the charade until the job was done? I could lose her either way.

  *

  After breakfast, Layla and I started on the short hike to Caryn’s Creek Waterfall. She wanted to lead the way, so I followed behind her, much to my own enjoyment. Her denim shorts showed off her long, tanned legs, and her yellow tank top hugged her curves perfectly. She had her hair pulled high in a ponytail, revealing the mark I left on the side of her neck. I had scratch marks on my back from where she’d gripped me in the shower.

  “Tell me about Wyoming,” she called out. “Is the hiking you did out there like this?”

  That made me laugh. “Hell no. This is nothing compared to that.” There was no difficulty to the trail we were on, just slight inclines and rocks to climb over.

  She stopped so I could walk beside her. “Oh yeah, how’s that?”

  I pointed at the mountains you could see through the trees. “The Teton range has higher peaks. It makes the climb harder and a little more adventurous. Not to say there aren’t hard trails out here, but I don’t think it compares.”

  “Sounds awesome. I’d like to see it all one day. I’ve always wanted to visit out west.”

  She tripped over a root, and before she could go down, I grabbed her hand to steady her. “If we ever go to Wyoming, I’ll have to make sure you’re nowhere near the edge of a cliff if we go hiking out there.”

  She burst out laughing and grabbed her chest. “You’re telling me. Guess you found out one of my flaws. I’m the only one in my family who inherited the clumsy gene.” Her cheeks reddened, and I could tell she was embarrassed.

  “No one’s perfect, Layla. I, for one, am far from it.” I tugged her hand and took the lead. The sound of the waterfalls grew louder as we moved down the trail.

  “We could always go to Wyoming,” she offered. “If we keep moving, it’ll be harder to be found.”

  I shook my head. “Not yet. We need to stay here.” I could see the disappointment on her face, but I knew too many people in Wyoming. There were too many risks of exposing my true identity.

  We came upon the waterfall, which was actually two small waterfalls that fed into a large creek. There was a wooden sign, surrounded by multi-colored flowers that said, Caryn’s Creek Waterfalls. Layla let me go and rushed over to the water. “It’s so beautiful,” she gasped. She took off her shoes and walked through the creek to sit on a rock on the other side of the waterfall so she could touch the water as it cascaded down. “I wish I had a camera. I don’t want to forget any of this.”

  She looked over at me, and I sat down on a large boulder so I could watch her. “I’ll get Micah to bring a camera for you.”

  “That would be amazing. Thank you,” she said, beaming. She focused on the waterfalls, and there was a level of joy that I’d never noticed in anyone before. Maybe it was because she had her freedom. If that was the case, I couldn’t see taking her back to New York. She pointed at the sign. “Is Caryn the name of the cabin owner’s wife?”

  I shook my head. “It’s their daughter’s. This place was named after her. The owner told me how him and his wife almost gave up hope having kids, but then they got pregnant.”

  Layla clutched her heart. “Oh wow. That’s so sweet. Although, I can’t imagine not being able to have kids.” She turned to the water and scoffed. “Then again, it’s probably for the best that I don’t, given my situation. What about you?” she asked, focusing back on me. “Do you ever think about getting married and starting a family?”

  I shrugged. “Never had the chance. I’m always on the road.”

  She cleared her throat and shifted nervously on her rock. “On the road, killing people?” she asked. I stared right into her eyes, and she held up her hands. “I was just asking a question, not accusing you of anything. You told me you killed bad people, and I’m curious to know more. At least this time I don’t have a gun pointed at you.”

  That made me chuckle. “True, but are you sure you want to know? I don’t want to scare you.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not going to happen. I may be clumsy, but I’m not a scared little schoolgirl.”

  No, she wasn’
t. “All right,” I said, keeping my eyes on hers. “Yes, I was on the road going after my targets. Once I killed them, I moved on to the next.”

  “Do you like killing people?” she asked.

  Did I? That was a hard question. “Yes and no,” I answered. “I like the idea of providing justice when the system fails, especially when I know it keeps others safe, but I know it’s a sin to take a life. I just can’t sit back and let innocent lives be destroyed.”

  She walked back across the creek and joined me on my rock. The turmoil must’ve been obvious on my face. She placed a hand on my cheek and kissed me. “I understand. In a way, we’re similar.” I snorted, and she rolled her eyes. “Okay, I don’t kill people for a living, but I am a lawyer. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure the bad guys get put away, and help those who really need it.”

  “I have no doubt you’re a good lawyer, Layla, but there’s a shit ton of shady ones too. You wouldn’t believe how many scumbags escaped the system because of that.”

  She sighed. “That doesn’t surprise me. I bet I know a few of them.” Picking up a stone, she tossed it into the creek. “I do have a couple of questions though.” I lifted my brows and she bit her lip. “Who exactly do you work for? Is this something the Collmans do?”

  This was where things could get tricky, but could also work in my favor. I could give her a semblance of the truth, but also confide in her. “You said you wanted honesty, right?”

  Brows furrowed, she slid her hand down my face, and grabbed my hands. “I did,” she replied, her voice uncertain. “You can tell me anything.”

  Taking a deep breath, I held onto her hands. “What would you say if I told you I had three brothers?”

  Her eyes widened. “Do you?”

  “Yes,” I confessed. “We’re all the same. They kill, just like me.”

  She sucked in a breath, clearly shocked. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming. Where are your brothers now?”

  “Here and there. I don’t know for sure. It’s been a while since I’ve talked to them.” It was the truth, in a sense. I didn’t know exactly where they were at the moment, whether they were in Wyoming or off killing their own targets. Wade had pretty much given it up ever since he took over Chandler Enterprises and started his family.

  “So, is vigilante killing a family thing you started together?” she asked.

  I shook my head, even though it was my father who started the Circle of Justice. “There are others who do it as well,” I replied, gauging her reaction. “We have ties to the government so that’s how we know who to go after.” I kept waiting to see disgust or disapproval, especially since she despised the things her father had done, but all I saw was curiosity. I’d never been close enough to a woman to ever tell them as much as I’d told her. In the end, I was nothing like her father.

  Layla blew out a breath and squeezed my hands. “So the government knows you do this? I don’t have to worry about you going to prison?”

  I shook my head. “I’m good.”

  A sense of relief washed over her. “I don’t know what to say other than I’m glad you confided in me. Makes me feel a lot better now. I want you to be able to tell me everything, good or bad. You’re the first person I’ve been able to be myself around, and I don’t want to lose that.”

  I pulled her closer to me and wrapped my arms around her. “I don’t want to lose it either, Lemon Drop.”

  She looked up at me, and a soft giggle escaped her lips. “There’s that nickname again. You haven’t called me that since the night of the gala.”

  I brushed my thumb across her lips. “It fits.”

  She smiled. “You said that exact same thing to me before. I happen to think I’m sweeter than sour.”

  “I agree with that now. Some lemon drops are sweet, some not. The first night I met you, you definitely weren’t sweet.” I kissed her and sucked on her bottom lip. “But trust me, Lemon Drop, it’s a compliment.”

  “Good,” she said, snuggling into my chest. “I think I’m beginning to like it.”

  So was I.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Bryce

  We sat by the waterfall for a while, and spent another couple of hours walking through the woods. During our hike, we found an old graveyard in the middle of nowhere, with roughly carved gravestones that dated back three hundred years. That was something I’d never seen in Wyoming. There was so much history in North Carolina. It’d been a long time since I cared about anything other than my job. For years, it was traveling to this place and that, and marking targets off the list. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be human, to enjoy life.

  “Don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” Layla announced. “We should’ve packed some sandwiches.”

  I pulled out my phone, and it was closing in on three o’clock. We’d veered off from the trail about a mile away from the cabin, and that was where we found the old graveyard. It wasn’t hard to find our way back, and now we only had about a quarter mile left to get to the cabin. “How about an early dinner?” I offered.

  Layla rubbed a hand over her stomach. “Sounds good to me.” She looked over at me and winked. “Then maybe after that we can have some dessert.”

  Several things came to mind, and my dick twitched. I grabbed her around the waist, and she shrieked as I pressed my cock against her ass. “I’m down for that.” Chuckling, I nipped her neck and let her go. She’d made the move last night, but tonight was my night.

  The cabin came into view through the trees, but something wasn’t right; the patio door was wide open. Grabbing Layla’s hand, I pulled her behind a large oak tree, pressing her against it. She gasped, but I covered her mouth with my hand.

  “There’s somebody in the cabin,” I said quickly, keeping my voice low. “I need you to be quiet.”

  Her eyes shot wide, and she nodded. Slowly, I moved my hand, and she sucked in a breath. “Who do you think it is?”

  I pulled out my gun, and peered back at the cabin. “Don’t know. Could be Micah, but I don’t know for sure.” The bastard hadn’t called to say he was close.

  Layla blew out a shaky breath. “Wish I had my gun. I could help you.”

  I shook my head. “I need you to stay here.” There was a defiant look in her eyes I’d seen one too many times. “Promise me,” I growled. She had no intentions of staying put, otherwise.

  She huffed. “Fine, I promise, but the second I hear a struggle, I’m coming to help.”

  “I should’ve known,” I grumbled, sneaking toward the cabin. I quietly walked up the steps, and onto the deck that wrapped around to the front porch. Footsteps thundered up front, and became louder as they got closer. Whoever it was, was headed right toward me. Finger on the trigger, I got into stance and waited for the fucker to turn the corner. There was no hesitation.

  “You’re not seriously going to kill me, are you?” Micah turned the corner, holding his hands up in the air with the biggest shit grin on his face.

  I lowered my gun and clenched my teeth. “What the fuck, cocksucker? You should’ve told me you were coming today.”

  Chuckling, Micah leaned against the porch and crossed his arms over his chest. “I see that now.” We had the same body build, and muscle mass, and his arms were covered in tattoos like mine, but my hair was much darker than his. According to Layla, we were supposed to be cousins, but we looked nothing alike in the face. His gaze averted to the woods, and he smiled. “She’s a looker. Guess I can see why you’re so protective of her.”

  I followed his line of sight, and Layla had already started toward the cabin. “Yeah, well, she needed someone. Her father’s a psychotic, fucking prick. She knows everything about him, about his plans to kill everyone at the gala, and the bombing before that.”

  “What the hell did she say about that?”

  Shrugging, I kept my eyes on her. “She’s angry as shit, but I know she still loves him.” I didn’t have to say what he already knew. If I continued with my mission, she’d hate me. “
Luckily, we haven’t had any problems since we’ve been here.”

  “That’s good,” Micah said, drawing my attention back to him. He nodded toward the front of the cabin, and I followed him. “I walked through your place, and I’m pretty sure I brought enough cameras. They’re inside on the kitchen table. If you need more, we can get them from Logan.”

  Layla’s steps echoed around the side of the house. Micah cleared his throat and kept quiet while we waited for her to join us. She turned the corner, and glanced back and forth at us both. “Everything okay?” she asked.

  Micah nudged me in the arm and made his way to her, holding out his hand. “I’m Micah, Bryce’s better-looking cousin.”

  Layla smiled and shook his hand, but there was a hesitance on her face. “Layla. It’s nice to meet you.”

  He pulled out a phone from his back pocket and handed it to her. “Bryce wanted me to get this for you. It’s untraceable, so you can call whoever you want, and they can call you, but they won’t be able to track you. Also, your new ID and passport is inside on the table.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” Then she looked over at me. “I’m going to go take a shower before I start dinner. Is there anything you guys want in particular?”

  She glanced over at Micah and he shook his head. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m not staying. I have somewhere I need to be.”

  “Okay,” Layla said, backing up to the door. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

  Once she disappeared inside, I walked with Micah down to his red and black sports bike. “Where’s your truck?” I asked.

  He hopped on his bike and leaned over on the tank. “At Logan’s. He keeps my bike safe while I’m out on assignments. Figured I’d ride around a bit while I’m here, maybe even hit Deals Gap.”

  “Does Logan know everything?”

  He nodded. “So does Kassidy. They want to see you guys whenever you’re ready.”