by Cee Bowerman
“That’s all I see too. I feel it though, Sam.” I answered him.
“Honey, I trust your gut on this. You’ve had years of running and plenty of time to hone your skills. We’ll keep our eyes open.” he squeezed my hand as we approached the door. “I got ya, babe.”
He opened the door and I walked I walked into the cool air in front of him. I went to the desk and asked for the bank officer I had spoken to on the phone. I sat my purse on my lap and opened it to get out the papers I needed for the meeting. I looked around and saw that Sam was standing at the windows, his shoulder on one of the dividers. His legs were crossed, with the toe of one boot pointed down to the floor. He had his sunglasses in his free hand and was looking outside, scanning the area. His casual pose didn’t show any tension, but I could see his mouth was hard and his gaze was sharp on something outside the window. He reached up put one earpiece of his glasses in the neck of his shirt to let them hang there and then reached around to remove his phone from his back pocket. With his thumb he flipped open the screen and then looked down and his thumbs began to move over the phone to text someone. Occasionally looking back out the window then looking back at his phone, his head turned and he smiled at me.
I felt someone walk up in front of my chair and turned my head to the bank officer. He put his hand out to introduce himself and I stood and put my hand in his. I felt Sam come up to my side.
“Ms. Jenkins, I am James York. We spoke on the phone?” His smile was directed at me and then he glanced up at Sam. His eyes took in Sam’s long hair, beard and tattoos but his smile never faltered. He put his hand out to Sam and once again introduced himself. Sam told Mr. York his name, shook his hand and then dropped it when both men looked back at me.
“Mr. York, were you able to get the papers together for me? My lawyer assured me that everything was in order.” I was not looking forward to this meeting and wanted things to go smoothly.
“Yes, Ms. Jenkins. Please follow me to my office and we can get things finished quickly so you can be on your way.” He turned and started past the receptionist into an open hallway behind her. Sam put his hand on the small of my back and we followed Mr. York down the hall. We went into the office and took our seats in front of the desk as Mr. York shut the door and then went around to his chair.
“I have the receipts of the transfers from your other accounts, and when I checked this morning a deposit had already been made to one of your accounts here. As you requested I secured a box in our vault for you that you can access any time the bank is open, you will just need to bring your identification with you.” He turned a stack of papers to me on the desk and I leaned in to look at them, slowly turning pages as I scanned. “There is a substantial amount in two savings accounts at your disposal, and I noticed that you and your assistant have already begun using the debit cards from your new checking. Ms. Noble has spoken to my assistant quite a few times arranging for direct payments and such for bills and things on your behalf. My assistant, Joanie, tells me that Ms. Noble seems like a wonderful girl and she expressed that she can’t wait to meet her.”
“Lisa is the best, and she says the same about Joanie. From what I can see at a glance everything looks in order on here, but I will have Lisa read things through when I get home. I know that she has already been here to do a signature card and while we are here today I would like to go ahead and get that done for Sam also.” I told him as I glanced up from the stack of papers. I felt Sam’s head turn my way and knew his eyes were on me. “If you don’t mind, sir, can I use your office a moment to speak with Sam about our business here?”
Mr. York pushed up from his chair and smiled down at me.
“Not a problem at all, Ms. Jenkins, take your time. I will get the necessary papers and speak to Joanie about a drink for the two of you. Is bottled water okay or would you rather have a coffee?” he spoke as he moved to the door. I avoided looking at Sam as I answered quickly, “Water, please.”
The door shut behind Mr. York and I turned my head to Sam. His face was serious, his eyebrows together, a look I knew meant he was about to be stubborn.
“Before you say a single word let me talk. I know you and I know what you’re thinking. Let me say, I am not doing this to try and give you money or pay your bills or any of that shit you’re thinking. When my parents died they had an attorney who was a family friend. My parents listed him in their wills as the person in charge of my finances until I became an adult. He took his job seriously, knowing that I was out there somewhere running from a psycho. He took care of their accounts, sold their house and invested the money that they had in a trust for me. Their life insurance and all the rest sat in an account drawing interest until I was able to be free and get access to it. I was living in a shit hole apartment with Uncle Joe one minute, shot the next, and then woke up to find out that I have more money than Scrooge McDuck. But that comes with some issues.” I reached over to take his hand. He was still silently staring at me, but his face had softened. “I have no family left besides Uncle Joe. No blood to help me if I get sick or have an accident and need someone around me I can trust. I trust Lisa. I trust you. So, I need you to sign the papers Mr. York brings in and not give me any shit about it. Okay?”
“Scrooge McDuck?” he smiled.
“Piles of money, sweetheart. Big, fat piles of it.” I squeezed his hand. “And to add to that, I actually have a job that pays me too.”
“I could be a kept man. You could be my sugar mama.” He laughed. “But that’s not gonna happen. You do what you want with your shit. I’m still gonna buy the pizzas, and the beer, and whatever else I feel the urge to do. Got it?”
“I do. And thank you for not giving me any macho crap about this.” I leaned over and he bent down to kiss me. “I love you. And I’m rich. The loving you part is way more important.”
“Just don’t buy your own bike for at least a while, okay? I know you always wanted one, and call me a caveman, but I like you on the back of mine.” He put another soft kiss on my lips. “But I’ll deal if I
have to.”
“Maybe someday. But not anytime soon.” I got up and walked over and pulled the door open to let Mr. York know that we were finished. “I am gonna use a lot of this money to do good things. Probably, the Knights are gonna have some really good take on their fundraisers, and I don’t know how her shit works but Kari’s gonna get some to help her women too.”
“The Knights will appreciate that, sweetheart. I can assure you that Kari will not say no to free money to help her ladies. There are more of them out there than you can imagine.” He looked over his shoulder as Mr. York entered.
We finished the paperwork, Sam signed in the necessary places, raising his brows high when he saw the amounts listed with the account numbers. He didn’t say anything more about my sudden windfall. I knew he understood it was money given to me through heartbreak and pain.
We shook hands with Mr. York, said our goodbyes and walked out into the sun to the bike. He and I got settled on the motorcycle and made small talk while we listened for Zeke and Jace’s bikes to get close. Finally, when we heard them, Sam started his motorcycle and we got ready to pull away from the curb. Zeke was ahead of Jace, and both of them slowed to let Sam pull out ahead of them. He put two fingers up and took us to my second errand.
I was excited. The meeting went well with the banker and Sam. He didn’t argue with me about giving him access to my money and I appreciated that it was a little uncomfortable for him. I was ready for our next stop at the big chain hardware store so I could pick out the tile for the bathrooms and a new backsplash for the kitchen. I kept my head moving, looking for anyone around us who didn’t fit in. I didn’t let the tension between my shoulders interrupt my happiness at the feel of my man in front of me and the sun on my face and shoulders. This life, everything about the last few days, was a fairy tale for me. My days of running were over and I was ready to live.
15.
“Well? What do you think?” I a
sked Lisa after we pulled into the lot at the home improvement store and I stepped away from Sam’s bike.
“I loved it! It was so much fun.” She stretched her arms above her head and let out a war cry. I had never seen her this relaxed before. She put her arms down and looked serious all the sudden as she spoke to Zeke. “Now help me get off of this thing in a way that doesn’t make me look like a total dork.”
Zeke threw his head back and laughed from the seat in front of her. He guided her through it, with his hand on her calf where he wanted it to stay and told her to grab his shoulders and swing her right leg over the back fender to the ground. Lisa did as instructed and looked like a pro on her first try.
She held her hand on Zeke’s shoulder while she steadied herself and looked up at me with a grin.
“That was so freaking cool!” I laughed at her exuberance. She continued. “Let’s hurry and get whatever done here so we can go to the next place.” I heard Lisa and Zeke talking behind us as Sam and I walked to the entrance, Jace and Kari close behind us.
~*~
“They are all three white. I don’t fucking understand why this is a discussion.” Sam growled.
Kari, Lisa and I were standing at a large desk in the hardware store comparing tiles for me to use for my bathrooms and kitchen backsplash. I had found the perfect tiles for the kitchen and settled on them. The girls and I had been discussing bathroom tile for a few minutes, comparing colors and talking about what would be best for my guest bathroom. Lisa had quite a few choices of her own laid out a little further down the table from me, deciding on what she wanted to do in her apartment.
I looked up at Sam and noticed that he, Zeke and Jace were standing side by side, all three with their arms crossed over the chests, leaning back on a shelf that was covered in tile samples and pamphlets of information. Like a mother who can sense that her toddler is just done with shopping and needs to be hurried out, I felt that these guys were about to start a riot. I turned to Kari and realized she had noticed it too.
“Okay. You take this one,” I pointed to the tile that was a gray so pale it was almost white, “and I’ll take this one,” I pointed to the tile that was a blue so pale it was almost white, “and we’ll rock paper scissors for it.”
Kari grinned and put her hands up, a fist on top of her open palm, as I did the same. We did the universal three times smacking our palm in our fist and each threw out our selection. I had paper, she had scissors.
“I win! It’s the gray!” Kari giggled. “Best decision-making process ever!”
I raised my head to the man behind the counter and told him how many boxes we would need to add to our order. We were discussing glue, grout, edge pieces and the like when I heard Lisa sniff beside me. I looked over to her to see that her face had gone pale. She had her chin out, eyes closed and sniffed the air again. I reached out to touch her arm and she jumped. Zeke was away from the shelves and to her side in an instant.
“What’s wrong, fairy girl?” Zeke asked quietly as he looked at her face. Sam and Jace were now surrounding Kari and I. I tapped one finger on the counter to get the employee’s attention.
“All that stuff and whatever I need to get it on the walls. I opened an account with the lady up front. Delivered to the house tomorrow afternoon, yeah?” He nodded his head and backed away to go and put in our items. I looked over to Lisa. “Baby, what is it?”
Lisa grabbed Zeke’s hand from her face and clutched it.
“He’s here. I smell him. We gotta run. I gotta go. He’ll be so mad.” Lisa was frantic, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was pulling Zeke toward the door. As she passed me she grabbed my arm, her fingers digging in. She shoved past Sam and said again, “I smell him. Hurry. We gotta go. He will get me. He will get us. Oh God, Kari, he will get you too.” She let go of Zeke’s hand and grabbed Kari’s arm in the same tight grip.
We went with Lisa, neither Kari or I had a choice since she was gripping our arms so tight. Kari was looking around us, her head swiveling to see everyone close by. I turned my head to look at Sam and his brothers. We were moving at a quick pace to the front doors. Jace broke ranks from behind us and moved up in front of Lisa. He was walking quickly in front of her. The look on his face had customers coming our direction moving quickly to the side. The automatic doors opened and Jace walked out into the sun. He reached up and pulled his shades from his hair to cover his eyes, never breaking stride, walking us straight to the bikes.
Through the rush to get outside, Lisa kept a grip on mine and Kari’s arms, chanting, “He’s here. Oh God. He’s here.” Her breathing fast and shallow.
Zeke jumped on his bike and started the engine. Jace did the same. I pulled Lisa, using her grip on my arm to Zeke’s side.
“Sister! Lisa! Look at me!” I yelled over the noise of the engine. I yanked my arm out of her grasp and Kari did the same so she could rush to Jace. I saw Sam get on his motorcycle and reach to start it up. Zeke turned his head to us, his face stony, his mouth tight. I turned Lisa to the bike and yelled at her, “Put your foot on and grab Zeke tight. Do not let go. Hold tight.”
~*~
I took a deep breath and walked into my bedroom. After we all drove home we had parked in the back and Lisa lost it. She was inconsolable and terrified that the monster who had traumatized her was coming to get her. Zeke had helped me calm her, I gave her some of her anti-anxiety pills that made her sleep, and then left her with Zeke to watch over her.
Sam was on the edge of my bed. His feet were on the floor, elbows on his knees and his hands in his hair. He was so calm while I helped Lisa, but I knew that her reaction had stunned him. The fear came off her in waves and to men like Sam and his brothers the natural reaction to that was protection, and it stressed them if there was nothing they could do to help.
I stood in front of him and he moved to sit up as I fit myself between his legs. His hands came up the back of my thighs, over my ass and up to my waist as he looked up at my face.
“All’s good now, Sam Sam. Let’s go in the kitchen.”
“I think your brother has a soft spot for my Lisa.” I said quietly as I walked into the kitchen.
“Beyond that, Carles. The boy is gone for her. That worries me.” he put his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me close.
“I’ve never known a person with a heart that is more pure than Lisa’s. She’s walked a long road through hell and it’s time she experienced a bit of heaven. Your brother has some things to get through with her, but I know he is as good a man as you are. They won’t stop him from loving her. If I could mold the perfect man for her he would have come out as Zeke.” I tilted my mouth up for a kiss.
“Now that she’s settled, we need to go out and talk to Jace and Kari. Get with Uncle Joe. Love on Tuff. I have to make some phone calls to see if the people I know can find some information for me.”
“I want to call Chandler. See if he can find some info on some plates. I saw two cars around the bank after you had your thing. The Kansas one and another just seemed funny. One of them was also on the road when we left the store. Small town, but not that small, you know?” He opened the back door for me and I walked out. He followed close behind.
Jace and Kari were both sitting in the grass with Tuff laid out between them. The big dog was relaxed and snoring, Jace running his hand back and forth down Tuff’s side, Kari rubbing the top of his head. Uncle Joe was sitting on the bottom of the steps, cradling his shotgun, watching Jace and Kari with the dog.
16.
I moved to the side of the porch and leaned against the rail. I scrolled through my phone to find the contact I needed and pressed dial. I put the phone to my ear and waited for an answer. I could see Sam on the steps beside Joe holding his phone the same.
When my call was answered I spoke my code word and was greeted with a gruff voice.
“Rosalie, all good?” the man asked.
“I’m safe. I think.” I heard the man drag in a deep breath. “I may need your hel
p, Frank.”
Frank Benito had been my protector since my parents had been killed sixteen years ago. A federal agent, he dealt with people in witness protection, and he was very good at his job. He had trained me through the years, by phone and occasionally in person, on what to look for and how to spot and get away from dangerous situations. The lesson he had preached since the beginning was to trust my instincts.
“Little girl, you’ve got it.” I knew I could count on Frank. Even though my trouble had passed with Sinclair’s death, Frank had been with me in the scariest parts of my life. After I was shot he rushed to the hospital to be with Joe and me. Frank cleared the way for Lisa to stay with us at the hospital and sat with her while I was in surgery. Having been in situations with victims, like Lisa, who were scared of their own shadows he knew there was something going on with her. I had mentioned her more than once during my check ins with Frank, and he knew that I could hear disturbing things through the shared walls of our apartment. He put two and two together and made it his mission to help Lisa since he felt that he had failed protecting me.
Frank talked to her and finally she opened up to him and he persuaded not only the local cops to get involved, but also that local FBI agents that he knew. He made arrangements for Lisa to stay at mine and Joe’s bedside after he was forced to leave because of work commitments.
I knew in my heart that I wasn’t just a case number to Frank, just as he wasn’t just some random Fed to me.
“Someone is watching me. I have that feeling, you know? But even worse, when we were at the store today Lisa had a spell. I mean, not a spell, but like a freak out moment where she felt it too.” I wasn’t explaining myself very well, I felt like a teenager again trying to express myself to Frank on the phone. “I would like to think that I am overly paranoid from all these years, but it’s not that. This feels bad, Frank.”
